Optimal calibers for cast AR ahooting

[Wolfdog91]

Is your opinions what are some if the more optimal calibers for casting on the AR platform ? Seems that a few calibers like .300 blk and .458 SOCOM just plain work with cast out if an at while somthing like a .223 is A bit more finicky. So just by their nature what's are some of the better calibers for casting in the AR platform?

[popper]

308W, about anything 30 cal and up. except the 350 legend.

[John McCorkle]

More mass conducive calibers?

I've only tried with 300 BLK after alot of seeing others trial and error with alot of success in the round.

300 BLK is great for cast in all platforms I've tried it in.

Seems like calibers that require alot of velocity and high pressures to add alot of stress to the system and projectile...like plugging an amplifier up to an off tuned guitar. It may sound good or ok at low volume but crank it up and you can really tell how off tune it is or the details of how the tone doesn't sound right

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[Texas by God]

7.62x39 was easy for me. .300 BO wasnt. That's the limit of my AR casting experience. YMMV.

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[sutherpride59]

Popper, what would be wrong with the 350 legend? I thought it would be a good cast round but I have read much about it.

[Lloyd Smale]

300 bo hands down for a factory chambered round. A few wildcats fit the bill too. 762x39 is hit and miss. Some guns (like the one I had) were way to finiky even with jacketed reloads. Heck even factory steel bullet wolf. But if your gun runs well it should be no more work to find a load then in a 300 bo. Now an ar10 308 is a different animal. You need to be able to run it at least 500 fps faster then the bo or 39 just to make it run. Lots harder to find accuracy at 2500 fps then it is at 2000 fps. Ive shot cast in mine but had to settle for minute of man accuracy. MOA just wasn't happening with any load or bullet I tried that would run the gun. You run into the same walls as you will encounter trying to shoot full power cast loads in an 556. but ill give you this advice. Get a BO buy yourself a rcbs 130 spitzer gas check mold. Cast them hard, pc them, put the check on! and start with 19 grains of 110 and move up slowly till you find a sweet spot. If you have a good gun that load will shoot. I have 3 bos from a 7 inch to a 16 and even the 7 inch gun will do 1.5 inches at 50 yards the 8.5 slightly better but those guns have red dots. The 16 will shoot 10 shot groups under 2 inch at a 100 (it has a scope) Not moa but plenty good to hit something out past even 200 yards. Sweet spot for my gun was 20 grains but anything from 19 to 22 shot real well.

[dverna]

If I had to shoot cast out of an AR15, I would pick the .300 BO. It seems the right fit wrt bullet size, and case capacity. The .300 offers a deer round but I would not use an AR to hunt with anyway.

Brass can be made cheaply with some investment in time.

I bought a mold for the 5.56 but have never used it as I found a source for Hornady 55 gr SP'S at $7/100. Those bullets go on sale a couple of times a year. 6000 bulk pack. For coyotes and paper they are OK. Should work on two legged varmints if it comes to that, but the .300 would be better.

There is a .358AR round that would be of interest. It can be made from 5.56 brass. .350 Legend brass is proprietary and that would be a negative for me.

[mehavey]

So far in an AR action:

223/556
308 Win
350 Legend
50 BeoWoooof

All have served me well with cast/multiple moulds each/Lyman#2(gas-checked)/thin ALOX/pretty much near-full velocities/spotless bores.

[Burnt Fingers]

My luck so far with the 300 Blackout has been a failure. I've gotten two new gas check molds. I'm going to try some gas checked bullets.

The four different plain based bullets I tried all failed. Even the 235 gr MP hollow point.

[sundog]

Yes, 300BO works good with cast, especially GC'd and PC'd.

I am rather surprised that 7.62x40WT (12 twist) and 300 Ham'r (15 twist) have not caught on better with the cast boolit folks. Both are very easy to get shooting with cast. Onliest thing needed is a barrel swap and make (or buy) some brass.

[JMax]

Two 7.62x39 ARs using Lee bullet sized to .314 Using IMR4227 at 14.5 gr to 16 gr shoot these with abandon with no malfunctions.

