Anyone know where I might find some ammo for the R2 Lovell (.22-3000 Lovell).........I have an original 1885 Winchester, pistol grip stock, single set trigger, #4 Octagon Winchester Hornet barrel, With a Weaver external ajustment target scope that was rechambered to the Lovel and was hoping to find someone with a bit of ammo that they would part with.......Many Thanks.

Have you checked with Qual-Cart ? I haven't checked their list lately, but they are into making obsolete wildcats/cartridges.

Wildcat

Forget old original cartridges. They're collectable.

New cases used to be made by Bertram I believe. I'm not sure if they're still available. Huntington's may have them.

Cases are one thing but loaded ammo is another thing altogether. You may find that their cost is too much just for the thrill of shooting that old rifle.

Buffalo Arms is one outfit that sells new loaded ammo. Maybe Qual Cart loads them. You might also try the Old Western Scrounger.

Good Luck

Ray

Do not waste you money on Bertram brass. It sticks in my chamber. Too soft.

Griffin & Howe had Winchester make up some brass years ago. Sometimes you can find these cases for sale and they are the best.

wildcat

huntingcat is right, the old G&H cases are the best. However, they were made before WWII and are collectable, especially if you find them in the original box. You may pay more for the empty cases than you would pay for loaded ammo.

I take it that you do not handload? How many loaded cartridges were you hoping to get?

Ray

First let me say that Bertram brass is not worth messing with in ANY caliber.

The .22-3000-Lovell and the R-2 were very popular and made from .25-20 Single-Shot brass (Not .25-20 WCF) Winchester made brass for G&H and JB Smith and it's very hard to find and expensive. Be very careful of old brass that had been shot with or primed with mercury primers. I was shooting my .22-3000 yesterday I resized one unfired (old) .25-20SS by Peters that had be primed but not shot, I used a new primer, the case opened up at the end of the web and I got a face full of gas. I always wear shooting glasses so OK. Rocky Mountain makes .25-20 SS brass and I'm going to talk to them about the .22-3000 tomorrow.

Which .22-Lovell do you have, have you done a chamber cast? The three in order thay were introduced were the .22-3000 Lovell, the R-2 Lovell and the Maximum Lovell.

I have a lot of old G&H brass but it has been shot in other guns chambered for the R-2 I resized it to the Original Lovell which my rifle is and had four (4) case head separations yesterday. Because the G&H brass has a much longer web, the case comes apart a lot farther forward and no gas leak. The rifle (a G&H 1922) had a broken case extractor under the trap in the buttplate, now I know why.

I talked with Dave Casey at Rocky Mountain Cartridge, LLC
http://www.rockymountaincartridge.com

The good news is they make both .25-20 Single-Shot and R2 brass. The bad news is this is soft brass lathe turned made for low-pressure cartridges. I ask about .22-3000 Lovell and was told yes they make R2 so it seems many folks don’t realize that these are two different cartridges. The R2 they make would work OK for lead loads or low pressure jacketed bullets but some day they would find their way to a reloader who did not understand the limits of this brass. If you will drop me a note at mjpetrov@acsalaska.net I’d like to talk with you about your rifle.

I have about 50 rounds of 22-3000 G&H brass left. It has been formed in R2. I hope to either find a rifle or might have to build one.
Butch

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
I have about 50 rounds of 22-3000 G&H brass left. It has been formed in R2. I hope to either find a rifle or might have to build one.
Butch

The Lovell was one of the most popular wildcats for a couple of decades so there are lots of rifles chambered for it out there.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Petrov

The Lovell was one of the most popular wildcats for a couple of decades so there are lots of rifles chambered for it out there.

How is your 400 shooting?

Well I used up all my North Fork bullets reloading for a friend then found North Fork out of business. I have not had time to play with other makes of bullets so at this time, not very well.