Old Navy
Member
Having quit shooting my revolvers, I had about 6lbs of Trail Boss left over and wondered what to do with it all. Then I came across an old file on the laptop about using 3.6 gr for starting load in .222 but I could not remember bullet weight. So, I used their formula of 70% of powder used to fill case to bottom of seated bullet for minimum starting point which is 2.85gr of powder for the 204 case and I used a 32gr JHPFB bullet.
Then I put one round in my TC Contender with a 14" barrel by M&M and fired the gun at a steel target 25 yards away. If I hadn't seen the bullet hit and splatter, I would have check to see if it was stuck in barrel, I did have my MM ears on. However. I don't have a coronagraph to check speed with and I'm going by seat of pants guess compared to the 800fps ammo from Mexico, that I use to use in my Mossberg 18" carbine.
Case had carbon burn on one side for about 1/2" from mouth of case. I think it was caused by too light of a charge to expand the case neck as it would normally. So, the next try will be 5gr and hopefully that will have enough pressure. I'm trying to get into the 1000fps to 1200fps range to be able to use it on steel w/o blowing a hole thru the steel at 4000fps and ruining my steel targets at 25 & 40 yards.
I had the barrel threaded for rimfire suppressor when bought new for possible use with reduced regular powder charges with my 22WMR suppressor hopefully. But never got around to trying it and I doubt it would have worked due to so little powder used. So here I am.
Then I put one round in my TC Contender with a 14" barrel by M&M and fired the gun at a steel target 25 yards away. If I hadn't seen the bullet hit and splatter, I would have check to see if it was stuck in barrel, I did have my MM ears on. However. I don't have a coronagraph to check speed with and I'm going by seat of pants guess compared to the 800fps ammo from Mexico, that I use to use in my Mossberg 18" carbine.
Case had carbon burn on one side for about 1/2" from mouth of case. I think it was caused by too light of a charge to expand the case neck as it would normally. So, the next try will be 5gr and hopefully that will have enough pressure. I'm trying to get into the 1000fps to 1200fps range to be able to use it on steel w/o blowing a hole thru the steel at 4000fps and ruining my steel targets at 25 & 40 yards.
I had the barrel threaded for rimfire suppressor when bought new for possible use with reduced regular powder charges with my 22WMR suppressor hopefully. But never got around to trying it and I doubt it would have worked due to so little powder used. So here I am.