[rockrat]

Don't forget 450 bushmaster and the 50 beowulf

[odfairfaxsub]

I cast for 50 beo, 450 Bush, 300 blackout subs, ar10 308. Ar15 will deff cast for 762x39 according to my friend John

[fastdadio]

308W, about anything 30 cal and up. except the legion.

Strange you would say this about the 350 Legend. Personally, I had no interest in the AR platform until this cartridge was developed.
But then, I'm one of those guys that live and hunt in a restricted rifle zone that it was developed and sold for.
A 9x43mm cartridge, driving a 180 gr at 2200 fps. is in my opinion, the ultimate pistol caliber carbine.

[popper]

Legend appears to be hard to find moulds that work good. Converting brass is a pain. Doesn't make sense unless required.

[gpidaho]

I have an AR upper, a bolt action Ruger and a Handi rifle in 300 blackout. A Noe 129gr. SP gas checked and powder coated over 17gr. LilGun works well in all of them. I have messed with cast 223 loads but find it more trouble than it's worth. Gp

[44Blam]

Strange you would say this about the 350 Legend. Personally, I had no interest in the AR platform until this cartridge was developed.
But then, I'm one of those guys that live and hunt in a restricted rifle zone that it was developed and sold for.
A 9x43mm cartridge, driving a 180 gr at 2200 fps. is in my opinion, the ultimate pistol caliber carbine.

YES.
But pistol caliber carbine is a bad term. This is a rifle cartridge for sure. The other cool thing is a 9mm boolit (gas checked and properly lubed) can be sent at about 2500 fps out of this platform...

[44Blam]

Legend appears to be hard to find moulds that work good. Converting brass is a pain. Doesn't make sense unless required.

I drank the coolaid because I got an upper with BCG for under $300... I also spent a bit on brass, dies, etc... Those cases are not gonna be 'lost'...

[fastdadio]

I drank the coolaid because I got an upper with BCG for under $300... I also spent a bit on brass, dies, etc... Those cases are not gonna be 'lost'...

I bought a hundred rounds of factory Win. fmj. to get me going. At .50 cents a round, I thought it was reasonable, and plan to buy some more. I got the lee dies, and a detachable brass catcher that mounts on the pic rail. Never used a brass catcher before. I think I'm going to like this thing. The only thing holding me back from the bench is the non-availability of small rifle primers. Never had need for them until now.
Why do you say 'pistol caliber carbine' is a bad term? I chose that term for a reason, and called it a 9x43 instead of 350 Legend. Seems to me that this new cartridge confuses a lot of people. When compared to other rifle loadings, it does come up a bit short, but when compared to a pistol cartridge, it's the hot new ticket.
Compare it to this;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.375_Winchester

[Burnt Fingers]

Legend appears to be hard to find moulds that work good. Converting brass is a pain. Doesn't make sense unless required.

The Legend was never intended for you to form brass for it. It's a bit larger in diameter than the parent 223 case.

Just buy some ammo or brass and go.

[mehavey]

All three of these moulds work just fine for the LEGEND:
https://i.postimg.cc/BvmysqqS/350-Legend-ACC36-180-LG-Norma-200-sm.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/bw7J0YPq/350-Legend-SAECO-LEE-sm.jpg

[onelight]

I do admire you shooting and loading But am amazed at how you put that post together :D
Good job !

[popper]

about the 350 Legend Niche cartridge for certain states. 180gr is 2k fps, not 2200 (hodgdon). BO is 1800 for 180. Found some empty Legend cases yesterday, slightly different than (my) 223 stuff. Yup, 20% larger hole, little faster. Unless really needed for legal reasons, why? My BO is 12$/100 cast 150-10gr. 50$/100 is a LOT more for not much improvement. Wilson stuff won't take the normal heavy bullets (chamber).
As for PCC, my BO 10" pistol works great with 170gr PB PC @ 900 or ~1400 (not chrony yet but bang/whack slow and just whack for faster ) and no real felt recoil - really fast follow up. 357 mag carbine performance!

[kenton]

Hodgdon has a 180gr Win PP running 2213 fps with a max charge of Lil'Gun. Granted that is out of a 24 inch barrel

[gunther]

A 9mm AR might be a good choice for plinking. Cheap brass, cheap bullets and blowback action that lead bullets won't plug up.

