Aloy, I find that teflon tapes are making the projectile unbalanced.
Common PAPER patching would shed the paper like confetti a few meters in front of the muzzle, thus left the projectile free without hindrance for the rest of the flight.
Cigarette paper are great tho for the purpose.

Thanks. I don't have to invent the wheel again... so maybe I don't read anything about that simply because it doesn't work.
Always pleased to find an answer in the knowledge cloud of the Nuts

Ok, Aloys, I hae to ask. What is on your dog's snout? Is that to let him run though the thickets chasing rabbits and protect his sensitive nose? Is his tail between his legs when you take a picture like that? Surely, he is a good looking dog, just can't tell from the avatar picture.

I think my wife took the flowers and my dog brought me the plastic pot...

and I think you already saw her picture (my dog, not my wife!) when Vince put some pictures of small game somewhere...

Leading of barrels is a very popular discussion on all casting and reloading sites. Since I shoot my own casts in several calibres I have to agree that, while the hardness of the cast metal may impact the amount of lead wiping onto the barrel steel, the most important factors are bullet diameter and then lube. Lead bullets should be oversize and lubed with a material that isn't so soft that it melts away before it does its job. Even hard cast bullets with high Brinell in the 16-20 range will lead a barrel if not properly sized. I have some 9mm bullets that are oversized at. 358 and I decided to try them in a. 35 Remington load. Big mistake as they leaded the barrel terribly. My normal 35 lead load uses a. 360 bullet. I haven't tried paper wrapping yet but I may with those 358 bullets.

Mac, do I understand this: better not to size the bullet than making the diameter too small?

Aloy. I have read that the swaging an oversize lead bullet gets when it is squeezed down to groove size ensures a good gas seal. This eliminates blow by which causes gas cutting, which is generally accepted as the major cause of leading. I can't verify the theory but my own results indicate significantly less leading with an oversize bullet. My own sizers are Lee models which push from the base not the nose. They have been lapped out to give between 1-2 thousands oversizing. I size for both consistency and concentricity. I only tumble lube but also have commercial lead bullets that have lube in the grooves. These I ordered .002" oversized. I spoke to the commercial caster and he recommended this sizing for my rifle. Any bullet I push over 1400 FPS gets a gas check. This only applies to my 308 and 35 Remington lead loads. I haven't tried GC bullets in my .223 but NOE makes GC molds in. 225 which look promising.

All very interesting, I'm already searching my old LEE melting pot so that I can jump on the wagon as soon as the weather calls the sun again...

I like to hunt with completely "home-cooked" rounds as an extra challenge, because we don't have a country where we could go for that extra challenge in increasing the distance.

Thanks for your info.

Aloysius wrote:

I like to hunt with completely "home-cooked" rounds as an extra challenge,

Aloys, how do you make your brass and primers?

Still working on that one, altough one can make .458 WM-brass starting from a .300 WM or a 7 mm RM...

The point is: one can always try to go closer to the basics. Look at the hunters with a frontloader... or even those who put their bullet on top of an arrow and use a bow instead of gunpowder...
they all get my greatest respect.

Where's my mucking boots. It's starting to get deep here.

slimjim wrote:

PaulS wrote: I have successfully made the first 22 Long Rifle Centerfire cartridge. ... I plan on using 40 grain bullets at 1250 fps - just like the standard 22 LR rim fire. 22 LR still that hard to find in the Northwest? I'll send you a brick if you are that desperate.

Actually finding bricks of 22LR is nearly impossible. The stores here sell by the box of 50 instead of the bricks of 500. Our prices are about $20 for the brick and $2 a box when they are available, so the prices are not bad just no avalability.

Paul, I would suggest the problem is with either the suppliers or the retailers. We don't really have a shortage of rimfire ammo here in Australia, so the manufacturers are doing their part mate. I can go out and buy 8 or 10 bricks of .22 rimfire ammo from just one store today if I wished...or had the money.

I think you will find the the "middle man" is boosting his profits by keeping supply tight and keeping demand high in order to keep buyers keen to grab whatever they can when they see it on the shelves.

Seems the panic buying is happening here also. I was in a local store and the clerk was telling a customer it was first come first serve and a limit of 1000 rounds per customer. I am with Vince, someone is making big bucks limiting the supply. I wouldn't put it past them from trolling the web playing up the "shortage".