Cast bullets in .223

[JIMinPHX]

Gosh, where do you get all this misinformation? Lee probably doesn't make 22 caliber molds because it's harder to cut the cherries accuracy and cut the cavities in the mould. It's not because there's no demand for them...

Actually, Lee does make .22 caliber molds. They make the Bator mold. It is not a stock catalog item, but you can special order it through Midsouth. Several board members, myself included, use them with great success. Since they are a special order item, be prepared to wait if you do order one.

[JIMinPHX]

No way you can post a picture like that(they look awesome!) and not give the goods. Old Lyman 224450 hp'd?

Close...It's a 225415. I hollow point them after casting by using a drill rig on my lathe. More on that here - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=29432

I'm getting better accuracy out of that 225415 now that I'm seating the boolit out further than I was before. More on that here - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=62082

Now that I've switched to Rooster Red lube, my accuracy has improved a little more over using Orange Magic with the 225415 that has both lube grooves filled & exposed.

I was able to load the Bator to a shorter c.o.a.l. & still touch the lands in my rifle. That boolit let me keep one lube groove covered by the neck of the brass. I found that with the Bator, I could just fill the lower groove with Lyman Super Moly lube & get good results. Leaving the exposed top lube groove empty seemed to cause no problems what so ever.

If you really want to learn something about casting for the .223, then you should probably start by reading the 3-part series that Beagle posted over on castpics. Be prepared to sit down & read for a while. That man left very few stones unturned & was kind enough to document his efforts for our benefit.

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticl...the%20.223.htm

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticl...0Part%20II.htm

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticl...Part%20III.htm


You can cast a whole lot of those little things out of a single pound of lead. It's hard to even run a 10 pound pot dry when you're making them.

[dualsport]

Thanks Jim. Those are mighty fine looking boolits. I do read everything here I can find on the .223. I'm working with a Vanguard and a couple H&Rs in .223, just got the Bator mold. Going through the learning curve, but accuracy is getting better. I also use an old Ideal 225438 and a 224450. I'm still waiting to hear Doc say he PPs those too!

[Jaybird62]

Check out "The Complete AR Rifleman" at your local newstand. I started playing around with the RCBS 22-055 and the Lyman 225468. I used straight linotype and a 50:50 mix of clip-on WW and lino in my testing. 14.0 grains of IMR 4198 with both alloys printed a hair over 2 inches at 100 yards and averaged 2,200+ fps. 14.0 grains of IMR 4198 also did well with the 225468 (62 grains) with the WW:L alloy. I'm pretty sure that group size can be improved, but I have not had a chance to tune it up with other powders. I was shooting a Bushmaster XM-15 Varminter, which is capable of 3/4 MOA groups with jacketed all day long.

Best of luck,
Jay

[Wally]

Try 8.0 grains of Unique---you'll get 2,100 FPS MV or so...it is a very accurate load in my Rem 700 using the 55 grain RCBS cast bullet.

[jimb16]

Looks like I'm going to have to start loading cast for my Contender carbine. Looks like I should be able to come up with a real good squirrel and woodchuck load.

[Fat-beeman]

I have been playing around with my cast 223 from lyman its 55 grfp right now useing blue dot 10gr good 100yd groups tried red dot and unique I have savage bolt 1 in 7 I believe going to buy the 22 cal bator from lee to try next.I use gas checks on most loads
Don

[Stoats]

I had a rather productive evening yesterday and for the 1st time got fairly good results straight off the bat attempting something new.

I decided, for the challenge, to try some cast bullets in 223 Remington, which is not a terribly cast-friendly cartridge.

Since I really did not know how this was going to go, I only did the test at 50 m (and once I started at that distance I really had to finish at that distance), and as I ramped up the loads from 10.5-12.0 grains of N 110 behind Lyman's most modern 55 grain bullet, the groups got down to 1.7 MOA. That might not sound impressive, but these are by far the smallest and the fastest cast bullets I have ever attempted, and I loaded them with basic Lee dies (including the universal case mouth expander) rather than match dies. I also couldn't discard every bullet with the slightest flaw as you need to do with these small cast pills, since I didn't have enough.

So having expected 3-4 MOA groups and leading, I was really pleased to have come away with groups bettering the vast majority of factory FMJ, and no leading to speak of.

I am thus a very happy little stoat right now...

If I can get them to cycle the AR they will make marvellous training rounds.

[Philngruvy]

Have any of you used LLA on the Bator in the AR?

[MaxJon]

Hey JIMniPHX, what mould is that? Nice work!!!

