Read several of the threads here about cast in the ar15. Of course everywhere else you look .......ARFCOM...... you're told it can't be done. I am one who constantly challenges conventional wisdom. Especially when the naysayers say it can't be done but can't tell you why or their "answer" has already been proven false. For instance "the lead will clog your gas tube", which some also say about the .22lr conversions. Well i have fired an entire box of 550 rnds thru a ceiner kit and then a few days later without any cleaning dropped in the bolt and carrier and emptied 2 mags with no problems. So in my mind I have proven that concern invalid.
Well I have been waiting for anyone to get one of the bator molds from lee in stock. Well midsouth did and one of the very observant caster here alerted us. So I got one(side note: I really, Really, REALLY, regret not getting the 6 cavity) I already had some gas checks and lee sizer.
A few weeks ago I cast up a bunch. lube with lee liquid alox and gas checked and sized. The weight average from strait wheel weights ended up being 51.5grains
Working on some loads from the data here and the lyman reloading manual I tied out Alliant 2400, and reloader 7, as well as AA1680. I really was expecting some good from the 1680 because of the success I have had with in in .300 whisper, and 7.62x39.
My goal of course was getting my AR15 to function and also getting acceptable accuracy for plinking.
2400: tried loads up to and over lymans max of 11.5. at 14gr I still couldn't get function.
AA1680. Had really high hopes for this powder lymans max is 14.3. To get reliable function I had it up to 16.6gr but my accuracy was all over the paper.
Reloader 7 Really wasn't expecting this to work very well. Lymans max is 15.6. at 15g the accuracy was good, except a couple of fliers (see target below), but when I got it up to 16.2 the accuracy was still as good and I was getting great reliability.
The AR is an M4 style built from parts picked up over a couple of years. The lower is an 80% finished myself.
1-9 twist barrel
chinese aimpoint knock off red dot sight
YHM free float tube
And yes the cases on the right are steel wolf cases and they were also used in the accuracy testing