Casting for AR's

[Weber]

I have been reading on here and other places for as much info as I can.

I mostly shoot my AR's 223/556, 308, and 300blkout. Also a few bolt guns, and some lever action rifles.

I'm interested in casting for the AR's mostly, as they get the its range time.

I'm trying to decide if I want to go cast, or a swaying kit to make jacketed bullets, or both.

If you guys don't mind helping me out, which do you recommend?

Any issues casting for AR's?

I do have some old plumbing equipment that I used to use to do lead joints, not sure how much that will help, but it may be a start.

Thanks for any help.

[waco]

I'm sure someone more qualified than myself will chime in soon, but, I'm wondering if the boolit lube would foul gas system pretty bad? Powder coating the boolits might be an option...???
Welcome to the board by the way!
Waco

[nhrifle]

The gas port is a high pressure area that gets cleaned out with every shot. Nothing sticks there. Between my 5.56 DPMS and my 300 AAC rifle I built, I have fired several thousand rounds through them. The 300 AAC takes to cast a bit easier than 5.56 and accuracy and power are equivalent with either jacketed or cast. 5.56 is a bit of a different animal and should be approached with different expectations. The little .22 cal boolits won't hold up to full power loads, or so it is my understanding. I have noticed the best accuracy in my rifle is just a tick over the point where I get reliable function. Light loads are key with standard AR powders. I am running the NOE version of the RCBS 55 grain boolit.

[Weber]

Thanks for the replies.

So a lighter powder charge with cast bullets. Is there load data available?

[ShooterAZ]

Twist rate is a critical issue in 223, 1/12 is best for cast in the AR. 1/9 or faster is going to be your challenge. NOE makes a bit heavier boolit, I believe a 60 grain that might work better. Don't expect to get beyond 2000 fps without putting in a lot of effort to figure everything out. Lots of trial and error with AR's.

[nhrifle]

Load data for cast? No, because traditional wisdom and the armchair experts say it can't be done. You are going to have to develop data for your rifle. Pick a suitable powder, look up data for jacketed loads for a bullet weight similar to what you are casting, and start a couple grains below minimum. Load one round at a time and keep upping the charge 1/2 grain at a time until the bolt locks back on an empty mag 100% of the time. Then start shooting for groups.

[waco]

Load data for cast? No, because traditional wisdom and the armchair experts say it can't be done. You are going to have to develop data for your rifle. Pick a suitable powder, look up data for jacketed loads for a bullet weight similar to what you are casting, and start a couple grains below minimum. Load one round at a time and keep upping the charge 1/2 grain at a time until the bolt locks back on an empty mag 100% of the time. Then start shooting for groups.

???? No load data for cast in the .223?
I have manuals full of it.

[bruce drake]

A lot of us just recently finished a custom 75gr .223 bullet mold purchase and are starting the process of developing loads for this heavier bullet. I own a LEE Bator 55gr bullet mold that I have decent accuracy with 20gr of IMR4895 in my 1/9 twist 20" AR15 but nothing that I'd post pictures of at this point.

[grampa243]

get a copy of the Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook it's a good info even before you start casting..

http://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook-Edition/dp/B004DWBKQY

and yes the load data in there is good for AR's...

[nhrifle]

If you found a source of cast load data for gas guns, please share. I haven't seen it. All I have seen has been published for either single shot or bolt guns. I have the Lyman book, but the majority of that data lists loads with light charges of fast pistol powder that won't cycle an AR. Mine won't run until I hit somewhere near 1800 fps.

[nhrifle]

OK, another manual I need for my library. Mine is a little older than that one.

[ipijohn]

A lot of us just recently finished a custom 75gr .223 bullet mold purchase and are starting the process of developing loads for this heavier bullet. I own a LEE Bator 55gr bullet mold that I have decent accuracy with 20gr of IMR4895 in my 1/9 twist 20" AR15 but nothing that I'd post pictures of at this point.

I have been getting 2" groups at 100 yards with my 55 grain Gas Checked Lyman boolits over 19.2 grn of IMR 4895. My group buy 75 grain mold got here today and I plan on casting tomorrow. Plan is to water quench COWW with added tin, push them through a .225 sizer, powder coat, bake, quench, gas check, size again and ladder load in 1/2 grn increments over 18 grn of IMR 4895 until I get full/reliable function.

