Casting for 223 AR

[3jimbo3]

I know that on here somewhere someone has already ask these questions I'm asking now. Does anyone cast for an AR rifle? If so, which mold do you prefer and why? I assume you use gas checks or swage them one. Which is the best? Do you have any feed problems with the cast boolits? I know this is a lot of questions in one post but my little mind is curious. I would like to cast for the 223.

[dudel]

Do you already cast? Starting with .22 boolits is a tough road. I was doing 9mm, .38, .45, and thought I had the process down pat. Started with the Bator mold, and just got deformed wrinkled globs of lead for the longest time. The little guys are much less forgiving, and take a different rhythm. The basics are the same, get mold spotless and free of grease, preheat mold, use a good alloy, make sure the alloy is clean, keep the alloy at the proper temp, tin for fillin, keep mold hot, etc, etc, but the results were pitiful. I hate them with the passion of a white hot sun. It's like paying your dues all over again. With pennies. That you had to beg from your ex. One at a time.

I have a Lee Bator mold, it works fine for AR and other guns that need a .22 boolit. I get very low production (or maybe I'm too picky or still have problems I've not solved). I lube with mule snot. I seat the gas checks with the Lee push through sizer. They do the job; but take the smile off my face.

I can cast them, and I will cast them if I have to; but I prefer jacketed for my AR. I like my 223 suppressed; and exposed lead is a pain to clean. Your gas system may need more attention while you work up your load. Bulk Hornady 55gr FMJ-BT with channelure work out to be pretty inexpensive if you catch them on sale. I got my last batch for $18/250. Boolits are fine if you're trying to get down under 22LR costs; although with 22LR coming back to reasonable prices, that's going to be harder to do.

[bangerjim]

I shoot 223 bolt action but cast tons of 223's in (used to use) BATOR and now my new brass NOE 224 FP 55gn mold. Love that one!

The key is getting the velocity/load up enough to cycle your semi. Yes, I use Cu GC's on ALL223's for hot loads. No GC for plinking (22LR) loads out of the Mossy bolt.

I PC all my rounds after the GC's are put on. Takes about 8-10 seconds to GC a boolit. I just completed 500 of them last night. Relaxing 1.5 hours............if you do it right!

Check out the brass NOE molds! Great stuff. They look like a REAL boolit, rather than that stupid looking little Bator round nose ***. And they are easier to handle and load!!!!!

banger

[Harter66]

All of what dudel and banger Jim said .

I'm new to loading the AR also but it's not so bad as it will seem at 1st.
I run a 225-55 fp NOE also . I loaded a few plinking loads for a 222 bolt gun then stepped up to the 223 . For the ARs I finally caved and began gas checking . Up to now I paper patched the feed is too harsh and my fat fingers don't roll a .18 up ti .223 very well . In the 6.8 I get jacketed speeds and good enough accuracy. In 223 I get accuracy comparable to PMC 55 gr FMJ. It makes me happy . So far I have not needed lino but I might if I expected full jacketed speeds and little groups .

[runfiverun]

rcbs 0-55s is where I started.
no problem casting.
no problem pushing them to 2800 +- fps.
no feeding issues.
but I have ocd issues and make everything perfect.[okay I get close]

I started out by measuring my rifles throat and modifying the mold slightly to fit it better.
lino-type does not give me the best accuracy either, and neither does ww alloy, somewhere near the middle of the two works best for me.

[gloob]

My rifle isn't direct gas. It uses a piston. The only problem I have is the gas piston gets fouled and starts to seize up after 100 rounds.

I have no problems with casting. I essentially shoot every 223 bullet I cast. I do sort out a few "seconds," but they shoot fine to the length of my range, anyhow.

In my rifle, they don't feed quite 100%. But it's tricky, because the point where my rifle cycles and where the bullets vaporize is pretty close. So I'm not getting full action/recoil. If I played with my alloy and power I could probably get feeding to be 100%.

Gas checks, yes. Even with my subsonic plinker loads, I check 'em or they don't group. I have never seen a plain base 223 mold. I use crimp on, and I put 'em on with a Lee sizer. I use tumble lube on mine.

I also use a mix of lino and WW. I go 50:50 for my full power 223.

All that said, I highly prefer to shoot jacketed in my semiauto, due to the gas piston issue. That might be particular to certain rifles/alloys. (I suspect it's just a matter of having a little bur in the bore next to the gas port). To solve my dilemna, I bought a bolt action 223.