gc or plan base

[bisley45]

help me make up my mind I am trying to pick a mold it is a 255 plan base or 300 gr gc for my 45 colt

[Blacktail 8541]

Plain base work well for most applications, but you did not state what type of gun or the intended purpose. Heavier gas checked designs are usally a big game animal proposition. Even though you do not state the intended purpose or gun you should have a heavier framed pistol to take full advantage of the 300 grain GC. The 300 also provides other advantages as well. IE. long range sillohett.

[felix]

I would reverse the selection. The longer boolit can retard gas cutting, and not need a check in a revolter. The smaller boolit can use the check, but only when driven hard like in a rifle. ... felix

[7br]

Ditto what felix said. Most of my moulds are gaschecked. The checks dang near double the cost of my bullets and adds an extra step. Both of these factors violate my cheap and easy ethics. My rule of thumb is checks for anything going over 1200fps. I am guessing that a 300gr bullet is probably going to be going under 1200fps, so a checked bullet probably isn't necessary. However, if you are going to push the 255gr bullet past 1200fps, a check PROBABLY will be needed. Bottom line, if you are looking for a stomper, go with the checked 300 bullet. If you are looking for a lighter load, go with the 255 and keep it under 1200fps. If you are looking for a 200 yard target load, I would probably go with a gas check regardless. My personal opinion, your mileage may vary. This offer not valid in CA.

[Johnch]

I look at hunting and general shooting bullets differently .
For hunting I have no problem taking the time to install a gas check .
Even all the group testing and practice I do with hunting loads , the numbers are not that high per year .
But for plinking or target shooting I use plain base .

For me if for hunting I would go with GC for either weight .

Johnch

[bisley45]

sorry about that guys the guns are a ruger bisley and a redhawk both in 45 colt and the bullet will be for hunting and it will be driven at 1000-1100fps out of both guns

[David R]

I have a Smith model 25-5 45 colt. I read that you can load it the same as a 44 mag. I did it with gas check boolits for a while with a scope mounte on it. I used it to hunt deer. Never shot a deer and after a while I bought a ruger super redhawk in 44 mag. Now that I am shooting 45 colt loads in the 45 colt, I have come to apreciate it much more. The 44 mag has a scope to get all I can out of those hot loads. The smith is factory iron sites and much more comfortable to carry.

As far as which boolit, I would go with a plain base 300 grain. Getting that boolit to the 1000 to 1100 fps range is going to take plenty of pressure. I doubt you will need a gas check.

I even traded my 45 gas check mold so all I have now is a plain base mold for that caliber. The only thing I used to think was a gas check made for a more consistant base and should be more accurate. I was getting 4 to 6 honest inches at 100 yards with a scope on the gun. The scope is off now so I couldn't tell you what it does with the plain base at 900 fps. I can tell you it will hit in the mid 30s at a silly wet match with the rams at 100 yards.

One more thought. I have been shooting 255 grain plain base boolits at 900 fps. I got the group buy 275 grain plain base 6 banger. With my rear site all the way down it still shoots high at 25 yards. I think a 300 grain would shoot high at 50 or even 75 yards. This is in MY gun.

Good luck, 45 colt is a great cartridge
David

[StarMetal]

David R

I believe you read wrong about loading a Smith 25-5 like a 44 mag. Just look at the cylinder thickness on it, or should I say thinness. Especially look that the indexing nothces are cut right over the cylinders and it's even thinner there. I have a 25 Smith in 45 LC and I don't press it like a 44 mag. There are other brute 45 LC's out there to do that. You don't take your family car to race in a NASCAR race, you take a race car, same as with guns, don't make a gun do what it wasn't suppose to do.

Joe

[David R]

I bought a ruger super redhawk in 44 mag.
David

David

[Bass Ackward]

With rifles you have a clearer line. There are so many tendencies with handguns in particular that trying to define one vs the other is difficult. Alot of the choice comes from your reloading / shooting style and the mechanicals of your gun. In the end, some guns just won't shoot a PB unless at rediculously low velocities, using fairly slow powders, or very slow firing rates without leading. This goes a long way towards biasing that guy for life. I know because I am one. And you might as well find that out now.

But you can buy a few bullets of the type you are interested from someone like Dan (Bullshop) and see what you like if the mold cost is an issue. This will probably not be the only mold you purchase in your life. And if you "guess" wrong, you can always ebay it.

[fecmech]

IMO there is little need for gas checks in revolvers, it just adds a step and cost. I have never had a leading or accuracy problem with plain base bullets up to 1200-1300fps. I think if your bullets are sized for your throats and you use appropriate powder speed for your velocity you don't need the checks. One thing to consider before you jump on a 300 grainer you might want to try some and see if your sight will let you shoot it. Out of my Ruger SBH .44 with the sight bottomed out a 300gr. bullet hits about 10" high at 50 yds. Good luck Nick

[9.3X62AL]

Dittoes to Fecmech's remarks. I do run a few GC'd boolits through my revolvers, but not many these days. Most of my velocities run at or under 1100 FPS, and I add boolit weight rather than velocity if I want a harder smack downrange. The Lee 300 grainer (WFN/GC) shoots very well in my BisHawk 45, but I think the GC is kinda superfluous--still, its accuracy is nice, so I'll continue to shell out the 2 cents per round it takes to get that tight grouping.

Where I think gas checks have their place in revolver rounds is at velocities in excess of 1200 FPS. My most frequent venture of that sort is #358156 in the 357 Magnum--run to 1350 FPS in my M-686 x 4" (book loads, but top end), or past 1500 FPS in the BisHawk x 7.5" with some Douglas Wesson-esque loadings that would give liability lawyers the fantods.