Paper Patching for the 22 Hornet

[303Guy]

Does anyone PP for the Hornet?

I have some left over 224 cast RCBS boolits that I have just tried to patch. I did no sizing before or after and I used rather thick tracing paper - because of its strength and the way it stretches when wet and shrinks when it dries. The final boolit was a tad tight to seat. So much so I had to use the press. The resultant cartridge was difficult to chamber due to the now expanded neck (unsized). It was loaded with a light load so I fired it! Pressure was pretty normal for the hornet - lower than my usual load but high for the charge used.

Here it is.





This boolit was somewhat oversize right to the ogive.

I've no idea how it would shoot on the range! Looking at the boolit rear section, I would say probably not well. It did not enter the bore perfectly true (or got bent during entry). On the 'dark' side, the rifling is visible right to the tail edge. Unless the rebate wasn't completely round - which is likely.

[leftiye]

Well guys, he's gone and done it now! No more excuses about them there .22s being too small to patch. I suspect that it would be a real good idea to size your finished product some to make it fit your leade/freebore.

[303Guy]

Well, I was surprized that it entered the throat. The nose section measured .222 which is fine but the bands measured .233! After firing the rear band mesures .221. It is a .223 bore. I shall have to load up a few more and try then on the range. I will need to size them first, just to get them to seat! This could be fun but I recall casting those midget boolits with great horror! Of course, if I pursue this one, the mould will not have al those grooves and steps. It will be a smooth sided, tapered boolit which will hopefully cast well and drop out the mold easily. Well, it will drop out because it will have an ejector pin in the nose! docone31's design!

[softpoint]

Wow! Patching .22 boolits! I'm pretty new to PP. Having good success with my 45/70's. I can hardly imagine wrapping a couple hundred of them little boogers!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

It is nice to be enthusiastic, or to say "been there, done that", but I can hardly think of anything less rewarding in the casting and shooting of boolits than patching 22 bullets.

BvT

[303Guy]

I can hardly think of anything less rewarding in the casting and shooting of boolits than patching 22 bullets.

I hear you!

Actually, it is dead easy! I tried it sort as a challange to myself. Then I found an easy way. It's casting those little boogers that's not so rewarding!

But, I have this beautiful little rifle, so ........

If it does pan out then I will consider swaging or rolling.

[DLCTEX]

A little alloy will make a pile of boolits. 10 # pot lasts forever.

[6.5 mike]

303 guy,that's just about the wildest thing Iv'e seen. You've jumped on the paper patch thing like ugly on a ape. Is your next try going to be a 17? I gotta see that!!!
Really, nice job. I was following your other wraps while on the boat, really good info.
I just tried loading the 185's I'd wrapped for the sav, didn't work, when seated they
opened the case neck up to much to chamber. Tried your crossed strip idea, hope it works, won't know until I get off the boat next time.
Keep wraping, I'm learning watching your pic's. Gives me something to look forward
to while I'm floating around at work.

[rhead]

I had the best results with the thinnest paper I could find. I guess that sooner or later the ratio between the paper thickness and boolit diameter will bite you, or it may have been the depth of my rifling. I was finally able to barely beat factory accuracy with a full case of Lil' Gun and a 55 grain Bator Boolit. Hang in there its good therapy.

[303Guy]

Tee Hee! Believe it or not, I have come up with a way that would work on the 17! Might not shoot straight though.
It involves rolling the dry patch onto a mandrel, glueing the end with water soluble paper glue, drying that then soaking the tube in diluted paper glue until it swell enough to slip the casting into place and leave to dry. Done! The paper needs to be strong enough when wet. That's what I am working on now - my fingers are too clumsy for those little midgets.

The advantage of prerolling the paper into a sleave is that with the right sized mandrel and right sized patch, it is a breaze to align the edges perfectly. Plus the mandrel has a handle for our big hands. It's also easy to place the casting in the right place. But, the proof will be in the shooting!

[303Guy]

rhead , what paper did you end up using? I'm using 0.05mm (.002") tracing paper because of its wet strength. It is too thick really but at this point I don't have any better options. This stuff I'm using is unlikely to come off the boolit at the muzzle. For starters, the lube groove is too deep for a clean cut.

