OK, I was told to come here instead

[armoredman]

When I posted about casting for .223 Remington I was told "Save yer pennies and" come here. What can you tell me about swaged bullets for .223/5.56mm?

[clodhopper]

You probably want bullets swaged with a copper or brass outer layer.

[armoredman]

I know something about casting - I know nothing about swaging. Can this be done on a casting budget? I do have a close supply of certified metal, (Seafab), for swaging, but have only casting equipment and a single stage reloading press.

[alfloyd]

223 bullets can be swaged on a good single stage reloading press.
I do it on a RCBS RockChuck press.
The swaging process is different than casting.
You take a jacket ( made from a fired 22 LR brass ) insert a core ( either cast or swaged to get the correct weight and size ), seat the core ( in a seat die ) and then run it thru the point die ( to get the ogive on the bullet).
A complete set of swage dies that works on a reloading press to make 223 slugs from 22 LR brass cost about $500 to $900.

There are vendors here on Cast Boolits that make and sell swaging dies.

Read the stickies in the swaging section, there are lots of info there.

Hope this gets you started in a good direction.

Lafaun

[armoredman]

Wow, that's a good chunk of change. Thanks for the info, sir, I do appreciate it. :)

[Lizard333]

A good chunk of change yes, but you will be able to make bullets that are superior to what you can buy in the store. Plus, you will have the ability to make bullets, not matter what happens with the market and availability.

Buying the Varmint Grenade bullets are pretty costly. I can now make a bullet as effective for practilly nothing. Sure the first hundred bullets I made cost me a little over 1400$, I bought a swaging press as well, but all the rest REALLY cheap! Once you shoot those bullets at 14$ a piece, the rest are a piece of cake!:swagemine:

Read here if you are serious. It is a lot to take in. But it is whole new addiction!

[armoredman]

I understand that, same logic that got me into reloading/casting in the first place...but I don't have that kind of money laying about, unfortunately. That's why I originally asked about a mold, thought I might be able to cast for it instead.
I don't buy varmint grenade, last thing I bought was Prvi Partisan 62 gr FMJ-BT. :)
Well, if I win the lottery I'll look into swaging - good local supplier of bullet metal, so that helps.

[vparra559]

Coltac a member here sells the set of .224 swage does for 350 shipped. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a set. His Web site is called edge dies.

[runfiverun]

ummm what was wrong with just casting them?
unless you want 3100 fps or something.
a 12 twist 223-22/250-220 swift will give you good accuracy up over 2400 fps easily, and i can keep groups of 20 under an inch at 2700+ fps in the 22's.

[Pavogrande]

lyman 225462 is a good 223 boolit -- I think there is a mould for sale in the swap'n and sell'n forum.

[armoredman]

runfiverun, firearm is an SA vz-58 5.56mm with a 1-7 twist.
Thanks, Pavogrande, I appreciate it.
Thank you to all for good info and help!

[Sasquatch-1]

I was like you when I was younger. I thought that for the cost of the equipment I could buy a lot of factory bullets. Now that I am less then a year away from 60 I have finally succumbed and spent the dollars to get the right tools. Now I can make .44cal bullets that are in a tenth of a grain of each other, if I want to spend the time weighing each bullet. But I am retired and have lots of time on my hands.

I would say that if you can scrape the money together somehow, go for it. It is a lot different from casting and I find it very enjoyable. Also if you have not already done so, check out some of the videos on Youtube. There are several good one there.

[Wayne Smith]

Armoredman, think of it as less than the cost of another rifle - to feed the one you have for as long as you have it, and as long as you have a center fire .22. It's a different justification than for another rifle, but in another sense more meaningful.

If you are any part a survivalist there is really no question.

[runfiverun]

that rifle is a prime candidate for swaging then.
make sure you do your homework on a swaging die set.
there are different price points,and there is a good reason for that.....

[armoredman]

It's not that I won't spend the funds, I literally lack the funds for such a purchase, outa my league for a while.

[Utah Shooter]

Coltac a member here sells the set of .224 swage does for 350 shipped. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a set. His Web site is called edge dies.

Yeah am curious to see how well his .308 dies work!