are gas-checks required on a bullet that designed for them??

[rufracer]

I am looking at the 6 cavity lee .452 300gr mold, and was wondering if I can shoot these at low velocities (1000 fps) without installing gas checks.

[Blammer]

required, no.

will you have good accuracy? who knows, results vary.

[Shuz]

Blammer got it right. I used to believe that if a mould is designed for a gas check, that if you didn't use one, accuracy really suffered and leading was more probable. I can say that accuracy is usually better with the check installed, but only you can determine what level of accuracy you need or are willing to accept. There are just too many variables when it comes to shooting cast boolits so that it really depends on a lotta things,so it's unreliable to make any really definitive statements. Try some different alloys,hardnesses,powders, velocities, diameters, lubes and see what you come up with.--Shuz

[mooman76]

I would say pistols no but you probubly won't be able to push them as hard as a flat based or beveled base.
Rifles probubly the same but we tend to want to push rifles a little harder. That is probubly why the only luck I have had with rifles and cast is with the guns that inheritantly shoot slower like the 30-30 and M1c.
I am in the process although not started yet with trying a few things to see if I can get my rifles to shoot cb's better.

[rufracer]

ok, ill try it, and if I have to much trouble ill put the mold in the mill at work and make it a flat base mold on 3 cavities.

Its for a 454 puma 16" and I want some sub-sonic rounds for when I get my suppressor... in case anyone was wondering.

[44man]

This is a question of drive length versus twist, versus velocity. Leaving off the check can shorten drive length changing everything else. Some will, some won't, plain and simple. I have had boolits shoot into less then 1" at 100 yd's keyhole at 50 yd's when the check was left off. Only you can tell by trying them. I am not going to be the one to say "Yes".
A bevel base boolit usually shoots like crap too so if you leave the check off, what do you have? Everyone says the base must be perfect but how can that be when the check is left off? Instant gas channel! :mrgreen:

[RU shooter]

Maybe I'm the only one here ,But I get basicly the same accuracy at lower vel.(to 1400fps.) with rifle bullets with or without a gas check installed in my 30 and 31 cal rifles,As I shoot 80% of my loads at these speeds I dont use them.

[mike in co]

the last thing the bbl sees of a bullet or boolit is the base. the square'er the base the better they seem to shoot. i shoot tons of (pistol) gc dessign boolits without gas checks with excellent accuracy. 3/4"- 7/8" at 25 yds, some moving right along......255 44 mag 1330/40 fps, others slow 290 gb at only 1050/1100 fps.

so me thinks the real question is how well can you put a gas check on???
in my case i think the as cast bases of my boolits are better than my seated gas checks.......
( which is why i asked about seating gas checks in another thread)

mike

[rufracer]

lovin the feedback. Ive been on lots of forums (non gun related) for years now, and just joined this one, and leverguns.com forum, and have to say that blood thirsty gun nuts are the most helpfull, friendly people Ive come across. Who knew:-D

[jack19512]

I have found some of my rifles shoot more accurately with the gas checks while others don't seem to make that much difference with or without. I am sure it might make a difference if I were to change the load significantly though.

[shooting on a shoestring]

I use the Lee 300 gr .45 wide flat nosed boolit in my .45 Colt Blackhawk. I shoot it mostly w/o the GC. I don't see any decline in precision, but pushing over 1200 fps I see small streaks of Pb in the bottom of the riflings after 50 rounds w/o the GCs, clean with them. So I decide if I prefer to spend the 2 cents per boolit, or a dozen brush strokes after 50 rounds. I usually leave them off and brush a little. I get similar results with Lyman 358156 in my .357s. I also skip them for 30/30 at 1400 to 1500 fps, use them for 1500 to 2300 fps loads. Pretty much the same for .22 Hornet (I'll bet that's pretty far off-thread, 454 Puma vs Hornet).

[Lloyd Smale]

im with 44man. Ive tried it many times in my sixguns and never had good luck. Anymore if i dont want a gas checked bullet i buy a plain based mold and if its a gas checked mold it gets a gas check. I figure even if its 30 bucks a thousand for them its still pretty cheap shooting.
This is a question of drive length versus twist, versus velocity. Leaving off the check can shorten drive length changing everything else. Some will, some won't, plain and simple. I have had boolits shoot into less then 1" at 100 yd's keyhole at 50 yd's when the check was left off. Only you can tell by trying them. I am not going to be the one to say "Yes".
A bevel base boolit usually shoots like crap too so if you leave the check off, what do you have? Everyone says the base must be perfect but how can that be when the check is left off? Instant gas channel! :mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

lovin the feedback. Ive been on lots of forums (non gun related) for years now, and just joined this one, and leverguns.com forum, and have to say that blood thirsty gun nuts are the most helpfull, friendly people Ive come across. Who knew:-D

Don't let that get around please. We have an image to maintain. :-D

Welcome!

[rufracer]

[QUOTE=Bret4207;241096]Don't let that get around please. We have an image to maintain. :-D

Dont worry, Im a :Fire: myself.

[montana_charlie]

ill put the mold in the mill at work and make it a flat base mold on 3 cavities.
That means you will change the design of the bullet in those three cavities. Removing that part of the base will lighten the bullet, and move the Center of Gravity forward. Will it still be a good bullet design...who knows?

Another option is to open up the base of the cavity to 'erase' the gas check shape.
This is also a design change, but doesn't modify the overall length.

Depending on which option you choose, the shape of your sprue cutter may get pretty interesting.
CM