22LR reloading powder charge

[uscra112]

The least crimp necessary to keep the bullets from coming loose under recoil is probably best.

[AlHunt]

A few limited test runs yesterday and today with just enough crimp to keep the bullet in the case seem to have resolved the case splitting. Learning curve.

Also, I ran a number of AA7 loads up to 2.5 grains with passable results. No more muzzle flash than anything else and I don't see copious amounts of unburned powder. That doesn't mean it's not just blowing right out the muzzle.

One interesting development is that the powder coated bullets cause occasional difficult chambering in the Ruger Standard Model. The bolt doesn't close with authority and the round will fail to fire but will fire in the revolver. I may have to go to lubed bullets.

[Traffer]

You can size the powder coated bullets after you coat them. I can't make anything right now because my machining stuff is in storage (maybe forever) but I can look through my stuff to see if there is something I can send you to size them with.

[AlHunt]

You can size the powder coated bullets after you coat them. I can't make anything right now because my machining stuff is in storage (maybe forever) but I can look through my stuff to see if there is something I can send you to size them with.

I appreciate the offer. I'm running them through the .225 Lee sizer, same as I use for the AR. I suspect the chamber in that particular gun may just be short and the end of the bullet with thick powder coating may be stopping just short.

I have a few leads on a magazine for the rifle and that will give me another test bed.

[AlHunt]

Well, I made up about a dozen test rounds, 2.5gr of AA7, lubed and sized bullets and just enough crimp to keep the bullet from turning.

Flawless in the Ruger Standard Model. Difficult extraction in the revolver but ran fine. I'll have to spend some quality time with the micrometer and see if I can identify the extraction problem with the revolver. It may just be tight chambers in the K-22.

Subjectively this load has a little heavier recoil than the Winchester High Velocity and about the same muzzle flash.

[uscra112]

Oooooh, you've got a K-22. If mine is any example, yes, the chambers run small. Depending on what you've been shooting in it previously, it may just need an aggressive cleaning. Run a bronze wire brush in it using an electric drill and Hoppes' #9.

[AlHunt]

I downloaded Gordon's Reloading Tool. Very neat thing. I do see where AA7 and even 2 are predicted to have very low percentages of powder burned, whereas Titegroup predicts 100%. So, back to Titegroup I went. 1.4 grains is slightly more energetic than my old faithful Winchester ammo and runs 100% with my tweaked bullet and crimp setup in the Ruger. Lacking a chronograph, I'm going to back down to 1.3 grains and start to look at accuracy.

It doesn't make sense to load almost twice as much AA7 for similar velocities as Titegroup and not even burn all the AA7.

I weighed spent Winchester cases against Fedarm and found the Fedarm running a half grain heavier. So it's not like they're inferior cases.

Interesting project.

[uscra112]

In your pistol-length barrels, AA#7 isn't going to burn a high percentage of the charge. It just doesn't have time. An 18" rifle barrel is another story.

AA#2 should burn better than 80%. If that model says otherwise, it's wrong.

It's my understanding that the Gordon software doesn't use factory or lab-derived powder data.

[AlHunt]

In your pistol-length barrels, AA#7 isn't going to burn a high percentage of the charge. It just doesn't have time. An 18" rifle barrel is another story.

AA#2 should burn better than 80%. If that model says otherwise, it's wrong.

It's my understanding that the Gordon software doesn't use factory or lab-derived powder data.

Yeah, the AA2 was around 80. Low enough to trigger a warning but I could tweak it to make the warning go away. Don't remember what exactly.

I tinkered with the Gordons, matching known manufacturer data. The predicted velocities and pressures were similar but slightly different. So I have some level of confidence in the non-standard things we're looking at.

[Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]

Well, I made up about a dozen test rounds, 2.5gr of AA7, lubed and sized bullets and just enough crimp to keep the bullet from turning.

Those are some nice looking rounds

[Traffer]

The reason they are not chambering completely is because of the shape of the ogive. I made a continuous ogive bullet for a few years which chambered well in my rifles. But when I used that design for a person with a match rifle chamber they got stuck just like your K22. Match chambers are tighter than normal chambers.They are designed for the stepped bullet design.
The step effectively narrows the ogive by starting the diameter at about .209" insted of the non stepped ogive which starts at the largest diameter of the bullet (.2242")
That is why I went back to making stepped bullets. Here is a video

[uscra112]

Um, .22 revolver chambers are straight through. Ogive form doesn't matter. Semi-autos of course have chambers like rifles.

[Traffer]

Um, .22 revolver chambers are straight through. Ogive form doesn't matter. Semi-autos of course have chambers like rifles.

It matters where the rifling starts. If a narrower bullet works so will a bullet with a stepped ogive. Should I draw you a picture?

[uscra112]

Are we not talking about his K-22 revolver?

[AlHunt]

The reason they are not chambering completely is because of the shape of the ogive. I made a continuous ogive bullet for a few years which chambered well in my rifles. But when I used that design for a person with a match rifle chamber they got stuck just like your K22. Match chambers are tighter than normal chambers.They are designed for the stepped bullet design.
The step effectively narrows the ogive by starting the diameter at about .209" insted of the non stepped ogive which starts at the largest diameter of the bullet (.2242")
That is why I went back to making stepped bullets. Here is a video

That looks like a heavy bullet. I like the hollow base.

Part of what got me in trouble was my method of powder coating. I just bake them in a pile and slam them into a cardboard box right out of the oven to separate them, leaving some slightly lumpy noses. In larger caliber chambers that hasn't been a problem. The Ruger semiauto apparently has a close fitting throat and some of the little flaws and imperfections prevent the round from fully seating.

I've had good success powder coating with the 5.56 and 223 Wylde chambers because the throats on those are larger.

So, I'll drop the powder coat for the moment, work up some rounds and maybe look at Hi-Tek coating. I *think* that goes on thinner.