223 Loads Mini 14 ?

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Last Post 10 March 2025

Match Director

linoww posted this 02 March 2025

I hadn't shot cast in a mini 14 .223 in years.My old mini was an early wood handguard model and shot my cast RCBS 55 about as good as ball ammo (3" or so at 100 yards)

My current is one of the "target " models that shoots about inch with good jacketed bullet handloads.I just started running a load of 17g 4198 and a MP72g and 65g NOE.Both GC and coated. I shot 100 today with 100% reliability but accuracy only in the 3 MOA range average.

I've loaded cast in .22 bolt guns for 30 years so I'm familiar with what accuracy I can get in those. But im.not sure what to expect in this type of rifle.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 03 March 2025

? Twist rate in your target type mini ? ...

ken

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linoww posted this 03 March 2025

1-9.

Groups were closer to 2.5" on average. I had some wild ones but I was shooting Groups faster than I should have.i usually shoot single shot and kind of got trigger happy with this thing.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

fa38 posted this 04 March 2025

I shot cast in my Mini 14 that has an adjustable gas block, about 40 rounds and I had to operate the bolt by hand. Going back to jacketed loads the rifle took about 20 rounds to I guess clear out all the lead in the gas block. No more lead bullets in my Mini 14.

Maybe coated bullets would work.

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linoww posted this 04 March 2025

My M1 with cast bullets after a number of shots the point of impact start shifting. I think it was a couple 100.Then I had to take it down and clean it out.And then it was back to the same point of impact. This was about thirty years ago And accuracy was pretty decent.It was just a Korean era surplus gun.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

Wm Cook posted this 04 March 2025

A bit envious here. Sounds like a lot of fun. I’m loaded down with a lot of health issues in the family so I wouldn’t have time for it anyway.

The one in 9 is a great twist to work with the bullet lengths you mentioned. If he makes another run of them I’d like to add one of Al’s 72 grain to what I have for a bolt gun I have in .222.

I have a (seldom have time to shoot) 7.62x39 Mini 30. I had it modified with Accuracy Systems’s tunable gas pipe/bushings. Instead of finding an accurate load that cycled the action, I was able to tune the cycle of the action to an accurate load.

I’m a 99% bolt gun shooter and only spent enough time on it that I could get to cycle with cast bullet velocity with modest accuracy using a load that shot decent in a 7.62x30 bolt gun I have. I never had time to bear down and see how well the rifle will shoot.

The heavier .223 bullets should help cycling at such lower velocities. Right?

The fun part would be to tune the action’s ability to cycle with faster powders than 4198. I’m just assuming that there are more powder options if you didn’t have to build a load based on its ability to cycle the action. Ed’s forgotten more about this subject than I’ll ever know. I plowed up all of his work to get a load for the 7.62 I have. If I remember right I settled on 2200. Bill C.

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linoww posted this 04 March 2025

I also shoot my mini 30 with cast. i've always just used 14g of 2400 and usually the original NEI 72 Ed designed. These two groups were at 50 yards last weekend with the Lee version powder coated. At 100 yards they didn't do quite as well at about 4"

Thanks for posting that data.I'm going to try 5744 .

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

Wm Cook posted this 05 March 2025

I looked long & hard for that NEI mold. Had someone from the forum share a few samples from his mold.

The NOE mold I have comes real close. Ed said Lee changed the nose taper of his design to make it look a bit more Buck Roger’s. It was too long to chamber in my Ruger unless I set it real deep.

Still would like to have time left to work with that .223 of yours.

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linoww posted this 05 March 2025

Walt Melander at NEI cut my #72 4 cavity for me as I waited. He was a "minority of one" to say the least!

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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linoww posted this 10 March 2025

I pulled the rifle apart after about 150 rounds fired after shooting today.Gasport and barrel clean. The velocity is roughly 2400 FPS.Its been 100% reliable but far from a match load.At 50 yards it does ok but at 100 yards not so much.Im going to try H335 on a recommendation from Pat I.

Im also breaking out my LBT 60g Veral cut me with a tapered nose that's shot some great groups in other. 22 caliber rifles.