AR-10/308 boolit advice

[Castinator]

So I searched for "AR-10" with zero hits. I'm building one AR-10 and buying another. I've done a decent amount of handgun boolit casting but no rifles yet (not counting my PCC's).

So what's a good boolit for an AR-10?

My main concern is feeding. Obviously, accuracy is nice. Also, I powder coat, so I'm thinking a custom mold with a full bearing surface and no lube grooves. Might use it for a 30-30 and 300 Win Mag, but that's way off. I thought about something like this (http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-155L), but with a gas check. This will largely be for plinking. maybe some steel out to 200-300 yards.

I like 5 or 6 cavity molds, as I like to be efficient. I'm also a big aluminum mold guy.

TIA.

[oley55]

I have no experience with AR10 and feeding issues, but I just saw a nice Arsenal mold that looks very much like your link, except it has micro lube grooves which I think you would find easier to size over no lube grooves. That sized lead needs a place to go.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?430994-WTS-Arsenal-311-176-LFN-Micro-Band

[winelover]

I doubt that bullet you referenced will feed in my Armalite AR-10 carbine. It's pretty picky and feeds 100% reliability with cast spitzers or bullets with smaller meplats. I cast a 160 grain spitzers with a NOE 311414 mold. In the heavier category, mine likes the 180 grain MP silhouette mold. Sorry, I don't do PC.

Winelover

[mehavey]

See...
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?384215-Best-308win-cast-bullet-for-multiple-uses&p=4686013&viewfull=1#post4686013
...for shapes that feed just fine in my AR-10(design) SR762

[Hanzy4200]

Not to be a buzzkill, but I'm hesitant to recommend any cast bullet in a gas gun. Can they work? Sure. Is it a major PITA with little return? Yup. Most guys I know who have done it say they would not do it again. Just source some cheap jacketed pills. That's what I do for my AR-10. American Reloading is a great place to look. They sell bulk new production and pull downs cheap. Good guys.

[sutherpride59]

I will second the buzz killer lol. For cast I love my 300 blackout. 308 you are pushing such reduced loads I don't think I would mess with it. Up to you. Spritzer will be your friends for feeding purposes though, round nose can work too or a round with a small flat point.

[Castinator]

I doubt that bullet you referenced will feed in my Armalite AR-10 carbine. It's pretty picky and feeds 100% reliability with cast spitzers or bullets with smaller meplats. I cast a 160 grain spitzers with a NOE 311414 mold. In the heavier category, mine likes the 180 grain MP silhouette mold. Sorry, I don't do PC.

Winelover

Thanks, looks like that NOE bullet is a 152 grain now (https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/308-311/311-152-sp-l1/311-150-sp-l1-5-cavity-gc-311414/). With powder coat and gas check its probably closer to 160?

BTW the AR-10 I want to use this in has an adjustable gas block, so I can dial it in for cast loads. Love shooting cast/powdercoated/checked rounds in my 10mm direct impingement AR. Eats them like jelly beans.

[gpidaho]

Castinator: I have no problems running cast bullets in my gas guns. While I'm yet to get the AR10, gas checked bullets powder coated run just fine in my AR15s 223, 300Bo and 7.62X39. The Noe 314-129-SP is my favorite 30 caliber bullet. Gp

[popper]

31-165C from Tom. Shoots and feeds fine from lr-308, any mag. 2400 fps carbine and 2700 from rifle barrels. GC and WD alloy. PCd.

[bruce drake]

LEE's 155/160gr Spirepoint designs as well Ideal's 311412 (150) and 311413 (170) work well in my AR10 in 308Win. PC coats and I can run them up to 2500fps with no issues.

[Dgoins]

I am looking for subsonic load data for a 230gn cast boolit in 300 blackout

[megasupermagnum]

Not to be a buzzkill, but I'm hesitant to recommend any cast bullet in a gas gun. Can they work? Sure. Is it a major PITA with little return? Yup. Most guys I know who have done it say they would not do it again. Just source some cheap jacketed pills. That's what I do for my AR-10. American Reloading is a great place to look. They sell bulk new production and pull downs cheap. Good guys.

I read things like this before I got my M1A, but decided to do it anyway. I found that none of it has any real merit. I had recorded exactly how many rounds I fired, something like 450 all cast bullets, before I cleaned it. It is now with Ted Brown, should be done any day now with a bedding and unitized gas system, along with a few small tweaks.

