Shooting unersize (.222) bullets in .224 bore???

[Rickster]

Is this likely to cause any harm to the throat area of a .224 bore??? These would be used at what I would call moderate velocity, say 2,800 to 3,200 fps. I have a quantity of .222 40 grain "22 Jet" bullets I need to use for something. Possible rifles I could use are a 22 K Hornet, 221 FB, and 222 Remington. I have noted that a couple of my sizer dies would work on the .222 bullets if I remove the expander ball. The K Hornet and 222 are 1/14 twist, the 221 FB is a 1/16 twist (as noted in my earlier question on bullet stabilization). If I wasn't concerned about throat erosion I suspect my 1/16 221 FB would print these stubby bullets just fine. Whatcha think???

[RicN]

Undersize bullets seldome work and the old double cylender 22LR/22Mag pistols is the best comparison I know of. 222 bullets will work great in the older Hornet barrels of many years ago as they had smaller groove diameter barrels then. You might try a few, see how they do; if ok for your range of shooting then use them. Pressures will be erratic though as gases will pass along side these bullets and perhaps give you some added copper fowling which would be reason enough to not use them. Good Luck-