.22 cal cast bullets?

[Cannibul]

I'm trying to decide if I want to get into casting.

One of the main reasons would be for reduced loads in my .223 bolt action.

However, I'd like to try some cast bullets before I make the jump.

Anyone here cast those little pills and would be willing to make me a deal on a 100 or so?

 

[DeadEye9]

I don't cast them myself; but I've shot quite a bit of cast lead recently in 9mm and .223. I've been buying my bullets online though pre cast. 500 is like $51 to my door. Not terrible, but you can't get much velocity out of the .223 variety. Good gallery load projectile though. Maybe you could try that route and order up a batch before buying the equipment. That's what I did and learned cast loads really weren't my thing so I'm glad I didn't invest in the whole setup.

 

[Reefinmike]

I don't cast them myself; but I've shot quite a bit of cast lead recently in 9mm and .223. I've been buying my bullets online though pre cast. 500 is like $51 to my door. Not terrible, but you can't get much velocity out of the .223 variety. Good gallery load projectile though. Maybe you could try that route and order up a batch before buying the equipment. That's what I did and learned cast loads really weren't my thing so I'm glad I didn't invest in the whole setup.

$51/500 9mm is pretty pricey for plain lead. Keep an eye out for a sale on xtreme plated bullets. Last time i ordered 500 124gr plated rn it was $35 to my door.

Op- not to be a debbie downer but i dont see many people having great success with the light cast 223 bullets. Jacketed 223 bullets are the cheapest they have been in a while. You can often find hornady 55gr fmjbt for 7 cents a piece to your door. With 223, your average powder charge is 8 cents a piece. Whenever I can buy the bullet for cheaper than the powder charge, I will go that route. By all means i recommend you get into casting but start with another caliber- preferably a low pressure pistol caliber. 45acp or 38spl. I cast and powder coat 99% of the bullets i shoot. When i went to go buy an ar i went 300blk because its much better with cast bullets and it uses the same powders as my magnum pistols. Ooh and also because it would make me a tactical snowflake.

 

[MEHavey]

I'd get these guys to send a batch:
https://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm
(I don't know of anyone who casts them on their own)
.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Dead eye 9, I dare not tell you what to do. That said, I am a dedicated bullet caster. The cast bullet is rated by the pressure it can resist. A .226 bullet cast from Linotype BHN #22 gas checked and hard lubed may stand enough pressure to allow a 2,000 fps bullet. Will it operate the Direct Impingement AR-15 system? Will it gas cut and lead the bore and throat? Will fragments foul your gas tube? These are all possibilities. The fast twist in the .223 in not conducive to accuracy in my rifles with cast bullets.

 

[oldandslow]

C,

During the last great hording a couple of years ago I had to learn how to cast for my .223/556 LMT AR with a 1:7 twist as no FMJ bullets were available.
To summarize it is a real PIA to do correctly and a world apart from the straightforward casting for straight walled pistol cartridges.

First you have to get a good oversized heavy-for-caliber mold that drops the bullets 0.001-0.002" larger than your slugged barrel diameter. Then you have to buy or mix up a lead alloy mixture than has about 2% tin with a bit of antimony and the rest being lead. To get the BHN hardness needed you need to water drop the hot bullets into cold water. If your mold drops the bullets in the appropriate size then you don't have to size them but you do need to add a copper gas check to the base. Next you need to lube them- a messy project no matter which method you use. Then you work on load development realizing that once you approach 2000 ft/sec your bullet may strip off the rifling and become inaccurate. You also have to play with the COAL to find what length gives you the least bullet deformity when loading from the magazine. Lastly you need a reduced power buffer spring to get reliable cycling in the AR.

Since your planning on using a bolt gun the COAL issue and cycling may not be a big deal.

When .224 bullets became plentiful and cheap I started buying them again instead of casting.

I ended up using a NOE semicustom mold which dropped bullets at 72 grains a couple thousandths oversize and then pan lubed. One advantage of the lower velocity is that the cases stopped stretching so I didn't have to trim them anymore.Take a look at the cast bullet forums at www.castboolits.gunloads.com for more info.




good luck and Merry Christmas- oldandslow

 

[gojuice101]

I cast and load 223 for several ARs. Shooting regular lubed cast bullets is kind of a pain because they don't shoot well, and lubing them is messy and difficult because they are so small. I powdercoat all mine now and they shoot and cycle just fine. Tested loads to over 2500fps that were accurate and with no leading. Retrieved the bullets after being shot and they held together, didn't even strip the coating off.

