Does anyone cast for .223 AR?

[igolfat8]

I did not see any Lee molds for .223. Is the projectile too small to cast or velocity too high to shoot lead boolits?

[Tom W.]

A friend of mine sent me some boolits w/gas checks to shoot from my 22-250.....I believe they were from a Lyman mold...

[500MAG]

The Lee Bator mould works good in the AR.

[igolfat8]

I did not see any Lee molds under 30 cal. What is the Lee Bator?

[500MAG]

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/Item/0000622BATOR

does take some tweaking.

[igolfat8]

Please elaborate on "tweaking". Are these as accurate or more so than FMJBT bullets?

[500MAG]

I prefer FMJ for my AR's but I like being able to cast for all my firearms. Here is a castboolit search thread on this mould. Hope it helps.

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=001951264366462437169%3Aggn3vg-bjum&ie=UTF-8&q=Lee+Bator+in+Ar-15&sa=Search&siteurl=www.google.com%2Fcse%2Fhome%3Fcx%3D0019512 64366462437169%3Aggn3vg-bjum&ref=&ss=10002j14911588j18#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Lee%20Bator%20in%20Ar-15&gsc.page=1

[bangerjim]

They make a 6 banger Bator like that. I have one. Casting little tiny pills like that 2 at a time would get very boring very fast.

I load them after powder coating for my bolt action Mossy and they shoot just great. Mostly lighter 22LR-like loads. For sonic rounds I always use GC's. But for full factory equal loads, I use FMJ exclusively. Not cast. I picked up around 6K FMJ's last year for about 3.5¢ a piece....can't waste time casting at that price!

banger

[Bored1]

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

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?260420-Little-help-for-my-first-rifle-%28AR-15%29-cast-project

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105853-AR-15-cast-load-data

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?203086-223-cast-bullets-in-a-AR-15-and-Bayou-bullet-coating

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?204116-Cast-Bullets-in-an-AR-15-Platform-Any-problems-with-plugging-gas-port

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?4421-Cast-boolits-for-223-AR

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?45952-Cast-Bullets-amp-the-AR-15

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?197961-AR-progress-with-casting-and-reloading-223-556


You have opened up quite a can of worms!!! Read, read, and read some more. Then when you think you have an idea of what to do, Larry Gibson, Bruce, or R5R will come along an toss more worms in the can! But it is definately possible. Question is how lucky are you, and how much do you want to learn in the process?

From my experience the lee bator mold is the easiest and most affordable option for 224/225 mold available. The boolit exchange is a good place to start if you want to try some before you buy a mold, however with the price bator may be easier to just pick one up and start casting.

[altheating]

I would look at the NOE 225 55Gr. FN 5 cavity GC (RCBS 22-055 FN) As Bangerjim said a two banger mold for use in a AR will get boring, not to mention how long you will have to cast just to get enough to shoot for one session out of the AR. Spend the money and get a 5 cavity. We are shooting this boolit out of several ARs with no problems. Screwbolts will probably chime in in the morning. He has been shooting ARs for years with this boolit as well as several others with excellent results out of dozens of his friends and families rifles with exceptional accuracy. If your really into ARs don't waste your time with a two cavity mold. As long as you can afford it get a five cavity. We shoot 200 yard six inch gongs all the time with cast out of the ARs.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The 22 Bator is really a poor design for an AR, IMHO.
It's short fat design cries out for a slow twist barrel (1:12 to 1:16).
If you load it hot enough to cycle an AR, you're likely to be measuring patterns instead of groups on your targets.

There are other, better designed molds for 556 AR's

[silverjay]

I have similar results with the NOE mold. Cast well and shoots well. Powder coat is the way to go, gas checking those little things is painfull.

[dkf]

I have the MP 75gr NATO and the ACE 75gr Heavy mold. I am still playing with loads and got some Hitek powder on the way now to try that. I coated some with VHT epoxt paint and got some ok groups at 50 yds with the test loads that cycle the action. My ARs are 1-7 twist so I want long and heavy boolits. I shot up all the VHT coated bullets so I have to get some more coated and ready to load.

[runfiverun]

You don't need long and heavy for fast twist
I shoot the rcbs boolit in my 9 twist and in my 8 twist , the HM-2 mold is an improved version of the rcbs boolit

[btroj]

You don't need long and heavy for fast twist
I shoot the rcbs boolit in my 9 twist and in my 8 twist , the HM-2 mold is an improved version of the rcbs boolit
Listen to this man, he has been there and done that. His knowledge is one of the hidden gems of this site.

[bruce drake]

Not hidden too well if he's a moderator... ;)

I'm in agreement with the LEE Bator mold not liking tight twist barrels like a 1-7 but my 1-9 twist AR and my 1-14" twist 22-250 love that boolit.

I'm casting a 69gr Mihec 6-banger with IMR4831 and its nearly comparable as my 69gr Sierra Matchking loads for 100 and 200 yard reduced course highpower rifle matches (I'm 200fps slower than the jacketed loads)

And an occasional sacrifice of a lamb in the light of a full moon helps me with the casting and reloading of those tiny little pills.

Bruce

[btroj]

If you ate getting that kind of accuracy with a 69 gr cast then you are doing something right Bruce.

Actually, run is a hidden gem as he doesn't toot his own horn.