223 Cast loads

[RyanJames170]

i am looking for a bit of advice from guys who have run cast in 223, i will be running it in a new Savage Axis II bolt gun so i wont be have to worry about running a gas system..

i am looking to run about 1500-2000 FPS with a 55 grain bullet. giver take about 22 mag to 22 hornet levels, nothing really hotroded.

i was going to buy a 22 hornet for this as i basically wanted a re-loadable 22 mag but decided to go 223 rem due to having a lot of brass and dies, and if i did not work out with cast i would be able to due more with a 223 rem then a 22 hornet.

[45-70 Chevroner]

My load for a 55gr boolit is 8gr Unique for 2000 plus FPS. That puts it in the 22 Mag class. I cast my 55gr boolits on the hard side, I usually water drop using clip on wheel waits.

[Dapaki]

Lyman data for Red Dot under a 54grain 225462 boolit in the .223. 5.4-8.6 grains for 1675-2100fps. The top load is listed as generating 40.7kcup.

[bedbugbilly]

Ryan - I'm in the same boat as you are. I have a Ruger All American Ranch bolt action and I am gong to shoot cast from it. If you have a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, there are loads shown in them - I only have the 3rd and 4th edition with me here in AZ but both show loading data for what you are looking for. If you don't have either of the books, PM me with you e-mail and I will scan off the data out of the 4th edition and send it to you.

I went with the Lee 55 grain mold - I'm going to cast them from harder lead, gas check and tumble lube in alox/paste wax. While I have never shot cast from 223, I have from 30-30, 8mm, etc. and have never had issues with leading as long as I didn't push them hard.

Right now, powder seems to be in short supply as well as everything else. As 45-70 points out - Unique works well. I have used Unique with good results in reduced loads out of bottlenecks. I ordered powder the other day and was able to get some Red Dot and Bulls Eye. I am going to use Red Dot in the 223 as I have also had excellent results with reduced loads out of bottlenecks with it - and I'll probably play with the Bulls Eye as well - the Lyman CBHB doesn't give any data for it but I can start low and work up for the 223 - BE worked well in my 30-30s cast reduced loads. Most of my shooting is plinking and killing cans so I don't need to push 'em hard - just have fun. I'm looking forward to working up a load that will shoot reasonably well with the cast in the 223 bolt rifle - hope you have fun with yours and let us know what you find works best in your rifle - we can all learn from it. Good luck!

[cwlongshot]

I load more 222 then 223 cast. (Friendlier twist rates). But 5744 works well for me.

Unique is great Ill rarely ever have a bad word its just a very accommodating powder

CW

[swheeler]

With your Savage Axis and it's 1 in 9 twist barrel you will find happiness around 17-1800 fps I would think. Out of my Savage M11 and 55 gr cast Bator bullet 8 grs Unique gives 2192 ps and 8.5 2263 fps at nearly 5 moa. Here's what I ended up with for my favorite load, same as above but use 7.6 gr IMR SR7625 and a cci 500 sp primer, 2049 fps(164K rpm, too fast according to some but most accurate load I ever found in this 223), 7 gr 1966 fps but not as accurate. This cast load was used to fill one doe tag by my wife, it worked but required a follow up to the head so have never used on deer again.

[sigep1764]

http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%20Casting/Lyman%20Cast%20Bullet%20Handbook%20-%203rd%20Edition%20-%201980%20-%20Reduce.pdf

Scroll down to page 129 for Red Dot loads in 223 for boolits from 37 grains to 54 grains. Don't overlook the 748 loads, I use that powder for 223 in AR's with a 70ish grain MP boolit.

[RyanJames170]

I got the Lyman book, just was curious what worked for you guys and what to avoid doing.

And what BHN of lead you guys are using.

[Shiloh]

There is a YouTube vid on cast in an AR.
If you can get them running in an AP platform, bolt is a breeze. There are a couple here who shoot NOE bullets out of varios
.223 bolt guns.

Shiloh

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have a Browning 223 and load 55gn RCBS ahead of 16.5gns 3031. Accuracy is good, chronographed at 1840fps.

https://i.imgur.com/ljMJ1KEm.jpg

[RyanJames170]

any of you guys using the lee C225-55-RF mold?

[GhostHawk]

I've run 3 grains of Red Dot up to 8 grains under the 55 grain cast.

All depends on how fast you want to go vs how thrifty you want to be.

Accuracy for me was quite good at 6 grains.

[sigep1764]

Im using the hard lead that KyLongRifle sells in the Sell and Swap thread. Before that, just plain COWW. When compared, the RCBS and the Lee 55 grain boolits are very similar.

[flyingmonkey35]

I shoot cast in my bolt 223 slot the time.

However I only shoot mouse fart / gallery loads.

I keep it at about 1200fps with a lee 55g cast powder coated and no gas check.

This thing is insanely fun to shoot. And is a tack driver.

I've used tightgroup, red dot , universal and trailboss.

I like trailboss the best.



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[Jack Stanley]

I'm currently using 700-X at a rate of four to four and a half grains per shot , Lyman 225462 bullet .

