22 LR bullets

[Dr T]

I have been wondering about the design of 22 bullets. I have been able to find surprisingly little information on the topic. I find this odd since the "basic" hollow base design is so old.

1) Some 22 bullets are copper plated. Yet virtually all of the match ammo that I have seen is not. Why are some bullets plated? (I have found the plated bullets feed a bit better in semi-autos, but that may just be me).

2) The basic design is a hollow base Minie-ball type design. However, I believe that some of the hyper velocity bullets (e.g. CCI Stinger) use a flat base design. The hollow base expands upon firing to engage the rifling. Why is this not needed on the higher velocity rounds.

3) There are several different designs for the pointy end of the bullet: The basic round nose, flat nose, truncated cone, etc. There are also various hollow point designs, ranging from a dimple to a deeper cavity. What are the tradeoffs?

Like most shooters who have gone through a lot of 22 rounds, I have some opinions on all of these. However, I am interested in yours.

 

[Bart B.]

Copper plating's a marketing ploy. The most accurate match ammo used in revolver and semiauto match pistols is all solid lead. Copper cannot be plated evenly all around the bullet so those are a bit more unbalanced; they don't shoot as accurate. But they do allow a bit more muzzle velocity without leading up the barrel. And higher velocity's typically more important than accuracy for most folks.

All .22 rimfire bullets' diameters (as are virtually all calibers' lead bullets) are typically larger than the barrel's groove diameter; they fill the grooves long before their base expands up to some amount. Check these SAAMI specs:

http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/208.pdf

Solid nose bullets are more balanced than those hollow pointed. Which is why all match ammo's got solid bullets. And they feed most reliably in semiautos, especially those used in rapid fire events.

 

[MrBorland]

AFAIK, it's more a copper "wash" than an actual plating. At any rate, match ammo is typically sub-sonic, so the velocity isn't high enough to warrant a copper coating to prevent leading.

As far as the hollow/flat base design, my guess it's the same reason why hollow-base .38 target wadcutters ought not be driven too fast - the base will blow off.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

AFAIK, it's more a copper "wash" than an actual plating. At any rate, match ammo is typically sub-sonic, so the velocity isn't high enough to warrant a copper coating to prevent leading.

My favorite .22 is CCI Blazer. Waxed lead @ 1250fps and it has never leaded on me nor do I clean that frequently. Hyper velocity rounds may be different, but plenty of cast bullet revolver and rifle shooters push lead bullets past even hyper velocity 22LR speeds without leading.

2) The basic design is a hollow base Minie-ball type design. However, I believe that some of the hyper velocity bullets (e.g. CCI Stinger) use a flat base design. The hollow base expands upon firing to engage the rifling. Why is this not needed on the higher velocity rounds.

I've been told the basic design is properly called a heeled bullet. The band just past the brass is larger than groove diameter and engages the rifling whether or not the base expands. I believe the main purpose of the base is to hold the bullet into the brass.

The different shape for hyper velocity rounds could be due to bullet weight since most of these rounds are in the low 30's for grain weight. There is only so much that can be shaved off the nose and still provide proper feeding so maybe more lead needed to be removed from the base.

You've got me curious, I think I'll pull some bullets when I get home.

On #3, I'd love to know myself.

 

[Walkalong]

They are a little cleaner to handle, and some folks like that.

 

[bhk]

The copper wash is really just cosmetic. It does little or nothing to prevent leading. Both copper-washed ammo and non washed ammo are covered with a lube. It is this lube that prevents leading.

 

[Dr T]

ON the copper. I have found that a couple of semi-auto pistols I have will tend to jam with pure led and not with plated (or washed) bullets.

On the pointy end thing: A flat point semi-wadcutter tends to impart more shock (Note the success of the Keith bullet). I wonder if it scales down?

 

[tuj]

the best subsonic design is the eley EPS bullet.