For your bolt gun you should have no problem, even with regular lubed bullets, since you can be more flexible in your loading and don't have to deal with the gas system. Are you looking for a specific bullet profile? The ones I use are 55gn flat nose. I'd be happy to send you some to try out if you want. Send me a PM.

 

[GLOOB]

I shoot LEE "Bator" cast bullets in my bolt 223, all day, no problem. I doubt accuracy is as good out beyond 100 yards, but works great with no fouling. I use 50:50 lino and WW lead, gas checked, and tumble lubed. I think I'm somewhere between 1700 and 1900 fps, but I don't have a chrony.

My bench is in mess. I just looked and have no clue where my bullets are, or if I have any that are unloaded. Next time I fire up a batch could be a year from now.

Main gotcha's, IMO
1. 223 pills are so small it is hard to tune a Lee mold well enough to get them to fall out, by themselves, IMO.
2. Small defect on small bullet = big defect. I have no clue how accuracy holds up at long range.
3. Small bullets are PITA to gas check
4. Stubby nose can increase chance of feed jam out of box magazine fed bolt action. They occasionally jam in my bolt action, but mostly work fine if I work the bolt smoothly.
5. Needed to get a Lyman M die expander.

Pro's: very cheap on powder and bullets. Can safely load very light - like 22LR, no ears-light. Can use pistol primers and even slow pistol powders with light loads, so cast rifles can server as "garbage disposal." You almost always have some powder and primers that will work with them.

No fouling/cleaning issue in my bolt action. They do make a mess of my semiauto gas piston.

 

[Archie]

Not sure what calibers you intend to use.

I have a .22 Hornet. I found on line an outfit casting bullets suitable for .22 Hornet and bought some. They work pretty well.

However, the difference in the velocity between jacketed and cast lead bullets require a serious elevation change in the sights - the telescopic sight I use is less friendly in this manner than some metallic sights. As a result I don't use the lead bullets much.

If your plan is to primarily shoot the rifle with cast bullets, this sort of thing will not derive.

And my experience with handguns (standard handgun cartridges) is the elevation difference between jacketed and lead bullets is not significant.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I've got 3 molds for .224".
First, most favorite, most accurate is an old Lyman 22541. Old stock bought new in mid '90's.
Second is Lee Bator.
Third is the recent Lee 55gr FNGC.

I don't care for the Bator. Too small at .223" Actually weighs 50gr, not 55 as advertised.
I like the newer Lee, but haven't had time to shoot it enough to get completely comfortable with it.
My favorite load is 7.5gr of Unique in .223 for ~1,950fps. Shoots POA/POI at 50yds from my Rem M7 sighted +2" at 100yds with 55-65gr jacketed. One of only a couple of rifles that do so with cast bullets. It shoots ~ 2moa at 100yds, cast or jacketed. Not exceptionally accurate with jacketed, but nearly as accurate with cast. I size.225" and use either NRA 50/50, or SPG.

If you're expecting an AR to function or shoot POA/poi with a cast bullet, you'll likely be disappointed.

During.22rf drought, I switched from .22wrm (40gr @1,900fps) and never missed a beat. My .22Hornet with either 4.8gr of Unique or 6.2gr #2400, or 7.0 SR 4759 will likewise give ~2,000fps with 50gr Lyman.
Accuracy drops off above 2,100fps with most cast bullets.

Also, loading cast requires different loading techniques. You MUST flare the case necks to seat bullets, and I recommend crimping in separate operation. I use a Lyman M-die for .22 and .30cal. Lee powder through expander for .45/70 and others, otherwise the Lee Universal expander die. (I shoot/load/cast a LOT of cast "boolits").

 

[cheygriz]

Can you do it? Yes!

Is it worth the effort? IMHO, not just no but hell no. A peal PITA

 

[zb338]

Try Midway or some of the other suppliers they sell cast and swaged bullets.

Zeke

 

[kingmt]

I sized some buckshot for my 223 once. I fever got around to working it out fully because I had plenty of bullets & my supply never did dry up. So all I got around to was could it be done. I used a universal powder die to drop the powder(it sometimes slightly rolls the neck) then fallow with a universal neck flaring die. I then seated the bullet. I can't remember for sure but I don't think i crimped.

I myself have been considering buying a mold for 225 sized bullets. If you go to the cast forum I'm sure you will find several people thread would sake you 10, 50, 100, or what ever you want.

I hope you get in touch with gojuice101 on the offer also.