Thread: 22lr Resizing/Hollow Pointing Tool

I did a quick test at 100m the other day with factory Eley Standard and a hollow pointed version of it sized to 0.2250. Groups are 10rds each shot from a custom Semi. Can't really draw too much conclusion from a 20rds, but the HP certainly isn't making it worse.


I also made another HP stem with a tip flair built in. This is a reasonably fine and deep HP but seems to work well with the tip flair. I shot half a dozen rabbits with these a few weeks ago and they seem to do the business, the exit wounds on body shots were significant. I headshot one poor fella point blank (probably 500mm from the muzzle, it was sitting in it's hole as I came through a gate) and I was sprayed with rabbit bits which I was not happy about.
I like this stem as it does a minimal amount of work to the projectile, but still produces good expansion.


I have been playing around with the truncated cone punches a bit and don't think it's going to work for this type die as it pushes the projectile down into the case too much. It may be possible using a die that clamps the projectile between 2 pieces from either side (think like a bullet mold) rather than pressing down on it, but that is outside the scope of this project for now.

I have 10 confirmed orders from you lot, so thanks very much. I have purchased material and have enough for another 1 or 2 dies, so if you have not already signed up and want in, let me know.
I have a few weeks off work over Christmas and will making a start on these, I will be looking to get details on what punches and sizing collars everybody wants soon.

Is the photo of the 'HP stem with a tip flair built in'. Can you explain the 'tip flair' please - I don't understand from looking at the photo. The stem seems to be the same diameter along its length. Also, what is the diameter of the stem and how deep do you insert it into the bullet? Thanks for a very interesting development of 22RF ammo.

Originally Posted by rupert

Is the photo of the 'HP stem with a tip flair built in'. Can you explain the 'tip flair' please - I don't understand from looking at the photo. The stem seems to be the same diameter along its length. Also, what is the diameter of the stem and how deep do you insert it into the bullet? Thanks for a very interesting development of 22RF ammo.

The HP stem has a taper of around 3degrees. The tip flair is the angled section where it steps up to the full punch diameter. I set the die so that the angled section goes a small way into the tip of the projectile, which "flairs the tip" a little. Essentially I'm adding a small countersink to the end of the hollow point cavity to promote expansion and reduce the cavity being plugged which stops expansion.

Just a variation on a theme, but after seeing your tests I think I've settled on the punch shape for my setup as well. I was using a 60deg lathe centre, but am now using a simple 28deg cone with a needle tip. 2.5mm cavity diameter at the nose, 5mm cavity depth - so twice the depth I was using before. Gives wider expansion than my older version and looks near identical to the mushroomed bullets you posted above.

Hey Gents, sorry for the lack of contact, I have been sick on and off for the last few months and have achieved very little in that time. I'm about 50% of the way through the parts for these dies and am back working on them now. Would estimate a delivery time of mid March now unfortunately, if this doesn't work for anyone, please let me know and I can cancel your order and refund your deposit.

I need to know sizing collar requirements and punch stem requirements as I will be starting on these soon.

For sizing, I have been running 0.225 on everything and have found this to work well except for short throat match chambered semi-automatics, where the bolt sometimes will not chamber the round completely and will then have a light firing pin strike and failure to fire. Dropping to 0.2245 solved this, reaming the throat of the barrel a little also solved this. 0.225 has worked well on all bolt guns I have tried.

Punch design. I can do more or less whatever you want, but post #64 shows the hollow point I have settled on as being the best performer and most reliable to form. I have been calling this HP#4 for no other reason than it's the 4th iteration I tried, the small flair it forms at the start of the HP cavity seems to be key to reliability.
I can do a different HP stem at each end, or one HP and a flat nose, or EPS tip, or multiple punches. I can do more punches in the future if you want to try something else. If you have a specific idea for a punch, let me know and I'll try make it for you.

Let me know here or via PM what you would like and I will confirm with you. If people with orders don't see this post, I will reach out via PM, but it's a lot less time doing it here.

ST

Thanks for that. I'll stay with your 0.225 and HP#4 recommendations.

Same 0.225 and HP#4 recommendations.

As above thanks.

Have to be in it to win it. .225 flat, hp4 and flat please. Thanks

Just a quicky note, I was and still am going to make a resizing tool for .22lr and while talking with a local gunsmith he advised me First to
pillar and epoxy the the stock which for the rimfire I thought wouldn’t be needed but after having just done this it has seriously improved
Accuracy. I am using a Norinco EM332 which I have had for a few months and didn’t perform aswell as oneI had a few years ago but having put a bit of time into it I’m very pleased with how this rifle is performing. Trigger modified to single stage and lighter pull, bedded action, regrown all just for a few hours work anda such little cost. Trigger mod can be seen in projects EM332 trigger, I used it for a while as 2 stage but now am using it single and is so much nicer.

Originally Posted by RabbitStu

Just a quicky note, I was and still am going to make a resizing tool for .22lr and while talking with a local gunsmith he advised me First to
pillar and epoxy the the stock which for the rimfire I thought wouldn’t be needed but after having just done this it has seriously improved
Accuracy. I am using a Norinco EM332 which I have had for a few months and didn’t perform aswell as oneI had a few years ago but having put a bit of time into it I’m very pleased with how this rifle is performing. Trigger modified to single stage and lighter pull, bedded action, regrown all just for a few hours work anda such little cost. Trigger mod can be seen in projects EM332 trigger, I used it for a while as 2 stage but now am using it single and is so much nicer.

It's often interesting how much a few small changes can improve a rifle. And you also get the rifles that no matter what you do, won't improve.

I thought I would give a quick update on the die progress.
I have finished a majority of the complicated parts, and just have the die bodies, and HP stems left to make, then final assembly and testing. The shell holders took far longer than expected to make, but have come out good.

While I'm doing my best to get these done quickly, I have a very full time job and not a lot of spare time, so your patience is appreciated.

I'm trying to upload an image of progress, but it's not working for some reason.

Attachment 220366

Giday Bud just wondering how you are going, with making these dies

Good stuff. Take your time mate, looking forward to the finished product