[rhead]

I used some that comes between sheets of .003 mylar film that we use in the lab. I think it is called manifold paper and this source mikes out at .015". The 22 hornet loads are the only one that I use this paper on. I use the tracing paper on every thing else. A drafting supply house might have some .015 tracing paper or maybe even something thinner. It is something to try. I hope it works for you.

[303Guy]

Thanks rhead.

(I'm trying to get my head around American units of measure).
I measured some of the paper I have at hand. Cig paper measures .035mm (.0014"). Tissue paper is just a shade thicker but is softer when wet. The tracing paper I am trying is 0.075mm (.003"). Not 0.05mm as I said earlier - vernier error. Printer paper is 0.1mm (.004"). Do you mean .0015" (.04mm) tracing paper? That would work for me.

[softpoint]

Heh heh, I haven't cast any .22 bullets yet, although I might. I have a freind that does , and has had pretty good results. I prolly won't be patchin' 'em though.
And I ain't casting or patching .17's unless my survival depends on it! I have a .17 Fireball rifle, and them 20 grain Hornady's I load are almost too small to even handle at the loading press! I can see me with a microscope tryin' to install gaschecks! LOL

[6.5 mike]

Had to toss the .17 cal thing out just to see if 303 guy would bite. Didn't think about a mandrel, good idea.
Loaded some .17's for a fellow once, spent more time chasing them around on the floor then getting them in a case.
Iv'e found tracing paper seems to work best for me also. Wraps tighter,shrinks better,
& tough enough I don't tear it as much. Crushed the end off left thumb, rebulit looks like a toe, but useable. 7m/m is about as small as Iv'e tried so far. Have enough a hard enough time with 22 bullets when loading.

[pdawg_shooter]

Dont think putting the paper on with glue will work too good. If the paper doesn't come off at the muzzle you will have NO accuracy.

[303Guy]

Yeah. I didn't even want to cast for the 303 'cause it's so small! And yeah, I can't hold those little 224 boogers either. But the sleave mandrel has a handle on it. The problem is picking up the wet sleaves to fit. At least they only fall onto the bench and don't roll away.

But, for all the difficulties, when those little patched boolits are dry and robust enough to handle..... mmmmm. That's is rewarding!

If I could just get them to shoot straight ......

[303Guy]

Dont think putting the paper on with glue will work too good. If the paper doesn't come off at the muzzle you will have NO accuracy.

True. The glue I am trying is ordinary school paper glue which dries brittle and has no adhesion to lead. This I have tested. Also, the glue that holds the sleave together gets disolved and diluted to equal the glue solution. When dry, there is no sign of glue, so it is all being absorbed into the paper. However, the paper is so damn strong that it might not cut in the rifling! Also, the tail of the boolits are sub-bore diameter (g/c rebate) and so is the forward section of the nose, so again, will it cut? Well, this trial was about getting the patch on. Now to get it to come off!

[rhead]

303GUY Thanks for catching my mistake. I guess my brain was only getting a 10% bloodflow at 4AM. Yes the paper is .0015". the decimal is wrong on the others also. An excellent illustration for anyone ever tempted to take any load directly from the internet and use it without confirming the safety from other sources. Mistakes will happen and sooner or later one will not get caught. Thanks again for watching out for me.
Have you tried making a mini loading block to hold your sleeves while you are wetting them and inserting the lead? Something like a Lee wad guide would be nice too but I don't see an easy way to make one unless something already in production can be adapted.

[303Guy]

Youre welcome!

Have you tried making a mini loading block to hold your sleeves while you are wetting them and inserting the lead?

Not yet. Thanks for the idea!

What I have done so far is to place a finger over one open end and insert the boolit into the other and press slowly. The trapped air opens the sleave and allows it so slide over nice and easy. It must be slow because the inner wrap needs a little time to slide open against the outer wrap. The trapped air also supports the sleave, preventing collapse. It's great! So a sleave wetting support 'device' would make all that happen even easier!