As a lot of you know, I've played with BSing 22rf since 1990 but, with standard match chambers (about .62 long) and 16 twist.

My first rifle was a 922 H&A, with a 26" long, 1.06 across the flats, XX Douglas barrel and the second is a German Schuetzen with a 20" long George Titherington barrel.

I tried many loads with many powders back in those days, using a 44 gr two diameter bullet, with no lube grooves. The same as the 49.5 gr pictured but, with a shorter nose (both the nose and the length of the bullet in the mold can be changed).

My two best loads where 1.5 & 1.8 gr of B'eye but, I could run velocitys to 1442 fps average with 2.5 gr of Unique, in a 20" barrel (not accurate). 

The 1.5 gr load of B'eye, gave 1208 fps, 15.8 SD and 41 ES but with it I shot the .410 5 shot target. 1.8 gr B'eye gave me 1306 fps, 5 SD and 13 ES in the 26" barrel.

I won matches at both my local club and Springfield, OR with the German rifle. At Springfield, during a match one year, I found that the 1.8 gr load was right at the limit of pressure, for the match chamber. I popped a case and the shot went just out of the scoring rings on the 6 bull target so, I quit using that load.

Just 2 weeks ago, I finished my first dedicated BSing 22rf and after I built a sled for it and modified my rest for it. I took it to the range. It has the following spec's:

44 Stevens, Model 45 w/DST triggers. It was a 32/40 so, it has the hammer block.

I posted a while back about a dual firing pin for this CF breech block, I did that (More about it in the next post)

It has a 27.5" long, PacNor, 14 twist barrel, 1.110 across the flats.

Chambered with my match reamer but, a .775 long chamber (sporting length).

The end of the barrel is 1.125 round, for the sled.

Through the years, I've collected some 22 molds, with this project in mind. I tried all but one mold, the RCBS-55 that casts 58+ gr in 20/1. It's the longest of the 22's and because the 225415, tipped badly, I didn't try it.

Some things that I've learn:

1. I used the sporting length chamber because it increases case capacity and I had hoped to shoot at least 60+ gr bullets. With the 56 gr bullet, I'm not getting any pressure signs so, I may shorten the chamber to .675, 2 threads on the barrel

2. I should have started with at least a 12 twist barrel, maybe even a 10. Based on what I've done so far, I think I can get a 70 gr bullet stabilized at 1000 fps, within the pressure limit that the sporting length chamber will handle

Frank

The Targets. The first is the .410, in 1990, the rest this week.

The Eley Club and the Fed 510 (circled) where fixed, factory ammo.

More about the lube, no grooves where filled, they were only rolled between my fingers, just getting the exterior surface wet with lube. I've never had any leading using this Javalina Schuetzen Lube (actually Smilley lube from 1994), Darr or Lee liquid Alox. You may not need ANY lube. I have to test that though.

The bullets are as follows:

225438, .487 long, 43 gr

225450, .655 long, 49.5 gr

Lee 225-55, .580 long, 56.0 gr

ELCO, .562 long, 49.5 gr

Frank

Edit:
After studing the holes in the last target, I found that I mismarked the Fed 510, fixed group (it was a 5 shot group) when I marked it at the range. I remarked it it reflect how large the 450 was.

Very interesting.  Thanks for sharing.  Perhaps I missed it but are those targets at 100 or 200 yards?

Most interesting, Frank.  Been thinking about it all evening while the wife & I watched the Bernie & Hillary show.  You can't lie about group size. Here are some thoughts:

Test ammo:  Never shot Federal, but I shoot Eley Club for gallery (50 feet & 25 yards) or for practice at 100.  In my 5 LR rifles, Club is pretty much out of gas at 100.  Have you tried any of the better stuff out of your test rifle?  Maybe Lapua Midas+ or Eley Black?  All you need are a couple of groups of each.  Also, since this is a 14" twist barrel, have you tried the Aguila 60 grain load as a control?  We might learn something from that.  I have at least 1 box to contribute.

Trials:  Have you thought about BS any of the 60 grain Aguila bullets?  Might be I could furnish some.

Cases:  I have pulled a bunch of .22 Short bullets & looked at several kinds of cases.  I weighed them & looked at the priming.  That was an education in itself.  Depends on what you find inside, but you might decide to segregate by weight or the way primer compound is spread around. Please take notes & tell us what you find. I have a Waltz die and use the shell holder in my press and dykes to pull bullets.

Bullets:  Too many variables!  The surface area of bullets w/ lube grooves is greater than the Elcos & is different for each design.  If your fingers are like mine, there will be some lube that gets into the grooves no matter how careful you are.  That won't be uniform & could even unbalance the bullet.  I think you should start with the Elcos and do a bunch of tests with those before moving on. 

Matches:  The Tuesday Afternoon Schuetzen Verein (Redwood Gun Club, Arcata CA) will switch to 100 & 200 yards when the winter gallery league is over.  The annual Monica Lewinsky's 50th birthday match is 50 rounds from the bench at 100 yards.  We use the WSU gallery target, 2 shots at each of 25 bulls.  We're flexible on scheduling.  In early June, we shoot the Left Coast Bruce Garbe Memorial bench rest match.  50 shots at 200 yards.  .22 rimfire only.

waterman wrote on Feb 12^th, 2016 at 1:43am:

As promised, these are my Spokane results. Things have improved overall. It may only be that the barrel is getting broke in.

In all, there have now been 160 shots, fired in matches, plus maybe and other 150 in working up loads and sighters.

The first two targets are from the Canadian Regional. As I remember, those where the worse conditions. I didn't get a picture of these match results so, I can't say how well I did in the match but, I believe it was mid-pack.

The second two targets are from the NW Regional and the best conditions of the matches, I did get a picture of those results, I was exactly in the middle 11th of 22 shooters. There was a lot of expensive 22 match ammo below where I shot.

Note, that there is one low shot in both of the NW targets. I'm sure thats a product of the load.

Frank

Second 50 shots.

Note how consistant the scores are in this one.

Frank

Beautiful rifle and a LOT of research. Do you thing there would be much difference if you had a forearm on it?