Question About Applying Gas Checks

[Jeff82]

I've been using the excellent Pat Marlin tool to create plain base gas checks for my 357 magnum Lee cowboy bullets. I usually shoot about 200+ rounds through my rifle each time I go to the range, and making 200+ gas checked bullets is really tedious and time consuming. I was wondering if the process would be any easier if I would switch to a bullet that was designed for gas checking. The part of the process that really slows things down is the fitting of the gas check to the base and keeping it in place until it is inserted into the lubesizer.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The short answer: Yes, it would. If a bullet is designed for a gas check they pretty much can be pressed all the way on, or at least started with a little thumb pressure, then right into the sizing/lubing die. Works for me!

[Nueces]

Possible point of order: your mention of cowboy bullets hints that you may be thinking of using this ammo in SASS competition. From the April 2015 edition of the SASS Shooter's Handbook:

• Revolver and rifle ammunition may not be jacketed, semi-jacketed, plated, gas checked, or copper washed. It must be all lead. Molydisulfide, polymer coated bullets, or equivalent are acceptable. "
  

This avoids the high velocity return of hard metal splinters toward shooters, ROs and spotters. This is for anyone contemplating getting into the fabulous fun of CAS. Please ignore if I'm off base.

[Jeff82]

I'm not a cowboy action shooter, I just like the bullet. It feeds really well in both my lever action and bolt-action rifles.

[Forrest r]

I sold all my pb gc makers when I started coating bullets. Soooooooo much easier, cleaner, faster while maintaining excellent accuracy. If a gc isn't put on correctly/squarely accuracy will suffer.

A typical range visit, shot 200 rounds out of that pistol. Huge difference between the traditional gc/lube and pc'd bullets and how clean a firearm is at the end of a range session.

[IMG][/IMG]

Not bad for 200 rounds down the tube. The real kicker is the pistol/pc'd bullets maintain their accuracy longer due to less fouling and carbon buildup in the cylinders. Accuracy means different things to different people. This is what I mean by maintaining a level of accuracy thru out a range session. 6-shot group @ 50ft.

[IMG][/IMG]

Just something to consider, I switched from plain based gas checks's to powder coating and I'm glad I did.

[Jeff82]

Forest r,

Very intriguing! Have you ever used PCd bullets in a carbine?

--Jeff

[dilly]

I have. It works.

P.S. If you like colors have fun with them. If you don't, just get the clear from smoke4320.

[kungfustyle]

For seating gas checks I took a Lee push through and an extra die I picked up somewhere. I oiled up a top punch and put some epoxy putty into the end of the die w/ the top punch. Now put the lee pusher into your ram and screw the top punch loaded die into the press. Bring the ram up to square off the end of the top punch. Once it's dry you can seat any gas check out there easily with your press. If you have a turret press you could put the Lee sizer on and bang bang seated and crimped. NOE makes one for $30, either way works like a charm.

[Tailhunter]

Forest r,

Very intriguing! Have you ever used PCd bullets in a carbine?

--Jeff

I have a Marlin 1894 .357 that actually likes powder coated bullets better then the traditionally lubed lead bullets. I get tighter groups.
but then it is just the opposite with my Marlin 1895 in 45/70.

[Forrest r]

Forest r,

Very intriguing! Have you ever used PCd bullets in a carbine?

--Jeff

No but the different contender bbl's (all 10") and 2 different 308's eat them like candy.

Was looking for plinking loads for the 44mag, wanted something that could do minute of can @ 25yds/1 1/2" @25yds. Tried several different powders along with different bullets that I cast & pc. Didn't take long to find a couple loads that fit that criteria.

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1700fps cramer #50 for plinking in a 308, 10-shot group @ 50yds.

[IMG][/IMG]

Have a lyman mold that been laying around for years, it's a "U/u means undersized" marked mold that casts a .299" bore riding nose. Never could get that darn bullet to shoot. So I figured I'd try pc,ing them to see if I could bump the nose up in size. So I cast some up, pc'd them and went to the range.

[IMG][/IMG]

All of those targets/bullets were cast from nothing more than range scrap lead (8bhn/9bhn) and shot without any gc of any kind.

[Vern Humphrey]

The part of the process that really slows things down is the fitting of the gas check to the base and keeping it in place until it is inserted into the lubesizer.

What kind of sizer are you using? I use the Lee sizer, and feed the bullet in base first -- no problems at all keeping the check on that way.

[Jeff82]

I use a Lyman lubesizer. There are a few tricks to seating PB gas checks, and I can usually get good them the seat well. The thing is that I can do about 250 plain based bullets in about 45 minutes. With gas checks I have to make them first, and then the seating process is really slow. It probably tales me three hours to do 250, and an equal amount of time to make the gas checks.

[Don Fischer]

The short answer: Yes, it would. If a bullet is designed for a gas check they pretty much can be pressed all the way on, or at least started with a little thumb pressure, then right into the sizing/lubing die. Works for me!

I don't use them on my hand gun bullet's but do on my rifle bullet's. I have Hornady gas check's and to start them on, the GC's ore on the bench upside down and I simply push the bullet into them.