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My .224 VLD bullets.

LARMIKE

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 9, 2009
220
3
56
SE USA
on left is my 82.5 and then a Berger 75gr. then my 77gr. and then a formed boat tail jacket. I used 1.065 jackets. Going to shoot them tomorrow.
rbz192.jpg
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

Yep I make them, I have several presses so I do not have to keep changing dies. Thanks !
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

The .308s you made in the past were wicked. I still haven't been able to best them with 175 SMKs. If the .224s are anything close, I think you'll have something.
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

Inode, Thanks, this past summer I made a small batch of 155's With a longer jacket, So they were longer than a SMK 175gr. I worked up a load with my secret powder and lapua brass, I shot a 10 shot group and it was around 1.5 in. Not bad for 600 yds. THe core seating die cracked while making some bullets for an Army shooter, So now a new core seating die is in the works with a new longer boat tail. I only have a small amount of jacket for the .224 so I will have to do some careful quick testing before I head out. If you have a .223 I will gladly send you some bullets. Mike
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JamesBailey</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Will they go at good speed at AR mag length?

</div></div>

No sorry not mag length, The bullet is around 1.065 in. I also make 77gr. mag length. Similar to a 77gr. SMK.
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LARMIKE</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Inode, Thanks, this past summer I made a small batch of 155's With a longer jacket, So they were longer than a SMK 175gr. I worked up a load with my secret powder and lapua brass, I shot a 10 shot group and it was around 1.5 in. Not bad for 600 yds. THe core seating die cracked while making some bullets for an Army shooter, So now a new core seating die is in the works with a new longer boat tail. I only have a small amount of jacket for the .224 so I will have to do some careful quick testing before I head out. If you have a .223 I will gladly send you some bullets. Mike </div></div>

My Remy .223 just started drooling. Any test samples avail?
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

OK I loaded 20 at 5 thou increments, evidential they like to be jumped a bit more than 20 thou. as that 5 rds went in to a significantly smaller group. actually had 2 rds in a very nice ragged hole (sorry no pics) The last group was around 1.5 in. testing was at 300 yds. I just got a bucket of jackets so off to the bench to make more. Hope to shoot again tomorrow. Mike
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

Mike. Very nice looking projectiles. I have started making some of my own. Cannot seem to find where to purchase the boat tail jackets. Just out of 22lr jackets.

What dies are you using by chance?
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

Utah, I am using berger J4 Jackets. The jacket in the pic is an almost finished bullet, it has a lead core seated. When you seat the core it forms the boat tail at the same time. Neimi made a die for making your core and jacket a boat tail. I have David Destch carbide dies for my .308.Then I found George Ulrich in Ill. his dies are alot less $$.
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

One of the interesting advances in bullet technology is the missing lead in the front of things like a 155 Scenar. The 155 is basically a 175 SMK with 20 gr of lead removed from the nose, juse enough lead to fill the shank of the bullet and little more. This gives the 155s a very similar BC as the 175 SMK while leaving significantly faster.

You could experiment with similarly long bullets with nice long ogives (your current shapes) and lower the weight of the lead inside for higher MV and "see what happens". I suspect that if the lead reaches up to the ogive where the rifle engraving is done and the lead supports the jacket to this point, the bullet will work just fine and you might get more MV and keep the big BC at the same time.
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

Hey guys ! I am at about a month out. I am so ready to leave this nasty place. Berger just raised the prices on the J4 jackets to the tune of 50% so not the cost of me making bullets is around the same as buying their bullets at retail. Looks like I will be calling Sierra to order a truck load of jackets. The 6.5mm die is ready so watch out it is a triple ogive ! Yes I said TRIPLE ogive. R/ Mike
 
Re: My .224 VLD bullets.

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The .30 cal. has a longer boat tail but the same double ogive. The 6.5 is a Triple ogive. So far it is extremely accurate. Only took about 9 rds. to develop a load. shot a ragged hole at 300yds. the jackets are J4 and they are annealed before swaging. You may see a slight dis coloring from it. I am using a new type of tipping die, it does not alter the tip like the other dies. it just closes it up tight.