[GabbyM]

As for fouling. My cast loads foul less than my Jacketed bullets loads. Far less powder burring I’d recon.

If you are shooting a 300 Black Out I’d definitely encourage cast boolit shooting in that. With that 30 caliber slow round you don’t give up anything in power. With any sub sonic load I’d consider a gas checked heavy cast boolit to be superior to a copper jacket.. 300 Black out comes in several differing barrel twist rates and gas system lengths so what weight bullet you shoot will vary. There is plenty of discussion here on that. That would be your AR to start with in cast IMHO. 308's work well too with a 200 gain bullet.

[dkf]

I have been getting 2" groups at 100 yards with my 55 grain Gas Checked Lyman boolits over 19.2 grn of IMR 4895. My group buy 75 grain mold got here today and I plan on casting tomorrow. Plan is to water quench COWW with added tin, push them through a .225 sizer, powder coat, bake, quench, gas check, size again and ladder load in 1/2 grn increments over 18 grn of IMR 4895 until I get full/reliable function.

Do let us know.

I cast up about 150 boolits from my new MP 75gr mold and checked about half of them. Kinda sitting here trying to figure out what I want to next. I have TAC and Varget but if you do ok with 4895 I'll grab some at a local shop. I think my alloy may be on the soft side but I want to see what my AR says first.

[fcvan]

I started shooting the Lyman 225-415 55 gr with gas check and lube over 14 grains of 4227 through a Ruger Mini 14, and an AR rifle without fouling issues. This load is right out of the Lyman 49 and previous manuals with a listed 2200 fps. The Mini is an older 180 model with a 1 in 10", and the AR is 1 in 8", and accuracy has been quite good.

Within the past 6 months I have been shooting this boolit powder coated with even greater accuracy. Over in the section for Coatings and Alternatives, folks are testing and getting enhanced accuracy at higher velocity than normally attained with standard lubed and checked cast boolits. Some tests have shown success at jacketed velocity. I've not had the opportunity to test this myself but intend to do so in the future. I do know that with PCd boolits I'm not getting either lead or copper fouling as the PC does not leave any fouling, only the remnants of the burned gunpowder.

Regular cast lubed and checked boolits are working well for me in .223/5.56, and even better when powder coated. I'm using an electrostatic PC gun before baking and others are tumbling with dry PC and baking. Even more are using other coatings such as Hi-Tek or epoxy based coatings for their boolits. Cast in .223/5.56 is quite doable and I don't think I will ever buy another jacketed projectile for any of my pistols or rifles.

[grampa243]

here are a few threads worth reading.

very interesting test here
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?156326-AR-15-500-Round-Cast-Bullet-Test

this is an ongoing thread about loading this molds boolit in ar-15's
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?205195-loading-HM%B2-223-AR-mold-225-62-1

[popper]

I PC and use jacketed data for my LR308. 2400+ in a carbine upper, close to MOA when I can do my part. I never tested above mid Hodgdon book loads with veggie oil, got light leading, same alloy. 300BO seems to be the same, 223 a little problematic but doable, from other reports. Go for it.

[Garyshome]

Mid south has something for you...22 Caliber 55 Grain Six Cavity Special Order Mold C225-55-RF

[blikseme300]

As for fouling. My cast loads foul less than my Jacketed bullets loads. Far less powder burring I’d recon.

If you are shooting a 300 Black Out I’d definitely encourage cast boolit shooting in that. With that 30 caliber slow round you don’t give up anything in power. With any sub sonic load I’d consider a gas checked heavy cast boolit to be superior to a copper jacket.. 300 Black out comes in several differing barrel twist rates and gas system lengths so what weight bullet you shoot will vary. There is plenty of discussion here on that. That would be your AR to start with in cast IMHO. 308's work well too with a 200 gain bullet.

This ^^^^.

I would recommend you start with the 300blk. Much easier to get good results than with the .223

[Weber]

Thanks for all the info.

I'll continue to research, and post questions as they come up.