Cast

[redneckdan]

My latest experiment with cast in an AR-15. These drop at 191gr from linotype, 255gr with pure lead. I'm gonna try loading them today and see how they shoot.

[THE DOCTOR]

I would be interested in your results Dan

what rifle are you shooting this from twist rate length of barrel gas port position and diameter if it's an AR

any other load data would be greatly appreciated

have you tried shooting them through a suppressor? if so how was the leading if any?

thanks

DOC

[Artful]

So who's bullet mold is that?

[THE DOCTOR]

i have a 180gr mold i am anxious to try in my ar and just want to make sure it isn't going to gum up the works before i go forward

[redneckdan]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to all ya'll. The loads shot just fine, I have at the moment about 1k cast rounds through my del-ton upper 16" flat-top upper, 1:8 twist, carbine gas port at .110" diameter. Load was 14.0gr of H4227, bastardized Lake City brass and CCI small rifle primers. There is much more carbon build up in the bolt carrier, but it is much, much softer than the carbon build up you get from standard ammo, I figure its from the bullet lube. There is no lead build up in the gas tube or bolt carrier. The mold is a Lee .308 210gr HBC, no longer in production. Balistic co-efficent is in the neighborhood of .5, I haven't had a chance to do serious testing yet. Accuracy is excellent, again no significant testing but with the BSA 'holosight' I have been able to wack rabbits in my back yard out to 77 yds (lazed with range finder).

I'd say give lead bullets a shot. The biggest factors for leading are undersized bullets and lube failure. Slug your bore and size to .001" over groove diameter. Lee alox works for lube, my home recipe is 80% beeswax, 10% ivory soap and 10% peanut oil.

God forbid, if you do get leading, soak the parts in a mixture of (by volume) 50% store bought white vinegar and %50 hydrogen peroxide (3% stength, the kind you buy over the counter). This disolved the lead and it scrubs out easily.

[THE DOCTOR]

I have been using a lee mold that casts about out at about 200gr with lube and gas check i have the exact same set up you have del ton barrel and gas port location and with 4227 it goes supersonic before I would get consistent reliability. Have you trimmed any coils off your buffer spring?

I have been using winchester 748 with the same cast 200 grainers and getting better reliability but occasionally short stroking ejecting but not picking up the next round.

With 147 and 150's and heavier jacketed bullets i get excellent reliability but they are not nearly as cheap as cast and for as much as i like to shoot i will experiment some more. Obviously it is easier to make the cast bullets conform to the rifling than the copper bullets.

To complicate matters more i just installed one of the 3 position gas blocks that the gentleman from paladin machine has listed here in the for sale section. His work is top notch and very reasonable. With this new system i may need to open the gas port a bit. But before i do I going to try a lot more powders before I ream any holes.

I will keep you posted

thanks for the info.

[redneckdan]

I started getting reliable cycling at 13.4 grains of H4227. I use 14 grains to make sure they cycle every time. This load is crankin out at about 1600 fps.

Cast loads as a general rule will run at a lower pressure and slightly higher velocity than jacketed, due to less bore friction and easier engraving to the rifling.

I'm starting to experiment with cast and sub sonic. I loaded up 20 rounds of the afore mentioned cast bullets with a charge of H335 to see if that will cycle the action, my theory being a slower powder will have more pressure at the gas port than a faster powder.

[THE DOCTOR]

I am currently using winchester 748 with cast 200gr and am starting to get reliability with 13.2 gr but would like to go a bit higher to be sure of function but i need to get the chrono out tomorrow to see how much room i have before i go trans or supersonic. I like you came to the same conclusion that slower powder means more pressure at the gas port and so far it seems to be working.

I really like the cartridge good cheap fun

[redneckdan]

9.0 grains of H335 was enough to cycle the action properly. I don't know velocity, the chrono got left on the reloading bench by mistake.

[redneckdan]

I loaded some cast with H335, I had problems with lots of unburned powder, even tried magnum small rifle primers and that didn't help. I'm going to try going to a faster powder, maybe AA 2015 or reloader 7.

Also, did some experimenting with gas checks. Shooting cast without gas checks does not result in any leading, but accuracy went all to hell. Shooting will checks the rifle shoots just as well as with jacketed bullets.