I am going to be reloading for a friend. He has a gun we call "Frankenstein." It is in 22/243 Middlestead. I would like to post and reply or email with someone who has or is actively reloading this caliber.
I tried using 22-250 brass for fire-forming, but it would not work. I am using new Winchester nickeled brass for fireforming then loading. Powder suggestions would be most helpful.
Your FL 22/243 Middlested die will form the brass for you. Do you know the neck dia.? If your chamber is the normal .256 neck you will either need to inside neck ream or outside neck turn the brass, otherwise you could get into some real pressure situations.
I am trying to work up some loads in the 30-50 grain bullet range. The only powders I have for this project right now are Reloader 15 and IMR 3031. Any powder recommendations would be nice.
Also, I am not that well versed in wildcatting cartridges. I have reloaded for years, however. Any info would be helpful. We have shot a few loads through the rifle. It was checked out by a gunsmith and is sound. John had it telfon coated and is ready to make some coyote music with it.
OK, well, first I guess is forming the brass. All I do is run 243 brass (I use Win brasss, trimmed to 2.026", not because it's any better then others, but to segregate it from the brass for my 243) into the 22-243 sizing die. Load primer, powder, and bullet into case (my fire forming load is 42 gr of RL19 under a 55 gr Hornady bullet, Rem LR primer, COL of 2.710"). Because my rifle has a 1-14 twist, it is more accurate with the 50-55 gr bullets then the heavier ones, so that is what I mostly use. 45 gr of RL19 with Hornady 55 gr V-max bullets gives me 3600 fps easily, and tiny little groups. You can also try 39 gr of IMR 4895 or 48 gr of N204 for higher velocities, but they weren't as accurate as the RL19 load. Those two loads came from an old Handloaders Digest book (along with 45 gr of IMR 4350 and IMR 4831, both with heavier bullets). I have some other data from another reloading book here somewhere, but at the moment I can't put my finger on it. Hope this helps a little. - Dan
Posts: 5285 | Location: Alberta | Registered: 05 October 2001
I am working from a dummy cartridge made up for this rifle by, I suppose, the previous owner. OAL is 2.610 with a Nosler Ballistic Tip 50 grain bullet in it. With the Berger Moly Coated bullets, the OAL had to go down to 2.508 to make sure that we had enough bullet in the neck to hold.
I fireform w/o a bullet and use about 14 grains of Clays with a cleaning patch as filler and sealer. Is there something to be gained by using a fireformed case the way you suggest as opposed to the way I am presently doing it?
BTW, I am temporarily out of commission. Had back surgery and can't pull the lever on my Hornady Projector or my single stage to reload for about three weeks.
Sorry to hear about your back problems. As I age I can certainly relate (I sound like my grandfather when I wake up in the mornings now, too). I don't think that there is any advantage to fireforming with loaded rounds as opposed to the way you're doing it (I use the same methods for some of my other wildcats). It just gives me an excuse for more shooting practice. - Dan
Posts: 5285 | Location: Alberta | Registered: 05 October 2001
