RL 15 in a 22BR

[Bobthenailer]

I am tuning a 24' Douglas S.S. #5 taper, 1 in 12 twist, .244' neck 22BR. I have been loading with RL 15 and 40grn nosler ballistic tips I seem to be hung up at 1/2' groups at 100yards. There are only 40 rounds down the bore so break in would be close, now for the strange part. At 28.5, 30,and 31.5grns I took the groups from the targets and overlaied them on each other, perfect match. When powder was increased .05 grn I would get a stray flyer opening the group to 1', this was typical with all three loads.

Do I just change powder and forget RL 15. Varget won't group well and H335 is fair, I have read some about 3031 in short fat cases with good results. I would think with a slow twist of 1-12 I don't need a fast powder. Temps were 40 degrees at 820' elevation.

Any thoughts....

 

[Rtheurer]

'I would think with a slow twist of 1-12 I don't need a fastpowder.'


Am I wrong in saying that generally you use slower powders with the heavy projectiles for the specific calibers? The above quote would be opposite of the current thought. Light bullets faster burnpowders and heavy bullets slow powder.

Benchmark?, 3031, BLC2? A Quick look at the 22BR load map right here on this site shows 2230, 332, benchmark, and 2520 as being used with the 40gr Balistic tip.


RussT

 

[Rtheurer]

Looked at the 22BR info page again and the link to the Ierra loading manual lists faster powders for the most part with the 40 to 45 gr bullets.

IMR 4198
XMR2015
RE-7
IMR3031
Benchmark
H322
X-terminator
AA2230
W-748
N135
Varget


I bet N130 would work too.

RT

 

[Bobthenailer]

I tried RL 7 all the way up to 31grns and had no luck. That was probally where I made a wrong choice and went to slower powers. I will go with some faster burners and see how it groups.

thanks

 

[Preacher]

My 16 twist Pac-Nor 22BR shooting the 40 grain BT loves AA-2015.
Next up was AA-2460..............

 

[NorthFork]

I use 2230 and 2015 with the 40gr bullet. They both work very well in my 22BR.

 

[Elwood]

I'm using a 1-12 twist, I haven't used 40 grain bullets, but have tested plenty of 50 and 55 grain bullets, by far and away the best powder for me was H322, with Benchmark a close second.

When I'm using 64 grain Bergers I go for either RL15 or N135.

 

[Bobthenailer]

Thanks for the info guys. I re crunched numbers with Quick Load and switched to a 50grn Nosler Ballistic tip and RL15. Things settled in at 30.2grns of RL15 with a .250' 100yrd group, that's good enough for woodchuck sniping!

 

[PFAK]

All 3 of my .22BR's love AA2015 with a 40 gr.V-max.

 

[82boy]

I would try different bullets. All the 22br I have had or seen love Varget. Varget and RE15 are very similar powders. In 12 twist barrel I have had good luck with 52gr bullets 30gr varget at 7 1/2 rem primers. I have a Douglas 14 twist barrel in a Savage varmint contour, .250 neck that will spit 5 shot 100 yard groups in the .2 area all day long, with a 52 gr bullet on top of varget.

I have a friend that has a 8 twist Douglas barrel that has over 4000 rounds down the tube, and it will spit groups just like mine will. The impressive thing is the barrel has been tortured in dog towns. Looking down the barrel with a bore scope shows that the barrel has nothing for the first 4 inches of the barrel. Same combo 52 gr bullet varget, and 7 1/2 primers.

Don't give up on it, I would say you have the right powder. If you want some super speed out of it try 4895. I would say that the barrel just don't like the bullets your feeding it.

