.223 cast load help please ???

[10 Spot Terminator]

Hello All ,,,

Looking to start loading some casts for a 1-8 twist bolt rifle and looking of course to get some insight from those who have already been there. I have aqquired 2 gas check moulds, one an Ideal 225415 55 gr. semi pointed flat point and the other a 55 gr. Lyman 225462 Rn. I am casting with pure Linotype with these and sizing at .225 using Jakes Moly Ceresin lube. These are 22 BHN and should handle a speed of 2,200 fps. or better. Any powder recommendations you might have or other useful feedback to point me in the right dirrection would be greatly appreciated. Looking for accuracy moreso than speed. Would like to introduce the local Sage Rat and Rockchuck population to some home made cookin:Fire:

[GabbyM]

General consensus is the tight twist barrel will not shoot as fast as the slower twist. Due to RPM. I have shot the same loads in my 9” twist AR as I run in my 12 twist bolt gun. Which is the Lyman 225646 over 14.5 grains of H4198. That’s the high end listed in the Lyman book for a bit over 2200 fps. The bolt gun is a Rem 700 varmint rifle with a 24 power scope. It will one hole at fifty yards all day long. The AR just has a small 3x scope on it and just last year my eyes went South. Accuracy is not good but neither is it with J bullets. Pretty sure it’s my eyes since I can’t find the center of aim to start with.

Mostly what I wanted to add was that while the Hodgdon 4198 is a shorter cut than the old IMR 4198 it’s still hard to drop and will bridge on you if not careful. So a thumbs down on that even though it shoots great in the 223. I have some RX7 that will meter. In 2 or 3 years after burning up the 4198 I’ll try the other.

Only way to know is to shoot it. Odds are you’ll find the same as others. One hole groups at 100 yards is hard to get with 2200 fps loads in a 1-8” and due to the wind 1800 fps loads that may shoot good at 50 yards open up at 100. Many people are tickled to death with a 1 ½ or 2” group at one hundred yards. If you aren’t shooting chucks off a bench with a 20 power scope can you really tell the difference. Compare to J bullets is the way to determine. IMHO if you load up for maximum accuracy at 50 yards then try shooting picket pins at 150 yards you’ll be disappointed.

I’d recommend a fast stick powder loaded to 2200 fps. Another way to go would be 6.8 grains of Unique for listed 1900 fps. Unique in a 222 or 223 is an old favorite but I’ve not tried it. It’s very frugal if nothing else. If you are forced down to low velocity due to twist rate you may as well run shotgun powder for economy.

Run a search for 223 cast and you'll get a days reading. Someplace around here up in cast pics maybe is a set of articles on 22 cast bullets.

[phishroy]

I tried some IMR 4227 the first time with my cast 67 grain hollow point gas checked boolits in 223 rem yesterday.
The rifle is a rem 700 bolt gun with a 1: 9 twist.
Primer was cci 450 small rifle magnum
Used 15 grains of powder and groups at 100 yards where between ½ to one inch.
Velocity was between 2300 to 2400 fps
Alloy was a combo of WW with some high antimony (95%) solder
Tomorrow ill be trying to shoot at the 200 m range and see hey they do.

[10 Spot Terminator]

Nice start Phishroy !!!

Have to figure your alloy is in the 16 to 17 BHN range at best but due to the heavy grain weight it probabally stabilizes better than the 55s' I am about to try. What mould are those casts from ? I dont think I have seen anything like it listed so far. If these others dont work out I will be looking for something different.

[MT Gianni]

I shot a 1 in 9 twist Stevens 200 with 225646, 55 RCBS and the Bator 22 al over 7 gr Unique. They grouped ok. One of the shooters at the NCBC tried them in his AR's one a 1 in 7.5" and the other a 1 in 12" bbl. All his the gongs @ 100 yards. He was happy and filled with ideas.

[onondaga]

I have the Lyman 225646 55 gr. round nose that I size/check .224. With lube and check they weigh ~58 grains. I use 20.0 gr Accurate 2230 and these chrono at 2548 fps in my NEF Ultra Varmint, 22 inch bull barrel with a 1:12 twist. They are cast straight Linotype, tumble lubed and sub MOA. I also cast the same boolit in #2 alloy and shoot it at 2212 fps with 14.4 grains Accurate 5744. These are both worked up loads and sweet spot Maximum for my rifle, start lower by 5% at least. The 5744 load has a very slight accuracy edge in my rifle.

Gary

[JeffinNZ]

I am shooting my HP 225462, 55gr, in air cooled WW at 2300fps over 13gr of H4227 set off by a small pistol primer by CCI. Shoots very well indeed and rabbits hate it ah Tertle?!

[phishroy]

Nice start Phishroy !!!

Have to figure your alloy is in the 16 to 17 BHN range at best but due to the heavy grain weight it probabally stabilizes better than the 55s' I am about to try. What mould are those casts from ? I dont think I have seen anything like it listed so far. If these others dont work out I will be looking for something different.

the mold is from a group buy here.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=1142715&postcount=20
this is a thread with the group buy results.

yesterday i took this little boolit and shot it at the 200 meter range.
i compared two powders BL-C2 and IMR 4227 to see which will work better.
i already know its likes BL-c2 and IMR 4227 at 100 yards
its was very windy and rainy , got groups of about 3 inches at 200 for both powders. i need to wait for a calmer day with no wind and rain to try it again.

[Moonie]

I shot a 1 in 9 twist Stevens 200 with 225646, 55 RCBS and the Bator 22 al over 7 gr Unique. They grouped ok. One of the shooters at the NCBC tried them in his AR's one a 1 in 7.5" and the other a 1 in 12" bbl. All his the gongs @ 100 yards. He was happy and filled with ideas.

I would assume 7 gr. of Unique did not cycle the action in said AR?

[MT Gianni]

I would assume 7 gr. of Unique did not cycle the action in said AR?

That is right.

[10 Spot Terminator]

Thanks Guys !

Looks like you've given me some good starting points . Couldnt help but notice the new .22 casts I just made from pure linotype seem to have a super slick gliding surface to them. Am thinking they may tend to reduce pressures just a bit like using moly. Cant wait to get this project rolling.