My first run with the 217-20-RF

[Wayne52]

I was thinking about going hunting today but cast pellets from my latest mold instead, the 217-20-RF (.22 Hunter) and I was pretty happy with the results with nasty freezing weather out there.  I cast 478 good ones and 71 rejects which ain't too bad IMO.  I'm sure I could get rejects way down in 70 degree weather because when it's warm out my ladle don't plug up with oxide like it does in the colder weather.  I thought that they would be a dark color but they turned out nice and shiny, I honestly think that humidity has a lot to do with it too.  Most of them weigh 19.5 grains but I kept everything from 19.4 up to 19.6, they all looked so good I figure they'll all shoot good.  I just took 4 shots at 4 dime sized circles with my Crosman 150 at about 15 feet and hit every one of them.  One of them was dead in the center too and I don't do any better with the storeboughts with it.  My Magnum Hunters are really good in that gun too.

                                                           

                                                                     

I'll be putting some of these over the Chrony in a little while too with the Crosman 150

[Nvreloader]

Wayne

Lookin GOOD.......I can't wait to get some pellets cast...........

I am waiting for a new sprue plate being sent out to me,
went out to set up the lead casting setup and the inside shop temps was 6* at 2:30 pm, 
turned around went inside, poured another cup of Joe and grabbed my Louie p-back and started reading again,
ya I am a wimp.........   Lol

Thanks,
Don

[Franklink]

I'm braving the snow for some accuracy testing too. Tried at 60 yards, now trying 30. I'll post how they did in a bit.

[rsterne]

Wayne, those are GORGEOUS !!!!…. Your success rate is exceptional, IMO.... and the consistency in weight is better than most swaged pellets from the big manufacturers....

The HAM test of the 18.1 gr. JSB Heavies showed weights from 17.93 - 18.33 gr.... with only 75% of them being between 18.07-18.21 gr....  https://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/jsb-exact-jumbo-heavy-18-13-grain-22-caliber-pellet-test-review/

Their test of the 18.2 gr. H&N Baracuda Hunters varied from 17.86 - 18.40 gr.... with 86% of them being between 17.86 - 18.13 gr.... https://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/hn-baracuda-hunter-18-21-grain-22-caliber-pellet-test-review/

Bob

[Franklink]

Well, I'm not impressed with their accuracy....BUT, I kept everything that looked decent so these targets are from un-weighed pellets. I've been wanting to buy an electronic scale for awhile, guess I finally will.

This is from a Taipan Veteran Short. These targets are the same hammer tension that produces 27.3fpe with 18.1gr JSB. I also tried hammer tension settings that produce from 21fpe to 32fpe with the 18.1gr JSB. The accuracy results with the cast pellets were all pretty similar, regardless of FPE.

I shot two, 5 shot groups at 60 yards with the JSB as a comparison of accuracy and to make sure I can still shoot this gun. The other 60 yard "group" is 15 shots with the 217-20.

Even the 10 shot group at 30 yards had some flyers.

I'm pretty anxious to get a scale and see if pellet weight is what's causing the flyers.

[Wayne52]

Thanks everyone !!! Bob I'd say probably 50% of the ones that I kept were probably from 19.48-19.55 grains, most of them are close to 19.5.  I just did a chrony test with them and on high power with the 150 I'm getting 7fpe and on low power I'm getting 5.8fpe, perfect plinking material.  I recovered the pellets and it's engaging the rifling goo on the nose an tail both but I think a more powerful gun would expand the base much better, It acutally seems to do better with my 23 grain Magnum hunters at 8fpe.  I think being a heavier pellet it's probably helping sealing in the rifling better too.  Co2 is a heck of a lot different than air the way it expands.

[Wayne52]

I'll bet that my Airmax Dominator will sling them at least 950fps, I will check that right now just to see what it's doing.

[Wayne52]

I'm doing about 930fps with them in my Airmax Dominator, with the Magnum Hunters@23grain I'm getting about 895fps.

[Wayne52]

I did another casting session yesterday with the same mold because I depleted my reserve from plinking a lot with my Crosman 150's

Here's a five shot group using pellets from my latest casting session.

[Wayne52]

My Liberty is loving the 19.6 grainers I've been casting for shooting mainly my Crosman pistols with throughout the winter, I figured they'd do good in my Liberty the way they have been shooting. The pic I'll attach show's my last five shots with open sights from it covered by a dime.

                                     

[Bob Pratl]

Wayne, It's starting to look like your Liberty is ready for it's first hunting trip.
It looks like I may have to pickup a 217-20 mold on NOE's next sale. Right now I do have a couple of NOE's .25 and .30 molds but no .22's.

[Back_Roads]

 Yup my wood stock Liberty .22 is too pretty to go huntin, and my syn Lib .177 is set up for FT, but does get out to play in the yard and do some opportunity pesting.

 I may have to get in touch with ATI for a parts gun to keep in the box till needed soon too I guess 

[Wayne52]

Now that I'm using these pellets for a rifle I'm super happy how they're shooting, I believe I could get a dime size group@50yds with them if I had a bench rest, range and calm day for shooting a target.  The only rifle I've tried them with was shooting them all a little over 800fps.

[KnifeMaker]

I just Love it when a combo works and is accurate!

[Wayne52]

I see that Bob started a thread on the NOE forum requesting more of these molds be made.  I am debating on getting a 4 cavity brass mold for this also, I'll be using these pellets like I used the JSB18.13's which means a lot and a 4 gang mold would speed things up considerably, possibly a 4 gang mold of the Magnum hunters as well.

[Wayne52]

I did another run of these pellets yesterday with great results IMO.  I got 468 keepers and 26 rejects if I remember correctly