Help!! Need to Identify

[sparky45]

I purchased a bag full of these cast (I think they were 225---) 55gr boolits that have been gas checked and I want to load them and use them in an AR15. My question is what mould made these boolits? I've got over 400 of these and I want to go plink steel or cans or ??? Any information would be appreciated.
61149

[DIRT Farmer]

They appear to be the Lyman 225-646. They work well in my Mini-14 with a load of Rx 7.

[nighthunter]

yea..... 225646 with Lee Mule Snot lube. If they were mine I'd run them through my Lyman 450 and get some Felix Lube on them. If you don't have a sizer luber try them as is. They might work. Let us know your results.

Nighthunter

[P.K.]

Hmmmm, I don't think it is.
61164
But I can't really tell from the pic of one either.

[runfiverun]

umm the one on the left appears to be much shorter than the other two.
i'd fill a lube groove or two before i tried using them.

[sparky45]

Forgot to mention; I found a few in the bag that were Plain Base. Exact same boolit structure, just Plain Base. My initial thought was that it was the Lyman 225646, but it really doesn't match up that well.

[P.K.]

I spent some time on Castpic's and various image searches of cast boolit's last night. ( I couldn't sleep and a mystery will keep me up.) I found a few that came close, I belive they were in the pre-1900 Lyman/Ideal catalog.

Sparky, your boolit resembles some of those early ones with the location of the lube grooves. The wide band in the middle is the mystery. The early boolits have those same sized grooves from top to bottom. Yours with it's wide driving band/bering surface almost, not quite but almost says custom mould. Wish I could get a look at the blocks but at any rate I'm sure one of those high speed boolit guru's might have a better answer for you.

[sparky45]

Thanks for the research. The fellow I bought them from didn't know anything about them as he bought them from another person. At any rate, I'm going to make sure of the sizing by running them through my Lubrisizer with either the .224 or .225 die depending on the GC. They ought to run O.K. in the AR for plinking and anyway I can't find much in the Jacketed variety to load right now.

[P.K.]

Thanks for the research. The fellow I bought them from didn't know anything about them as he bought them from another person. At any rate, I'm going to make sure of the sizing by running them through my Lubrisizer with either the .224 or .225 die depending on the GC. They ought to run O.K. in the AR for plinking and anyway I can't find much in the Jacketed variety to load right now.Did you get a chance to toss one on the scale?

[sparky45]

I did, as a matter of fact, and the average weight based on 10 samples was 61.8gr with the GC. Now that probably doesn't have total credibility since I don't know the alloy, but workable for my abilities. I assume the boolit was supposed to have a 60gr cast weight, at least that's going to be my assumption. I looked through the Lyman molds and really didn't find it and RCBS pictures escape me. I would like to work up a load with powders I have on hand, and might even use Trailboss. I've got over 15 different powders on hand so I'll find one that will work.

[45-70 Chevroner]

It is diffenately not the 225646. I think it may be a custom mold of some sort. The one on the left is shorter and if you look closely the nose is shapped a little different, probably caused form seating the GC. They look some what long for a 55 gr boolit, they do have a long GC shank plus four pretty good sized lube groves and that would account for it geing a 55 gr boolit. They will probably shoot pretty well in an AR15 if the twist is fast enough.

EDIT. I was writing this as the OP posted his last post. Good luck sparky45.

[P.K.]

I did, as a matter of fact, and the average weight based on 10 samples was 61.8gr with the GC. Now that probably doesn't have total credibility since I don't know the alloy, but workable for my abilities. I assume the boolit was supposed to have a 60gr cast weight, at least that's going to be my assumption. I looked through the Lyman molds and really didn't find it and RCBS pictures escape me. I would like to work up a load with powders I have on hand, and might even use Trailboss. I've got over 15 different powders on hand so I'll find one that will work.

Sparky,

The "new" issue of Hodgdon's 2013 Annual Manual has an excellent article on Trail Boss and subsonic loads for the .223. The author only went up to 55gr. in wt. for his projectiles but the data looks good and with the charges used I would think a GC'd boolit would be just fine.
It was this article that had me rooting around for a 225415 and checking my CBH looking at the tables for the same with Green Dot and 700X.

[sparky45]

Thanks P.K.; I ordered the Manual this morning.

[sparky45]

Still looking for a positive ID as well as a .225 Die for my Lube sizer (Lyman 4500).

[sparky45]

Anybody? Can you point me in the right direction to be able to view pics of RCBS Molds? Thanks.

[runfiverun]

midway and those places usually have pics of the molds.
you might have a saeco creation there too.

[P.K.]

Sparky,

Try here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?36355-Mold-Cheat-sheet-for-buyers

The links are in post #20, good luck!

[sparky45]

Thanks P.K.; I already went through those without an ID. I'm thinking these might be from an old retired Ideal Mold. I'm hopefully loading up a few to try this weekend.

[nighthunter]

I think the bullet on the left that some have said is shorter is just seated further in the gas check. Perhaps the other bullets don't have the checks seated as well.

Nighthunter

[P.K.]

Sparky, I think I found it. Problem is I left my universal translator hooked to my other keyboard. I asked a simple question and.....well you try.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?185376-Micrometer-Accuracy&p=2072268#post2072268