223 and lead cast boolits

[howards]

Is anybody doing any work with a 223 and cash boolits??

Seem like it could be fun and cheap at the same time.

[DragoonDrake]

Yes. I shoot cast bullets out of a 223 bolt rifle and out of two break action pistols. I have never tried cast with a semi-auto rifle.

If you are looking for accuracy, you are going to need to cull the bullets with a magnifying glass and get rid of anything that looks wrong. You are going to need to weight sort every bullet to make sure there are no voids. Personally, when I am sizing if I don't feel the same amount of resistance I throw that bullet back into the bucket. I check every bullet after sizing to make sure none are out of round or were sized unevenly.

I only shoot 22 cast as single shots. Hopefully somebody with some semi exp will speak up.

Adam

[Wally]

I have tried in a Rem 700 using RCBS SP-GC bullets and Unique powder. I have never got consistent accuracy in this caliber. Last weekend I was popping cans at 100 yards using a rest. I was unable to hit them with any consistency--then I pulled out a Marlin 980V .22RF B/A---using bulk .22 ammo, I seldom missed. The experience was so discouraging I doubt that I'll ever try again. I've been told that the .222 Rem shoots cast bullets much more accurate due to it's longer case neck.

[Chrome1981]

I'm a newbie, but i think that with a GC and bolt rifle there should be no problem.

I guess if is there any problem if i use lead bullet with gascheck in my Ar15, could lead clog the gas-pistom system or something like that?

[MT Gianni]

I worked some this spring with the Bator 22, the Ly 225462 and the RCBS 55 gr. None were under an inch but all were under 2" @ 100 yards. 200 Stevens in 223.

[quilbilly]

I am still experimenting with the 223 in my T/C carbine single shot but have been impressed so far with the accuracy using the 22 Bator boolit. I just added a Williams peep sight to the barrel today which should get the group size down from 2" at a hundred. My load with SR 4759 give an MV of 2150 and after 20 shots, the barrel looks pristine.

[CWME]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=115049

This a link to my testing with the 223 and cast.

[Will]

Not a 223 but been using cast in my savage 340 222 since 1958. good results with everything from 2400 to 4831.

[dverna]

Only fun if you like a real challenge. Everything needs tighter control.

A 1 gr bullet weight difference on a 60 gr bullet is more serious than a 2 gr variation on a 200 grainer. Sizing, lube and alloy get touchier as speeds go up.

With a join date of Aug 11, if you are new to casting, make your first attempt something easier. .30 caliber or larger rifle - or a pistol round.

For economy and fun, shooting a .22 LR is hard to beat. I can shoot all day for $15 and have no brass to process or reload. Next is shooting .38's out a revolver with cast bullets. Pretty cheap and no brass to pick up. I love using a .38 lever gun too but have to pick up brass.

Remember that for the .223 you will need to add the cost of a gas check - say 2.5 cents each. At $1 per pound for alloy, that is the same cost as molding a 175 gr bullet.

So find a nice 30/30 or .308 and feed it 150-170 grain bullets for the cost of the gas check alone with less than half the trouble of getting a .223 to group satisfactorily. Or get a Marlin 1894 in .357 mag and run 130-160 gr bullets in .38 Spec. cases. I do a lot of .38 shooting for very little money.

Don Verna

[waksupi]

I used the chambering in a varmint rifle. I was getting a 1 3/8' group at 100 yards, at 2680 fps. May have been able to push for more in velocity and accuracy, but those tiny boolits, and my fat fingers did not get along well.

[Chrome1981]

So find a nice 30/30 or .308 and feed it 150-170 grain bullets for the cost of the gas check alone with less than half the trouble of getting a .223 to group satisfactorily. Or get a Marlin 1894 in .357 mag and run 130-160 gr bullets in .38 Spec. cases. I do a lot of .38 shooting for very little money.

Don Verna

I found a Marlin 1984C and I have made your own considerations, but do you get good results at 100 meters with 38 spl case? Or for these distance maybe I also need a Gas-check boolits?

Thank you!

[Moonie]

I've used the bator in my sons AR-15, and it works, 18gr of H4895 and it cycles perfectly. Now I have a new NOE 60gr that I got a few days ago, looking forward to trying it out.

[303Guy]

howards, to attempt to answer your question directly, yes there are folks doing it and some do it very it well it seems. I tried many years ago and failed, mainly due an inability to cast the wee little beggars! I tried those same casting in my hornet more recently but the results were not impressive. I later tried swaging lead boolits but got distracted along the way and quit. However, smooth sided boolits are less prone to weight variations, having fewer corners to not fill out and so on. They do need knurling to be able to hold the lube. Those do work in the hornet (bearing in mind that a hornet can drive a cast boolit to the same speed as the 223 - mostly).

Point is, it can be done but those boolits are real small and therefore pretty difficult to cast well. Bit if you are up to the challenge then hell yes - go for it!:drinks:

[castblast]

I've used the bator in my sons AR-15, and it works, 18gr of H4895 and it cycles perfectly. Now I have a new NOE 60gr that I got a few days ago, looking forward to trying it out.

Thanks Moonie!

I started a thread in CB Loads/Military Rifles about the NOE 60gr and got no responses as of yet.

I happen to have a few pounds of H4895! Looks like I have a good starting point now.