[Marshall Thompson]

@All,

Yes, you read that right. Got the kit from, 22lrreloader.com , and used my own non-corrosive priming compound to reprime the cases. I also had to cast the bullets from the mold that comes in the kit. No, I don't plan to routinely do this for my 22 LR ammo, but it is nice to know you can in a crisis situation. I have not shot any yet at the range, but I will soon. So far, all I have done is fire several empty primed cases to verify that my primer compound works well, and it does.

Here is the loading I used:

24" Rifle Barrel

39.5 gr LRN / 1.5 gr Bullseye / 0.914 OAL
23025 psi / 1445 fps / 183 ft-lb / 99.8% Burn / 84.1% Fill

4.5" Pistol Barrel

39.5 gr LRN / 1.5 gr Bullseye / 0.914 OAL
23025 psi / 1127 fps / 111 ft-lb / 93.4% Burn / 84.1% Fill

So, the next time someone asks if you can reload 22LR....you can say without hesitation....yes you can.

Marshall

 

[NewtoSkeet]

Why the same weight bullet and powder charge, but different velocities and energies? Is there a typo?

 

[94win30wcf]

try em out , cant wait to hear a range report , be careful and good luck.

 

[paulo57509]

Why the same weight bullet and powder charge, but different velocities and energies? Is there a typo?

Different barrel lengths?

 

[35remington]

No typo. Pistol length barrel.

Given that Bullseye is a lot faster than standard 22 long rifle powders and given that even high velocity loads are 200 fps slower than your QL projections it would probably have been more prudent to use less powder than you did. The 25 ACP maxes out considerably less than that and it has more favorable case volume/expansion ratio relationships.

Since the firing pin weakens the brass when striking it it's best not to max out 22 long rifle loadings and cruise at maximum calculated pressures right off the bat. The calculation is just an estimation and it is best to credit it with the likely errors that it has. There is far too much credit given to Quickload when basic precautions are ignored.

in other words, start low and work up applies for rim fires as well.

 

[BigDanS]

Where do you get priming compound?

D

 

[snglstack]

Bullseye/1.5 sounds a little hot to me, too.

 

[Marshall Thompson]

@BigDanS,

Where do you get priming compound?

D

I made it using the Eley Prime process described in US patent 4432819. It is a combination of lead hypophosphite / lead nitrate / glass powder. The mixture is an inert powder until it is moistened with water. The lead salts react to form a double salt called lead nitratohypophosphite which is a well known primer explosive since the 1910's. This reaction can be done inside the 22 LR case which makes the process very safe. Once the mixture dries, it becomes sensitive to percussion. The glass powder is required as a frictionator, otherwise the mixture will not ignite on percussion. The lead hypophosphite itself must be made from calcium hypophosphite and lead nitrate, but is a trivial easy synthesis.

Marshall

 

[Marshall Thompson]

@35remington,

No typo. Pistol length barrel.

Given that Bullseye is a lot faster than standard 22 long rifle powders and given that even high velocity loads are 200 fps slower than your QL projections it would probably have been more prudent to use less powder than you did. The 25 ACP maxes out considerably less than that and it has more favorable case volume/expansion ratio relationships.

Since the firing pin weakens the brass when striking it it's best not to max out 22 long rifle loadings and cruise at maximum calculated pressures right off the bat. The calculation is just an estimation and it is best to credit it with the likely errors that it has. There is far too much credit given to Quickload when basic precautions are ignored.

in other words, start low and work up applies for rim fires as well.

The SAAMI Pmax for 22 LR is 25000 psi so there should be an ~2000 psi buffer (-8%) for this load. I plan to initially test these rounds in a robust bolt action rifle. If the loading shows signs of over-pressure I'll back off on future loads. I have only made 5 test rounds, so its not a big deal if they have to be pulled down. I may use Unique in the next set of test rounds since it is a little slower.

Marshall

 

[gunscrewguy]

Very interesting. Thank you for your post. I am familiar with the need for a frictionator. In the 60's-70's Herters made a lot of hay over the fact that their primers contained no glass. They claimed that glass contributed to barrel wear. They are the only ones I've heard make those claims. Are manufacturers still using glass?

As I matured I realized that Jacques Herter and Momma Herter were more full of something other than the truth. Anybody ever hears of their 'Sonic Wasp Waist Sonic Boat Tailed Bullets'? I've got some I've been intending to load for some time.

