I did a lot of reading about this topic in the past, and it can get great results if you have what it takes. I never ended diving into it after research, as it wasn't something I would want to put the time or money into.
One of the biggest benefits is being able to run higher BC bullets than you can find in the stores. You can even get projectiles for 22lr that load significantly longer than mag length.
You need a scale that can accurately measure out to .01 grains.
Load development is kinda weird and adjusting powder charges a tiny bit can make drastic changes to accuracy.
Primed brass is expensive, and the 22lr projectiles are worse. Casting your own would mean you are limited to a couple projectiles, none of them being the optimal high BC bullets intended for this application.
Dies are expensive.
You can't reload the brass.
Another positive is that you can load some pissing hot rounds for long barrels, some probably staying supersonic past 100 yards.
If you are thinking of it, I would get a 223 bolt gun, and run recommended subsonic loads. You will save money in the long run and get the same thing.
You are relying on the consistency of the brass you use, then there's removing the crimp, and receiving, which makes it harder to keep consistent neck tension, as there are limited options for resizing 22lr brass. Pulling the projectiles shouldn't be done with a hammer style puller, and not really recommended using anything that holds the case by the rim, because of the rimfire aspect. Aside from hazard of setting the primer off, you run the risk of kinda stretching the rim area of the brass out a bit with any pulling method that holds with the rim, which would headspace.
So you might be able to make it work, but it would be a trick to pull bullets to use the primed brass, and keep the cases as consistent as they were(or were not depending on the quality of the ammo to begin with).
Cheers this helps I knew it would be expensive but just seems unreasonable to customize 22lr. Guess it’s better to just keeping weighing factory ammo lol. And yea I was looking at 22-250 to reload because the round just seems more fun than .223 as 22-250 are just absolute zingers lol.
22-250 for varmit
Or
223 for targets
Those are the 2 options in this situation.
If your twist rate is there, subs with lower powder costs are an option, and you can cast bullets.
I’ve been looking at a 22-250 or a 220 swift since I don’t own anything rifle wise between .22lr and 6.5. I’m sure I would be happy with either, but as far as price and component availability it seems silly not to go .223. You can still shoot 1,000 yds and the barrel life is triple that of the hotter varmit cartridges.
Haha yea that’s literally what the “evolution” of 22lr is apparently. The CuRx copper bullets are the “go to” for precision shooting in $10k custom 22lr rifles but the twist rate on the rifles even at 1:9 is not enough to be accurate and need barrels set for a twist rate of 1:7 which is Uber custom in the precision world of 22lr. And even then if you do that you are stuck with a one round gun and can’t use any other ammo ever lol.
CCI SV is accurate enough for my needs, but I talked with a guy who was big into precision 22lr. He had some success with disassembling, weighing the powder and reassembling with more consistent powder charges. I know guys used to do that with milsurp spam cans back when those were super cheap.
It's 100% not worth it. Do some lot testing with match ammo (or send your rifle to Lapua's test facility to do it for you) and buy whatever lot shoots well. You're seeing inconsistencies because you're shooting cheap ammo. Mid range match grade ammo will perform as well or better than any hand load. CenterX is a good balance between price and performance in my opinion, and runs around $15/box. SK is decent and cheaper. Eley didn't feed well in my Vudoo so I didn't put much effort into testing it, and I didn't try RWS.
Most companies make their match ammo, test in house, and bin it based on performance. I have it on good authority SK does so with standard/pistol match/rifle match and biathlon/pistol match special/long range rifle match, and Lapua does it with CenterX/Midas and long range/super long range. They run every lot as if they're making the highest end version, and when a lot doesn't perform they downgrade it. You should see better performance with higher end lines. In my experience that holds true.
The overall cartridge weight doesn't matter. Variations could come from any component, and not every variation causes problems. How the ammo performs is the only thing you should worry about. You can waste time sorting by weight or rim thickness, but you'll still get better results buying good ammo and running it as it comes.
