Successful cast in ar15

[gds]

Read several of the threads here about cast in the ar15. Of course everywhere else you look .......ARFCOM...... you're told it can't be done. I am one who constantly challenges conventional wisdom. Especially when the naysayers say it can't be done but can't tell you why or their "answer" has already been proven false. For instance "the lead will clog your gas tube", which some also say about the .22lr conversions. Well i have fired an entire box of 550 rnds thru a ceiner kit and then a few days later without any cleaning dropped in the bolt and carrier and emptied 2 mags with no problems. So in my mind I have proven that concern invalid.

Well I have been waiting for anyone to get one of the bator molds from lee in stock. Well midsouth did and one of the very observant caster here alerted us. So I got one(side note: I really, Really, REALLY, regret not getting the 6 cavity:cry:) I already had some gas checks and lee sizer.

A few weeks ago I cast up a bunch. lube with lee liquid alox and gas checked and sized. The weight average from strait wheel weights ended up being 51.5grains

Working on some loads from the data here and the lyman reloading manual I tied out Alliant 2400, and reloader 7, as well as AA1680. I really was expecting some good from the 1680 because of the success I have had with in in .300 whisper, and 7.62x39.

My goal of course was getting my AR15 to function and also getting acceptable accuracy for plinking.

2400: tried loads up to and over lymans max of 11.5. at 14gr I still couldn't get function.

AA1680. Had really high hopes for this powder lymans max is 14.3. To get reliable function I had it up to 16.6gr but my accuracy was all over the paper.

Reloader 7 Really wasn't expecting this to work very well. Lymans max is 15.6. at 15g the accuracy was good, except a couple of fliers (see target below), but when I got it up to 16.2 the accuracy was still as good and I was getting great reliability.
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/gdsjr/AR%20weapons/223cast001jpg.jpg

The AR is an M4 style built from parts picked up over a couple of years. The lower is an 80% finished myself.
1-9 twist barrel
chinese aimpoint knock off red dot sight
YHM free float tube

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/gdsjr/AR%20weapons/223cast002jpg.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/gdsjr/AR%20weapons/223cast003jpg.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/gdsjr/AR%20weapons/223cast004jpg.jpg

And yes the cases on the right are steel wolf cases and they were also used in the accuracy testing

[Moonie]

I'm having issues with the bator in my ar-15, what col are you loading to? Almost starting to wonder if my lube is building up in the chamber and causing the issues. I hand loaded 200 one by one, checking everything to ensure they would feed properly. Went to the range saturday and got through most of the first clip before I started getting failures. Wouldn't completely close up the bolt...

[gds]

My col is 1.985. To much longer and tip of the boolit hits the rifling.

[camaro1st]

nice write up gds my molds are in the mail. Also will be running them through a ar. not able to find alot of info on powder and think your experience will help me. thanks

[madsenshooter]

I been working with the 80 gr Eagan MX2-243 in a 6x45 AR. It's a tight twist barrel and velocity is going to have to be slower than what I've gone so far. It looks to me like the best way to get accuracy and function may be 4895. I have a rifle length gas tube. I also have some Swiss powder that's supposed to be 4198 speed. I had some failures to function with 70gr j-words using it in what should have been near max loads, but I found that was magazine related, not because the pressure curve was too fast. I could see where things like that would vary greatly between our rifles.

[Calamity Jake]

Now take that 16.2 of RE 7 and add a small tuft of Dacron filler over the powder, about .25 gr
or just enough to allow the boolit when seated to slighty compress the dacron.

I'll bet you groups will shrink a little.

[gds]

I have not used any dacron filler on any of my cast bullets, and have not even tried to look for some. Maybe I should.

[RugerFan]

Interesting. I don't have REL7, but do have IMR 3031 and N133. I'll have to give them a try in my AR-15 (with Lyman 225462).

What distance were you shooting at?

[gds]

25 yds

[Calamity Jake]

Here's how my RRA AR15 heavy 24" 1 in 12 twist shoots RCBS 22-055 at 100.

http://photos.gunloads.com/images/CalamityJake/rralar15cast002.jpg

http://photos.gunloads.com/images/CalamityJake/rralar15cast003.jpg

[camaro1st]

calamity jake what powder and charge are you using?

[atom73]

This is good information. Please all, help the rest of us and post load data w/ results. I will do the same.
Mike

[Calamity Jake]

calamity jake what powder and charge are you using?

Info is on the targets.
Top target is 17.0 of AA2015, bottom is 17.5 of 2015
Both are 15 round groups with the first shot from a cold barrel identified in the top target.

[Moonie]

Ok, next try will be with 45/45/10 and seated to 1.985 with 18gr H4895

[Moonie]

Just checked, my col is 2.05, perhaps this would be part of the problem. I'll seat these deeper and try again.

[Moonie]

Ok, seated to 1.980 is still giving me issues with boolit hitting rifling... Time to go even shorter I guess.

Really getting frustrated with the bator boolit.

[45-70bpcr]

Good stuff. I'd also like to hear about any really good shooting loads that won't cycle. I would like to have a good load to practice my offhand with at 100 yds. and cycling the bolt manually isn't a problem. I am shooting a RRA NM A2 with 1-8".

[Ekalb2000]

Good info.
Any tests with an 11.5 in barrel?

[Autowood]

Now take that 16.2 of RE 7 and add a small tuft of Dacron filler over the powder, about .25 gr
or just enough to allow the boolit when seated to slighty compress the dacron.

I'll bet you groups will shrink a little.

I've used malto meal. It runs through the funnel fine and doesn't shoot out a flaming wad as does cotton or kapock

[Jal5]

I have some of the NOE boolit an RCBS 55gr clone, loaded up over RE7 too and haven't had a chance to try it. Will report on that trial maybe this coming weekend. Thanks for the report to everyone contributing. Joe

[Calamity Jake]

I've used malto meal. It runs through the funnel fine and doesn't shoot out a flaming wad as does cotton or kapock

That MM has a little moisture in it and will pack and become a solid if left compressed very long. So if your going to use
it don't leave them loaded very long.

I haven't had any trouble with dacron burning, it's my go filler.

[fish0123]

I have been using a 1/2 grain dacron filler as well with success. I would recommend that because it is cheap and effective.

[Gunnut 45/454]

I gave up on the Bator - mine came out to about 48gr way to light for getting full function in the AR switched to the Lyman 55gr which come out at 62 gr w GC and 18.7 gr IMR 4895 - full function and good accuracy out to 200 yards!