Jack

[Conditor22]

my best group so far has been with Varget with the lee 55 grn PC'd GC

[Boolseye]

any of you guys using the lee C225-55-RF mold?

I use the NOE version of that boolit, which is basically the RCBS 55-225 RF. Nothing could be easier than meeting your goals as laid out. You can cast to 12-15 Bhn, use a pistol powder or a fast rifle powder as desired. Red Dot, 700x, Rl #7, 4895, name your flavor. Here's my personal data, all tested (700x and Red Dot are similar in burn rate to Bullseye.) Don’t take my word for it though, always verify your loads against published data.

NOE 55 gr. FN (actual weight 62 gr.)
18 gr. 4895 start.
(Gibson also suggests .5 gr. dacron filler)
Found 17 to be best group at 50 yds.
H335
17.5, 17.6g start
Bullseye: 1.8–9 grains (800-2500 fps)
1.8, 3.7, 4.0 rec. loads. (sp primers OK)
4.0 good squirrel load
H110/W296: 13.7-18gr.
*15.3 gr. w/ mag. rifle primer, cycles,
VV530: 18.7 cycles
22 gr. =2600 fps
Reloader 7: 15 gr. =1900 fps.
try. 6.4 gr. Unique

[Hick]

I load the Lyman 225646GC (~58 grains) and the NOE 225-55FN GC in my CZ-527 in 223 rem. Mine has the 1:9 twist and does very well right up to about 1800 fps and then groups open up. My best load for both of those bullets is 5.8 grains of HP-38 at ~1720 fps. With my CZ this gives me under 1 MOA when I do my part.

[RyanJames170]

What are you guys using for lube, and how far over grove diameter are you going?

I am thinking with the Lee 225-55-RF that I will use Lyman Alox lube and gas check them.

[jimb16]

I'm running 7-8 gr of red dot under a gas checked 55 gr rn in my contender carbine. Seems to work well on squirrels and is bad juju on woodchucks too.

[Hick]

For all my 223 loads, I use a gas check, size them to 0.224 using a Lee push trough sizer then just tumble lube ( one coat of Ben's LL - a mixture of that special Johnson's liquid wax and Alox). This gets me to ~1700 fps with no leading.

[brstevns]

I have been using 5.0 gr Unique with the Bator bullet, Getting around 1650fps according to my cousin chorny. From a single shot small martini

[Boolseye]

What are you guys using for lube, and how far over grove diameter are you going?

I am thinking with the Lee 225-55-RF that I will use Lyman Alox lube and gas check them.

I lube with 45-45-10 prior to sizing and gas checks. .001” over groove works well for me, a little bigger does no harm. Final lube is done in a pan with a homemade concoction similar to WWV lube. I’m sure Alox or 45-45-10 alone will be fine.


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[brstevns]

I have been using Lee Alox and shooting them unsized . have not been using a gas check at these FPS, getting squirrel head size groups at 50 yards.

[Boolseye]

I have been using Lee Alox and shooting them unsized . have not been using a gas check at these FPS, getting squirrel head size groups at 50 yards.

that sounds like a nice squirrel load, will have to try.

[brstevns]

that sounds like a nice squirrel load, will have to try.

Hope you get the same results, has worked great for me and in my cousins Savage Axis

[Jack Stanley]

My lube is a mix of 75%Alox ( the 50/50 kind ) and 25% LBT blue lube . Only lube one ring no matter if I use gas checks or not . Oddly enough I can get away with using less powder when using a gas check .

If I wanted only a thousand feet per second I'd use Bullseye and drop the charge a good bit .

Jack

[Dapaki]

I have been using Lee Alox and shooting them unsized . have not been using a gas check at these FPS, getting squirrel head size groups at 50 yards.

A"LIKE" button sure would be nice!

[cwlongshot]

I was just lent a very nice set of MP molds dropping beautiful HP and solid "hornet" bullets.


Unsure if they will make it i to 223 cases. But my Hornets and Bees are gonna really enjoy them!!


MP surely knows how to make a beautiful
Mold!


CW

[Drifty4]

I have been using RCBS 22-55-FN weighs 59 grains using straight ww and RCBS lube.

I have been having good luck with 7.0 grains of Unique in a 1:9 barrel.

[Boolseye]

I recall doing some testing with 700x and hornet boolits (Lyman 225438). I used from 6-7 grains of 700x to get from 1900-2200 fps, 8 grains of Unique gave me about 2300 fps. Very low recoil with the little 44 grain pill. I believe that was out of the TC Encore.


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[donald duck]

I use 5.7 grains of Accurate # 5 behind a Lyman cast gas check 415, 55 grain grain bullet. Lee crimp die for all.

[Win52D]

http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%20Casting/Lyman%20Cast%20Bullet%20Handbook%20-%203rd%20Edition%20-%201980%20-%20Reduce.pdf

Scroll down to page 129 for Red Dot loads in 223 for boolits from 37 grains to 54 grains. Don't overlook the 748 loads, I use that powder for 223 in AR's with a 70ish grain MP boolit.

What charge do you use for the 70gr? I am looking to develop loads for that wgt bullet. I am using a Savage 12 bolt action though