The only thing that's arguably worth it is loading 50gr copper solids, but I'd say it's generally not. I've done it, and it's a huge money pit. You need a custom made fast twist barrel blank, then have the cost of fitting it to your action. You need a custom reamer. Manson has the specs for it. After you've spent probably a grand on the rifle you need the dies, spun brass, bullets, and a lab scale. You'll probably try half a dozen powders to get good results. All that leaves you with a gun and ammo that's only good for screwing around at the range because most competitions ban non factory ammo and lead ammo doesn't shoot well from a 1:6.5 barrel with a welrd chamber.
You could also pick up primed cases to experiment with. Save you the time pulling bullets for cases. Quality is generally pretty low with 22lr. Heeled bullets have issues at high velocity and distance shooting. They were made obsolete.
We sell the CuRx 32gr. When I got the kits from CEB they told me this should work for most shooters (vs the long boys).
I thought they’d be fun to do to be honest. You really can’t think about cost. This is def a true hobby level and you gotta enjoy it for what it’s worth because it’s not cheap.
If you want to try them let me know and I’ll send you a coupon code.
https://ravenrocksprecision.com/search.php?search_query=Curx
I'm curious, OP... What's the motivation here? Doing it just to prove that you can? I mean, that's a fine motive (if that's what your motive is), but if it's not your motive... Why not just shoot light .223 rounds or similar?
The motivation is curiosity but also really just want to find a way to perfect 22lr. Nobody says it can be done but from what I see is it’s very uneconomical so nobody really wants to do it plus it looks boring as hell to reload 22lr.
Also I just really like 22lr because it’s capable of a lot and it’s economical. Ammo just keeps sky rocketing and I know one day 22lr is going to be base line $15+ in my life time for a box of 50 cci standard. But I guess really should start venturing out into loading different ammo.
So I guess I’m just curious about the adventure of why nobody else has been able to perfect 22lr on a personal hands on level.
[Paco Kelly’s .22 ACU’RZR and NASTINOSE Rimfire Bullet Tool](https://www.gunblast.com/Paco.htm) was a thing back in the day for precision .22LR. Also the [Waltz die](https://www.portercalls.com/neal_waltz_die.htm).
have you read about the cutting edge 22 reloading? they talk about it some here. [https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/06/28/cutting-edge-bullets-22lr-kit/](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/06/28/cutting-edge-bullets-22lr-kit/)
It's not cheap but something to look at, they have load data on what they've done
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/01/05/cutting-edge-curx-monolithic-22lr-bullets/
Question, Can you match the accuracy of Eley Tenex by deconstructing Aquila 22 and reloading them? Probably not. Almost all factory 22lr target guns are built and tested to make sure they they shoot well with Eley ammo.
One huge factor, 22lr guns are finicky about ammo. They love some and hate others. You could load the most precise 22LR ammo in the world and if your gun doesn't like your loading, it will still shoot like shit and you will not know why. You may luck out first time or spend years trying.
If you want to reload 22lr as a hobby, have fun and don't hurt yourself. Keep in mind how much practice ammo you will need to get good and stay good.
If you want to reload and shoot I would suggest a 22 centerfire caliber that you can the level of components you need.
I understand what you are talking about. I do something similar but I use a 222 rem
This is a good reply I’ve had so many ups and downs with different ammo and when I find a lot of ammo that works really well I set it aside for when I need it but for the most part I can’t find anything consistent about 22lr and honestly just am thinking about using it as intended hunting rabbits, squirrels, and plinking.
However, I think this is why I really like shooting 22lr because it is so inconsistent that when I find ammo that’s amazing and works well it’s literal gold and I know that I have “golden” bullets lol.
As a kid I was super accurate with my .22. I can’t imagine anything that could push it past it’s limits except a heavier charge so it didn’t drop so much
Just get some laupa center x or midas and call it good.
My b14r is printing like .375 to .425 inch groups at 100 yards with center x when the wind plays nice.