 

[JohnBT]

I was told years ago that the copper wash is applied by tumbling which can cause some small dings in the soft lead and which isn't good for accuracy.

Lead bullets in bulk packs do get dinged up. And have you ever noticed the dings under the copper wash on some bulk packed bullets?

 

[osteodoc08]

I thought 22lr was a heel designed/type bullet.

 

[rcmodel]

All .22 RF use a heeled bullet.

The .22 WRF and .22 WMR do not use a heeled bullet, but a full diameter bullet inside the larger case.

And the copper/zinc wash is a lube in itself.

Winchester-Western took out a patent on it in 1922.
It was patented as Lubaloy Lubricating Alloy.

It's major advantage over uncoated .22 bullets was they were cleaner to handle and shoot.

As there was no external grease or wax to pick up dirt in your pocket, or gum up the gun when fired.

rc

 

[Sagetown]

My BRNO .22 doesn't like some brands, like the truncated bullet design, and some CCI's. The last several years I've switched to the subsonic type. Some of the most accurate are expensive. Some, but not all. Winchester in particular, but, as of late it's off the shelf. Zilch, Nadda, Nothing.

 

[bhk]

Winchester won't answer any questions concerning an external lube over their copper wash bullets. I have tried to get this answer from them. It is possible/probable, I guess, that they use a combination lube/copper wash mixture (Lubaloy?) on their bullets. I doubt very much that a metalic copper/zinc wash alone would offer any significant protection from leading.

CCI is very up front about the need for lubing over their copper wash bullets. They flatly say the bullets will lead without that lube.

 

[PedalBiker]

The .22LR was designed well over a hundred years ago. Most of the questions you asked have been answered over the ages, but may not turn up easily on internet searches.

I have books dating back to the 50's and some of this is covered in print that obviously has not been added to the "cloud" yet.

 

[ThomasT]

I have never seen a hollow based 22 bullet. I have seen lots of cup based 22 bullets though. And I suspect thats what the OP is refering to. The cup base will expand to seal the bore and I beleive that was the reason for it. And I don't think you will ever have a 22 seperate from too high of a pressure like you might with a 38 special wad cutter. I do know a 22 caliber pellet loaded in the cylinder of a ruger single six propeled by a 22 blank round for a nail gun will seperate the pellet ever single time you fire it. Don't ask, it was one of my "what if" experiments.

It always gives me a laugh when someone complains that the 22/22 mag pistols have too large of a bore for good shooting with 22LR ammo because the bullets are undersized. I have measured 7 or 8 different brands of 22 ammo and they all measured .224 to .225. More than enough to fill the bore of a 22 barrel.

And if you want a 22 hunting round that shoots like a target round try some winchester power point ammo. This stuff is very accurate from every gun I have tried it in. I have read it was developed for the austrailians to use againts the large hares/rabbits they have that can weigh in the 10 pound range.

 

[Sagetown]

My best experiences with .22 long rifle ammo have been with the Winchester. However, I found those Federal bulk rounds to be pretty awesome too.

 

[Dr T]

A number of years ago, Winchester marketed a dimpled point (shallow HP) 22 ammo that they dubbed Aussie Ammo that was developed for the big hares. It worked well on the antelope jackrabbits we have on the ranch. I think I still have a box of it.

And, sorry for my confusion of the hollow base and cupped designs (to my untutored eye, they look the same to me...).

And, as PedalBiker, a lot of this information was well-known at one time, but not Internet-accessible now. Unfortunately, this puts the information at risk for becoming lost. In a way, this is sort of strange since the 22 LR is arguably the most widely used rifle round in the world. This is the point that started me thinking about this.

A case in point: The 22 short (and later the 22 LR) were once considered to be deadly man-killers before the advent of modern antibiotics in part due to the external lube on the bullet. When these bullets were carried in the pocket, they would tend to pick up dirt, lint, and bacteria. If someone was gutshot, then they would very ofter contract peritonitis which was usually very painfully fatal. I am not sure if the hollow point 22 bullet was developed in order to enhance the performance for this reason.

