I've PC'd a few batches - shake'n'bake, and left my bullets lay during the bake.
Seems like most of the fellows who make the pretty boolits here stand their pills up with the bases down.
Questions:
1. Why not stand the boolits with BASE up?
2. Does the PC act somewhat as a gas check if the base is well coated and baked?
I apologize if this is a repeat question. I searched for several minutes to see if it had already been asked and answered with no luck.
Simply because the base is more stable and on many boolit profiles the only way.
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I'd stand my bullets up on the nose if there was an easy way to do it but I haven't thought up anything yet. I've seen people stand hollow point bullets up on a bed of nails before but most of my molds aren't hollow point. Most people stand base down because that'd be the most natural and easiest way to to it.
I guessing it doesn't makes of a difference but the base would probably be more uniform if it had zero "flashing" attached to it which can sometimes happen when one ends up with a little too much powder coat. Of course the flashing is knocked off when sizing or seating the bullet.
Why the Egyptians build the pyramids base down - They's be a lot neater looking if they were inverted...
LOL True point.Originally Posted by reddog81
Most of the boolits that I have cast have been WC or SWC... Flat noses.
The PC adheres to the projectile through being shot down range, and quite a bit remains on the squashed up remains too.
The other half of my question - would the PC act somewhat as a check and help prevent/minimize melting of the base of the boolit?
No because that is a BS myth much like that RPM theory, SEE and other non-provable pontificated nonsense . There is proof that bullet bases do NOT melt though. Recovered bullets. Seen a lot, never seen a base melted. Neither has anyone else.
When dealing with islam one should always ask themselves: "What would Leonidas do?"
Oh! What are gas checks for?
I am getting ready to start loading up reduced rifle loads and was under the (apparently mis-)impression that gas checks are required on loads hot enough to push the boolit up past a certain muzzle velocity (fps varies by source.) The reason that I had read was that the larger powder charge micro-melted the base of the pill, thereby causing excessive leading.
There sure is a lot of pontification in the world... I appreciate getting the skinny on topics. Thanks in advance for helping on this topic. I've cast on and off for 35 years, and have a LOT to learn.
Last edited by PMB; 03-24-2017 at 02:10 PM. Reason: Clarification
What are gas checks for? Well that is a whole other can of worms. They help prevent leading... Some people think they prevent leading by giving a good seal around the base of the bullet, others think the GC scraps the lead from each bullet preventing lead from building up and causing a problem, others have different theories or a combination of theories.
I have recently started to dabble in light .30-06 loads with powder coated bullets. I haven't had any leading problems yet. I've gotten good accuracy below 2000 FPS but the accuracy went to hell above 2000 FPS but I think that is more a function of my alloy rather than anything else. None of my molds are of the gas check variety.
So what does a gas check do if it is not to prevent or minimize vaporizing a bit of the base?
For so many years I must have drank the kool aid about melting/vaporizing the base of the lead cast boolit.
I love light loads in '06- haven't loaded any since I discovered powder coating. The number that I had in my head from various readings was north of 1500 FPS gas checks started showing their worth by reducing leading.
Last edited by PMB; 03-24-2017 at 06:43 PM.
I stand up the fat boolits and let the skinny ones do what they do(fall down) I PC and GC most all my rifle rounds the plainbase should do fine with PC.
CC
they prevent gas cutting.
they help hold the rifling better.
I just dump mine in a mesh tray.They come out fine and no issues so far.I would rather the bases covered evenly than worry about the tiny imperfections in the sides,but I am new to PC,only shot about 1000 so far.
One who does nothing makes no mistakes.
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| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
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