After 450ish rounds of cast bullets that cycled the action, some even creeping up on 2300 fps, I found nothing in the gas system. I mean nothing. I pulled it all apart, and except the normal bit of stuff from powder burn on the piston, a couple minutes and a tooth brush and pipe cleaner with Hoppes #9 had it spotless. Not he slightest hint of lead in the gas system at all. It wouldn't matter anyway, as the M1A gas system is stupidly easy to clean, although I have no idea of the AR10. So no, it is not hard work for nothing. It was not hard work, it was no work, and it worked fine. It was no different that shooting a bolt, lever, or other type of rifle.

As for bullets that cycled, I never found a bullet that did not cycle in my M1A. They all worked. My favorites were the Lee 170 gr, and a Saeco 315 clone (NOE clone). They both shot about the same before, and we will see how it does after the magic of Ted Brown. Forget the no lube groove bullets. They are a fad by action pistol shooters. Most people find they do not shoot as well as lube groove bullets in rifles, even if you are powdercoating.

[mehavey]

^^^^^^^^^^ Ditto ^^^^^^^^^
AR15/AR10/Beowulf/Grendel/M1A/M1

I do recommend gas checks, and either ALOX or PC, though.

[megasupermagnum]

Yes, I should mention that every bullet I shot was a gas checked bullet. I believe all of mine were traditionally lubed. I don't recall shooting any Alox tumble lube, and I know I didn't shoot any coated bullets.

[mehavey]

Alox tumble lube....Don't tumble.
Wipe thiiiiiin coat on with thumb/forefinger.
Bake/piepan at 225 for 2 hours... and let cool.
Shoot next day -- or years later.
Coating is non-sticky, next to invisible, but tough as nails

[megasupermagnum]

I can shoot tumbled bullets next day. If I'm going to put in that much effort, I'd just use powder coat.

[mehavey]

I use Powder Coat as a default.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNt79f1c/45-ACP-ACC-45-200-M-RNFP-Lead-Bullseye.jpg

But Powder coat interferes w/ bore-rider designs, and with tight/short-throated chambers in many rifles
If/when it does, I use the relatively-simple/baked-ALOX process to rectify.

[megasupermagnum]

That makes sense, I hadn't thought of that.

[Ithaca Gunner]

You don't see much love for this mold, but in a .308/7.62x51 NATO it's the first one I would try is a Lyman 311332, it's a Spitzer type weighing 180gr. (No.2 alloy). I use it with IMR4227 in a bolt gun, but would probably go to something like Varget, IMR3031, IMR4895, IMR4064 in a self loader.

[mehavey]

Think ALOX (again)
to accommodate throat/bore.
;)

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?384215-Best-308win-cast-bullet-for-multiple-uses&p=4686013&viewfull=1#post4686013

[Supertankerm60a3]

Has anyone copper plated instead of powdercoating? I tend to plate my rifle boolits and powdercoat the pistol stuff. Zep Rootkill, copper sulfate, is the stuff, dissolved in HOT distilled water. I have a special two bucker rotating (BBQ rotisserie) plating setup. CHEAP but gets the whole bullet.

[megasupermagnum]

I've heard of it done more in the past, but plated bullets are generally inferior to cast bullets, so I doubt too many mess with it anymore. It does seem like swaging jackets on has become slightly more popular with some new lower cost dies and strong presses.

[Castinator]

I use Powder Coat as a default.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNt79f1c/45-ACP-ACC-45-200-M-RNFP-Lead-Bullseye.jpg

But Powder coat interferes w/ bore-rider designs, and with tight/short-throated chambers in many rifles
If/when it does, I use the relatively-simple/baked-ALOX process to rectify.

Wouldn't a shorter seating depth rectify that? Unless your bullet is maximum length and barely fits as it is, just seat a little deeper.


I doubt that bullet you referenced will feed in my Armalite AR-10 carbine. It's pretty picky and feeds 100% reliability with cast spitzers or bullets with smaller meplats. I cast a 160 grain spitzers with a NOE 311414 mold. In the heavier category, mine likes the 180 grain MP silhouette mold. Sorry, I don't do PC.

Winelover


I emailed NOE asking if they are going to make any more 311414 molds. No response.


31-165C from Tom. Shoots and feeds fine from lr-308, any mag. 2400 fps carbine and 2700 from rifle barrels. GC and WD alloy. PCd.

Good thing about Accurate Molds is you can get up to 5 cavity. I'm not going for MOA at 1000 yards, I'm going for cheap and efficient.

Thanks to all who have replied to this thread. :coffeecom

[charlie b]

Wouldn't a shorter seating depth rectify that? Unless your bullet is maximum length and barely fits as it is, just seat a little deeper.

No. Bore riders are usually quite long and seating deeper means part of the smaller dia nose is in the neck, sometimes to the point the bullet just falls through.

The solution is to nose size them to fit your bore. Yep, extra steps, but, it is worth it to be able to shoot heavier, powder coated bullets.