AR .223/5.56 cast success!

[waco]

So I have an older S&W M&P15 Sport I bought several years ago. I have only ever shot factory J's in the rifle. On a whim I thought I'd try some cast stuff. With very little load development I came up with an accurate(to me) load that runs the gun perfectly and locks the bolt back after the last shot.
Range brass that has been ran through a SB die, Lee 55gr RNFP, no gas check, sized to .225" after powder coat, sitting over 19gr of H335 with a COL of 2.110"
Rolling pop cans and busting clays at 60 yards offhand with ease. The rifle wears a gen 2 Bushnell Holo sight. These cost me around .15 cents per round best I can figure. Why did I not try this years ago?
Now I'm tempted to get the conversion kit for my 550 to speed up the process. :Fire:

[waco]

260211

[waco]

Oh yeah. These are running at 2075fps

[Eddie17]

This mold does allow for a gas check, an you are shooting without? With good results?

[waco]

Yes. Without. Good results. I hate the extra cost and messing with those tiny things.

[willowbend]

Thanks for posting this.

[Eddie17]

Thanks also!

[Misery-Whip]

Awesome.

[mvintx]

Yes, thanks for posting. You got me interested and I'd rather not mess with gas checks either.

[tomme boy]

my fingers an hands can barely handle 35cal. I would never be able to handle that small of cast putting on a gas check

[rtyler8140]

If you don't mind me asking, what is your lead alloy that you are using?

[FLINTNFIRE]

I also would like to say thank you for posting this it is good to have choices , I to hate the added cost and hassle of the gas check as the 22 caliber bullets are so small anyway .

[Winger Ed.]

Thanks.

I've wanted to cast 5.56 for an old Colt SP-1 rat gun, but thought their speed limit was too low for it to cycle well.

[Doubles Shooter]

Thank you. You pushed me into trying .223 now. A question on your PC method. Do you stand the boolits or dump on a screen and bake? If dump and bake is the method, I'm going to have to get some clear powder. The bare spots from them touching each other will drive me crazy if I use color.

[perotter]

Thanks for the timely information. I just got that Lee mould a few days ago and wondering about not using the gas check. This will speed thing up for me.

[waco]

my fingers an hands can barely handle 35cal. I would never be able to handle that small of cast putting on a gas check

Tomme. They are a bit tricky to handle!

[waco]

Alloy is a mix of range scrap and coww.
I did the shake N bake method then just dumped them into a basket.

[savage308]

I use the same mold but I load 4.0 gr. of reddot and have a single shot only plinking bullet.

[Dapaki]

LOVE IT! Thanks for working up a good load, I have been playing with all my powders but have stayed away from 335 since its been my go-to for J-words. I have been using the RCBS 22-055-SP mold but I have never had good accuracy with them so I dropped a dime on the LEE 6 cav 22 mold last week and will try them when it arrives.
260247
260248

[fcvan]

Very cool. I started loading/shooting cast some years ago with the Lyman 225-415. The Lee mold looks like a clone the Lyman. I hated those tiny gas checks but I worked it out. Later, I switched to ESPC and made a jig to place the gas check shank in the jig and spray away. Then I bought the NOE 225-62 RNPB I started ASBBPC and haven't looked back.

My go to is using H or IMR 4227 with a load from the Lyman book. Average velocity from a Ruger Mini 14 and an AR15 is 2250fps. Out of a 24" single shot I'm getting 2450 from the same load. Thanks for the tip on 335, sounds like a winner. For now, I buy 8lb jugs of 4227 when needed and or available. The 335 should be a good backup.

BTW, my standard of accuracy is 'minute of soda can' at 100 yards, off-hand and iron sights. Former SWAT, I still like to 'run and gun' banging steel plates and didn't like the cost of frangible bullets. Much better to use boolits.