OK you reloading gurus, here's one for you.

My stepfather has a Savage model 99 in 22High-Power which was .228 diameter. Since they don't make that round any more how much of a difference would it be if I went with the 5.6x52 which is a .227 diameter?

I hate seeing guns sit in closets not being shot and I can get the dies, brass and lead to reload for it but don't know if its going to be worth the effort.

Wirehair;
I do not remember who, but one of the major bullet mfgrs has 227 and 228 bullets in their list.
I think Lyman has a die or 2 for the .22HP.
Should be a nice rifle.
Pretty easy to rebarrel to .250 S too. Oh yes, I believe the 5.56x52R IS the .22HP
99's for ever![8D]
Don

Hornady still make the 228 bullet for the 22 Sav HP.vangunsmith.

I have a combi gun in 12ga. 5.6x52R, and i'd use either bullet in it BUT, i'd "make sure" i worked up the load with "either bullet"!!!

I don't need or shoot MAX loads in this gun, so for me it's really an non-issue!

Drilling Man

Does it make sense to shoot some of the 5.6x52 to fireform the cases then load with the .228?

I keep hearing that this was a tack driving, deer dropper gun and I'm kind of itching to see what it can do.

I fiddled around with one of these and discovered the chamber was very generous. A couple of loads and I was getting insipient case split just above the rim. I was making the brass from .30-30 cases.

The only reason you would get case splits after fireforming the cases with the "first fireing", was because you pushed back the shoulder of the case when sizeing after fireing!!

The cases have to headspace on the shoulder NOT the rim!!

Once fireformed those cases should last just fine "if" you don't oversize them before reloading them!


Wirehair,

I wouldn't have any problem fireing some cases in the rifle, and then reloading them with 228 bullets, as long as you pay attention to what i said above.

Drilling Man

Wirehair;
Where are you getting a 5.56x52?
COTW and Donnelly do not have that cartridge listed, 5.56x57 is the closest thing to it.
5.56x52R is the .22 HP, it was developed from the .25-35 case by Newton.
It has a rim and it headspaces off the rim, not the shoulder.
If you are making cases from .30-30, you may have problems with thick necks, you may also be work hardening the case by the major downsizing. You should anneal the cases.

25-35 cases are the best to start from, or use .225 Win, cases, the neck is already 22, the rim is a little smaller but plenty big enough, just run a .225 case in a .22 HP resizing die, load a moderate load, and fire form the case.
Don

Slamfire;
You said splits, did you mean cracks around the case at the body/ base juncture or cracks lenghtwise on the case?
The lenghtwise cracks could be from hardened brass, annealing might slow or stop that.
Did you measure a fired case to see how big the body is after firing?
The body should be .420 + -", if much larger, you may make a sleeve of very thin brass ,at least .15-.2 " long press it on the case until it is seated just ahead of the extractor groove , fire form and the case will expand without stressing the head/ body joint.
I do this in making .30-30 cases for use in my .303 Savage '99.
Don

Yes, it headspaces off the rim, BUT only for the "first shot"!!!! If you push the shoulder back when reloading and allow the case to headspace off the rim for each shot, soon you will have an insipent ring inside the case and seperation that comes with it!!!

If you want any "shouldered" case to last while reloading, you have to let it headspace off the shoulder!!! It doesn't matter if it's rimmed, rimless, or even belted!!!!

Drilling Man