Lee PrecisionLoad DataTitan ReloadingReloading Everything
WidenersMidSouth Shooters SupplyRepackboxInline Fabrication
RotoMetals2
Page 8 of 9 FirstFirst 123456789 LastLast
Results 141 to 160 of 175

Thread: AR-15 500 Round Cast Bullet Test

  1. #141
    Boolit Buddy Smk SHoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Sanford, NC
    Posts
    378
    Im running the arsenal "Elvis" bullet. About 62 grain slick side for PC. In front of 21ish grains of AA2230 cycles fine and accuracy is decent. Havn't played with it much for accuracy. Just for transition drills and ringing steel.

  2. #142
    Boolit Buddy KrakenFan69's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    283
    Just ordered the Arsenal 225-61 Elvis and it should be here next week. Looking forward to casting and testing with my DD DDM4 V5 16" 1:7 twist AR. I will be using a 92/6/2 alloy and Hi-Tek coating them. I have 4064 and Varget but piscked up some H4195 and W748 for this one. Should be some fun experimentation. Not many loads out for this one yet. I'll post more when I get casting/testing.

    Kraken Fan #69

  3. #143
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    32
    Thanks for sharing! Good info here.

  4. #144
    Boolit Buddy Smk SHoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Sanford, NC
    Posts
    378
    I would stick with any powder that meters well. I would not want to hand weigh each load for plinking. My choice was AA2230 ( had about 12 LBS) or Varget. Decided to burn up the 2230 since I don't use it for anything anymore ( was a 6.5 grendel powder)

  5. #145
    Boolit Master armoredman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    1,917
    Anyone use IMR 3031 for cast in .223?

  6. #146
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NE Oregon
    Posts
    300
    Great information, I have been contemplating using cast bullets in my gas operated Remington .30-06.. Thanks

  7. #147
    Boolit Bub nh7792's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah
    Posts
    42
    Quote Originally Posted by KrakenFan69 View Post
    Just ordered the Arsenal 225-61 Elvis and it should be here next week. Looking forward to casting and testing with my DD DDM4 V5 16" 1:7 twist AR. I will be using a 92/6/2 alloy and Hi-Tek coating them. I have 4064 and Varget but piscked up some H4195 and W748 for this one. Should be some fun experimentation. Not many loads out for this one yet. I'll post more when I get casting/testing.

    Kraken Fan #69
    Just got my "Elvis" mold also, not sure when I'll be casting any, but curious about how they'll do in a semi-auto. My plan was for bolt action.

  8. #148
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Snyder, Texas
    Posts
    47
    I've loaded cast in my AR when jacketed bullets were hard to come by and had no problems. My AR-10 sees a steady diet of cast boolits.

  9. #149
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    938
    Thanks everyone for some great information. Is there any chance of this being made a sticky in this section.
    jim

  10. #150
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    Hi folks,
    Last year i obtained an ar15 dpms myself, and yes i do some casting, and yes i bought, thanks to this tread an rcbs mold .223 and an other Lyman "m" die.
    I would like to thank everyone!!!!!! for there hard work, now its my turn(:

    500 pieces of new 223 brass, the lead bullets are all 16 bhn gc, sized to .225 and with 50/50 lube(2500 ready and waiting)
    Powder of choice: Lovex d060, its burn rate is similar to Accurate arms 5744.

    12,5 gr no cycle at all, after manual reload it fired
    13,0 gr did not chamber the next round completely
    13,5 did chamber, but did not fire, only after manual reload

    I cleanend the bold and carrier.
    But still firing problems with casts.
    Factory ammo has no problem with firing.

    For next week i have more hope:
    5 bullets 14gr, 5 bullets 14,5gr, five 15gr and five with 15,5 grain powder.

    Any advice is appreciated
    My end goal is to get under one moa at 100 yards, first it must operate properly.

    When I work up "my" load and if it is not listed in any book, U must use it, at your own RISK, be safe!

    I DONT want to insult anybody!!!!!BUT there are some people saying that the ar15 is not a military rifle.
    Sorry....In the Netherlands, our army uses the ar15 dpms for over 8-9 years now, maybe longer(15 years), 8-9 years i am sure of.

  11. #151
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    10
    Howdy folks, first time poster here.

    I found this forum several weeks ago while researching the idea of cast projectiles in the AR-15 to lower costs of these ammo hogs. I have spent those weeks researching both here, YouTube and across the net and as is usual found completing/conflicting/incomplete information. I think I have enough information to pose some reasonably intelligent questions and would be grateful for anyone that is willing to share their experiences with a newbie.

