Gas Checks...Need an Expert??

[rbertalotto]

Tonight was my first time trying to install gas checks on 45-70 boolits

Ranch Dog Molds (for GCs) dropping boolits of .460

Hornady Gas Checks as recommended by RD

Lee .460 sizing die

Issues:

I put a GC on the bottom of the boolit and send it up through the sizing die.

The GCs are not on very firm. I can remove them with my thumb nail after they are sized.

I loaded a boolit in a case without powder and using an impact boolit removal hammer, the boolit came out but the GC remained in the case.

On some Cast Precision boolits I have with GCs, you can not remove the GC no matter how hard you try.

What am I doing wrong?

[Ben]

Unfortunately, I'm no expert, but I'll offer my .02.
________________________________________

What am I doing wrong ? Possibly nothing .........

Mike the g/c shank on 5 bullets.....get the average for the 5 bullets....contact Ranch Dog molds give him your g/c shank dia. and tell him of your problem.

Could be that your g/c shank diameter on your mold is too small.

Wouldn't be the first with this problem ( and I speak of all molds made by all vendors, not just Ranch Dog's )

[Bullshop]

The Lee sizers are not the best system for installing gas checks but the fix might be as simple as using Gator chex 458 checks. Gator checks come in two sizes for 45 cal, pistol and rifle.
Check with member Blammer in the vendor sponsor forum to get those.

[rbertalotto]

Thanks...........

Tomorrow I'll fire some of these boolits and try to watch them as they come out of the barrel and see if the gas checks are still on..........:bigsmyl2:


We'll just have to see how the accuracy is.............

[geargnasher]

How are your boolit bases? Are they clean and sharp, fully filled-out, or are they rounded and shrunken?

You can seat the checks before sizing by putting a 7/8"X14 bolt in your reloading press like a die, put a flat piece of steel like a knock-out disc from an electrical box on top of the shellholder, and press the checks on the boolits that way. Then let the sizer crimp them in place.

Gear

[leadman]

Changing the alloy may help also, addition of antimony will usually result in a larger bullet from the same mold.
I would fire some loads first and see what happens. The older Lyman gas checks typically were loose and came off the bullets in flight as they were designed to not crimp on. Lyman now sells Hornady checks.

[rbertalotto]

The bases of my boolits are very well defined. Sharp corners and flat bottom of boolit.

If I put a gas check on my work bench, I can easily press the boolit down into it. And it will stay on the boolit.

The gas checks measure .461 before sizing and .460 after sizing.

[stubshaft]

The gas check will get an additional swage when it hits the rifling. I doubt it will come off of the base.

[Gohon]

I loaded a boolit in a case without powder and using an impact boolit removal hammer, the boolit came out but the GC remained in the case.

I've had that happen even with the best and tightest checks installed. It's the crimp that is catching catching and pulling the check off when using a impact puller. Lee recommends that you measure the the crimp and then measure about a 1/8 inch behind the crimp and if it is over .003 difference then you can expect the crimp to loosen or pull the check off. RD when contacted recommended if using straight wheel weights as I do, to add 5% tin to the mix and see if that doesn't make a difference.

I have the same problem with the RD 22 caliber mold when running them through the .225 sizer as recommended. However if I run them through a .224 sizer I cannot remove the checks with my thumb nail. I discovered my problem when I noticed a few dings to the front of the chrony from flying gas checks. I haven't been able to get good accuracy so far from my loads using cast from this mold so far and I think the checks coming off at the muzzle is the culprit. I intend to load up some test rounds today using the .224 sizer and just enough crimp to roll out the flare.

[rbertalotto]

Well, I think we can say that lose GCs are not an issue.

Here is the group I just shot this AM..........RL7 under a RD 420g with GC......100 yds with crappy Buck-Horn sights!

The low shot was the first shot out of an oily clean bore.

There are nine shots in the main group

http://images112.fotki.com/v106/photos/2/36012/9730091/0513111156-vi.jpg

[geargnasher]

NICE JOB!

Gear

[MT Gianni]

Nice group. loose checks are not a huge issue in 45-70 or any straight case as they will not come off while in the case and the pressure in the bbl will ensure they remain seated.

[swheeler]

Not bad for 100 yd open sights! Anneal those gas checks before you seat them, no more loose checks and possibly tighter groups.