[Hanzy4200]

300 BLK was a breeze for me. Shot great from first round. Haven't attempted .223. Considering the cost of Jacketed, and the reputation of cast .223, I have never felt much push to try.

[odfairfaxsub]

I love my ar 9. I shoot that gun more than everything I own combined

[fcvan]

I shoot cast in AR 10 and 15, .308 for the AR 10 and M1A, .223/5.56, 300 BO, and 9mm for the AR 15. 2 favorites are .223 and 9mm, with the 9mm getting less use lately. I built all of my ARs when I was still living/working in CA, and have since retired. They changed the rules on bullet buttons claiming we 'cheated' when complying with the way the law was written.

I broke down the rifles (and AR15 pistols) to where they wouldn't fire and therefore did not need to be registered as 'assault weapons' under the re-write of the law. I moved everything 'black and fun' to the house in CO, leaving only a Mini 14 .223 for shooting fun when staying at the house out west. Bolt and single shot rifles don't count.

The Mini 14 loves the NOE 225-62 RN designed plain based and powder coated. I use IMR 4227 which runs all of my AR 15s and the Mini 14. I do have a gas check mold (Lyman 225-415 RF) and even a set of dies for making gas checks. The PCd plain base boolits shoot fine so I don't have to mess with the pesky little checks. I was able to get 1 MOA at 100 yards with either boolit design and an average of 2250 fps from the 16" barrels, 2450 fps from a 24" H-BAR 1-12" twist Handi Rifle.

Sticking mainly with the 9mm AR15, off-hand shooting of tin cans and clay pigeons at 100 yards, even while shooting on the move, was a rather simple affair. A Lee 356-125 2R at 1350 fps from a 16" (1325 from a 10" AR 15 pistol) and slightly higher from both when using the Lee 356-102 1R when just rolling tin cans but conserving lead. I also built a 7.5" .223/5.56 AR 15 pistol, which is obnoxiously loud with factory, not nearly as bad with cast. Still loud and obnoxious, but I kind of like it. :)

Considering the platform and typical engagement ranges in urban settings, the 9mm or the .223 would be suitable. I don't ever want to be in that situation in the first place, and if so would prefer a 12 ga with buckshot. Beyond the range of the weapon, it would be hard to justify the lawful use of deadly force.

Still, tin cans are fair game at 'urban' distances for practice and muscle memory retention. SWAT trained for 7 years, I still run our old drills. I just find tin cans to be 'hostile.' At greater distances, the AR15 in either .223 or 9mm, and yes 300 BO too, I try hard to justify killing cans at 100-150 yards, again to maintain muscle memory. I hate tin cans, call it an unnatural hatred.

FMJ .223/5.56 just pokes a hole in the can and passes through without hardly moving the can. Cast lead shreds the can, often causing the can to go considerable distances once hit. It is violent when cast lead hits the can and I like it. The can needs to know it has been shot and is DEAD! I think there may be a group therapy session for people like me. But, most of the folks I know think 'group therapy' is shooting tighter groups.

[charlie b]

.......
Still, tin cans are fair game at 'urban' distances for practice and muscle memory retention. SWAT trained for 7 years, I still run our old drills. I just find tin cans to be 'hostile.' At greater distances, the AR15 in either .223 or 9mm, and yes 300 BO too, I try hard to justify killing cans at 100-150 yards, again to maintain muscle memory. I hate tin cans, call it an unnatural hatred.

FMJ .223/5.56 just pokes a hole in the can and passes through without hardly moving the can. Cast lead shreds the can, often causing the can to go considerable distances once hit. It is violent when cast lead hits the can and I like it. The can needs to know it has been shot and is DEAD! I think there may be a group therapy session for people like me. But, most of the folks I know think 'group therapy' is shooting tighter groups.

ROFLMAO I never had it in for tin cans. I did want some targets to make shooting at longer range more fun. Soda cans, filled, at 300yd are a blast. For 100-200yd I get the plastic sauce containers and fill with water. No, this is not with a short barrel. Scoped .223 and .308 bolt actions.