What’s your favourite .22 caliber cast bullet?

[Spindrift]

@JonB , that HM2- bullet looks like a fine design! I like the top punch with the O-ring as well, clever concept. I’m not familiar with that mould maker, are they still in business?

Regarding the RD bullet, I have a NOE 4-cav PB mould with the same basic design. For some reason, I’ve not been able to get better than 2MOA accuracy in my CZ .222rem yet. With my .223rem, things are looking more promising. But I haven’t shot that combintation much, so far.

@Jeff H , excellent groups! It is rather unlikely you can improve results much by getting new moulds; seems like you have a winning combo right there. I share your view regarding base- first crimping of gas checks. I’ve found the NOE «top-punch holder for the ram» to be a helpful tool, particularily with non-WFN bullets. But most of all, I’ve developed a preferance for powder coated PB bullets. Less work, and they can be pushed into +2000fps territory with no problems.

I’ve never tried the RCBS 225-55, but I’ve had good results with both the Lee c225-55, and the slightly heavier NOE copy (225-61). RCBS have so many good designs!

I see a lot of you are happy with the #225438, I’ve filed it under «moulds to look out for».

@richhodg66 , I might have the same bullet (my most recent), the NOE 225-46-WFN. I have a 4-cav PB, work still in progress. But quite good results so far.

 

[dale2242]

I have 2 Lymans. 225438 and 225415.
These are the only 22 cal moulds that I own.
My 22 Hornet and 218 Bee like the 225438 the best.

 

[richhodg66]

"I might have the same bullet (my most recent), the NOE 225-46-WFN. I have a 4-cav PB, work still in progress. But quite good results so far."

I got my first Hornet, that Savage 219 pictured, when I was frustrated at unobtainable .22 LR ammo. Figured I'd been dowloading rifles and casting bullets for years and small primers were cheap and available so why not? The down side (if there is one) is that I never really pursued the Hornet for anything but a rimfire substitute so once I reached that, didn't go further. I got the 225438 and 225415 and both worked fine, I wanted a plain base and that NOE was the one I picked. It shoots well at realistic small game ranges and kills Fox squirrels at least as decisively as a .22 LR hollow point.

Some day, I'll have to really work out loading for the Hornet and Bee to reach a little further and hit a little harder.

 

[L Ross]

Found some pics to go with my previous post, re: RDO 50 grain RFN and LEE copy of the RCBS 55 grain.
Targets are typical of the CZ 527, but I have not gotten it to shoot quite like the 722, yet.
The bullets in the photo demonstrate the difference I was seeing in "seating" gas checks via LEE push-through, nose first (RCBS clone) or base first (RDO). I have not shot any of the RCBS clones with the concave bases, but it will not surprise me if they don't shoot well. When sized base-first, they shoot great.

That plain-base RDO looks cool! Not sure I'd have the guts to try it. I use GCs on 22s simply for the sake of getting the most consistent and perfect base I can without tedious sorting. I am not all that careful with mine - I cull passively, a little bit through each time I handle them, right up until I pick one up to seat it in a case. I toss very few in the process. Once I shoot them at a hundred yards, my sloppy standards may have to tighten up, but they do OK at fifty yards.

View attachment 32022View attachment 32023

Jeff your notations are beautiful. Easy to read, concise, and complete.

 

[JonB]

That doesn't look like what they called the Bator when Midsouth was selling the six cavity molds. I got one of those, good bullet and short enough that even though it weighs 55 grains, it's shorter than the 225438. Shoots well in my old, slow twist Hornets.

The photo in the post you quoted is of the HM² 225-61 made by JT. I didn't post a photo of the bator.
I do have several bator molds from Midsouth, they seemed to vary lot to lot back in the day before they starting using the new 'improved' 2 cav mold block design...and that's why I wound up buying several molds, figuring maybe I get a better one after a new batch was delivered to Midsouth.





Below is the best of the 3 I currently have, it was made after Lee started using the new 2 cav block design...and I think it's closest to the drawing.
I don't have a image of one of these 'more correct' just dropped (that hasn't been through the sizer.)

 

[JonB]

@JonB , that HM2- bullet looks like a fine design! I like the top punch with the O-ring as well, clever concept. I’m not familiar with that mould maker, are they still in business?

The O-ring design Top Punch was designed and made by our own Keith. Yes they work excellent.
.
"JTKnives" at the other forum made the HM² molds, on equipment he had access too, but didn't own. When that arrangement ended, so did his side business. He did a few different designs, I have a 30 cal mold of his too. That was 8 to 10 years ago. Back then. the word was he had plans to start up again, fiver might know some more, But I haven't seen any activity from him...and am not even sure what forums he frequents anymore? The 30 cal mold was one he sold at the other forum not too long ago, (3 or 4 yrs) as a closet cleaning. Some of those offerings were slightly tweaked designs (pointy and not pointy, and others were missing hardware, prices were right, that's for sure) that he made for some reason...maybe the reason was an Opps? ...LOL.

 

[JonB]

Other JT molds I have:
.
HM² 312-155 (on left)
Lee's C312-155 for comparison on right)


HM² 455-200

 

[Jeff H]

.....

@Jeff H , excellent groups! It is rather unlikely you can improve results much by getting new moulds; seems like you have a winning combo right there. I share your view regarding base- first crimping of gas checks. I’ve found the NOE «top-punch holder for the ram» to be a helpful tool, particularily with non-WFN bullets. But most of all, I’ve developed a preferance for powder coated PB bullets. Less work, and they can be pushed into +2000fps territory with no problems.

I’ve never tried the RCBS 225-55, but I’ve had good results with both the Lee c225-55, and the slightly heavier NOE copy (225-61). RCBS have so many good designs!
.....

