Cast C225-55-RF Questions

[bigal0043]

I am a seasoned caster for bullets, ranging from 9mm to 30 caliper. I got the lee C225-55-RF 6 cavity mold around Christmas time, got perfect bullets to drop, Powder Coated with HF Red. Put on an aluminum gas check and sized to .225 (slugged the barrel which came in at .224).

I was looking to use up some H335 powder. I started at 22.5 grains going up to 24 grains.

I have a Anderson lower, aero precision upper 5.56 AR 15.

I originally set the bullets in at 2.20 for oal, but the bolt would not seat all the way (No not riding the bolt forward), and then found another thread about seating OAL to 2.06. After seating to 2.06 about half would allow the bolt to seat fully forward. The few we test fired today that allowed the bolt to seat all the way, fired without issue and cycled the gun. The few that wouldn't seat the bolt, I couldn't use the forward assist to push them in further, I had to super pull to handle to eject them. I didn't hit paper (I think lowering grains to around 17 will give better accuracy). No signs of over pressure, and the barrel was super clean, no leading.

Question time:
1. How much further is a safe to seat the flat nose bullet? I think I try OAL of 2.05 it may fix those few that are failing to seat the bolt all the way. I am just worried about seating them too far in.
2. Any others out there with this mold successful, and if so what powder, OAL, and how many grains of said powder.



Thanks
Alex

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I would make several dummy rounds to find the OAL that works everytime.
But, a problem could be? that your PC isn't uniform thickness on the nose...that'd surely cause the bolt to close on some and not on others.

I use H4895 with a similar boolit style and weight (HM² 225-62), lubed instead of PC'd.

[bigal0043]

That's a great point on the powder coating. What about OAL depth, what have you run for your OAL.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

OAL? I'd have to look it up in my load notebook, but as it's a different boolit...even though it's similar, those numbers wouldn't help you any. I posted a little about my load development in this thread (see post #44). Also, others posted about their loads as well, and probably with the Lee mold?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?302707-223-AR-load-data-help

Feel like doing more reading?
Type "Cast AR" into the Google custom search window at the top of page.

[autopilotmp]

JonB- what lube are you using?
I have been using this lee boolit in my AR coal of 2.115 with no issues on pc Boolits. How ever 2.120 was giving an occasional problem as you describe. Have worked up a nice load for h4895, but I do have some h335 that I would like to try out as well as some varget.

[Doughty]

bigal,

I think the nose section of that bullet is "over size" from some of the six cavity molds. Worth checking maybe.

[runfiverun]

Jon is using SL-68B. [Soap Lube {formula#} 68 {version} B]
B is a slight reformulation of the waxes versus the SL-68.

and yes there were at least 67 other formulas tried, we started adding .1-.2/A-B at formula number 61.
before that it was colors and component abbreviations I.E. [E-lithium+3, or E-yellow]


measure the nose diameter on your coated boolits, if it's 219 or more that part is hitting the rifling.
the rcbs version was designed so that the case mouth covered the lube groove and about 1/2 of the front drive band in the 223 case.
the AR uses the same OAL.
adding more diameter to the nose section messes up where it's gonna seat.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

JonB- what lube are you using?

...SNIP
SL68B
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?288713-SL68B-the-quot-all-around-quot-boolit-lube-and-how-to-make-it

[bigal0043]

bigal,

I think the nose section of that bullet is "over size" from some of the six cavity molds. Worth checking maybe.

How would I know if it's oversized?


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[MT Chambers]

I use the RCBS version but I don't have an AR, and I have trouble getting accuracy at all over about 1600fps.

[runfiverun]

with your calipers.
I shoot the rcbs and have taken it in the 2800 fps area.
I did slightly modify the area right in front of the drive band to get up to the 219 area.
anything further forward that big will hit the throat/rifling.
up to 227 will chamber and have room to release in the neck area. [but will most likely have contact in the ball seat area]
anything over that will cause too many problems and most likely won't chamber.

[Doughty]

"How would I know if it's oversized?"

If the nose section diameter, after coating, is larger than the bore diameter of your barrel. Typically the bore is .219, but yours might be different. With the Lee six cavity mold I have, some of the cavities drop at .222. Add another .0015 to .002 or more from coating and the nose is too big to fit in the bore. I was able to use these by seating the bullets deeper. My rifle much prefers the RCBS mold.

[autopilotmp]

Would the type of chamber make a difference? Wylde or 556 NATO.

[runfiverun]

sort of, the wylde is cut a bit different for longer bullets.
the OAL/numbers I'm talking about are for both the 5.56/223 chamber.

but since I do have a 223 and a 5.56 and they both share the rcbs boolit ammo, I don't think having a 223 chamber in an AR would make much difference here.
the problem is one of diameter on a certain part of the boolit.

I am kind of surprised the rounds would jam up the AR though as generally the boolit will telescope back into the case.
that would lead me to thinking another part of the case was the problem.
the neck length, or the shoulder, or something was in the chamber [un burned powder?]

[bigal0043]

I am going to make a new batch but not powder coat and let you know how it goes, thanks everyone for the responses


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