Lee 55gr Cast Boolit Loads in AR-15?

[davidheart]

I love that it's been years since I first brought up the topic of shooting cast in 223 and we still don't have surefire methods of getting a 2 inch group at 100 with anything other than 4895.

I just got a Lee 6 cavity mold and I'll be doing some testing myself in the next couple weeks. *following*

[armoredman]

I would love to try some of the Lee ones one of these days, still considering a mold and gas checks in that flavor, see if the BREN will deal with it.

[Motor]

I did more testing today. I noticed that the boolits I gas checked bottom up have rounded bases while the ones checked tip up have flat bases.

So I fired 2, 10 shot groups at 50 yards and found that the flat base boolits shot better.

I also tested 17 and 17.5gr (previous best group was with 18gr). The 17.5gr load with same rounded bottom checks shot better today than the 18gr load.

So next will be to test the 17.5gr load with boolits that the gas checks are flat on the bottom.

The comment above is timely also. I was going to ask if anyone is having any decent results using any other powder than H-4895.

Also has anyone tried "real" copper gas checks? I know don't flip out on me you guys who love aluminum checks but I already had bad results using good fitting aluminum when Hornady copper checks are working great.

Motor

[kmrra]

I recently purchased a six cavity mold in the 22 and you sur can crank out the bullets with them, I am going to use the HiTek coating on mine , havent had the chance to get any loaded yet , thanks to this forum you can get load information from other shooters and get an idea where to start with out a lot of time wasted trying this and that .

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I did more testing today. I noticed that the boolits I gas checked bottom up have rounded bases while the ones checked tip up have flat bases.

So I fired 2, 10 shot groups at 50 yards and found that the flat base boolits shot better.

I also tested 17 and 17.5gr (previous best group was with 18gr). The 17.5gr load with same rounded bottom checks shot better today than the 18gr load.

So next will be to test the 17.5gr load with boolits that the gas checks are flat on the bottom.

The comment above is timely also. I was going to ask if anyone is having any decent results using any other powder than H-4895.

Also has anyone tried "real" copper gas checks? I know don't flip out on me you guys who love aluminum checks but I already had bad results using good fitting aluminum when Hornady copper checks are working great.

Motor

interesting test.

I started using H4895 and had success, so I haven't tried anything else for cast AR loads.
I've used both copper and my own homemade alum (lith-plate) GCs, sized/crimped/lubed with a lyman lubesizer (base first) with equal success.

[Springfield0612]

Kinda on the same topic, I finally got the Arsenal .223 "Elvis" running in a AR. It's a slick side and about 62ish grains. Loaded to mag length and 21.0 grains of 2230 and runs like a dream. I had problems with the lee 55, to short of a bullet to want to load reliably from the magazine. Some have done it, I wasn't gonna spend the time messing with it. Also the "Elvis" has a lot of bearing surface.

Sorry for digging up an old thread but I'm on this journey right now. I got the Elvis mold, PC'ing it, sized to .225 and have tried IMR 4198, W748, CFE223. Tried published CB loads and got some to cycle reliably but accuracy was 10" at 25 yards. Worked up FMJ load data and got 6-8" at 25 yards CFE 223 giving me the best accuracy. I'm contemplating getting a gas check maker for a plain base GC's, but am trying my research before I invest. If I'm going to buy a GC maker I'd rather buy once than twice. I've never been able to get my hands on 2230 but I've got 7 months of deployment left to track some down! I'd rather not use gas checks as I'm loading for 3 AR's and 4 shooters.

[Wis Tom]

I have tried. GC all the way. Just my opinion.