 

[NCsmitty]

Perhaps a little off topic, but I remember as a kid shooting the 22 Remington Rocket shorts that came in the Chiclet pak. These were gallery loads at some 1700fps, and at the time, I paid 50 cents for a pak of 33 rounds back then, IIRC. I think the bullets were frangible.

I happened across an unopened pak that's for sale on a site for $45. It just brought back memories, and I posted it. This pak is reported to contain 28 rounds. 7 x 4=28, makes sense to me.

Does anyone remember shooting these?


NCsmitty

 

[BigG]

I've been told the basic design is properly called a heeled bullet. The band just past the brass is larger than groove diameter and engages the rifling whether or not the base expands. I believe the main purpose of the base is to hold the bullet into the brass.

The 22 rimfire is the last of the old designs that took over from converting muzzle loaders to cartridge loading firearms. You can see the development in the cap n ball revolvers where they changed the front loading design to cartridge. The cartridges had to fill the chambers yet the bullet had to fill the barrel grooves that were as big or a bit bigger than the chambers. That was where the heeled bullet and hollow bases were used at first. If you look at a 22 LR cartridge you'll notice there is no edge to the case mouth. The bullet is the same diameter as the case diameter so the base of the bullet has to be smaller, thus the heel. Yet the bore is still larger so the base is dome shaped or hollow to allow the base to expand to grip the grooves. Later generations of cartridges were designed with the bullets inside the cartridge case and the groove diameter roughly the same as the ID of the case but the revos had to be built that way for them to work. That's one reason why the strange sizes we have like .429 is 44 caliber the old cap n ball 44 was .457 IIRC. .357 is 38 caliber, etc.

 

[Don McDowell]

Big G, the 22 has no relationship to the cap and ball revolvers at all. It is an off spring of the 22 flobert cartridge dating from the 1840's. Smith and Wesson first used it (22 short) in 1857 in their model 1 revolver, the first bored thru cylinder revolver. Later in 1871 or so the 22 long cartridge came about, followed by the 22 long rifle in the mid 1880's.
The heeled bullet is more a function of case capacity and has nothing to do with sealing the bore, that's already taken care of by the body of the bullet.

 

[Palehorseman]

Perhaps a little off topic, but I remember as a kid shooting the 22 Remington Rocket shorts that came in the Chiclet pak. These were gallery loads at some 1700fps, and at the time, I paid 50 cents for a pak of 33 rounds back then, IIRC. I think the bullets were frangible.

I happened across an unopened pak that's for sale on a site for $45. It just brought back memories, and I posted it. This pak is reported to contain 28 rounds. 7 x 4=28, makes sense to me.

Does anyone remember shooting these?


NCsmitty

Yep.

 

[Skylerbone]

The heeled bullet is more a function of case capacity and has nothing to do with sealing the bore, that's already taken care of by the body of the bullet.

Yep, the driving band. The bullet nose is bore diameter and the band is groove diameter.

 

[BigG]

Big G, the 22 has no relationship to the cap and ball revolvers at all. It is an off spring of the 22 flobert cartridge dating from the 1840's. Smith and Wesson first used it (22 short) in 1857 in their model 1 revolver, the first bored thru cylinder revolver. Later in 1871 or so the 22 long cartridge came about, followed by the 22 long rifle in the mid 1880's.
The heeled bullet is more a function of case capacity and has nothing to do with sealing the bore, that's already taken care of by the body of the bullet.

Right. I probably got off the point while I was typing but I thought of the comparison with cap n ball cartridges which also had heeled bullets meaning groove diameter bullets until somebody thought of making the groove diameter the same as the case ID. Thanks!

 

[Dr T]

Interesting points on the base of the bullet. I thought it might have been an engineering artifact along the lines of "Well, it works for cap and ball so we might as well do it for this new fangeled rimfire..."