Type of lead alloy for .223

[sureYnot]

Why would .224 be too small? It's the size of factory bullets. I found a Lee .225 sizer and also checked that it installs GC. It does .

I can't tell you why. I hope someone smarter comes along and explains. But I can testify that it is so. I have to size mine to .2265 before they're worth shooting through my rifle. Meanwhile, .224 jacketed have the same accuracy. .224 cast will barely stay on the paper at 25 yards. I can't logic it out. I don't see a jacketed bullet obturating more than lead. I too, would like to know why that is.

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[sigep1764]

I can't tell you why. I hope someone smarter comes along and explains. But I can testify that it is so. I have to size mine to .2265 before they're worth shooting through my rifle. Meanwhile, .224 jacketed have the same accuracy. .224 cast will barely stay on the paper at 25 yards. I can't logic it out. I don't see a jacketed bullet obturating more than lead. I too, would like to know why that is.Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

My thoughts are that the brass or copper jackets are much harder than lead and does not need to fill the grooves to have adequate grip on the rifling. The same size lead boolit could shear off lead due to boolit skid, where the lead boolit does not adequately grip the rifling. Also, an undersized lead boolit will let gas blow by the base, superheating the base, and depositing lead down the bore and grooves of the barrel. Hence, leading the barrel. Filling the grooves of any barrel and a perfectly flat base on the boolit is a good start towards accuracy. I hope someone else chimes in with their thoughts.

[sureYnot]

Your logic is sound.

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[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Vlad,
You may be OK, with sizing your boolits to .224 for a bolt gun. SAAMI specs groove diameter for 223rem at .224
The general rule of thumb is to size GC'd rifle boolits (for non-autoloaders) to groove diameter or .001 over, assuming you are seating to a COAL where the boolit engages the lands during chambering.

If you are loading your ammo, so there is a jump to the lands (typically done for Autoloaders, but some folks do that with hunting ammo in Bolt guns as well, for reliability), then the rule of thumb is .001 to .002 (or even .003) over groove diameter.

With that said, you may want to slug your barrel, to verify exactly what your Groove diameter is.

If you plan to PC after sizing, that will change everything, depending on PC thickness.

[Vlad]

I don't really have a way to slug the barrel. But even if I PC the bullets it would still most likely be too small?

This dude says he sized his down to .224
https://youtu.be/hS0347zstCA

[JBinMN]

Welcome to the CB.GL forum!


In regard to not being able to do certain things for one reason or the other, like slugging the bbl.. I would suggest that you are then, just going to have to experiment & see.

Meaning, try everything you think is right from what you learn from others, taking the ideas ya like & dicarding those that do not suit you, including shooting your boolits cast & lube( whatever method you choose) & then see if a .224 will work for you. I think you will find out pretty quickly in a minimum of a series of shots that you need to make some changes to the diameter of your boolit once you experiment with them.

While forums such as this are extremely helpful, there is going to come times where one has to simply try things on their own to see just what "that particular firearm, on that particular day using that particular method", either works for ya or not.

Folks can only make the suggestions & then you must decide what "you" are going to do. Wither follow the suggestions or not, based on what you have available to ya where ya are, & just how much effort ( & maybe $$) you want to put into reaching your goal.

Sometimes, and eventually, to really know what will work or not, "ya got to jump on the pony & see if it bucks", for yourself, regardless of what others tell ya about the doins & behaviors of ponies. So, basically I am suggesting ya get in the saddle & "Let R buck!"! You will find out some things right quick , I'd reckon.


I really am trying to be helpful & sincere, and I hope you read this post with that in mind.


I wish ya success in your efforts & hope you reach your goals!


Once again, Welcome! to the CB.GL forum!

[Lloyd Smale]

my take on it is pc and gas check the hardest alloy you can make if you want to shoot 556 at full power. Id even consider water dropping the hardest alloy you have after you baked them.

[sureYnot]

I don't really have a way to slug the barrel. But even if I PC the bullets it would still most likely be too small?

This dude says he sized his down to .224
https://youtu.be/hS0347zstCA

I have no way to slug a .223 either. I arrived at .2265 by tinkering with all other variables until I found my most accurate load. Which would have been good for rabbits, but not squirrel heads. At that point I started sanding out my sizer .0005 and shooting groups and sanding and shooting and sanding and shooting until I got minute of squirrel head. Twas a long and painful process as the range is a half hour drive. Afaik most folks end up somewhere closer to .225ish. If I ever do get around to slugging it, I'll probably find my barrel is about .225-.2255. I hope you can get away with .224 and skip straight to the fun.

If you use this method to find your appropriate size, I'd recommend powder coat as opposed to lube. An undersized pill is less likely to lead your barrel if PCd. A leaded barrel is no fun to clean by any stretch of the imagination.
As JB indicated, get on the pony and see if she bucks.

[45workhorse]

My two cents.
WRITE it down, whatever you do!
-Get a notebook for each weapon, for load development, bullet size, powder....etc.
-Get a three ring binder to store your shot targets,(targetz.com free downloadable targets). Write load/weather info on the target, put in binder.
-Change only one thing at a time, powder charge, bullet weight, whatever.
-Enjoy watching the groups get smaller

[ackleyman]

I shot cast bullet comp for a while using 308. Linotype is all that anyone would ever use that had any sanity.

When you get over 1750 fps, GC and linotype is a match made in heaven.

It was considered a real no no to ever shoot a jacketed bullet in a barrel that shot cast bullets, and smooth barrels were a must.

Elmer Shook was my mentor along with a lot of other guys.