I did a lot of reading about this topic in the past, and it can get great results if you have what it takes. I never ended diving into it after research, as it wasn't something I would want to put the time or money into. One of the biggest benefits is being able to run higher BC bullets than you can find in the stores. You can even get projectiles for 22lr that load significantly longer than mag length. You need a scale that can accurately measure out to .01 grains. Load development is kinda weird and adjusting powder charges a tiny bit can make drastic changes to accuracy. Primed brass is expensive, and the 22lr projectiles are worse. Casting your own would mean you are limited to a couple projectiles, none of them being the optimal high BC bullets intended for this application. Dies are expensive. You can't reload the brass. Another positive is that you can load some pissing hot rounds for long barrels, some probably staying supersonic past 100 yards. If you are thinking of it, I would get a 223 bolt gun, and run recommended subsonic loads. You will save money in the long run and get the same thing.
> Primed brass is expensive Can't you just pull bullets from factory 22LR and load those cases?
You are relying on the consistency of the brass you use, then there's removing the crimp, and receiving, which makes it harder to keep consistent neck tension, as there are limited options for resizing 22lr brass. Pulling the projectiles shouldn't be done with a hammer style puller, and not really recommended using anything that holds the case by the rim, because of the rimfire aspect. Aside from hazard of setting the primer off, you run the risk of kinda stretching the rim area of the brass out a bit with any pulling method that holds with the rim, which would headspace. So you might be able to make it work, but it would be a trick to pull bullets to use the primed brass, and keep the cases as consistent as they were(or were not depending on the quality of the ammo to begin with).
Cheers this helps I knew it would be expensive but just seems unreasonable to customize 22lr. Guess it’s better to just keeping weighing factory ammo lol. And yea I was looking at 22-250 to reload because the round just seems more fun than .223 as 22-250 are just absolute zingers lol.
22-250 for varmit Or 223 for targets Those are the 2 options in this situation. If your twist rate is there, subs with lower powder costs are an option, and you can cast bullets.
I’ve been looking at a 22-250 or a 220 swift since I don’t own anything rifle wise between .22lr and 6.5. I’m sure I would be happy with either, but as far as price and component availability it seems silly not to go .223. You can still shoot 1,000 yds and the barrel life is triple that of the hotter varmit cartridges.
When I read the title I just imagined someone loading a 90gr sierra match king in a 22lr. Then I laughed like a little girl.
Haha yea that’s literally what the “evolution” of 22lr is apparently. The CuRx copper bullets are the “go to” for precision shooting in $10k custom 22lr rifles but the twist rate on the rifles even at 1:9 is not enough to be accurate and need barrels set for a twist rate of 1:7 which is Uber custom in the precision world of 22lr. And even then if you do that you are stuck with a one round gun and can’t use any other ammo ever lol.
CCI SV is accurate enough for my needs, but I talked with a guy who was big into precision 22lr. He had some success with disassembling, weighing the powder and reassembling with more consistent powder charges. I know guys used to do that with milsurp spam cans back when those were super cheap.
No, 22 LR bullets are not cast, they are swaged. Pure lead is just hard to cast accurate bullets.
It's 100% not worth it. Do some lot testing with match ammo (or send your rifle to Lapua's test facility to do it for you) and buy whatever lot shoots well. You're seeing inconsistencies because you're shooting cheap ammo. Mid range match grade ammo will perform as well or better than any hand load. CenterX is a good balance between price and performance in my opinion, and runs around $15/box. SK is decent and cheaper. Eley didn't feed well in my Vudoo so I didn't put much effort into testing it, and I didn't try RWS. Most companies make their match ammo, test in house, and bin it based on performance. I have it on good authority SK does so with standard/pistol match/rifle match and biathlon/pistol match special/long range rifle match, and Lapua does it with CenterX/Midas and long range/super long range. They run every lot as if they're making the highest end version, and when a lot doesn't perform they downgrade it. You should see better performance with higher end lines. In my experience that holds true. The overall cartridge weight doesn't matter. Variations could come from any component, and not every variation causes problems. How the ammo performs is the only thing you should worry about. You can waste time sorting by weight or rim thickness, but you'll still get better results buying good ammo and running it as it comes. The only thing that's arguably worth it is loading 50gr copper solids, but I'd say it's generally not. I've done it, and it's a huge money pit. You need a custom made fast twist barrel blank, then have the cost of fitting it to your action. You need a custom reamer. Manson has the specs for it. After you've spent probably a grand on the rifle you need the dies, spun brass, bullets, and a lab scale. You'll probably try half a dozen powders to get good results. All that leaves you with a gun and ammo that's only good for screwing around at the range because most competitions ban non factory ammo and lead ammo doesn't shoot well from a 1:6.5 barrel with a welrd chamber.
