Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer-Light loads

JB,

In your article on light loads you list 5.0gr of 5744 with the Lyman 43gr cast bullet for just under 1100fps in the .22 Hornet. Have you tried that with a jacketed bullet of similar weight? I've got a pile of Speer 46gr Bee slugs as well as a couple hundred of old Rem and WW Hornet HPs. Can't imagine I'd ever shoot enough to break even on the mold and handles.

Is that out of the Lyman cast bullet manual?

Thanks.

I didn't try it with jacketed bullets, but it would probably work--thought it would also probably produce less velocity, since jacketed bullets (contrary to what many handloaders believe) tend to result in less pressure with the same loads. This is due to cast bullet sealing the bore more completely.

The load may be in the latest Lyman cast bullet manual, but as stated in the article I worked it up by using Western Powders' technique for developing reduced loads with 5744: "Fill a case with 5744 to the base of a seated bullet, and use 40% of that charge’s weight as a starting load. Consider 48% maximum with cast bullets, and 60-65% maximum with jacketed bullets."

I'll have to get a jug and try.

Thanks again.