PC and gas checks

[james nicholson]

I am new to pc, have purchased powder and spray outfit, but not tried yet. On a cast Lee 312-185-2r gc for use in 303 Brit, do I install gc then powder coat or pc first then gc. My mold has been lapped and beagled to throw .316 slugs that I am sizing to .315, in my 5 grove barrel. This load works very well in my gun, with 13 grains of Green Dot. I am pretty sure that the gas checks I use will not fit after coating, they just barely fit now. I realize NOE makes gc expanders, and Al is a great guy to deal with, but that is another thing I have not tried yet.
Thanks in advance for your help, Jim

[Motor]

I have done it both ways but since your boolits are made to be larger than normal you may have trouble fitting the checks on them if you PC them first.

Other than that there shouldn't be any other concern.

Motor

[res45]

I am new to pc, have purchased powder and spray outfit, but not tried yet. On a cast Lee 312-185-2r gc for use in 303 Brit, do I install gc then powder coat or pc first then gc. My mold has been lapped and beagled to throw .316 slugs that I am sizing to .315, in my 5 grove barrel. This load works very well in my gun, with 13 grains of Green Dot. I am pretty sure that the gas checks I use will not fit after coating, they just barely fit now. I realize NOE makes gc expanders, and Al is a great guy to deal with, but that is another thing I have not tried yet.
Thanks in advance for your help, Jim

Jim are you applying your checks with a push through sizer or using a regular lubesizer. Last week I PC'ed some Lee 185 gr. RN bullets like yours from a stock Lee mold and use Sage's Outdoors 303 aluminum checks an had no issues they are slightly oversized an go on very easily on PC'ed bullets. I had issues getting checks to go on easily on some coated bullets using the Lee push through sizer however using the NOE push through sizer along with the appropriate nose punch an adapter so that you can push the bullet through base first work just as well.

[earlmck]

I have done both ways and since I push them through a Star it doesn't matter that the pc makes a tighter fit because the Star will handle it. I can't explain it but my rifles seem to prefer (tighter groups) the ones I pc first and then check. This is with Hornady checks.

[james nicholson]

I am using copper checks I bought on this site from Blammer. I am installing them with Lyman 4500 with a .315 sizer. On my checks they fit very tight. I lay the check down on bench, open side up and push the base of the boolit into it. It does not always go on straight, but if I place it into the sizer, hold it up straight, then lower the handle slowly it straightens out and goes on fine. I lube these with Lars BAC and then tumble in BLL. No leading, yet, I am getting an average of 1425fps with Lee dipper 1.6 cc of green dot. This measures out at 12.9 grains.

[james nicholson]

Just ordered the Sage Outdoors 303 checks, thanks for the info and the link. Cold here today, first warmer day I will pc a handful of boolits and try these.

[earlmck]

James, at that velocity a number of boolits shoot fine without the gas check -- you might give some a try just to see. Leading will not be a factor; the gas check starts being necessary for accuracy (depending on boolit design) somewhere around 1600 fps.

One of my favorite grandkid-friendly loads is a 68 grain 25 cal boolit in the 25/20, gas check design but without the check and loaded about 1400 fps. Harbor Freight Red on the boolits so I can tell them from my other loads which about 1800 fps and need the check.

When I check using your press 'em in method I used to put a flat piece of metal across the die mouth and use the lube/sizer to finish seating flush any checks that hadn't gone all the way on with my finger pressure. If you don't get 'em seated flush, once in a while one will crimp on the base a little crooked.

[Lloyd Smale]

I cast my bullets install checks and size then Pc and resize afterward

[Smoke4320]

Same for me Lloyd

[Moonie]

Here is a little help, a Lee 25-06 FCD will size down that gas check shank to the exact right size, put the boolit in the top with the shank in the crimp bits and crimp it. It works for 30, 7mm and 270 calibers as the shanks are about the same size.