223 + Cast, is it worth it?

[Budzilla 19]

I don’t know if it’s “ worth it” or not, but I’m going to try it,………………………..again. First time, I screwed it up. Now, I’m going to have a LOT more patience, and do it right.
Ruger bolt gun should be fun plinking. Got plenty of full power stuff. This should be fun.

[Wolfdog91]

Can you get jackets velocity... Yes , but your gonna need more specialized stuff ... That being said not hard to get 22-2400fps with decent accuracy 2-3 moa is pretty easy with some care Getting full function in an AR 15 really really really isn't as hard as folk made it out to be

If your wanting jackets performance....wellll that's when you get into the weeds and you gotta talk to the high velocity gurus.

If you want cheap and easy just get some blems

[Doughty]

TribunusSanGeorgii, Thanks for the info.

[archeryrob]

Okay, I am back to the realization that I need to make a hard *** bullet if I want to shoot cast 223. Otherwise, buy jackets bullets.

I ordered 55 g V-max 500 count and I might still try hard lead to wastes some time.

[deltaenterprizes]

223 boolits are so small that if Linotype is available you can get plenty of them from a pound!
Even at $3/lb , you can get 127 pieces that costs a little bit over 2 cents each!

[Wolfdog91]

Okay, I am back to the realization that I need to make a hard *** bullet if I want to shoot cast 223. Otherwise, buy jackets bullets.

I ordered 55 g V-max 500 count and I might still try hard lead to wastes some time.

Meh , only like 18-20bhn which isn't hard to get at all

Sent from my SM-S731U using Tapatalk

[oldblinddog]

IMG_1396.jpg They aren’t that hard to make. Also, Bullseye is your friend.

[dverna]

It doesn't hurt to have more options when the next shortage occurs. It might even make your head hurt.

That is why I have two .22 cal. molds that I have never used. JIC (Just In Case). I bought them over 10 years ago and hope to never need them. At 75, with about 10k jacketed bullets in inventory, that seems like a reasonable expectation.

I rarely disagree with Mr. Gibson but on this topic I do. Even in non-gas .223 platforms, casting .22 bullets is a "labor of love" when commercial jacketed bullets are so affordable when purchase in bulk. Look at my previous post and determine if the squeeze is worth the juice. The savings compared to the effort are not enough for most people.

And the "killer" is this... There will be a reduction in both accuracy and ballistic performance for the little bit of savings achievable by casting your own.

If you are young and/or prepping for tough times, think about my approach. If you cannot build inventory due to lack of funds, get a good mold in case the SHTF. Keep using .22 jacketed bullets while they are affordable and readily available. I am at point I can sell those molds as I have plenty of bullets for the "zombies". And like Mr. Gibson, I don't need to shoot .223 to put holes in paper or critters or ring plates for fun during the next shortage. I have .300 BO, .38/.357 options for fun shooting with cast bullets that are easy to cast and work well...and both the .300 BO and .38/.357 are miserly when it comes to powder usage.

[Larry Gibson]

The OP was talking about jacketed bullet performance of, perhaps, 3000 fps, out of a 7" twist AR. Ergo, our discussions regard to reduced cast bullet loads applicable to use in SSs and bolt actions really doesn't apply. Reason being most loads we use in SSs or bolt actions will not function his AR and because we have slower than 7' twist barrels.

Such discussion of loads for SSs and bolt action rifles also may be giving the OP a bit more optimistic outlook. If the OP is just wanting "blasting ammo" to be shot at 50 to 100 yards then he may find some success in at last attaining some level of poor ball ammo performance of 2 - 3" accuracy at 50 yards and 4 - 6" accuracy at 100 yards. However, if he is pushing above 2000 fps he will find accuracy at 150 to 200 yards to be dismal at best and hopeless at worst, even for "blasting ammo".

[Snippy45]

for a bolt gun, it can be if you actually need it... and get the right twist, and do the load development.

However, more intelligent to get a necked down 357 magnum case bolt gun, or even a blackout.

[Shopdog]

Can't help with AR,or any semi with cast cause I don't have any,of any caliber rifle... and further,any discussion from me about JB's is going to be a very short conversation cause,I don't shoot them neither.

I'd say to the OP that with out a doubt the smaller the diameter of boolit,and the smaller the case capacity.... the smaller your accuracy load window/s will be. Sticking with .22's... they are extremely picky about boolit profiles. I've seen two rigs(factory brrls)from the same company have completely different "likes and dislikes". This isn't about low node,low velocity "group shooting". Where we're lobbing them at pedestrian speeds. Let's get up around 2400 and above and they start to act like JB's going 500' faster on terminal ballistics. Right around 25/2600 out of a 22-250 shooting crows and Ghogs with a slow twist 26" brrl will flat out turn them into a mushy red mist. And that's with no HP.

