What do you use for AR15?

[lordgroom]

Curious what casting die, shape, and weight bullet people use for an AR15 in .223. I don't hav an AR15 Yet but plan to buy one in the near future and I would like to cast bullets for it if possible.

[trickyasafox]

i've never used lead in mine, but hi-tech ammo sells 53gr tracers for 25 bucks per k. if your in a safe place to shoot them, and they are legal for your location they are a very affordable option.

[Vly]

Even though the reloading component market has gone crazy in the last year or so, you can still buy 55 gr FMJs for less than 7 cents each delivered to your door. Smart shopping and you can beat that. By the time you buy a gas check and the time involved, cast is not really cost effective in 22 cal.
I love cast boolits and shoot them in a wide variety of firearms. I even have 2 AR15s - but I avoid cast and semi gas systems. Some guys report good results. I'm too busy with my bolt and lever guns.

If you are just breaking into the cast boolit area, I don't think the AR15 is the best platform to learn on. It can be done, but I think you should have experience reloading jacketed bullets first, then move to cast as you gain experience.

[Tom-n8ies]

Even though the reloading component market has gone crazy in the last year or so, you can still buy 55 gr FMJs for less than 7 cents each delivered to your door. Smart shopping and you can beat that. .


Where is a good place to get them in bulk for those prices?


tom

[Vly]

Tom - I recently bought a case of 3500 from Montana Gold Bullets. Weight consistency was very good. They shipped the same day the order was placed using USPS flat rate box.

https://secure3.mooseweb.com/montanagoldbullet.com/pricelist.tpl

[Adam10mm]

I run 69gr SMKs and 68gr BTHP-Ms with Varget in my 1/7 twist. Lead doesn't mix well with gas guns.

[rufracer]

Whats the web adress for the hi-tech tracer bullets for $25 per K?

[cohutt]

Seems to be out of stock of the cheap tracers right now, but here is the link

http://hi-techammo.com/

I picked some up a couple months ago, haven't loaded any yet. They are machine pulled and hacked up pretty well; i figure if i have to i'll run through a lee sizing .224 die.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/cohutt/bullet%20porn/misc024.jpg

[trickyasafox]

I run mine unsized- no problems. They are minute of clay pigeon :)

[colbyjack]

i bought 2000 hornady 68gr BTHP for $200 last week 25.3 of varget in my 1:8 twist RRA -chris

[cabezaverde]

Surprised to see so many AR lovers on this board.

I just got done loading up 700 55 grain Hornady's this weekend.

Fun rifles to shoot - going to get my wife out with one once the weather breaks.

[trickyasafox]

they are a lot of fun! pretty handy too!

[Johnch]

Wideners (http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=7235)

Less than $.07 deleivered for new 55 gr FMJ ( 5000 at a time )
A freind and I just split a order :Fire::Fire::Fire:

John

[garandsrus]

I shoot High Power Service Rifle with an AR-15. It's probably the most accurate rifle I own!

John

[rufracer]

An ar-15 in .223 would be one of the last guns I would cast boolits for. My AR has never seen lead. If you want a semi auto rifle for cast, get an ak-47 or sks. The gas system holds up well to the lead and lube, and the velocities (2100fps or less) w/ 150-170gr will work pretty well with hard cast and gas checks.

[Chunky Monkey]

I don't have an AR yet (hopefully soon) but my brother-in-law got an M & P 15. I did work up some loads this past weekend using Hornady 55gr FMJ BT W/C over 21 and 22 grains of H335. Both loads were a little light (used Hornady book). Gonna try again next wekend may 23 and 23.5 grains. That gun is a sweet shooter. I've never shot and AR and was surpised how nice the trigger was!:-D

[RU shooter]

I'm also a avid highpower shooter ,and if you guys want a accurate bullet that will shoot everybit the equal to a "match"bullet try the 60 gr Serria FBHP varmiter with reloader 15 or varget whichever shoots better in your barrel I use these out to 300 and always perform great ,heck of alot cheaper than the "match"bullets and will work good in just about any twist rate, mines a 1:8
Another sleeper bullet are the Midway 55 gr Dogtown bullets I use these in most of my 200 yd reduced matches last season and made Master with them .These little SP bullets will clean every target if you do your part. Midsouth sells a similar bullet (it may be the same bullet ???) but at a cheaper price$38 for 500 I plan on trying some of these this spring.

[Hip's Ax]

If you decide to run jacketed in your AR the distance seems to matter a lot. My 8 twist Armalite NM AR (yeah, I'm a service rifle shooter too) wouldn't shoot 69's worth beans at 100 so my mentor told me to try 52 SMK with WW748, little tiny knots! I use 69's with WW748 at 200/300 reduced matches, scarey accurate. For full pull (200/300/600) my 80 SMK and Varget load didn't like following my 69 and 748 load so my mentor bailed me out again and told me to try 77's with Varget at 200/300 and keep the 80 and Varget for 600. Bingo, the 77 load shoots good enough and the first few 80 SMK shots at 600 are right on call. Same weight of Varget works for both bullets and reduces my time at the loading bench as well!

[BD]

77 grain moly coated SMKs over 24.5 grains of Varget shot better than anything else I've ever seen which would feed through the magazine in my 8" twist Bushy DCM. I used the nosler 77 grain blems for practice. Unfortunately I think my high power days are behind me and that DCM may get a flat top in the near future.
BD

[RU shooter]

If you decide to run jacketed in your AR the distance seems to matter a lot.
Very true, I have same problems with 75 gr Hornady Amax and Reloader 15. 100-200 it wont group at all, 500-600 yds it will shoot cleans with high X count on a hard holding day.

[Patrick L]

One thing that really chafes my a$$ is when some poor guy posts a question and it gets hijacked into something completely different, without so much as ONE answer to his original question. The question was a simple one; anyone with experience shooting cast out of an AR please advise what works for you. We all know how great Sierra J boolits shoot, so we don't need to brag about it here in this thread. And the question wasn't whether or not it was practical (or economical or whatever) but just what seems to work. So does ANYONE have anything of value to contribute?

Whew! Sorry about that Lordgroom, I just had to vent.

And I'm sorry I don't have any experience with cast in an AR to help. I too have been thinking about trying it. I have shot cast out of both the Garand and the M1 carbine with no ill effects on the gas system, and since the AR has no piston to worry about I see no reason why it wouldn't work. SAECO makes a nice looking 60 gr bullet that they advertise as designed for autoloaders, I was thinking about trying that one whenever I get around to it.

[Vly]

Patrick - I understand your point. But if you take this thread as a whole and consider it is written on a cast bullet forum with lots of active cast boolit users, then that should tell the OP something about what folks here think about the AR15 and cast.

[corvette8n]

I have an AR but have yet to shoot cast in it, I shoot in a John Garand match once a year for fun, and they only allow FMJ. I would like to find a cast load that shoots to the same point of aim as the FMJ stuff, but have too many projects going at this time.