question about gas checks and cast boolits

[harryman]

I'm still new to casting my own boolits and just started using gas checks.
I have read lots of post and also have always have been told to remove all traces of copper from the barrel before shooting cast loads.
So that being said placing copper gas checks on lead boolits don't seem right if the copper in the barrel will affect the cast loads.
just curious and know there is a lot of knowledge here for me to learn from.

[303Guy]

Good question. Well, we know gas checks do work and don't copper foul the bore (I think). I have a rust 'textured' bore two-groove 303 Brit to which I fitted a fixed suppressor made from 4140 steel. To prevent internal corrosion I dip the jacketed boolit bases into my 'waxy-lube' mix which is wax based and hardens on cooling. It coats the interior alright but it also lubes the bore and that gun has never had any copper fouling with me and shoots pretty accurately too. So I'd say it's the lube in front of the check that prevents copper fouling. But maybe we don't see it and just assume its lead? But I'd say not.

[harryman]

come on guys I know someone can give more input on the subject.

[fcvan]

Cast boolit lube provides a thin layer for both the lead and the gas check. A jacketed bullet normally does not have any lube at all. Some shooters coat jacketed bullets with Molybendum Disulfide which makes the bullet slicker than greased snot (or so I've read) which would tend to prevent copper fouling.

In my personal experience of shooting cast with gas checks, the leading edge of the check does more to scrape the bore clean whereas the fully jacketed bullet has no 'harsh edge' but has a smooth transition from the ogive to the full bullet diameter.

Of late, I have been shooting more boolits with plain base checks than boolits with standard checks. I don't get leading with lubed cast boolits and the PB checks merely tend to help seal the bore and slightly tighten groups. The PB check also allows for use of higher pressure loads using slightly softer alloys. So far, my loads with softer alloy and PB checks has been an attempt to balance pressure and boolit slump. Using regular checks with softer alloy has yielded the same result. That result being a boolit that can be shot at higher velocities which 'mushroomed' nicely when contacting soft tissue.

25+ years ago, I was using range scrap that was %99 swaged .38 wad cutter boolits which are pretty darned soft. A gas check was required over 1200 fps or so. If I had loads that left some leading, usually because I was trying a different lube, I could clean up the bore by shooting some gas checked boolits. I had some loads that left a bit of streaking so at the end of the range day, or after 500 boolits, I would swab the bore with 'Shooter's Choice' and fire a gas checked boolit. After 10 rounds or so of swabbing and shooting, the bore would be clean as a whistle.

[Recluse]

I quit worrying about it. I alternate between lead and copper in several rifles, and quite honestly, haven't been able to tell much difference in accuracy and groups unless I have an excess of one or the other in the barrel (copper fouling or lead fouling).

Some things aren't meant to be understood or explained, so I figure with my limited time left, I'm going to concentrate on enjoying the process rather than trying to figure out the minutiae.

:coffee:

[ku4hx]

I quit worrying about it. I alternate between lead and copper in several rifles, and quite honestly, haven't been able to tell much difference in accuracy and groups unless I have an excess of one or the other in the barrel (copper fouling or lead fouling).

Some things aren't meant to be understood or explained, so I figure with my limited time left, I'm going to concentrate on enjoying the process rather than trying to figure out the minutiae.

:coffee:

+1 I just shoot what I wont to and have a grand ol' time. I leave the worrying to those who have the time for it.

[USAFrox]

fcvan - I'm going to remember your suggestion about finishing up with shooting gas checked bullets in order to clean the bore. I love shooting, but man I hate cleaning up afterwards! Thanks for the tip!