It takes a goodly amount of "work".... even with vast resources of time/experience/tooling. I love it... most folks don't. Got a BUNCH of 22 moulds. If I had to pick one,it would be a cheap Lee 225-55.... Don't get fixated on alloy hardness,or body diameter. If fact,more often than not,I'm running as cast on the body. It's the nose diameter and taper with it's relationship to the chamber leade. The amount of "jam" is critical on go-fast Ghog loads. The best field accuracy(first shot,cold bore "X") is gonna be right at the ragged edge of sticking a boolit... and is why a tapered nose sizing does so well. Don't get fixated on lube.... it ain't the flavor,it's the amount. One reason powder coating works is; you're taking lube purging out of the equation. On 22's I only lube the tiny spot above the GC,that's it. These loads are capable of MOA groups out to 150 yards.

My main focus is 2500+ fps, 3 & 5 shot,bolt action mag dump groups that are starting to bug hole. IOW's, we're starting to see boolits going through cluster holes. This is all that I require for the killing fields. A 3 shot cloverleaf from a cold brrl, with rudimentary bags around 3/4" @100. It AIN'T benchrest... so dragging out $$$ BR bags,range flags,bench manners,sighters/foulers isn't doing me any good.

OP, like others on here I find it hugely interesting and enjoyable... others get fed up and quit. Just gotta be careful with the "crab bucket" mentality... "if I can't do it,gotta pull everyone else down" that I see a cpl members on here pontificating. Wish they'd go hang out on a JB site instead of this one.

[Grayone]

I use 16 grains of H335 under a Lee 55 grain 22 bullet. It will operate the action of an AR and is ~2.5 to 3 MOA at 100 yds.

[Snippy45]

to think, so many people plinking with a 22 hornet, a grain or two of bulls eye and a lead round ball

[redriverhunter]

http://https://americanreloading.com/collections/rifle-projectiles

If you are unfamiliar with American Reloading you have to add a product to your cart to see the discounted price (and it is almost always discounted to various degrees).

Several options for .224 bullets under $50/k currently.

i would watch what you purchase
https://americanreloading.com/collec...-pulled-1000ct

they are cheap but once sort through a 1000 bullet with mixed weight bullets you may decide that the extra cost for all one weight is worth it.

[TribunusSanGeorgii]

i would watch what you purchase
https://americanreloading.com/collec...-pulled-1000ct

they are cheap but once sort through a 1000 bullet with mixed weight bullets you may decide that the extra cost for all one weight is worth it.

It is a fair point, but even with time spent sorting I have been very happy with them.

[SiliconeSword]

I'll second or third the American Reloading pulled or surplus bullets instead of casting.
75/77 BTHPs can be had from them for ¢8-11 and shoot about MOA with low effort hit loads for me. They also have Vmax occasionally and the 5K 55gn and 2X 40gn I got from them all shoot pretty well but the 40gn not so well because the thin jacket allows more denting from the puller. Still an easy 2moa with a wack load and sub moa with a good stick powder, all for iirc sub ¢10 a piece shipped.
They have whatever they have and it goes in waves depending whatever they get. Don't be afraid to wait or skip until they have what you want, and be ready to drop a lot of money on a big order if there's something you want, hence my 7K Vmax.
The "premium mix" when they have it is medium worthwhile if you value all types/weights of bullets but all other mix should be avoided as the hours of sorting aren't worth it for $10 difference imo.

For larger calibers where I'm not wanting 3K FPS, mainly my pistols and 300blk I'll always cast as 220gn boolits are always gonna be costly and pistol is just so easy to cast for in volume

[Good Cheer]

Copper is copper and lubed is lubed and ne'er the twain shall mete.

[knitepoet]

It's not worth it to me.
Currently, 0.36" is the smallest I cast for.

Everyone else can decide for themselves, like I have.

[dh2]

Casting for .223Rem to me I have put very little in to trying, because I have not got cast boolit load data to cycle an AR-15 which what 99% of my 223Rem ammo goes into, and the fokes at Rocky mountain reloading will sent me 1000 more 62 gr FMJ bullets a lot faster than I can cast and size them. The cast 45 gr. For my 22Hornet after that and once again with a lot less of these boolits needed the time and trouble to cast and load these was not worth the trouble. I just order loaded PPU ammo ,
The last 224 bullets I cast was for my 22-250 AI to form brass from factory new brass, for that and the end result it is worth while, but that formed brass will last me some years now.
Resent years grandkids take a lot of my time, even though I have the required stuff to do many smaller diameter boolits, I no longer cast bullets below 30 cal 180 gr. And go up to 458 dia 500gr

[Rickf1985]

http://https://americanreloading.com/collections/rifle-projectiles

If you are unfamiliar with American Reloading you have to add a product to your cart to see the discounted price (and it is almost always discounted to various degrees).

Several options for .224 bullets under $50/k currently.

80.00 for 500 FMJ pulled. Looking at that I am not even going to put them in a cart. I can get new for the same price or less at Everglades.
https://www.evergladesammo.com/bulle...j-bullets.html
https://www.evergladesammo.com/bulle...ullets-v2.html