Is it feasible??

[Ky Greg]

Howdy folks, new guy here. I've cast bullets for my black powder rifles for several years, but I'm curious about casting bullets for a .223 AR that I'm building. I have no knowledge about casting for centerfire rounds and would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I stumbled across this site earlier this morning and I've been like a kid at Christmas....not sure where start reading first, heck I'm not even sure if I've posted this in the correct thread :roll: :)
Greg

[454PB]

The biggest difference will be that you are probably using pure lead or pure lead plus some tin in your BP rifles. For use in centerfire smokeless rifles, you're going to need a harder alloy and different boolit lube. You will probably want a gas checked design as well for a .223.

[SWIAFB]

Howdy Ky Greg, click on cast pictures at the bottom of the page, then go to members articles. There are some of the best , informative write-ups stored their.

[KYCaster]

So, Greg....where in central KY? We have regulars here in Bardstown, Danville and E-town. Did have one in Hodgenville, but haven't seen him around for a while. Anybody heard from KYWoodworker?

Jerry

BTW....welcome, come in and make yourself at home.

[MtGun44]

Semiautos need a reasonably correct bullet shape to feed properly
and a reasonably hot load to function correctly. Both of these limit
your options a bit. In addition, the violence of the feeding can damage
soft boolits.

SO -- you tend to need a fairly hard alloy or heat treat to minimize damage,
feed properly and hotter loads usually need harder boolits, too.


Not the easiest place to start, but it can be done. I would rate .223 in
the AR platform a fairly advanced casting/loading project. Not impossible
but not the easiest to get right.

If you want easy, try a 1911 in .45 ACP or a revolver in .38 spl. These tend
to be very forgiving and accept a fairly wide range of designs, altho the
revolver will accept ANY design (well almost) and any velocity. .38s are
also less likely to have weird throat and barrel fit issues, in my experience.

Actually, a muzzle loader is pretty forgiving, too. :-D

Bill