What molds are available for 5.56?

[Bashby]

So far I’m casting and powder coating boolits for 45acp, 9mm, and (without success) 300 BO. I am going to start doing 5.56 for a 16” 1-8 AR. Going to start doing some 2gun and where we will be shooting several stages under 100 yards with one stage out to 400. I was thinking using cast for the close up stuff and a similar weight jacketed bullet for the long stage unless I can cast to shoot accurate enough. I see Lee has a 55 grain mold. Might want heavier than that. What’s out there?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Lee 55gr is a copy of the RCBS 22-55 and it's a pretty good design for the AR.
NOE also copied that design, My NOE mold drops a 60 gr boolit...maybe the Lee does too?
How much heavier do you want?
and why do you want heavier? Are you tipping Steel plates?

If you can find a HM² 225-62 mold, that was designed specifically for the AR. It's very similar to the RCBS design, but with a couple improvements.

Also, the Lyman 225415 works in the AR. Older molds were cut lighter, like around 48 to 50 gr, newer molds are 55 or a bit heavier. I recall the newish mold I have makes 60gr once the GC and lube is applied.

If you plan on shooting jacketed in same competition with same gun, are you gonna down load them? Because you'll never get the same velocity (with accuracy) from cast in your 556 AR. With cast, there is actually a fairly narrow window of reliable cycling and accuracy. Also, you need a slower powder to accomplish that. I use H4895 on the recommendation of others, and works well...just work up a load starting at 16 gr. until you get reliable cycling, and you may notice loss of accuracy once you get to 20 gr or so.

[sigep1764]

MP Molds has a brass 6 cavity 75 grain mold cut at .227 right now. Its what I've been using with 20 grains of W748

[Bashby]

The Lee 55gr is a copy of the RCBS 22-55 and it's a pretty good design for the AR.
NOE also copied that design, My NOE mold drops a 60 gr boolit...maybe the Lee does too?
How much heavier do you want?
and why do you want heavier? Are you tipping Steel plates?

not sure how heavy I want or if this is even a good idea. Shooting steel but not tipping. I thought heavier bullets were better at longer range and in wind.

If you can find a HM² 225-62 mold, that was designed specifically for the AR. It's very similar to the RCBS design, but with a couple improvements.

Also, the Lyman 225415 works in the AR. Older molds were cut lighter, like around 48 to 50 gr, newer molds are 55 or a bit heavier. I recall the newish mold I have makes 60gr once the GC and lube is applied.

If you plan on shooting jacketed in same competition with same gun, are you gonna down load them?

Don’t really have a plan yet, more wondering if this is feasible.
Because you'll never get the same velocity (with accuracy) from cast in your 556 AR. With cast, there is actually a fairly narrow window of reliable cycling and accuracy. Also, you need a slower powder to accomplish that. I use H4895 on the recommendation of others, and works well...just work up a load starting at 16 gr. until you get reliable cycling, and you may notice loss of accuracy once you get to 20 gr or so.

See my replies in quote

[Wolfdog91]

I'm shooting the Lee 55gr PC and noticed that it's shooting about two low and one and a half inches to the right compared to my 75gr Hornady HPBT. The cast chugging along at around 2180 and the jacketed running around 2700

[Edward]

None that I had (NOE) not the molds fault but they are a bugger to gas check/handle and a pain to cast !With bulk being cheap I buy them and cast stuff that matters (bigger) /lots of big bore . With primers/powder being expensive and non existent at least where I'm located what I load shoot cant be wasted on a mistake ! Ed

[Bashby]

I'm shooting the Lee 55gr PC and noticed that it's shooting about two low and one and a half inches to the right compared to my 75gr Hornady HPBT. The cast chugging along at around 2180 and the jacketed running around 2700

At what distance are you seeing those results? Have you ever compared a 55 grain jacketed bullet?

[Bashby]

None that I had (NOE) not the molds fault but they are a bugger to gas check/handle and a pain to cast !With bulk being cheap I buy them and cast stuff that matters (bigger) /lots of big bore . With primers/powder being expensive and non existent at least where I'm located what I load shoot cant be wasted on a mistake ! Ed

I’ll probably end up just using jacketed bullets for now.

[Larry Gibson]

I’ll probably end up just using jacketed bullets for now.

Probably will save a lot of frustration given the parameters you mention.

[quilbilly]

I’ll probably end up just using jacketed bullets for now.
That is pretty much what I did since I have so many cheap jacketed 22 cal.projectiles stored up from past years. Nevertheless, in my my 223 bolt rifle, the cast boolits from my NOE mold are actually more accurate than any of the generic jacketed. Both my 22 Hornet and one of my 222's love CB's from either the Lee mold or the NOE mold. Another reason I save jacketed for semi-auto platforms is that the action won't function below 2450 fps which is faster than I get the best accuracy with CB's. That 223 bolt rifle prefers an MV of about 1950 to get its superb accuracy with CB's.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP>>>

Don’t really have a plan yet, more wondering if this is feasible.
While it's possible, it's not feasible.

[Bashby]

While it's possible, it's not feasible.


I might revisit this later on, but if I’m going to take on a new sport/hobby doing 2 gun, ive got plenty other things to learn and worry about. I’m gonna see how things go this weekend and go from there.

[Wolfdog91]

At what distance are you seeing those results? Have you ever compared a 55 grain jacketed bullet?

At both 50 and 100yd. Well I only shoot the jacketed at 100yd but the cast says about the same from 50-100.
So here's five round of 75grhpbt running like 2700 something fps @100
291116
Now here's a ten round group of my Lee cast loads running right around 2200fps ( and I'm reducing that right now some more testing I've done is showing me 2140-2180 is my sweet spot to where my AR runs and I get good accuracy)
https://i.postimg.cc/N52nWFfj/IMG-20211021-144215225-HDR.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N52nWFfj)
And this was the same cast bullet going in around 2170 @ 50yd
https://i.postimg.cc/qM78JQyY/IMG-20211030-183546776.jpg

[Wolfdog91]

Sorry trying to post the other pictures but it's being a pain

[Soundguy]

the lee 55gr gc is working fine for me. easy to cast.. easy to check when sizing. just wish I could get mp molds to get their 40gr back in stock with gas check. i have their 38/40 non gc fp/hp mold..... it's not as easy to use as the lee.. but is better quality.