Gas Checking PC Boolits

Yesterday I powder coated my boolits for the first time. They sure look pretty. I decided to gas check some. However, I only used eight of the ten I gas checked because none of them were seating to my standards, but the two were completely unacceptable. When I shot them at fifty yards they didn’t do very well.

I’m coating 6.5 x 55 se, 140 gr. With the PC there just doesn’t seem to be enough space for the gas checks to seat properly. Any tricks to doing this. I thought about putting the gas checks on first, but then there is the question of the lube causing problems. I know a lot of people don’t gas check them. I’ll try some without the gas checks tomorrow and see if they do any better.

That is why I GC before PC on most boolits. Each is different. A have a couple that GC's are loose on the lead, so I GC after PC.

All depends on what you need. There is no fixed rule to most of this stuff.

I use a GC where the velocity requires it.

You should be using NO LUBE if you are doing PC, so what is the worry with "lube causing problems"?!?!?!?
You have to try VERY hard to get your sizing dies to remove PC if it is baked properly.

banger

I put my gas checks on when I size the boolits. They need lube to pass through the sizer, don’t they? I agree with you as I have found there are no fixed rules. Most people like it for larger diameter boolits especially for pistols. I am thrying to make it work for higher speed rifle rounds. Near 2000 ft/m. Can it be done?

In for info. I also pc my first ones today and based on the chucks on the shanks and bases I was wondering the same thing

If they are powder coated they shouldn't need lubed to be sized but there are exceptions. The problem with installing gas checks on powder coated bullets WITH lube is I think the lube gets under the check and the combination of slick PC surface and the lube does not allow the check to grab on good.

I install check and size in one step after powder coating my 30cal bullets but I'm using copper checks that do well without lube.

When I check my 22 cal with aluminum checks I actually use a nylon case neck brush to lube the inside of the sizing die. I do this periodically using feel as needed. I have found that the aluminum checks smear and deform if not lubed.

If you are installing copper checks you may want to clean your die completely of all lube and install the checks on plain cast bullets. But then you'll need to PC and size them again but if that is what it takes to get a good fit...……..


Motor

Use a larger sizer to install the GC, PC then resize to proper.

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Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE

I put my gas checks on when I size the boolits. They need lube to pass through the sizer, don’t they? I agree with you as I have found there are no fixed rules. Most people like it for larger diameter boolits especially for pistols. I am thrying to make it work for higher speed rifle rounds. Near 2000 ft/m. Can it be done?

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No they do NOT need any lube at all!!!!!!! I have sized many thousands of PC’d boolits (with and without GC) and I have NEVER needed or used lube of any kind. That is just something you have to wash off somehow, so why? The PC is slick and VERY hard and will not come off even when squeezing boolits thru the die. I pound my test boolits into a cube to test the PC, so why would it come off when sliding thru a simple sizing die that may squeeze the Pb a thou or so??????

Again, I only use GC’s when the velocity dictates. If a grease lubed boolit needs a GC, so does a PC’d one. And there are many on here that push PC to WELL over 2K without GC’s.

Listen to bangerjim. Just for the he!! of it I PC'd some jacketed bullets(308 dia) with Smoke's JD green and then ran the through a .308 sizer. They measured .3085 after sizing and the PC showed no marks of any kind and that was without any lubrication.

I know I don’t need lube after they are powder coated to be sized. I put my GC on by pushing them through the sizer on the on the boolits after they are powder coated. No lube, no problem pushing them through. The problem I have is they don’t seat well and come out deformed because of the powder coating under the GC.

I was wondering if I could GC them before I powder coated them? I didn’t think it was a good idea to push an unsized lead boolit through the sizer to put a GC on it before I PC it. Maybe I can? I just have a simple NOE sizer not a lubesizer.

You can also anneal the gas checks to help with going over the now oversized shank. It will improve their grip as well.

I wanted to ask another question. Is it better to put the GC on and put it through the sizer base first?