    First some background on me. I have been casting bullets since the late 1970s when my best friend’s grandfather started us with muzzle loaders then moved revolvers (.38 special) to keep us “off of the streets and out of the pool halls.” Later he provided lead, molds, powder and primers to keep us busy feeding our single actions. It worked. I currently have a Dillon 550B set up for 18 calibers (and counting) loading for family and friends. (We don’t save money reloading, but shooting 9mm at $3.10 per box of 50 we just shoot more for the same dollars)

    All of my casting so far has been for handguns with the exception of my 38-55, (which we can all agree is simply a large print 38 special), and using 45 Long Colt rounds in lever action carbines. I am a fan of Lee products in general and have converted as many of my molds as possible to their gang molds. I have a Lyman Lubersizer but only use it on the 38-55, everything else has been Lee Liquid Alox and Lee’s sizer dies.

    I have gotten pretty good at mixing wheel weights and other scrap lead to consistently create an alloy that is hard enough for handgun applications without leading bores. I have only recently purchased my first gas check mold (.357, wife wants more power). My normal cast loads are all mid range for functioning, economy and reasonable accuracy.

    Moving to casting bullets for high powered semi automatic rifles represents a quantum leap for me and I would appreciate advice and guidance. From my research here are my current plans and questions:

    1. I have read and heard about many dies. My first choice would be to use Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold C225-55-RF 22 Caliber (225 Diameter) 55 Grain Flat Nose Gas Check; Product # 90459. I have come across mixed reported results. Does anyone here have experience with this projectile feeding and functioning well in an AR15?

    2. Never having cast for high powered rifle, does anyone have experience using Liquid Alox Tumble Lube in high powered rifles in general or direct impingement ARs specifically. (Note: I lube, size then lube again on handgun slugs)

    3. I have a bar of linotype I have kept back for special use. Doesn’t anyone use straight linotype for this caliber? If it works well I assume that I will have less leeway in metal mix for the AR than I do for handguns. Does anyone have a good source for linotype?

    4. Does anyone else load on a Dillon? I deprime, clean then trim 5.56/223 brass with a Dillon Rapid Trim then load on my Dillon. I understand that I will have to do the extra step of belling the brass to accept the cast projectiles. Will belled cases fit inside the powder drop die or will I need to bell the case after powder drop?

    5. I/we currently use CFE223 for our 5.56/223 and .308/7.62 ammo. I have come across load data of 19.6 grains for a cast 55g slug but it is reported to be sooty? Does anyone have experience with this powder/load they could share?

    The biggest surprise I have come across is powder coating projectiles. While it seems interesting I would like to avoid another new parameter if possible.

    This is way too long, but I couldn’t find a way to shorten it. Thanks to anyone that responds.

    Fyrd

  12. #152
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    35
    looks like the thread has been a little inactive, for a while, but I'm very interested in your load data, since I have to drive an hour to shoot.

    I have a few powders availble, like reloader 15 and 4227, 4198, unique and 2400.

    I also have 55 and 62 grain cast (from the HM2 mold no less) boolits gas checked and ready for loading.

    I'm looking for a universal load for the uppers I have, 1:9 to 1:7. and learned quickly the un-checked cast lee 55 print like a shotgun, even if powder coated.

    Thanks in advance,

    ~SAMWISE~

  13. #153
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    The loads for two weeks ago, i got the gun to operate normal, the results on target where not that bad.
    At least every shot was printed on the target.
    The loads i shot yesterday where 15,5 15,8 16,1 and 16,4.
    In my AR15, I think, I have the sweet spot around 15,8 with Lovex D060 or his equivalent AA5744.
    The group size was just under the 2 inch, 10 shots at 100 yards.
    For next week i will make 15,6 15,7 15,8 and 15,9.
    Remember those are my loads, and i did not have any over pressure with 16,4 D060, the Lyman handbook has its max at 14,5!
    I use a RCBS mold 55 grain, sized at 225 with gascheck, with the cases neck flared and stretched at 224.

  14. #154
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    @ Fyrd
    Welcome to the club:
    Well, I am personally no fan of Lee, I was raised with rcbs, with the same back ground story as you, 33 years ago, with an equal setup.
    Also the same, casting for the first time for a semi auto.

    1. What I have read till so far about casting for the 223, gives the rcbs and the seaco molds the minimum of problems with feeding and leading the barrel, with my experiment in my gun, I still did not find any trace of lead in barrel or in the gastube.

