stagpanther
New member
Your friend powder-coated the solid copper bullets and then shot them in a barrel that had also been used to shoot conventional lead 22lr bullets? What powder was used?
WARNING on reloading 22LR solid bullets
- Thread starter stagpanther
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Aguila Blanca
Staff
Armoredman didn't say his friend powder coated solid copper bullets. You can buy lead bullets for loading .22LR, and multiple companies offer moulds for casting your own.stagpanther said:
I would also like to know what powder the friend used,as well as his technique for doing the powder coating.
stagpanther
New member
That's why I specifically asked about the coppers--I'm not interested (at least at the moment) in reloading lead since I think it's highly unlikely I can surpass the results of the premium manufactured ammo--but the cutting edge coppers might be a different story.
stagpanther
New member
Interesting about the CuRx bullets. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a heeled solid before I looked at their picture. The 10" twist requirement for that long shape is no surprise.
I've noticed in the past that a lot of production 22 RF barrel steel seems to be pretty soft, so this has got to be a project for a custom barrel both from the standpoint of the steel and the faster twist. Also, the $30 a "brick" cost for the primed cases means you have to want to do something special like that with it. It's not worthwhile for simple plinking fodder.
If you get another sold copper stuck, I think, rather than risk the bore, I would plug the muzzle and point it nose-down and fill from the chamber end with KG-12 and just wait a couple of days for the bullet to be eaten through far enough to fall out.
In one post the OP mentions the 42-gr CuRx and in another the 32-gr CuRx. The latter should work in a standard 16" twist barrel. The 42-gr would not, from what I can discern about its length.
I've noticed in the past that a lot of production 22 RF barrel steel seems to be pretty soft, so this has got to be a project for a custom barrel both from the standpoint of the steel and the faster twist. Also, the $30 a "brick" cost for the primed cases means you have to want to do something special like that with it. It's not worthwhile for simple plinking fodder.
If you get another sold copper stuck, I think, rather than risk the bore, I would plug the muzzle and point it nose-down and fill from the chamber end with KG-12 and just wait a couple of days for the bullet to be eaten through far enough to fall out.
In one post the OP mentions the 42-gr CuRx and in another the 32-gr CuRx. The latter should work in a standard 16" twist barrel. The 42-gr would not, from what I can discern about its length.
armoredman
New member
Sorry, I was speaking of cast lead bullets, my bad. I have no idea what powder was used but the re priming compound is a commercial variant.
stagpanther
New member
In no particular order:
Yes, the COL of the 42 and 50 gr CURX bullets will not fit conventional 22lr magazines, in fact you may have to pull the bolt on the rifle if the ejection port isn't long enough to accommodate them should you choose to unload a cartridge after chambering.
The design of the CURX bullet is different from conventional cast 22 lr bullets. The diameter of the bullet and it's drive band are significantly less I believe because solid copper cannot be "impressed" to the throat and grooves like lead can. The other thing is that the tolerances between the bullet "traveling" the bore well and also fitting the 22lr case and chamber are very small compared to conventional centerfire cartridges. Cutting Edge puts a base on the bullet measured to fit the rimfire case so the case fits the chamber well but is also dimensioned to stop the seating depth so that the bullet is not seated into or past the drive band.
The 32 gr CURX can fit "regular" 16 twist magazines and barrels as you observed. I only have my CZ and Lilja barrels to base my experience on--but they are cut differently in terms of their throats and leads. After reading the article you linked in the post above, it became clear to me the role of the throat in sealing the bullet to the bore in 22lr barrels that generally use only lead bullets. The throat is where I observe the majority of lead fouling occurs.
Based on my experimentation, I believe it is best to dedicate a barrel to the use of just lead or just copper bullets--and not to "mix and match" as I have done. My stock CZ barrel I shot mostly lead premium ammunition through, but also shot about 50 32 gr CURX loads through (and they grouped well). I could be imagining things, or it could be just I'm not shooting very well, but there has been a noticeable drop in consistency after I did the CURX groups through the CZ barrel.
Thanks for the advice on removing a stuck squib--I have plenty of K12 and will try that if it happens again--which it might-- since 2 to 3 grs of powder isn't much to play with in terms of min-max pressure spreads. I've already blown a case head off but the remaining case comes out of the chamber easily if that happens.
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Jim Watson
New member
How strange.
I don't guess it is any stranger than the guys on the boolit and Shiloh boards hand loading black powder .22 LR, though.
I don't guess it is any stranger than the guys on the boolit and Shiloh boards hand loading black powder .22 LR, though.
stagpanther
New member
I thought black powder is how 22lr was originally reloaded?
Jim Watson
New member
Yes, .22 RF was originally loaded with black, 5 grains in LR. I am sure there was some hand loading done in the day, but it is definitely a rediscovery now.
The 1901 Sears catalog does not have primed brass.
The 1901 Sears catalog does not have primed brass.
stagpanther
New member
It's a very recent development--using solid copper bullets for 22lr reloads--which itself is not a very common thing. The advice comes from CE to not lubricate their bullets.
stagpanther
New member
I finally received the seating and crimping dies from Cutting Edge. What they advertise for a seating die on their webpage is a threaded die with lock collar that can be used in a press; what they actually send you is this:
I sent a message inquiring why it is not what they advertise--they responded because it can easily seat they bullet by hand. That is true, but I was already doing that with another hand-held seater, and I wanted to have the capability to use different cases and bullets while held concentric by a press and shell holder and have more leverage force if necessary. I sent a message asking if I could exchange the seater die with what they actually advertise on their site, but haven't heard back from them yet.
I sent a message inquiring why it is not what they advertise--they responded because it can easily seat they bullet by hand. That is true, but I was already doing that with another hand-held seater, and I wanted to have the capability to use different cases and bullets while held concentric by a press and shell holder and have more leverage force if necessary. I sent a message asking if I could exchange the seater die with what they actually advertise on their site, but haven't heard back from them yet.
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WTH is that all about ! 
stagpanther
New member
I have a sneaking suspicion this could be a passing fad...we'll see. The firearms industry is more prone to chicanery than most others in my experience.
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stagpanther
New member
Just out of curiosity--I just unthreaded the seating stem from the seating die and threaded it into the crimp die all way down--and it does successfully seat the bullet to the drive band on the bullet when used in a press. I'm not sure how concentric the seating is to the case, but that is still a step up from hand-seating bullets with a tight fit and allows the use of the shell holder and press--better than nothing.