MP227-640 Hornet

[Spindrift]

I’ve been interested in trying a lightweight .22 HP- bullet for a while. MP has recently released a new mould, evidently designed with the Hornet in mind. It came in the mail yesterday, a 3-cav gc/hp. I cleaned it with acetone, took it through a couple of heat cycles in my toaster oven and gave it a try today.
I had expected this mould to be a PITA to cast with, but actually it was quite easy! And it turned out a few nice bullets at the first session. Looking forward to shooting these, they will be powder coated.

 

[fiver]

you get the heat in a brass mold and it tends to level off real nice and just stay there with minimal input from the user.

that's quite the design, someone put a lot of effort into that, and the hollow point is pretty much a necessity to make the balance come out right.

 

[Spindrift]

The MP brass moulds are so good, even I get good bullets
The bullets come out at .227, and 36,5grs without the GC in my alloy.

 

[Rick H]

Those are really pretty.

 

[StrawHat]

I am trying to learn about powdercoating. If you are going to powdercoat, is the gas check necessary? Just a healthy precaution?

Those are good looking bullets.

Kevin

 

[Spindrift]

Thanks, guys!
@StrawHat ; there are many guys here more qualified to answer your question, but I`ll offer my observations, FWIW. Most people shooting PC bullets with a shank seem to add a gas check, either before or after coating. I have mostly added a gas check prior to coating. Coated, shanked bullets might, however, shoot really well with no GC at all. I have tried this in .223 and .30-06, and omitting the GC did not seem to reduce the accuracy potential. I then loaded slightly hotter than I would, had the bullet been conventionally lubed, with a GC.

PC bullets with GC can be loaded to jacketed bullet levels. I have not tried this with checkless PC.

 

[StrawHat]

Not to send the thread adrift but...

The particular cartridge I am thinking for this application is one that has given me problems in the past. Also a 22 cf, it was the black powder parent case of the Hornet, the 22 WCF. I have a Ballard so chambered and back in the late 70s when I first tried to work up a black powder load it gave me fits. Of course there were NO bp lubes back then and I was not smart enough to carry my muzzleloading knowledge over to cartridges so it was not pretty. The bore fouled so thoroughly I thought I would have to swab after the shot but before the bullet left the bore. Not that bad but almost. I then considered working up a load of smokeless but never got excited. Also thought about paper jackets but those are tiny bullets for old fingers. Then along comes this powder stuff and maybe itcwill work with black powder? Don’t know but willing to try if not too expensive to get set up. Heck, I loaded Sierra jacketed bullets over black powder and lived to tell of it!

Kevin

 

[Spindrift]

Getting set up for PC is really cheap, that is one of the nice things with the technique. Keep your eyes open for a cheap oven (don’t use an oven that will be used for food!).

 

[fiver]

black powder lube is for the powder fouling.

could you PC say a patched round ball and skip the patch?
yeah probably could get away with it,,,, IF yeah you knew one would be coming.
IF the powder and ball filled the grooves in the barrel,, that is what the patch does, like everything else we do the better the fit the better the results down range.