[NSP64]

I have researched for .223 rem loads with cast (225415 48gr w/GC) that I got from some fellow casters here to try. I used a stevens 200 stock .223 remington (1-9 I think) All loads used CCI SR primers. @ 50yrds

Load 1......11 gr H4227 1850 fps avg - loose(3")
load 2.......9 gr Unique 2550fps avg 1" with a flier 5" out
load 3......14 gr H4198 2200 fps avg 1.5 " looks promising for this one

The gun will shoot 3/4 with j-words


I also have some 60gr 225415 look alikes I'm going to try

[bruce drake]

Have any of you used LLA on the Bator in the AR?

Yep. works fine.

I've bought a .225 push-through sizing die from Buckshot that works wonders as well.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

NSP64,
that 9gr Unique is is what I used and I had an occasional flier as well. I attributed the fliers to my deciding to not cull my cast boolits since I had a limited amount cast up. Those 223 boolits are hard to get to fill out nicely with my standard wheelweight alloy mix.

Your speeds are in line with what I chronoed as well. I tumble my boolits with LLA and then size with Lars45 50/50 in my Lyman 45 at .225 to ensure I've got enough lube on for the high velocity.

Bruce

[JKH]

Hey Guys,

I picked up a BATOR mold a while back, shots great in my .220 Swift. I loaded 20 in
.223 for my 24" heavy barrel AR15 using 9 grains of Unique, at this point I was looking for function and this load cycledthe bolt about 1/3rd open, the boolits hit where aimed but I didnt shoot for groups.

Another member poted on this thread that his load cycled his AR so I am assuming it had a shorter barrel (perhaps even a carbine gas system) and that mine with the long tube and rifle lentgh gas system there is just not enough port pressure, or the pressure curve is peaking before the boolit crosses the gas port and is declining.

It appears the 9 grain load of Unique is pretty close to max, have any of you uses
AA2230(C)? I use this powder for acuracy loads using jacketed bullets and it performs beautifully in all AR's I have loaded for (it is a surplus pull down powder ued for 5.56 but is sold commercially by Accurate Arms as well non C).

Or is there another powder I should try? How about WC846(T)?

Jeff

[bruce drake]

My ARs have 20 barrels with adjustable gas ports. Your's sounds like they are setup quite differently regarding barrel length and possible gas port location.

[JIMinPHX]

Hey JIMniPHX, what mould is that? Nice work!!!

Lyman 225415 with a 3/32" drilled HP.

[Moonie]

Planning on using the bator mold (if it ever comes in to midsouth again) in a 16" AR with mid-length gas port, hope the 9gr of Unique will cycle it as I use Unique in alot of loads. Sorry to hear it won't with a rifle length port.

[357maximum]

I run the heavy version 225415 with the long GC shank full out @ 3K+ with H322 and H335 and get great 1 to 1.2 M.O.A results in my H&R handi for about 19-20 shots at which point I need to wipe the bore with a clean dry loose fitting patch to get another 19-20 shots. The phenomenon is to due to almost invisible powder fouling and the micro like rifling I guess ...all I know is that it works until it stops and a quick patch brings it back for another 19-20 rds. I made a pull through patch out of weedeater line just for this purpose.

Alloy is Wd'ed 50/50 ww/pure + 5% NICKEL Bearing Railroad BABBIT cured for 2 weeks before firing.
Charges are H335-25Gr and H322 23Gr (H322 is a slight bit better)
Rem 7.5 primers on all loads
MML and LLA+Mica dusting lubes (LLA+MICA outshoots the MML by a skosh despite all my efforts)
H&R superlight 223 (1/12 twist) with a tasco 3X9
Brass is RP 222REM MAG sized and trimmed to fit the loong neck.

[StarMetal]

Way to go Mikey!!!!! That puts you in the vicinity of over 180,000 rpm at 3000 + fps. Darn good job. I like that lube combination too.

[357maximum]

Way to go Mikey!!!!! That puts you in the vicinity of over 180,000 rpm at 3000 + fps. Darn good job. I like that lube combination too.

I never did the math on the RPM as I had not really thought/cared about it.......wow. I do know that @ 65 yards it turns a starling into vapor and red mist.

I have tried alot of lubes including the HV accuracy standard LBT soft blue, and despite all my efforts the LLA+mica has done em all in in this 223. Whats weird is that I started using the LL+Mica on LV 357 and 30/30 plinkers....it worked well there also. Whats really weird is that none of my other guns prefer LLA+MICA at full speeds..............Color me confused, but I am a loyal follower of what professor guns says he wants so...so be it.