gas check on a Lee tumble lube bullet?

[moptop]

I was just curious if I could put a gas check on a Lee 158 gr RN tumble lube style bullet for use at .357 mag vellocities? Has anyone ever done that before?

[wheelgunner]

Just did a quick check on Lee's website, as I suspected there are no gas check molds listed. Gas checks crimp onto a reduced diameter base of the bullet. All the Lee tumble lube molds I am aware of cast regular base bullets. So the short answer is nope, gas checks won't work on bullets from that mold.

Take a look here fort an example of a gas check bullet:
https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/MainServlet?storeId=webconnect&catalogId=webconnect&langId=en_US&action=ProductDisplay&screenlabel=index&productId=3310&route=C12J059

[HammerMTB]

wheelgunner is right, you can't apply a conventional gas check to that boolit as is.
However, there are other solutions.
At least 1 member here has "crimped" the base of his boolits with a collet chuck to swage a gas check diameter onto a plain base boolit. You might make that work. The tool I have for the job is an old RCBS trimmer with a bunch of collets.
Next possible solution is, to apply a gas check in a less conventional way. Some have put plain round aluminum or brass checks on the base of thier boolits. This could work on any PB boolit. You'd just need a die to cut nice .359-.360 rounds.
So, free think it. you might find a way! [smilie=1:

Edit to add: I had a TL design made by Lee for Ranch Dog. It was a .44-265RF. It had a gas check below the TL base. I don't know of any stock Lee designs that do this.

[mooman76]

May not need to, have you tried it without? I have never needed G/Cs in any of my pistols.

[Recluse]

I was just curious if I could put a gas check on a Lee 158 gr RN tumble lube style bullet for use at .357 mag vellocities? Has anyone ever done that before?

No, but I shoot that boolit and the TL158SWC at .357 velocities regularly with fine accuracy and no leading.

:coffee:

[Suo Gan]

Believe Ranch Dog is making one to be available shortly, but the weight is more like 170 gr.

[moptop]

Thanks everyone for their responses. I didn't think so either but I didn't think it would hurt to ask. Recluse thanks for sharing your info on having good luck with them .357 vel's as they are. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

Thanks