Has anyone else tried it?
Since I cast for everything and I picked up a used Norinco CQ-A with 10.5" barrel (I'm cheap and just want it as a plinker) I decided I'd try to cast for it as well. I've gotten cast to work successfully in an SKS and Norc M305/M14 so I figured I'd give an AR-15 a try. I did some research and it appears there are a lot of naysayers out there saying it isn't possible with any accuracy or that it'll clog up the gas system with lead after a couple shots. I figured I'm quite experienced with cleaning leading out of barrels so worst-case-scenario I have some scrubbing to do. I did find some helpful information on YouTube of all places where guys said their rifles would cycle and shoot accurately without leading when they went 2gr below the starting load for various different powders. I've also read that some guys can't get their Norc AR's to cycle with H4198 without near-max or max loads so I was somewhat worried as that's my go-to powders for cast rifle loads.
I cast some of the Lee bullets from melted down Hummason extra hard lead shot, tumble lubed them with Lee alox, applied gas checks and sized to .225", and loaded them in RP brass with CCI SRP's (regular, not mag). All the loads I started 2gr below start (regular .223 data off the Hodgdon website; not cast bullet data) and stopped 1gr above start in 1gr increments (so 4 loads per powder; 2-below, 1-below, start, 1-above). I'm using an OAL of 2.200" to fit the magazines and crimp into some meat of the bullet instead of a lube groove.
The real winner was a 17.0gr load of H4198 (2gr below starting) which cycled the action (but the brass went half as far as normal) and delivered a 1.25" group at 50yds (off a bench, red dot sight). That's about as good as I can do with factory jacketed ammo. The hotter H4198 loads where all around 2-3" groups.
IMR3031 proved acceptable as well with all groups in the 2-2.5" range but the lowest loads (19gr, 2gr below start data) didn't cycle the action.
I will try some more in 0.5gr increments above and below the most accurate loads.
Benchmark and H4895 were terrible. The groups ranged from 5-10" at 50yds but all cycled. No keyholes and no leading.
After all those cast rounds (4 powders, 4 loads each, 5 rounds per load, so 80rnds fired) the bore looks like it was just cleaned; no leading at all. There was also nothing in the gas tube other than a little carbon; no lead deposits from the bullets shaving on the gas port in the barrel. In all the only failures were 2 rounds had a failure-to-feed; they hit the feed ramp and stopped. I don't know what caused them.
I was just wondering if this was an oddity with my rifle of if others have gotten cast 55gr bullets to work in an AR. Seems to be a lot of naysayers on other forums but they don't usually list specifics. Maybe my luck is related to the short barrel keeping velocities down? I didn't have my chrony out today to check any but am planning on it maybe next weekend.
Since I cast for everything and I picked up a used Norinco CQ-A with 10.5" barrel (I'm cheap and just want it as a plinker) I decided I'd try to cast for it as well. I've gotten cast to work successfully in an SKS and Norc M305/M14 so I figured I'd give an AR-15 a try. I did some research and it appears there are a lot of naysayers out there saying it isn't possible with any accuracy or that it'll clog up the gas system with lead after a couple shots. I figured I'm quite experienced with cleaning leading out of barrels so worst-case-scenario I have some scrubbing to do. I did find some helpful information on YouTube of all places where guys said their rifles would cycle and shoot accurately without leading when they went 2gr below the starting load for various different powders. I've also read that some guys can't get their Norc AR's to cycle with H4198 without near-max or max loads so I was somewhat worried as that's my go-to powders for cast rifle loads.
I cast some of the Lee bullets from melted down Hummason extra hard lead shot, tumble lubed them with Lee alox, applied gas checks and sized to .225", and loaded them in RP brass with CCI SRP's (regular, not mag). All the loads I started 2gr below start (regular .223 data off the Hodgdon website; not cast bullet data) and stopped 1gr above start in 1gr increments (so 4 loads per powder; 2-below, 1-below, start, 1-above). I'm using an OAL of 2.200" to fit the magazines and crimp into some meat of the bullet instead of a lube groove.
The real winner was a 17.0gr load of H4198 (2gr below starting) which cycled the action (but the brass went half as far as normal) and delivered a 1.25" group at 50yds (off a bench, red dot sight). That's about as good as I can do with factory jacketed ammo. The hotter H4198 loads where all around 2-3" groups.
IMR3031 proved acceptable as well with all groups in the 2-2.5" range but the lowest loads (19gr, 2gr below start data) didn't cycle the action.
I will try some more in 0.5gr increments above and below the most accurate loads.
Benchmark and H4895 were terrible. The groups ranged from 5-10" at 50yds but all cycled. No keyholes and no leading.
After all those cast rounds (4 powders, 4 loads each, 5 rounds per load, so 80rnds fired) the bore looks like it was just cleaned; no leading at all. There was also nothing in the gas tube other than a little carbon; no lead deposits from the bullets shaving on the gas port in the barrel. In all the only failures were 2 rounds had a failure-to-feed; they hit the feed ramp and stopped. I don't know what caused them.
I was just wondering if this was an oddity with my rifle of if others have gotten cast 55gr bullets to work in an AR. Seems to be a lot of naysayers on other forums but they don't usually list specifics. Maybe my luck is related to the short barrel keeping velocities down? I didn't have my chrony out today to check any but am planning on it maybe next weekend.
