Does not using a gas check on Boolits cast for one effect accuracy?

[hawaii five-0]

If I have a mold that is cut for gas checks, and I'm loading low pressure/velocity rounds, is it any big deal to load without the checks? Will it effect accuracy or bullet gas seal (if kept at adequate pressure)?

[GLynn41]

no not necessarily-- with good fit it works - I do it a lot with my son's 500 GNR --it is a lee 430 gr -- shoots as well as he can shooit

[Outpost75]

If the bottom driving band above the GC heel is large enough in diameter to seal the throat, the as-cast and unsized bullet, cast soft, not harder than about 12 BHN, will work fine up to about 1300 fps.

90042

These are HM2 .312-160-5 from the recent group guy, loaded in .30-'06, fired from my Mauser sporter at 100 yards. Ten-shot groups fired consecutively without cleaning.
Last group of 20 shots has a "weather report" where wind caught me for a shot, so I just dumped another ten onto the original group. NO GASCHECK!

[bobthenailer]

From my experiance shooting cast boolets without the GC installed shoot excellent with loads up to 1,100 fps with a varaity of moulds and firearms.
You just have to try them and see !

[44man]

It all depends on the boolit design, length for twist and the match to twist with proper velocity.
You shorten the drive area by leaving the check off so a different velocity might be needed.
If the boolit is hard enough so it does not skid the last band, I see no problems.

[altheating]

I haven't shot many calibers using GC design boolits with out checks, but in my Ruger 357/77 the unchecked GC design boolits shoot great. A certain buck yesterday morning certainly thinks there is a big problem with using an unchecked boolit. :-P

[Larry Gibson]

The question was;

Does not using a gas check on Boolits cast for one effect accuracy?

As we see the GC'd cast bullet sans a GC can shoot well if the design is correct, a correct fast burning powder used and the velocity kept low enough. However, to answer the question; yes, shooting one w/o the GC will not be as accurate as with the GC. There are exceptions but they are few.

Besides the rear driving band being sufficient to seat the base of the bullet a bullet with a longer bearing surface to length ratio and a shorter stubby nose will generally shoot better from 1000 - 1300 fps. A long bore riding nose that does not "ride" will not do well. Also as mentioned the softer alloys of 10 - 12 BHN are best. Only your rifle will tell you how it likes your cast bullet sans the GC. As was used by Outpost75 I recommend Bullseye powder for this application.

Larry Gibson

[dragon813gt]

All the serious answers. I thought this was another joke topic. I bet you can shoot them until the end of the year. Once Doe Run closes you won't be able to shoot a GC design w/out a gas check anymore.

[Jack Stanley]

My gallery loads don't use checks even though the bullet design is cut for them . I got fooling around with 2400 once and got the same design up to twenty grains without a problem . Bullets were sized a little larger than what some might say is appropriate though . Your rifle will tell you when you made a wrong turn at alberkorkey ( Sorry Buggs !)

Jack

[fredj338]

I've tried it with mixed results. As noted, if the rear driving band does it's job, then gc base is sort of like a bevel base bullet.

[TCLouis]

I shot some GC design Boolits with and without GCs one day.
All Equal except GCs.
Shot at 50 yards
Scattered pattern without GCs could barely be covered with the palm of my hand, with GCs on the same target the group was about 2" overall.

Saw that target the other day, if I can find it, and figure out how to post I will put on for all to draw their own conclusion.

[btroj]

Only one way to know, isn't there?

See what your gun says, that is all that matters. It can work well, just depends on how the various variables align.

[geargnasher]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?65035-Can-I-shoot-a-gas-check-design-with-out-the-gas-check

Gear

[303Guy]

I did a test once with .22 RCBS FN boolits in a 223 mini-14. I started low and worked up and at a certain point the groups started opening up. Replies to the same question in other threads indicate the same results. If I recall the group opening up corresponded with going supersonic (as estimated by the sound from the suppressor). The higher the velocity the louder it became (not excessive) and the bigger the groups became.