AC

 

[papa vid]

saw that 22 reloading setup the other day and found it interesting... seems like a lot of work, but it'd be worth it if the shortages start again... 22reloader.com also sells a 3 part primer compound... $20 for enough to load about 2000 rounds.. or so the ad says...

 

[35remington]

Given the 200 fps increase over standard loads and very quick powder a bit more caution starting out would have been advisable. Throw the nature of the uncertainty together and you get the idea that starting below this would have been better. Being subsonic and going up from there would have given info along the way instead of flirting with redline right off. Two hundred fps faster calculated is toward that direction. Factories load to the speeds they do for a reason. The powder choice and suitability for the task are a real unknown.

Accuracy may be better slower, and experimenting with flat pointing the bullet and accuracy pursuits are better goals in this rimfire case anyway. The idea is not to risk anything at any time to the extent possible.

 

[Steven M.]

Sounds like something I'd like to try someday. Time to start saving .22 brass.

 

[475linebaugh]

I never thought I would see reloading practice for the 22. That's great.

 

[Marshall Thompson]

@gunscrewguy,

Very interesting. Thank you for your post. I am familiar with the need for a frictionator. In the 60's-70's Herters made a lot of hay over the fact that their primers contained no glass. They claimed that glass contributed to barrel wear. They are the only ones I've heard make those claims. Are manufacturers still using glass?

As I matured I realized that Jacques Herter and Momma Herter were more full of something other than the truth. Anybody ever hears of their 'Sonic Wasp Waist Sonic Boat Tailed Bullets'? I've got some I've been intending to load for some time.

AC

To my knowledge, rimfire priming formulations have always contained glass powder (or grit) and often quite a bit. I've seen up to ~40-50%. Who knows if it measurably contributes to barrel wear. Supposedly, the change from H-48 (w/ powdered glass) to H42 (no glass) primer formulations was made for this reason during WWI. The glass powder I am using is so fine that it is more a polishing agent than an abrasive. Regardless, I think glass powder is an unavoidable fact of life for rimfire ammunition.

Marshall

 

[Marshall Thompson]

@papa vid,

saw that 22 reloading setup the other day and found it interesting... seems like a lot of work, but it'd be worth it if the shortages start again... 22reloader.com also sells a 3 part primer compound... $20 for enough to load about 2000 rounds.. or so the ad says...

What they fail to mention is their primer powder is corrosive. Therefore, to prevent damage to your barrel you will need to wash it out with hot water shortly after a shooting session. They also recommend using cap powder and strike anywhere match tips which are also corrosive. For about the same money you can buy a pound each of potassium chlorate, antimony sulfide, and sulfur and have enough material to prime 100s of thousands of cases.

Marshall

 

[Travlin]

Did you have to use reloading dies in order to put the roll crimp on the finished round or resize the brass? What about the cast bullets? Did you have to size them, and what about lube? Is there a kit for .22 WRF or .22 Magnum? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Chickenthief]

Did you have to use reloading dies in order to put the roll crimp on the finished round or resize the brass? What about the cast bullets? Did you have to size them, and what about lube? Is there a kit for .22 WRF or .22 Magnum? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for posting this.

Go to their www and all will be revealed!

All the small 22's are 222 and the 22MAG is 224 so i suspect that you will be dissapointed if you try to shoot them cast bullets in a 22MAG.

 

[Marshall Thompson]

@Travlin,

Did you have to use reloading dies in order to put the roll crimp on the finished round or resize the brass? What about the cast bullets? Did you have to size them, and what about lube? Is there a kit for .22 WRF or .22 Magnum? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for posting this.

As Chickenthief has noted, the videos at their website will answer most of your questions. However, there is a separate $50+ resizing die that they offer and I used to prep all the brass I have used (take a close look at the picture above and you can see where the resizing die stopped). Otherwise, you will encounter serious problems rechambering some reloaded rounds. The bullets were used as cast and so far I have not lubed them. I am thinking about smearing them with some liquid alox to avoid leading. Being heeled bullets, this is as good as lubing them before loading. The tool used for molding the bullets doubles as a crimping tool (and its not all that great at either task). No kit is available for 22 WRF or 22 Mag, but who knows what these guys are planning for the future. Once you see the kit, if you are handy in the shop, you could easily make your own tool for any rimfire caliber.

Marshall

 

[papa vid]

thanks for the info on the corrosive primer compound... I'd definitely look into the recipe you use...