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Thread: cast boolits that will run an ar15?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master


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    cast boolits that will run an ar15?

    I am gearing up to get serious about cast in my black rifle. I have worked up to about 13 gr of 2400 under a 225-462 with a gas check. This is 2 gr over the max that my old lyman book lists but there is no high pressure warning sign such as flattened primers and they do not eject from the rifle, they only partially extract. I do not want to go higher with the 2400 because I am already over the listed max. So I appeal to the more experienced, can someone suggest a minimum charge of a powder like IMR 3031 that will function through an AR. I saw that someone was using IMR 4227 but that is still kind of fast in my opinion. I think I need a slower powder to accomplish what I want to accomplish here.
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  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I think some have good results with 4895. Somewhere in the 22 gr range would be my bet. It is a powder that handles down loading well but will develop the pressure curve required for good functioning in an AR

  3. #3
    Boolit Master madsenshooter's Avatar
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    With a rifle length tube in my 6x45 I had to get up around 24gr to get function. 4895 or slower kept the pressure down in cast bullet range. Well, harder than normal cast bullets that is. With 4350 or WC860 even more than 24gr didn't produce enough pressure to operate the action, though there was enough volume of gas. Those loads would cycle with a Wolff reduced rate buffer spring.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy Wilkie's Avatar
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    19 grains of H4895 under a 55 grain cast bullet (NOE) works great for my AR(and my SU 16). I get around 2100 FPS. Cycles the gun tossing the case about 5 feet.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    14 grains of 4227 with a Lyman 225-415 cast from WW and lubed with Lars BAC. CYcles the Mini 14 and the AR but most importantly, kills tin cans dead right there!
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    My sons upper has a intermediate length gas port and works with 16gr of H4895 and 55-60gr cast.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    You could try a starting load or lower of something like Varget. I've never tried anything like H414 in a 223 but it might just work well with cast for lower velocities and still cycle the action. I don't know. It would take a full case I should think. Varget takes a very near full case in the 223 but that produces full power loads with 55gr j-words.

    If you've been following the thread on adding copper to your alloy you'll know that you can toughen your boolits quite a bit to take higher pressure and/or velocities.
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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