Reloading 22lr?

Centerfires, rimfires, pistol cartridges and everything in between.
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Ojaileveraction
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Reloading 22lr?

Post by Ojaileveraction »

I've read threads in Cowboy Lever Action and Smallbore about reloading 22lr for silhouette competitions. The rules are clear about factory loaded ammo only for either 22lr shoots.
Now I am begining to understand that 22bp shooters pull bullets and powder \then reload with black powder but that is a new and developing sport.

So are we talking Club shoots? It hardly seems worth it to pull powder and bullets for SB or CLA.

22BP that sounds interesting.
Tim
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No1_49er
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Re: Reloading 22lr?

Post by No1_49er »

I believe there are a few people who, quite successfully, re-engineer their 22Mag ammunition (for PCCLA) by pulling the projectile, reloading the case with a slightly larger charge of powder, and reseating the projectile. Their results seem to be a testament to the effort they go to.
But, 22LR? Never did hear about that one. B.T.W., the Smallbore Cowboy Rifle Silhouette discipline specifically requires 22LR ammunition only. Hyper-velocity is prohibited. However, the text of the rule (3.1.3 - 3a) does NOT specifically say "factory loaded", although if you tried to push the boundaries rule 3.18 might be invoked.

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Re: Reloading 22lr?

Post by Ojaileveraction »

No1_49er wrote: Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:44 pm I believe there are a few people who, quite successfully, re-engineer their 22Mag ammunition (for PCCLA) by pulling the projectile, reloading the case with a slightly larger charge of powder, and reseating the projectile. Their results seem to be a testament to the effort they go to.
But, 22LR? Never did hear about that one. B.T.W., the Smallbore Cowboy Rifle Silhouette discipline specifically requires 22LR ammunition only. Hyper-velocity is prohibited. However, the text of the rule (3.1.3 - 3a) does NOT specifically say "factory loaded", although if you tried to push the boundaries rule 3.18 might be invoked.

49er
Thank you. I re-read that section of the rules again and see were I ran two paragraphs together.
22mag makes more sense. I my have mixed up posts about BP22 and 22mag in PCLA.
Thanks again.
Tim
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Re: Reloading 22lr?

Post by Baja_Traveler »

I was one of 5 in the country actively loading Black Powder .22LR ammo. We had Dave Mo's make molds that were a direct copy of an early UMC heeled bullet that dropped at 43 grains. Back in the day, the schuetzen crowd would breech seat .22's, and a place called the Ammo Shack carried 5000 round cases of empty primed Armscor hulls to supply them. When schuetzen faded though, they didn't bother re-ordering. Our little group got the last few cases left from that supply. When we showed great success in our loads, a lot of interest was generated and many contacted Ammo Shack to order primed brass, but the minimum buy for that to happen was too great - something like a 2,000 case lot order was required for Armscor to respond. I loaded mine with 4.3gr Swiss 4F, and used a Paco Accurizer tool with a custom plunger to seat the bullet in the .225 slot. Making my bullet .225 meant that the round made a one way trip into the action as it would firmly seat in the lands. What this did in my 39a was basically make match ammunition for the microgroove barrel. The rifle loved it, and I has getting accuracy only exceeded by Eley Match ammo, but at 1/10th the cost. I loaded up 150 BP rounds and shot them continuously without cleaning to see if fouling would become an issue. I never lost accuracy, and on cleaning found very little fouling in the barrel, and none in the action. 4 patches using moose milk completely cleaned the barrel, followed by one dry and then 1 oil patch. I used this ammo in plenty of silhouette matches, and had a ball doing it - it was especially helpful to be self sufficient when the great 22 rimfire shortage hit...

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Here is a comparison shot - CCI Standard Velocity on the left, and my BP round on the right.

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DonM
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Re: Reloading 22lr?

Post by DonM »

There is an outfit selling a reloading kit for 22, it includes the dies, moulds etc, along with a tool to remove the dent from the firing pin impact, and new priming compound. Not sure it would be worth all that effort.
I do get something of a chuckle from the shocking thought that folks might actually try to shoot 22 with blackpowder,,, considering it wasn't ever loaded with smokeless until well after 1900..
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