Optimal calibers for cast AR ahooting

[mehavey]

All three of these moulds work just fine for the LEGEND:

[onelight]

I do admire you shooting and loading But am amazed at how you put that post together
Good job !

[popper]

about the 350 Legend Niche cartridge for certain states. 180gr is 2k fps, not 2200 (hodgdon). BO is 1800 for 180. Found some empty Legend cases yesterday, slightly different than (my) 223 stuff. Yup, 20% larger hole, little faster. Unless really needed for legal reasons, why? My BO is 12$/100 cast 150-10gr. 50$/100 is a LOT more for not much improvement. Wilson stuff won't take the normal heavy bullets (chamber).
As for PCC, my BO 10" pistol works great with 170gr PB PC @ 900 or ~1400 (not chrony yet but bang/whack slow and just whack for faster ) and no real felt recoil - really fast follow up. 357 mag carbine performance!

[kenton]

Hodgdon has a 180gr Win PP running 2213 fps with a max charge of Lil'Gun. Granted that is out of a 24 inch barrel

[gunther]

A 9mm AR might be a good choice for plinking. Cheap brass, cheap bullets and blowback action that lead bullets won't plug up.

[Hanzy4200]

300 BLK was a breeze for me. Shot great from first round. Haven't attempted .223. Considering the cost of Jacketed, and the reputation of cast .223, I have never felt much push to try.

[odfairfaxsub]

I love my ar 9. I shoot that gun more than everything I own combined

[fcvan]

I shoot cast in AR 10 and 15, .308 for the AR 10 and M1A, .223/5.56, 300 BO, and 9mm for the AR 15. 2 favorites are .223 and 9mm, with the 9mm getting less use lately. I built all of my ARs when I was still living/working in CA, and have since retired. They changed the rules on bullet buttons claiming we 'cheated' when complying with the way the law was written.

I broke down the rifles (and AR15 pistols) to where they wouldn't fire and therefore did not need to be registered as 'assault weapons' under the re-write of the law. I moved everything 'black and fun' to the house in CO, leaving only a Mini 14 .223 for shooting fun when staying at the house out west. Bolt and single shot rifles don't count.

The Mini 14 loves the NOE 225-62 RN designed plain based and powder coated. I use IMR 4227 which runs all of my AR 15s and the Mini 14. I do have a gas check mold (Lyman 225-415 RF) and even a set of dies for making gas checks. The PCd plain base boolits shoot fine so I don't have to mess with the pesky little checks. I was able to get 1 MOA at 100 yards with either boolit design and an average of 2250 fps from the 16" barrels, 2450 fps from a 24" H-BAR 1-12" twist Handi Rifle.

Sticking mainly with the 9mm AR15, off-hand shooting of tin cans and clay pigeons at 100 yards, even while shooting on the move, was a rather simple affair. A Lee 356-125 2R at 1350 fps from a 16" (1325 from a 10" AR 15 pistol) and slightly higher from both when using the Lee 356-102 1R when just rolling tin cans but conserving lead. I also built a 7.5" .223/5.56 AR 15 pistol, which is obnoxiously loud with factory, not nearly as bad with cast. Still loud and obnoxious, but I kind of like it.

Considering the platform and typical engagement ranges in urban settings, the 9mm or the .223 would be suitable. I don't ever want to be in that situation in the first place, and if so would prefer a 12 ga with buckshot. Beyond the range of the weapon, it would be hard to justify the lawful use of deadly force.

Still, tin cans are fair game at 'urban' distances for practice and muscle memory retention. SWAT trained for 7 years, I still run our old drills. I just find tin cans to be 'hostile.' At greater distances, the AR15 in either .223 or 9mm, and yes 300 BO too, I try hard to justify killing cans at 100-150 yards, again to maintain muscle memory. I hate tin cans, call it an unnatural hatred.

FMJ .223/5.56 just pokes a hole in the can and passes through without hardly moving the can. Cast lead shreds the can, often causing the can to go considerable distances once hit. It is violent when cast lead hits the can and I like it. The can needs to know it has been shot and is DEAD! I think there may be a group therapy session for people like me. But, most of the folks I know think 'group therapy' is shooting tighter groups.

[charlie b]

.......
Still, tin cans are fair game at 'urban' distances for practice and muscle memory retention. SWAT trained for 7 years, I still run our old drills. I just find tin cans to be 'hostile.' At greater distances, the AR15 in either .223 or 9mm, and yes 300 BO too, I try hard to justify killing cans at 100-150 yards, again to maintain muscle memory. I hate tin cans, call it an unnatural hatred.

FMJ .223/5.56 just pokes a hole in the can and passes through without hardly moving the can. Cast lead shreds the can, often causing the can to go considerable distances once hit. It is violent when cast lead hits the can and I like it. The can needs to know it has been shot and is DEAD! I think there may be a group therapy session for people like me. But, most of the folks I know think 'group therapy' is shooting tighter groups.

ROFLMAO I never had it in for tin cans. I did want some targets to make shooting at longer range more fun. Soda cans, filled, at 300yd are a blast. For 100-200yd I get the plastic sauce containers and fill with water. No, this is not with a short barrel. Scoped .223 and .308 bolt actions.