Thank you, @Spindrift . I just feel like I have to get closer to what that long, lanky 722 would do to justify having sold it to pay for the CZ. I like t he CZ much more, as I did NOT get along with the extractor on the 722 and it had a 26" barrel! Rather than cut it off, I let a collector rescue it from me.

I THINK we are talking about the same mould, maybe - the "Lee c225-55." The 55 grain RCBS "clone" I'm using IS a LEE mould and the only 22 caliber LEE mould I know of. I didn't NEED another 22 mould, as the RDO bullet worked fine, but I got it when LEE's 6Cs cost about what everyone's asking for LEE 2Cs today.

EDIT: By the way, that group, fired for record with the Remington is FIVE shots. Not much to do with MY abilities, as that barrel reaches half way to the target. That was a nice rifle - plain as plain can get, in excellent shape, but too unwieldy for what I'm doing.

 

[smokeywolf]

Can't even remember for sure if I have a mould for 22 cal. Typically shoot jacketed in the 218 Bee. Smallest I've cast is 25 cal for the 25-20.

 

[KeithB]

Top punches for sale

We offer two basic types of top punches for Lyman/RCBS and Saeco style luber/sizers: Our flat face punches work for any bullet design that has a flat nose. This includes wadcutters, semi-wadcutters, round w/a flat, and truncated cone designs. We offer these in every caliber but in truth two or...

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[Spindrift]

@JonB , the bator bullet looks nice! And thanks for the story on the HM2- moulds.

@Jeff H , the CZ527 sure is a wonderful walkabout rifle, feels like a rimfire in your hand.

@smokeywolf , cast in a .22 cal centerfire can offer a lot of fun shooting that consume little resources. A bundle of fun!

 

[smokeywolf]

@JonB , the bator bullet looks nice! And thanks for the story on the HM2- moulds.

@Jeff H , the CZ527 sure is a wonderful walkabout rifle, feels like a rimfire in your hand.

@smokeywolf , cast in a .22 cal centerfire can offer a lot of fun shooting that consume little resources. A bundle of fun!

Very true, but the 25-20 fills that bill for me.

Don't actually have any "22 caliber", other than rimfire. No 223. Between the rimfire shooters, 218 Bee and 25-20 I feel like I have the varmint calibers pretty well covered.

 

[L Ross]

I have the 225415 mould, some bullets cast from 10 years ago, some even lubed and sized, and even about 15 rounds of .222 Remington loaded from. back when I have a Model 7. If Remington had put a real rifle barrel on that Model 7 it would still be here. Anyway, I traded a 788 in .22-250 even up for a 788 in .222 and I fully intended to shoot cast until I started shooting some jacketed at feral critters and was just pleased as punch with the performance.

Then I acquired my first .25-20, then my second, and subsequently my third and started small game hunting with the ,25-20's and now have no need for cast in the .222. I saw a big cotton tail yesterday when I was plowing snow and I thought of the Remington Model 25 pump, and then thought about all the meat and fish in the freezer and said bunny doesn't even realize how lucky he is.

 

[Jeff H]

...

@Jeff H , the CZ527 sure is a wonderful walkabout rifle, feels like a rimfire in your hand.
...

To make mine even more like a "rimfire in your hand," I swapped the American stock for a Youth Carbine stock and bedded it.

When I'm "feelin' it," the barrel is going to get a little shorter too. Once I handled the Youth Carbine, I realized I had found all the right elements to the compact, lightweight 22 CF I've always wanted.

 

[fiver]

JT moved to Washington state and couldn't quite convince his new boss to let him make any molds there.
he does still make some Knives from time to time though.
i don't know if Littlegirl still 'talks' to him on FB or not [she would relay messages back and forth between us] it's been about a year or so since i've heard from him.

 

[Tomme boy]

I really like the mp 227-65gr. It looks like a scaled down version of the 308 sil bullet he did. And in a 6 cav you can make lots of bullets fast. The hardest part is the gas checks with fingers that don't work like they used to. So I don't shoot it much.

 

[richhodg66]

The .25-20 downloads to a nice small game round too, but I haven't found it any better than the .22 Hornet.

 

[RicinYakima]

The .25-20 downloads to a nice small game round too, but I haven't found it any better than the .22 Hornet.
View attachment 32062

I've had my 25/20 maybe ten years longer than the Hornet. I wrote articles about it and shot it much more than the Hornet. For me, I could kill coyotes at 150 yards quietly when I was doing control work. My Hornet with best jacketed bullet loads is very much louder.

 

[richhodg66]

This one won't stabilize 100 grain bullets, I spent a few hours casting a pot of them from a Rapine mold only to find that out. I've been shooting it with some commercially cast bullets, but have some of Dad's including some gas checked ones I need to try. Haven't done anything with it except for light, small game loads, 3/5 grains of 700X.

 

[RicinYakima]

This one won't stabilize 100 grain bullets, I spent a few hours casting a pot of them from a Rapine mold only to find that out. I've been shooting it with some commercially cast bullets, but have some of Dad's including some gas checked ones I need to try. Haven't done anything with it except for light, small game loads, 3/5 grains of 700X.

Although the mythology is that Remington "invented" non-corrosive priming that is not true. The Swiss did and required it for ammunition in 1906. Savage the largest gun and ammunition maker from 1919 through the early 1930's imported Swiss primers after WW1. Savage also made the first "High Speed" ammo for the 25/20 and 32/20, 60 grain and 80 grain and rifled the guns to shoot those loads. They never recommended lead bullets for the Model 23's.

The only lead bullets I ever got to shoot really well in the 23C was the RCBS 90 grain Cowboy Match with 4.0 grains of WW231. My shooting buddy has another 23C that shoots everything really well, but it is a later rifle than mine.