PC'ing .224" Pills

[Pellethuntr]

I am going to start casting for my .223 Handi Rifle. I am hoping to get a fun reasonably accurate round to replace my .22LR for squirrel and rabbit hunting. I went ahead and bought the Lee 225 55 grain and it will be here shortly.

I am mostly looking for input from guys who have experience PC'ing these tiny pills.

If there any good tricks to get them to stay upright when you put them in the over?

What velocity are you running? (I will be using H4198)

I am not looking to run these crazy fast and would be happy at 1,200-1,800 fps if they are accurate. I like a nice quiet gun when I am out hunting small critters.

Any tips and info you can pass along is appreciated!

[03fatboy]

I just started to cast and powder coat that boolit

It was almost impossible to stand up all the bullets,so what I did is after I had them coated using airsoft BB's and my plastic bowl,was to pick them out with my hemostats
and place them on a foil covered tray laying on their side.

They turned out ok ,but not perfect
I'm sure someone will come along with more knowledge and experience and have a better answer.

I'm going to subscribe to this tread,because I would like to know also

[Pellethuntr]

Also should menchin that I will be spraying my bullets unless there are benefits too the plastic BB method?

[dilly]

You might try the washer method to get them to stay up.

[bangerjim]

I PC EVERYTHING!

For 223/224, I use BBDT and then dump on hardware cloth. Yes there are lay marks, but the reject rate I have seen is < 6%. Just remelt them.

I started trying the washer thing but takes way too long for those teeny little things! I use fender washers for 30 cal's.

I shoot them around 1300FPS with no GC's. GC's on those things are not worth the time or effort! I can buy FMJ's for 6 cents a peice and that is what I load for sonic hi-end loads, not PC.

Spraying those teeny things is a PITA. I am a BIG advocate for ESPC for REAL boolits, not those silly little things. Crank them out by the pound, BBDT them, and do not worry about what they look like. You will enjoy life a whole lot more!

I have been doing this for 3 years now.

banger

[GabbyM]

For 22 LR rim fire velocity of 1140 fps. Simply tumble lube with BLL and load. If you have molds like I do that cast at around .225+ you don't even need to size plain base 22's. Just don't expect to shoot them faster than a 22 rim fire. 22 RFM used 22 Hornet J bullets. I run my 222 Rem with a 14 twist barrel at just under 2,400 fps with gas checked bullets run through a lube sizer. They are sub MOA until the wind catches them. PC would work but I have to place the gas check anyway. Bullets come up out of the die lubed. If you don't already own a lube size press that's a different plan.

I've run H-4198 with a Lyman 225646 weigh in at 60 grains finished. 14.5 grains in a 26" barrel 223 with 1:12" twist yielded 2123 fps with E.S of 53 fps. Accuracy is sub MOA from this ten pound rifle with 24x scope. Off a half ton concrete bench. For lower velocity I'd use a shotgun powder like Unique. 2400 works but has not given top accuracy for me. Others say different. I've run quite a bit of Accurate Arms 5744 in my 222. But for the velocity I run a tad slower powder is best. If your Handi rifle is a 1:9" twist rather than a 12. Aim for 1,800 fps or less. I never tried down loading 4198 below 14.5gr. Books say around 11.0 grains would yield a velocity compatible with a 9 twist barrel. 6.0 grains of Unique over a pistol primer would work better and be less noisy. I used to shoot 45 grain Hornet bullets from my 223 over 4.5gr of Unique. You can't do that with a common .224 high power bullet because their thicker jackets will stick in the bore at that level.

However you chose to setup your 22 bullets. I'm sure you will enjoy and have success. You'll need a .224" neck expander. Size to .225".

[Pellethuntr]

Thanks for the input guys there is lots to think about and experiment with!

[IraqVet1982]

Would 1/4" wire mesh work? I used 1/2" for 30cal with OK results.

[Pellethuntr]

That's a good question, I look forward to seeing what works and what doesn't.

I will be trying to find apropriate sized washers when my mold arrives.

[bangerjim]

I only use ¼" hardware cloth for all my coating needs.

And fender washers (with the correct hole size) under NSAF for 30's

[HiVelocity]

I only use ¼" hardware cloth for all my coating needs.

I guess I'm just cheap, or lazy................Or, both. I just dump mine into a dollar store plastic colander and swirl (with a large butter tub underneath) quick and easy!

HV

[berksglh]

I PC everything i cast. 45, 223, 30 cal. I only stand up the 45, everything else bakes on its side. And I've been gettin 1.5-2" groups with my alloy at 2200fps and more in 223.

My trick is covering 1/2" hardware screen with nonstick foil and running my fingers down the rows to make gutter like rows to set boolits in. They almost never stick to each other, leaves almost no marks after baking, quick and easy.

223 I use the lee 55g and a NOE 72g in mass quantity in my AR with good results @ 100yds. Heres my system:

After cast, I push checks on with a home made jig in my press to ensure they are fully seated flush, then size through a lee push through (opened up to .228")
BBDT and tweezer them onto the nonstick screen in rows described above.

After bake and cool, push through sizer one more time.

Sometimes I will pan lube after PC, remove with a DIY 223 cookie cutter and then push through Lee sizer.

[OnceFired]

@bangerjim

So a 1/4" hardware cloth covered by non-stick aluminum foil in bulk for 223 BBDT?

I've already got one shelf for my convection oven that is made out of 1/4" hardware cloth with a piece of thicker steel wire trim all the way around the edges. I'll pick up a small roll of hardware cloth like this one from HomeDepot. That along with some heavy binder clips my wife has hundreds of to secure to the two other simple wire shelves should work really well with a layer of the foil on them all.

My schedule got all borked last weekend, but this weekend is looking like I'll be cooking up some lead.

OF

[Vann]

I use pc mixed with acetone. After tumble coating them I dump them on nonstick foil and separate them to dry, then I can handle them any way I want without messing up the finish. They usually come out perfect.

[KSUJedi]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show....php?p=3508804

In case you haven't seen my post in this other thread, found a silicone trivet that works great do 22 cal. Use the hardware cloth/NSAF method for long Lee 230gr 300blk boolits, but can fit a lot more in the same space by standing them up

[farmerjim]

I could not find the core kitchen trivets, but found these on Amazon. I have not used them yet, but the Lee Bator stands up perfect in the holes. Thanks KSUJedi for the idea.


by Pratico Kitchen