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Thread: Hard cast PC'd 55 gr .223 with H335

  1. #1
    Boolit Master



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    Hard cast PC'd 55 gr .223 with H335

    I searched a bit in forums to find an answer and maybe I missed something. I started casting about some months back and probably will forever be experimenting. I have WW CF-1 .223/5.56 1:8 twist AR and want to shoot 55 gr hard lead (about 22 BH). I do powder coat twice. My question(s) is: Is resizing necessary? GC's? And can anyone tell me what the starting load would be using H335? Yes, I know there's a possibility of leading both barrel and gas tube.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy Efin's Avatar
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    I GC mine as well as PC, they are 62.5g with PC/check, I use IMG 4198, lite load at about 16g.
    The Hodgdon scale I have shows H335 at 21.3 to 22.5 for a 55g pill, nothing actually shown for lead.

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  3. #3
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    OK well on to order gas checks. Do you mind telling me where you got your data from for the IMG 4198?

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    Boolit Buddy autopilotmp's Avatar
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    I just loaded some Lee c225-55 boolits over 18, 18.5, 19, & 19.5 gn of H335 to work up an alternate load to my 19.5 gn of H4895. From what I've been able to find around here starting load of @ 18gn of these medium burning powders is where to start and working up from there.
    I also have some Hodgdon varget that I am going to load with these same loads. I am using a 16" carbine gas length 1:8" bbl. Best load so far was H4895 @ 18.5gn with a .5gn tuft of polyester batting. Shot 2" @ 100yrs, and cycled the rifle.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master



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    Now we getting somewhere. I have the same length barrel, same twist and probably same Lee mold you are using (I have the 6 cavity w/gas check 55 gr). Are you using gc's?

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    Boolit Mold DrewSeeg's Avatar
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    I'm shooting the noe 62gr fn with GC powder coated (HF sprayed) out of a 1:9 16" dpms ...I loaded 19 - 23gr H335... Got the best groups around 2inches at 21 gr which ended up being around 2350 fps. I also tried 8208 xbr but was getting pressure signs earlier so stopped playing with it. My bullets drop big and I size to 226 after coating. Good luck
    DRS

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy autopilotmp's Avatar
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    I water drop coww, gc, and size/lube in my Lyman 45 (carnuba blue). I have run them with pc and gc and they shot well. Have not shot these without the gc. Yes same mold I am just using the two cavity version though. I did away with pc, weight sorting, and dacron filler because they were extra steps that I didn't need for plinking ammo

    It all depends on how much work you are willing to do to get the best accuracy, you will find that good accuracy is at the point of just functioning the rifle. Then to dial it in like runfiverun says "you gotta look at each one like it owes you money" & weigh them down to the tenth of a grain. A little dacron filler with the loads on the fringe of function will help get a good complete burn.

    19.5 grains of H4895 fully functions both my ar and my dad's mini14, and is accurate enough for what we do. Ymmv

  8. #8
    Boolit Master



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    Valuable info guys and TY! Just trying not to screw up my gas tube and end up with a weeks worth of cleaning out lead from bore. Experimentation comes with some effort. Ironically "DrewSeeg" 23 gr's of H335 works really good with the 55 gr FMJ's as I was getting quarter size groups at 50-60 yards (went to 23.5 and opened up). Back to the lead.....yeah I'm gonna land some checks first. Can anyone tell me what the ID of an AR check is? .223? .224?

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    the bullets ive been fooling with are 55 grain. I cast the out of ww with about 2 percent tin. I size and at that time install gas checks. then I pc coat and bake. Let them cool coat them again, bake again and the water drop them. After that I run them back through the sizer and size to 225. I would probably recommend sizing them. Not for accuracy but to insure function in all of my ars. The load I use is 20 grains of wc844 which is real close to 335. I have a couple with pretty tight chambers so it just makes sense to size them. Is it all nessisary? I don't know. But it works.

  10. #10
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    Yes, I'm going to size mine despite a couple of YouTube fellows using their barrel on AR to size (yikes). So another dumb "?", after casting you "size" while installing GC's. If you use lube when sizing first doesn't this thwart the way the PC sticks? Something I always wondered...

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    no lube. As a matter of fact I don't even use my star. I use an upside down c press with a lee die. I mount it upside down so I can put a piece of hose on the lee die to channel them into a can. If you use lube or even have a die that hasn't been cleaned out well it will effect your coating.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy autopilotmp's Avatar
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    When I pc my Boolits I pc first then size/check. But I also did not water drop after pc didn't figure with pc I needed to. The few that I did size first I swished around in some acetone before pc.

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    if your shooting them at factory ammo levels theres more to consider then the coating is stopping leading. At those pressures about any bullet not water dropped will deform in the barrel or strip through the rifling and its doubtful your going to get any kind of accuracy. Especially at long range.
    Quote Originally Posted by autopilotmp View Post
    When I pc my Boolits I pc first then size/check. But I also did not water drop after pc didn't figure with pc I needed to. The few that I did size first I swished around in some acetone before pc.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy autopilotmp's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Smale View Post
    if your shooting them at factory ammo levels theres more to consider then the coating is stopping leading. At those pressures about any bullet not water dropped will deform in the barrel or strip through the rifling and its doubtful your going to get any kind of accuracy. Especially at long range.
    Yes this is probably true and on that subject I have no experience as I am still learning. This is my first venture into rifle cast boolits so have been working at the lower velocity levels to keep things simple. I am absolutely taking notes when it comes to full power loads, may one day decide to take on the challenge of pushing them faster. But for that I will need to pick up a mold for heavier boolit as my 1:8 twist and the current 55gn boolit probably won't be accurate.

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    your 1-8 twist will do fine with 55s at full power.

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    Boolit Man
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    Is it possible to just PC and not gas check them?

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    Only if you can insure the base does not project past the boolit shoulder.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

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    if they are crimped on checks which most brand named ones are it doesn't hurt a thing to seat the bullet with the base down deeper then the neck
    Quote Originally Posted by stubshaft View Post
    Only if you can insure the base does not project past the boolit shoulder.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Like LLoyd, I use the Lee size dies for sizing and gas check seating and do PC. If for some reason your cast bullets aren't sizing as easily as you would like, just use a little Dawn dishsoap mixed with a small amount of water to lube the bullets. It rinses right off. Make sure the bullets are dry and rerun to seat the checks or seat the checks after PCing if the check shank allows. Any moisture under the gas check will cause steam and pop the checks off when baking. Sounds like popcorn. lol Don't ask how I know. Gp

  20. #20
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by mjkonopka View Post
    Is it possible to just PC and not gas check them?
    Just ran a bunch today with no gc's. 2350 fps with W748. No leading so far, but only been 40 rounds.


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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