    2. Liquid Alox Tumble Lube, i dont have any experience with that one, i use a lube a sizer, works even very good for my 308 full jackets loads, with lead. 50/50 beewax and lithium grease. I use it for all my boolits in all my guns.

    3. Use range lead, most of the times it perfect around 16-18 bhn, pure lino can be used, but it is going to be very hard, 25-30 bhn.
    It would be good to shoot your castings with full jacked loads.
    For 9mm 38 357 even the 308 12bhn would be good 14 is better, the harder the alloy the faster the boolit can go.
    357 and 308 with gc.

    4.I think before, next month i have the same machine with the same problem, how ever, i asked the dillon dealer nearby me, and the replay i got was simple: sure you can, we need to adapt the powder drop die and you can reload the 223 with cast, cost:180 euro extra.

    5. i dont even know that powder, sorry. Before i used aa5477 with no soot in bolt action, now i use Lovex D060 in bold and in my ar with no soot.(til so far in my ar, total of 80 shots lead and 1500 jacked)

    This is all i can tell you, from my experience for the ar, i am sorry i dont have more info that will suite your needs.
    I hope this was/is helpfull, and i hope some one, with more experience will chime in, and tell you his/her story.

    With best regards and good luck, keep us posted, so we can all learn from our mistakes and successes.

  15. #155
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    @ samewise

    If you are not looking for small group size, try a load that only operats both uppers.

    You can shoot longer and heavier boolits in your 1 to 7 twist and lighter in your 1 at 9 twist, the faster the twist the lighter and shorter your boolits must become

    A 80 grainer will do better in a 1 to 5 twist and will do no good in a 1 to 10(keyhole shooting), but a lighter bullet will also do good in a 1 to 5 twist.

    I think you want to stick to your 55 grain for both uppers with one load that operats both uppers, in my humble opinion
    Maybe you are in luck and find a good match for both, but some shooters looking there intire life for that "one" load.

    For smaller group sizes you really have to tweak the process for each upper with each boolit.

    I hope this was of some help.

  16. #156
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    10
    Quote Originally Posted by parkerhale1200 View Post
    @ Fyrd

    This is all i can tell you, from my experience for the ar, i am sorry i dont have more info that will suite your needs.
    I hope this was/is helpfull, and i hope some one, with more experience will chime in, and tell you his/her story.

    With best regards and good luck, keep us posted, so we can all learn from our mistakes and successes.
    Thanks for the feedback. I purchased the Lee mold and have gaschecks in hand. I will post my results as soon as I have some.

    Fyrd

  17. #157
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	target.jpg 
Views:	43 
Size:	35.9 KB 
ID:	214468

    Those two targets were the best, at 100 yards/meters.
    The powder was Lovex D060 15,5 grain and 15,8 grain, sized at 225, 55 grain gs rcbs, 50/50 lube, still no lead in the gaspipe or barrel.
    No optics, only standard ? how is it name in english?, lying on the ground.
    Next week dinner: starting at 15,4 and ending at 15,9 with 0,1 increments, 10 every target.
    Gun was operating very nice, no sign of over pressure...remember this is my gun!

    Best

  18. #158
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    Oeps, sorry, i forgot:
    The black circle is approx 8 inch in diameter(20cm), this is standard over here for 100 yards.

  19. #159
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    35
    No optics, only standard ? (fixed or iron sight)( how is it name in english?, lying on the ground. (prone)

    so the groups were about 4" (10 or 11cm)? I would be happy with that, for basic cast bullets.

    I did some shots last weekend and was confirming that gas checks were essential for the stability of the lee bullets . The last group was very bad without the GC. this time it was much better and I was able to spend more time worrying about what powders would cycle the ARs.

    h4227 17grns would cycle both 55 and 62 grn but not lock back

    imr 4198 would cycle both 55 and 62 but only locked back on the 62

    I got hold of some 4985 and was able to load some cast and a few 62 fmj,
    All of my carbines liked this powder and functioned with sock gas and spring systems.

    lee 55grain, cast HM2 62 , and armscor 62FMJ

  20. #160
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    10
    So, does anyone have any special techniques, tips, voodoo for getting these teeny tiny gas checks started straight on the bases of the cute little slugs?
    I am using Lee mold and Hornady gas checks.

    Thanks for any advice.

    Fyrd

Page 8 of 9 FirstFirst 123456789 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check