Powder coated 22cal or other rifle cal bullets...

[Stimp]

Hey all. Been reloading for a good while now but new to the powder coating scene. I see many resources and info regarding data and velocities for pistol calibers and 300 black out but not as much for 22 and 30 cal projectiles. Is this not being done or just not much info out there?
Does anyone have first hand experience reloading powder coated rifle bullets? 30cal in a bolt gun seems reasonable but what about gas operated 22cal systems? Any issues, comments, loading preferences, gas checked, etc?
Thanks for any help with this as I would like to set this up and try some in the AR if people are having good experiences with this method.

 

[straight-shooter]

I'm running reduced power loads for my M1 Garand. Powder coated 200gr projectile over 33.3gr Varget @ 1,750 fps. No signs of leading and in fact a virtually clean bore. Accuracy is on par. No other experience with rifle loads and PC.

 

[Cynical]

I've entertained trying the .223 thing with lead but by the time I buy gas checks for them I can buy .55 fmj for a few pennies more. I currently get them for .09 cents a piece. Granted my data calls for a lot less powder than using rifle powder so there would be some savings there but just haven't pulled the trigger yet. From the research I've done accuracy is less than stellar out of the AR platform.

 

[Leadeye]

I never tried casting with small bullets like 22, 30 caliber was my limit on the small end. The economics of 22 just didn't seem to be there.

 

[17 squirrel]

I'm running reduced power loads for my M1 Garand. Powder coated 200gr projectile over 33.3gr Varget @ 1,750 fps. No signs of leading and in fact a virtually clean bore. Accuracy is on par. No other experience with rifle loads and PC.

Can I ask where you got your loading data from please ?
And do you pull the piston when shooting these cast loads with Varget ??

 

[straight-shooter]

Can I ask where you got your loading data from please ?
And do you pull the piston when shooting these cast loads with Varget ??

I found the ball park figures from veteran shooters on Cast Boolits. I started on the low end shooting over a Chronograph and worked up the load. The load I settled on was surprisingly very accurate. The rifle cycled at 33.1gr Varget and anything below that would not. At 33.3gr the brass was ejected in a nice little circle about 6 feet away at 3 o'clock. No need to remove the piston.

 

[Stimp]

I found the ball park figures from veteran shooters on Cast Boolits. I started on the low end shooting over a Chronograph and worked up the load. The load I settled on was surprisingly very accurate. The rifle cycled at 33.1gr Varget and anything below that would not. At 33.3gr the brass was ejected in a nice little circle about 6 feet away at 3 o'clock. No need to remove the piston.

Thank you for the load info.
Are you still running them with gas checks then also?

 

[straight-shooter]

Thank you for the load info.
Are you still running them with gas checks then also?

Yes, I'm running gas checks on them.

 

[Stimp]

Yes, I'm running gas checks on them.

View attachment 45971

Thank you.. Those look great!

 

[17 squirrel]

I found the ball park figures from veteran shooters on Cast Boolits. I started on the low end shooting over a Chronograph and worked up the load. The load I settled on was surprisingly very accurate. The rifle cycled at 33.1gr Varget and anything below that would not. At 33.3gr the brass was ejected in a nice little circle about 6 feet away at 3 o'clock. No need to remove the piston.

Be careful using Varget in your Garand, rule of thumb is no powder slower than 4064.. In understand its a short load.. Be careful.

 

[Lee S. Forsberg]

Hey all. Been reloading for a good while now but new to the powder coating scene. I see many resources and info regarding data and velocities for pistol calibers and 300 black out but not as much for 22 and 30 cal projectiles. Is this not being done or just not much info out there?
Does anyone have first hand experience reloading powder coated rifle bullets? 30cal in a bolt gun seems reasonable but what about gas operated 22cal systems? Any issues, comments, loading preferences, gas checked, etc?
Thanks for any help with this as I would like to set this up and try some in the AR if people are having good experiences with this method.

I'm about to try some 30 cal bullets in a bolt gun. I've had good success with larger caliber powder coated bullets.

 

[Lee S. Forsberg]

I've had good groups with pc 22 bullets through a bolt gun. The only thing I have against them is they are hard to work with being so small. The powder coating is not the problem it's applying the gas checks. I've tried powder coating plane base 22 bullets and it helps but they don't shoot a well as gas checked bullets. Loading them for an AR might not be cost effective when time is a consideration. The difference between the cost of jacketed bullets and the time to prepare cast bullets might not be worth the saving with cast bullets.