Elric
Well-Known Member
A period view on the .22-13-45, again, the author has moved on to the big range in the sky, with no klaxxons, flashing lights, or over-eager range officers to bother him....
Shooting and Fishing, page 229, vol 30, No. 12, July 4, 1901
https://books.google.com/books?id=b5cwAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:4_nJVSo-51oC&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOvcf4gIrYAhUY22MKHWqBD-04ChDoAQgrMAE#v=onepage&q=TWENTY-TWO WINCHESTER CARTRIDGE&f=false
The Twenty-Two Winchester Cartridge by HAWKEYE
Some time ago one of Shooting And Fishing's correspondents made inquiry concerning the Winchester .22-13-45 central-fire as a reloading cartridge. I have used a Winchester rifle with this cartridge for about five years, and have fired many thousands of reloaded cartridges from it. The shells are all right, and can be reloaded many times. I have used no bullet except the regular 45 grain bullet cast in Winchester mold. I have used successfully bullets cast all the way from 1 to 50 to pure lead, but use for most kinds of shooting bullets cast 1 to 20. The regular Winchester tools seat the bullet with one groove exposed. I have had no trouble in casting perfect bullets with the use of the Ideal dipper, but have never succeeded in casting first class bullets of this size without it.
I have made numerous experiments with various loads, shooting from a rest with telescope sight, and have obtained with my rifle the following results. All groups mentioned were made unless otherwise specified at a range of 50 yards, and from as solid a rest as could be obtained, and the lubricant used was in nearly all cases beeswax and sperm oil (Ed. - unobtanium, but substitutes exist). All groups were of ten shots each, and rifle was cleaned after firing each group. Under these conditions, I found that the regular Winchester cartridges would make about a 2 inch group and my own reloaded cartridges with FFFG powder and pure lead bullets were if anything slightly inferior to the factory cartridges. With a bullet hardened to 1 in 20 and 12 grains of the same powder the average shooting was a little better, and 1 ¾ inch groups were made, while with FFG powder and hardened bullets groups as narrow as 1 ½ inches were frequently made. Nitro priming increased the accuracy if one only counted selected groups, but wild shots which would in some cases miss the center by several inches were not infrequent when it was used.
These results were not very different from what I had been led to expect from the experiments of others, but the surprise came when I began to use nitro powder in these cartridges. My first experiments were successful. With DuPont No. 1 rifle nitro the accuracy was only fair, averaging not so good as black powder, while the penetration was poor, and wild shots frequent. With the Laflin & Rand Sporting Rifle Smokeless, if light charges were used the powder remained partly unconsumed, while a charge of 6 grains of this powder and a soft bullet would not keep bullets in a foot circle at 25 yards, and a few shots plastered the barrel with lead. A charge of 5 grains and a very hard bullet resulted in split and swelled shells at every shot, and I did not try enough of them to test accuracy and penetration. After numerous experiments I was obliged to give up this powder for use in this caliber. With the more regret, because in other rifled arms I had excellent success with it and had become very partial to its use. My guess is that the No. 1 w and No. 6 ½ U. M. C. nitro primers, which were the only ones I could find to fit the shells, were not powerful enough for this powder.
Then I began to try nitro shotgun powder, and discovered that any of the so-called three dram nitro powders when properly loaded did good work in this cartridge. My first experiments were with the E. C. No. 1, using Winchester No. 1 w primers. With 8 grains measure of this powder and a 1 to 20 bullet, powder loose in shell and about two thirds filling it, I repeatedly made 1 inch groups at 50 yards. The charge is very clean, cracks like a whip, is a trifle less powerful than the regular black powder load, but is extremely accurate and perfectly safe and reliable. The Hazard Blue Ribbon powder, loaded in exactly the same manner, does equally well and will generally do good work even with black powder primers. A space must be left between powder and bullet or the result will be split shells and a barrel plastered with lead or even a burst gun. All charges from 3 grains measure up of these nitros loaded in the same manner loose in the shell shoot extremely well. The 3 grain charge has a very light report, penetrates a 2 inch pine plank and will keep a long series of shots in a ½ inch circle at 25 yards.
