Paper patching jacketed bullets.

[braddock]

In a weak moment I bought a savage 1899 in 22 hi power. Eventually I got my process OK for resizing 30/30 down too 22 HP and started looking round for loads I can shoot with Powder I can get in the UK.
Eventually got my act together and started reloading 0.224"diameter 55 grain cast that I powder coated twice to get to the bore diameter of the rifle which is 0.228".
I also bought a rake of S&B 70 grain bullets listed as 0.228" but the diameter varied between 0.225" and o.2265" and the smaller diameter just doesn't stabilise.
I can easily powder coat these bullets to bring the diameter up but I've also experimented with paper patching Barnes 0.224" 50 grain varmint grenades and the results have been most encouraging, I used two wraps of cigarette paper which brought the diameter up to 0.228" and the groups were about 1" at 25 yards with iron sights and my 80 year old eyes. (FWIW I used model covering shrinking dope to seal the paper and cut the twisted ends off when they dried.The case necks needed slight expanding to get them started and I also lubed the shank with a touch of Lee's resizing LUB.
I only did about 10 as the wife complains about the smell of the dope so it's a very small sample but I saw no sign of confetti.
Has anyone tried PP jacketed bullets and, if so, what were the results lie?
(FWIW I don't want to powder coat the VGs as they have a hollow point and it'll probably get choked up in the process).
I also have 400 hornady 70 grain SP with an advertised diameter of 0.227" and a few hundred PPU FMJ BT 60 grain bullets that mike 0.224" and it's those I want to PP.

[barrabruce]

Yes I have tried pping jacket bullets in 30 cal.
I ran them tween files to roughen up the jacket so the paper would stick.
I used 2x wraps of water moistened tobacco papers.
The paper nose portion ended up smaller than the bore diameter so they wouldn’t bunch up.
No need for plane dope.
They shot better than being too small for my bore.

Wipe out barrel between shots to look for paper rings and things.
Best if they fill the throat and engage the lands.

Good luck.

[braddock]

BB, thanks for that.

[beemer]

I have paper patched .308 to .314. I also rolled the bullet between two files. I let the patch extend a little over the ogive and lubed with LLA. The long throat in my #4 Enfield probably helps. Although I didn't do a lot of them they seemed to shoot on par with the .312 jacketed bullets.

[braddock]

Beemer, thanks for that.
I'm going back to my original process of double or even triple coating with powder coat.
I seem to have overcome the issue of plugging hollow points by using a little jig of drilled alloy plate so the coated bullet sits nose down in the oven and it looks like gravity allows the molten powder to drip off.

1st image shows the uncooked bullets with powder in the jig, second one shows them out the jig and cooling after cooking.
OK it's dang fiddly but not nearly so much as wrapping with cig paper etc etc.

[braddock]

Just a ps,they measure between 0.227 and 0.228 so I don't size them.
In front of 12 grains of 2400 they achieve pretty good groups for me at 25 yards, mv is around 2100 with that powder. I'm now researching using Vhitavuori N120 instead but haven't had any range time yet.
Reason for this is my supply of 2400 is nearly exhausted but no-one wants N120 in the UK so there's a bunch of it at my LGS.
For the 70 grain bullets I use Lovex ( Shooter's World Powder) S065, doesn't give massive velocities - circa 2800 fps but really low pressures it's just keeping a balance between burning all the powder and not.
Hopefully I'll be able to get the 50 grain VGs up in the 3000 + area and the 62 grain ones up to 3000, once I can do that accurately then I'll sell my 223!

[longbow]

Ross Setfried wrote an article on paper patching jacketed bullets for "odd" calibers where bullets are not readily available. He used the "knurling" process Beemer mentioned.

I you want a copy of the article PM me your email address and I will send it.

Something else you might consider is knurling the bullets up a few though then sizing although with a good knurler you should be able to set it so the diameter after knurling is the same. I bought some factory Federal .303 British rounds to try in my old Lee Enfields but accuracy was very poor. When I pulled a bullet I mic'd it and found that it was an optimistic 0.311" diameter but my Lee Enfields all run about 0.314" groove diameter. I had a knurler I made for cast lead bullets be decided to see if it would raise the jacketed bullet diameter which it did by 0.003" quite easily. Accuracy with the knurled bullets was quite good.

Another option is swaging to bump the diameter up to the required .228". A swaging press and dies would be costly but you may be able to make or have made a hammer swager. It would be manual and maybe tedious but should work to bump bullets up in diameter a few thou.

If you are okay with paper patching that would be the cheapest and easiest approach and if it works you are done. If paper patching those little bullets is difficult and/or doesn't provide decent accuracy then knurling is pretty easy and should work. Corbin sells bullet knurlers.

Longbow

[braddock]

Many thanks for your offer, I have pm'd you on that respect.
You are absolutely correct, paper patching wee 22 cal is fiddly. I have also tried powder coating boolits successfully, just takes more than one coat so I am transferring this method over to jacketed bullets.
The big issue is with the S&B bullets is consistency, they vary between 0.2245" and 0.2265" which is not good. I also acquired some PPU bullets fmj BT of 62 grains which are 0.224" on each sample I've miked but two applications of powder coating should increase the diameter to 0.227" ish.
I also have some hornady 70 grain bullets, soft points, that are intended to e 0.227" and they are so I can use them straight from the box, in fact today I'm pulling 100 odd S&B bullets and replacing them with Hornadys, I'll then start powder coating the S&B ones at least once and probably twice.
I'm actually in the UK so there's no easy way of getting specialist tools etc so I make the best of a bad hand.

[longbow]

Article sent.

The second and not so expensive of difficult option is knurling. Patching those tiny bullets must be difficult. The smallest bullets I have patched were .30 cal. 100 gr. and I found those difficult but mostly because they were short.

Corbin sells knurling tool though I believe they say they are for cast or swaged lead bullets. I made a knurling tool by making a simple scissor frame that the lower side supported two smooth rollers and the single upper roller is a diamond knurled roll I made from cold rolled steel, no heat treating. If works well on both lead and jacketed bullets. I am sure you could order a Corbin knurler or have a simple knurler made. If you are interested let me know and I can send some pics of mine and another even simpler, sort of Corbin styled, knurler someone built and posted.

You may be able to simply knurl to the finished diameter or knurl slightly oversize then size to your required final diameter.

Longbow

PS: I should add that you should be able to paper patch cast bullets and achieve jacketed velocities or very close. I know that had been done using larger calibers but not sure about .22 cal.