The reloadable .22 LR

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Vern Humphrey

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I've just started a project to produce the reloadable .22 LR.

I started with an old black powder cartridge known as the .22 Winchester Central Fire (AKA the .22 Hornet.) I bought a 45 grain wide flat nose .225 bullet mold from NOE and a Plain Base gas check maker from Pat Marlins. The Plain Base Checkmaker makes checks from coke cans (.004" thick) and go on bullets that are NOT designed for gas checks. I crimp them on by running the bullets backward through a .225 Lee sizing die.

I lube the sized and gas-checked bullets with Liquid Alox, and load them over 8 grains of Hodgdon's Li'l Gun. I'm capping them with Winchester Small Pistol primers and getting 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards, with a muzzle velocity of about 2100 fps from my M82 Kimber.

I think I have the Ultimate Squirrel Rifle.;)
 
What would you like to know?

One trick is to use the Lee Collet Die, and put a washer or two on the shell holder. This causes the collet to activate early and only size the front half of the neck -- leaving the rear half fully expanded to act as a pilot to keep the bullet centered. I discovered that trick when developing full charge loads.

I'll be glad to answer any questions.
 
And there is a product on the market to reload 22lr that has been featured a couple of times on the reloading podcast.
 
a muzzle velocity of about 2100 fps from my M82 Kimber.

I think I have the Ultimate Squirrel Rifle

Anecdote:

The late gunzine writer Roger Barlow was not satisfied with the first .22 WMRs, Ruger Single Six and Winchester Model 61 pump; so he had one built up on a BSA/Freeland Martini action to squeeze the maximum accuracy out of the round.
He showed it to a fellow hunter who said: "Looks like it would make a good squirrel rifle."
Barlow replied: "I've tried it on them, it tears up too much meat."
The old timer responded: "Not if you hit them in the head."
 
There was the 22 JGR cartridge based from the 22 Hornet.

Now a 22 RF reloadable cartridge one could use the FN 5.7x28 case and resize to make the neck longer for a cast bullet. The case capacity would be less than the 22 Hornet and chances are would be close to the 22 RF Magnum.

But then it is just depends on the loading density.
 
I used to download the .22 Hornet to .22 Mag like velocities with 700X. Worked quite well.
 
This does not shoot in a 22LR chambered weapon, correct?
No -- although the original .22 Hornet (the smokeless version of the .22 WCF) was chambered in M1922 Springfields, which were originally .22 LR.

My goal was to produce a small game round that was reloadable, more accurate and more reliable that the .22 LR crap you get nowadays, and at a lower cost. This load does that, and by using home made gas checks and cast bullets it makes me more independent when shortages occur.
And there is a product on the market to reload 22lr that has been featured a couple of times on the reloading podcast.
Yes, there is. The basic kit includes everything you need, including a bullet mould. The problem is, while the mould has two cavities, it casts two different bullets, a 29-grain and a 39-grain bullet, for Shorts and Long Riles, respectively.

So you have to regard it as a single cavity mould (unless you also want to shoot .22 Shorts.) And the mould is the old-fashioned kind with metal handles that are part of the mould block -- so you'd better have a pair of THICK gloves.
 
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