Not long ago I obtained a can of DuPont No. 2 Rifle nitro. I have only tried it with full charges, bullets cast I to 20 and U. M. C. 6 ½ primers. The penetration is a trifle better than the regular black powder cartridges, and it seems capable of making 1 ½ inch groups. I have not tried it with lighter charges, but have no doubt it will prove equal to anything I have used. It is the only nitro I have yet used with which I have obtained power equal to the black powder cartridge, and even tolerable accuracy. The 8 grain shotgun nitro charge will penetrate about 7 inches of pine, while the penetration of the regular charge and the DuPont No. 2 charge is only about 5 inches; but this is only because with the more powerful charges even a hardened bullet is deformed on striking, and tears a much larger hole through the plank, and hence has less penetration. The results which I have obtained impress me as of little value unless a Winchester barrel with 16 inch twist is used. With the 14 inch twist used by other manufacturers, no doubt a heavier bullet is more accurate. HAWKEYE
Shooting and Fishing, page 229, vol 30, No. 12, July 4, 1901
https://books.google.com/books?id=b5cwAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:4_nJVSo-51oC&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOvcf4gIrYAhUY22MKHWqBD-04ChDoAQgrMAE#v=onepage&q=TWENTY-TWO WINCHESTER CARTRIDGE&f=false
The Twenty-Two Winchester Cartridge by HAWKEYE
Some time ago one of Shooting And Fishing's correspondents made inquiry concerning the Winchester .22-13-45 central-fire as a reloading cartridge. I have used a Winchester rifle with this cartridge for about five years, and have fired many thousands of reloaded cartridges from it. The shells are all right, and can be reloaded many times. I have used no bullet except the regular 45 grain bullet cast in Winchester mold. I have used successfully bullets cast all the way from 1 to 50 to pure lead, but use for most kinds of shooting bullets cast 1 to 20. The regular Winchester tools seat the bullet with one groove exposed. I have had no trouble in casting perfect bullets with the use of the Ideal dipper, but have never succeeded in casting first class bullets of this size without it.
I have made numerous experiments with various loads, shooting from a rest with telescope sight, and have obtained with my rifle the following results. All groups mentioned were made unless otherwise specified at a range of 50 yards, and from as solid a rest as could be obtained, and the lubricant used was in nearly all cases beeswax and sperm oil (Ed. - unobtanium, but substitutes exist). All groups were of ten shots each, and rifle was cleaned after firing each group. Under these conditions, I found that the regular Winchester cartridges would make about a 2 inch group and my own reloaded cartridges with FFFG powder and pure lead bullets were if anything slightly inferior to the factory cartridges. With a bullet hardened to 1 in 20 and 12 grains of the same powder the average shooting was a little better, and 1 ¾ inch groups were made, while with FFG powder and hardened bullets groups as narrow as 1 ½ inches were frequently made. Nitro priming increased the accuracy if one only counted selected groups, but wild shots which would in some cases miss the center by several inches were not infrequent when it was used.
These results were not very different from what I had been led to expect from the experiments of others, but the surprise came when I began to use nitro powder in these cartridges. My first experiments were successful. With DuPont No. 1 rifle nitro the accuracy was only fair, averaging not so good as black powder, while the penetration was poor, and wild shots frequent. With the Laflin & Rand Sporting Rifle Smokeless, if light charges were used the powder remained partly unconsumed, while a charge of 6 grains of this powder and a soft bullet would not keep bullets in a foot circle at 25 yards, and a few shots plastered the barrel with lead. A charge of 5 grains and a very hard bullet resulted in split and swelled shells at every shot, and I did not try enough of them to test accuracy and penetration. After numerous experiments I was obliged to give up this powder for use in this caliber. With the more regret, because in other rifled arms I had excellent success with it and had become very partial to its use. My guess is that the No. 1 w and No. 6 ½ U. M. C. nitro primers, which were the only ones I could find to fit the shells, were not powerful enough for this powder.
Then I began to try nitro shotgun powder, and discovered that any of the so-called three dram nitro powders when properly loaded did good work in this cartridge. My first experiments were with the E. C. No. 1, using Winchester No. 1 w primers. With 8 grains measure of this powder and a 1 to 20 bullet, powder loose in shell and about two thirds filling it, I repeatedly made 1 inch groups at 50 yards. The charge is very clean, cracks like a whip, is a trifle less powerful than the regular black powder load, but is extremely accurate and perfectly safe and reliable. The Hazard Blue Ribbon powder, loaded in exactly the same manner, does equally well and will generally do good work even with black powder primers. A space must be left between powder and bullet or the result will be split shells and a barrel plastered with lead or even a burst gun. All charges from 3 grains measure up of these nitros loaded in the same manner loose in the shell shoot extremely well. The 3 grain charge has a very light report, penetrates a 2 inch pine plank and will keep a long series of shots in a ½ inch circle at 25 yards.
Not long ago I obtained a can of DuPont No. 2 Rifle nitro. I have only tried it with full charges, bullets cast I to 20 and U. M. C. 6 ½ primers. The penetration is a trifle better than the regular black powder cartridges, and it seems capable of making 1 ½ inch groups. I have not tried it with lighter charges, but have no doubt it will prove equal to anything I have used. It is the only nitro I have yet used with which I have obtained power equal to the black powder cartridge, and even tolerable accuracy. The 8 grain shotgun nitro charge will penetrate about 7 inches of pine, while the penetration of the regular charge and the DuPont No. 2 charge is only about 5 inches; but this is only because with the more powerful charges even a hardened bullet is deformed on striking, and tears a much larger hole through the plank, and hence has less penetration. The results which I have obtained impress me as of little value unless a Winchester barrel with 16 inch twist is used. With the 14 inch twist used by other manufacturers, no doubt a heavier bullet is more accurate. HAWKEYE