The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

I am about to embark on a new journey over the last twenty odd years(probably nearer 30) I have built up quite a collection of military rifles. I have reloaded full metal jacket and cast boolits for them and had a rare old time shooting them. I am 62 years old and had a few problems with my eye sight that makes it difficult for me to shoot iron sights. So I am having a cull and they are slowly being sold of.
Range access means most of my shooting is done at 50 to 100yards with the occasional 300 and even rarer 600 yard range.
I don't like .22 calibre rifles they spray cases all over and you can not reload for them so they are out. I am a keen re loader so I am thinking a .222 with cast boolits for 50yards a 22-250 don't know any thing about this round is it a viable cast boolit job for 50-100 yards.
Any other suggestions any body any experience loading cast for these calibers. I am thinking sporting rifles scoped cheap and cheerful that I can while away the hours at my reloading bench building ammo for. I don't shoot competitively In fact if I am truth full I only shoot so I have empty cases to re load.

The .222" is a most excellent round and the case is most especially suited for cast boolits.

It is my favourite .22 centre fire round and extremely accurate, it was originally created as a bench rest round and will easily shoot good out to 600 yrds with cast so long as you are on top of boolit quality.

There are lot of good .22 moulds out there now in response to the Americans love of military calibred AR platform rifles.

The smaller the boolit the more care you must take in casting them, they are not difficult but do need more attention as any imperfection is magnified in the smaller boolit, they like to be cast hot and tin is your friend.

I'm a big fan of BSA .222s and I've never found one that won't shoot good and I have found it easy to get good results from hand loads with this calibre, 3 shot 1/4" groups at 100yrds is my benchmark for the .222" cast or condom. Unfortunately the prices are creeping up, I've been looking for another BSA .222" for a while now but all I've seen in reasonable nick have been stupid money £4-500.

The 22-250 will also shoot cast bullets but the larger case is not so helpful and most second hand rifles in this calibre I've come across have carried well worn barrels, it can shoot cast well but is designed as a long range flat shooting case and really comes into its own when loaded for that purpose.