 

[Bobthenailer]

82boy, Yes I need to switch bullets. The Nosler's when seated have a O.A.L. variance of .004', My Match Kings measure much better, I will look around for some 52's

Thanks Guys

 

[ourway77]

I tried some H-322 in my 1-14 twist bullberry pistol barrel barrel, 15" long. Hornady 50 grain v-max. with 30 grains of powder. Shot groups of less than 1/2" at 100 yards consistently. I wonder what it would do in a rifle? Lou

 

[fdshuster]

Bob: I also have a 22BR, 1-12 twist (Shilen), and my "standard" go-to accuracy load, over many dozens of 5 shot groups at 200 yds, is always 28.5 grs. of the before mentioned H322, with the 53 gr. Sierra MatchKing #1400 seated to touch, with 205, 205M or Rem 7 1/2: it just doesn't seem to care which primer. Have tried other load combos but always return to that one. Tried to boost the powder, in 1/2 gr. increments, but high pressure signs (hard bolt lift after firing, and ugly primers) showed up, real fast. 5 shot groups at 200 that average 1/2" is common, and that's with the standard Remington 700BDL walk-around type varmint stock. Just recently did some "work" at 300 yds., and 5 shot groups are averaging 1" to 1 1/4". Yes, I know MatchKings are not the "best" for live varmints, but the ones I've "connected with" did not know the difference.

 

[RJinTexas]

My 29" 12tw Shilen really likes 60gr Vmax's and will consistantly produce sub 0.250 5 shot groups @ 100yds. The 60 grainers buck the wind much better out past 300yds then the lighter bullets. For what it's worth here's my go to p-dog load.

60gr Vmax
29.5gr-H4895
BR4
chronoed avg = 3477fps

RJ

 

[Ackman]

Your gun just doesn't like that 40gr. bullet. I shoot 50's through mine and RL15 is no contest the absolute best in that gun....accuracy is in the very low .1"s to mid .2"s at from 3800 to 3900 with a couple different 50gr bullets. Both W760 are VV133 are a bit less accurate but still very good compared to other chamberings, with a little higher top velocity. Gun is a 40X with 14twist, old chamber for Remington brass made from 7BR, .243"nk, primers 7-1/2BR.

 

[Bobthenailer]

Thanks for all the replys, I have logged several comments for furture loading tests. I did have a nice surprise at the range Yesterday, after loading 30.5grns of RL15 and seating a 50grn nosler B.T. to a C.O.A.L. of 2.075". I have a Leupold 12X on this rig so seeing bugholes at 100yards thru the scope is not always visible, when I retreaved the target a 6 shot group measured at .43" on centers. Here is the surprise 5 shots measured .194" on centers! 8) I only had a back pac for support and shot rapid fire.

Love this 22br!!

 

[RJinTexas]

I'd say that load good to go!

RJ

 

[Ackman]

It's an amazing cartridge. In the late 80's a friend and I built 22BRs at the same time. His a 700 with Hart barrel, mine a rechambered 40X. There had just been a feature article in one of the gun magazines that found RL12 and RL15 the two best powders, with RL15 having the edge. (This was with normal weight bullets...in those days they weren't doing the heavy bullet/fast twist thing) So we bought kegs of the stuff. The 2 of us did the same load workups with the same lot of RL15, using the same REM. brass - bullets (50blitz) - primers, everything, on the same range. These guns were just stupid easy to get dialed in. They shot well immediately and that was it, we didn't mess with any other powder or component. Accuracy was over a fairly wide velocity range, anywhere from 28 to 31.5gr of RL15. Accuracy would keep tightening until about 30.0 or so, then open up a little, then at 31.5gr it would suck right back into a small one hole group. Both guns acted exactly the same. Again, that lot of RL15 was from at least 20yrs ago....today's doesn't have quite the same burning rate. Re-testing just a couple years ago with a current lot of RL15, it was a little slower burning than the older stuff and still most accurate.

 

[pwdrbrn]

my rampro w/24' douglas 12t really likes aa4064. does better than 22-250 (fps) w/5 grs. less powder. r-p brass/r-p primers 50 gr. v-max @ 3700+. developed this b4 varget was here and didn't have rl15 on hand. just another thought. also surprised Ackman could keep 50 gr. blitzes together @ speed. we usually get vapor @ 20 yds.

 

[Ackman]

Shot about 1,000 - 50Blitz at over 3800 through that barrel and none of them came apart before they hit something.