Lack of .223 Bullets for 22 Jet

[ihogman]

I have been reloading for years and only recently found out that Hornady quit making .222 & .223 bullets for Hornets & Jets.

The only other bullets I can find are from Sierra, but they are back ordered at the factory and I cannot find any online.

Does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes bullets in .222 or .223 for the Jet?

 

[Fishinfool]

I noticed this place seemed to have them

22 Caliber (.222-.227)

Larry

 

[Nevada Ed]

For those that did not stock pile supplies...........

you can always have the rifle re-bored........
or the chamber re-cut.........
in order to keep it going if you do not mind the expense.

 

[TAROMAN]

LGS here had 4-5 boxes in stock as of yesterday.

 

[fredj338]

You can get a 0.222" or 0.223" sizer from Lee & resize 0.224" bullets. If you shoot a lot, worth the slight cost ($34) & effort. It will allow you unlimited bullet choice though.

 

[Doubless]

You are obviously a handloader. I would load .224" bullets and work up to the pressure and accuracy you desire. I see this as no different from a hard cast projectile being larger than the copper counterpart. True, the pressure curve will be different, but you are only talking about half a thousandth all the way around the circumference of the bullet.

 

[Walter Rego]

Fredj338, are you talking about resizing cast lead bullets or jacketed with the Lee sizer dies ? I understand that jacketed bullets can be swaged smaller but it takes a lot of press leverage (although for .22 cal bullets it may not take much) but also may result in accuracy problems if the jacket and core are separated when reforming. Is that true and have people successfully resized .224 jacketed down to .222" ?

 

[planojack]

As a longtime fan of the Jet, I stocked up on the smaller bullets, but mostly shoot .224 sized cast lead bullets. I lube with Lee liquid alox and have no problems and much fun. The load is not a "barn burner," but is deadly out to 50 yards of so. I play with different loads; current favorite is 4.3 grains of Unique.

 

[fredj338]

Fredj338, are you talking about resizing cast lead bullets or jacketed with the Lee sizer dies ? I understand that jacketed bullets can be swaged smaller but it takes a lot of press leverage (although for .22 cal bullets it may not take much) but also may result in accuracy problems if the jacket and core are separated when reforming. Is that true and have people successfully resized .224 jacketed down to .222" ?

Jacketed. You are only talking 0.001-0.002", accuracy should be unchanged. I have swaged jacketed 0.429" jhp down to 0.423" for cheap plinkers in my 404jeffery. They will do 2" groups @ 100yds, good enough for practice. Point, no core slippage resizing 0.006", you shoud be fine going only 0.002" max. After all, the bullets were swaged originally, you are just doing it again.
As to a press, not a lot of force is needed for 22. I swage bullets for my ar, from 22lr brass, using my RCBS ammo master. A sturdy press like a RC or sim O frame will do. I wouldn't try it on a Turret or cheaper ss press though.

 

[mark85304]

If I remember correctly, the .222 & .223 bullets were on the list of products Hornady put on the back burner to deal with the bullet shortage created by the political climate after the Sandy Hook incident. They did say they would resume production on those products, but did not specify when.

 

[fredj338]

If I remember correctly, the .222 & .223 bullets were on the list of products Hornady put on the back burner to deal with the bullet shortage created by the political climate after the Sandy Hook incident. They did say they would resume production on those products, but did not specify when.

Many manuf have done this & now only make short runs of "oddball" stuff. So you will have to pay attention, even when they do start up & run some off. Or, make your own, it will only cost you a $35 custom swaging die from LEE.

 

[ihogman]

Thanks folks, as usual everywhere I looked they were back ordered if at all. Hornady told me that they have discontinued the SKU#2220 22cal .223 45gr Hornet bullet.

From what I can find out Sierra is the only manufacturer left who makes 40 & 45 gr .223 bullets, and they are behind in making them.

I now have to decide if I want to cast bullets or resize down the .224.

I think cost wise resizing is the better way to go.

Well, that didn't take long. The smallest resizing dies are .224.

 

[fredj338]

Thanks folks, as usual everywhere I looked they were back ordered if at all. Hornady told me that they have discontinued the SKU#2220 22cal .223 45gr Hornet bullet.

From what I can find out Sierra is the only manufacturer left who makes 40 & 45 gr .223 bullets, and they are behind in making them.

I now have to decide if I want to cast bullets or resize down the .224.

I think cost wise resizing is the better way to go.

Well, that didn't take long. The smallest resizing dies are .224.

Go to the Lee site. Click into custom bullet swaging set. You can order anything you want for $34. I ordered a 0.423" die for my Jeffery bullets. Bought a .0427" from stock. It was a two step process for me (0.429"-0.427" then 0.423"), helps eliminate the core slippage issue when sizing more than 0.002". Then you need some swaging lube, something like Imperial sizing wax or you can make your own from lanoline & castor oil (1-10 ratio). This is what I use to swage with. I can resize a 22lr case in one pass to a 223 jacket.

 

[Walter Rego]

Thanks Fredj338, that is good information. I have a good stockpile of brass for my Jet but only a few hundred of the Hornady .222 bullets. I'll wait for Sierra to run more of the .223 Hornet bullets and pick some up.

 

[ihogman]

Thanks Fred, I just ordered the kit @ lube.

You made an old fat man happy.

 

[fredj338]

Thanks Fred, I just ordered the kit @ lube.

You made an old fat man happy.

The line is for ear bullets. You will need a swaging lube, something TT takes te pressure & heat of cold forming. Imperial sizing wax works, but the home made landline (anhydrous preferred) & castor oil works better. Buy both at amazon if you can't ind it at your local drug store.

 

[MrG5122]

Call these folks. I get the Sierra .223 45gr for my jet there.Unique Guns and Collectibles

 

[rwsmith]

I think it's nuts.....

I think it's nuts that Speer doesn't supply these. Even if they did, finding and affording them would be the next hurdles.

 

[ihogman]

Excellent help

Major props to Mosquito for paying it forward and sending me a box of Sierra .223 bullets.

Also to fredj338, I got my bullet resizer and it looks like it will work just fine.

Again Thanks