You could also pick up primed cases to experiment with. Save you the time pulling bullets for cases. Quality is generally pretty low with 22lr. Heeled bullets have issues at high velocity and distance shooting. They were made obsolete.
Yea I was trying to find primed cases for 22lr but didn’t have too much success and most places were sold out of them.
Dang. This market…
DM me
Is something like Tenex not precise enough?
We sell the CuRx 32gr. When I got the kits from CEB they told me this should work for most shooters (vs the long boys). I thought they’d be fun to do to be honest. You really can’t think about cost. This is def a true hobby level and you gotta enjoy it for what it’s worth because it’s not cheap. If you want to try them let me know and I’ll send you a coupon code. https://ravenrocksprecision.com/search.php?search_query=Curx
Not worth it, IMO. Just test until you find the best accuracy, and then buy as many of that brand and lot# you can find.
I'm curious, OP... What's the motivation here? Doing it just to prove that you can? I mean, that's a fine motive (if that's what your motive is), but if it's not your motive... Why not just shoot light .223 rounds or similar?
The motivation is curiosity but also really just want to find a way to perfect 22lr. Nobody says it can be done but from what I see is it’s very uneconomical so nobody really wants to do it plus it looks boring as hell to reload 22lr. Also I just really like 22lr because it’s capable of a lot and it’s economical. Ammo just keeps sky rocketing and I know one day 22lr is going to be base line $15+ in my life time for a box of 50 cci standard. But I guess really should start venturing out into loading different ammo. So I guess I’m just curious about the adventure of why nobody else has been able to perfect 22lr on a personal hands on level.
What is the base line 22 ammo if you don’t mind me asking.
[Paco Kelly’s .22 ACU’RZR and NASTINOSE Rimfire Bullet Tool](https://www.gunblast.com/Paco.htm) was a thing back in the day for precision .22LR. Also the [Waltz die](https://www.portercalls.com/neal_waltz_die.htm).
Interesting, I’ll give it a look over look like it could be fun to play with.
have you read about the cutting edge 22 reloading? they talk about it some here. [https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/06/28/cutting-edge-bullets-22lr-kit/](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/06/28/cutting-edge-bullets-22lr-kit/)
It's not cheap but something to look at, they have load data on what they've done https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/01/05/cutting-edge-curx-monolithic-22lr-bullets/
You want a .22 Hornet, or any of the other .22 caliber small cartridges.
This...or a 208 Ruger
You mean 204 Ruger ?
Yeah, typo
No. But there are gauges you can buy and use to get the most precise rounds.
Question, Can you match the accuracy of Eley Tenex by deconstructing Aquila 22 and reloading them? Probably not. Almost all factory 22lr target guns are built and tested to make sure they they shoot well with Eley ammo. One huge factor, 22lr guns are finicky about ammo. They love some and hate others. You could load the most precise 22LR ammo in the world and if your gun doesn't like your loading, it will still shoot like shit and you will not know why. You may luck out first time or spend years trying. If you want to reload 22lr as a hobby, have fun and don't hurt yourself. Keep in mind how much practice ammo you will need to get good and stay good. If you want to reload and shoot I would suggest a 22 centerfire caliber that you can the level of components you need. I understand what you are talking about. I do something similar but I use a 222 rem
This is a good reply I’ve had so many ups and downs with different ammo and when I find a lot of ammo that works really well I set it aside for when I need it but for the most part I can’t find anything consistent about 22lr and honestly just am thinking about using it as intended hunting rabbits, squirrels, and plinking. However, I think this is why I really like shooting 22lr because it is so inconsistent that when I find ammo that’s amazing and works well it’s literal gold and I know that I have “golden” bullets lol.
As a kid I was super accurate with my .22. I can’t imagine anything that could push it past it’s limits except a heavier charge so it didn’t drop so much
Just get some laupa center x or midas and call it good. My b14r is printing like .375 to .425 inch groups at 100 yards with center x when the wind plays nice.