home built checks

[35 Whelen]

I see many posts about the home made checks . Why would anyone waste time makeing checks that are not near as good as GATOR checks . You cant be that damn tight. I would rather spend my time casting than making junk.

I tried making my own gas checks and the results were terrible. Below is a couple of examples of their poor performance:





...and for what it's worth, I make my own lube too. So, you're damned right I'm tight! And proud of it!!!
35W

[StarMetal]

I tried making my own gas checks and the results were terrible. Below is a couple of examples of their poor performance:





...and for what it's worth, I make my own lube too. So, you're damned right I'm tight! And proud of it!!!
35W

35W,

Sometimes you can even tighten your groups up more by changing the cup material or even changing from hard to soft, or visa versa.
An example I can make checks from a thicker soft aluminum for my 6.5's and did. I though, hot dog, nice thick checks. Didn't shoot as good as the thinner harder flashing material.

Way to go on your efforts. Rewarding isn't it?

Joe

[35 Whelen]

35W,

Sometimes you can even tighten your groups up more by changing the cup material or even changing from hard to soft, or visa versa.
An example I can make checks from a thicker soft aluminum for my 6.5's and did. I though, hot dog, nice thick checks. Didn't shoot as good as the thinner harder flashing material.

Way to go on your efforts. Rewarding isn't it?

Joe

Thanks for the tip. I really like the aluminum checks. I tried the flashing material, but the checks wouldn't stay on the bullets. I found these aluminum signs and they're perfect in every way. I also made a few checks out of aluminum guttering. It's somewhat thicker material but never tried them.

The bottom two targets may not look too impressive, but bear in mind they were fired prone with a sling and NOT from the bench.
35W

[StarMetal]

Thanks for the tip. I really like the aluminum checks. I tried the flashing material, but the checks wouldn't stay on the bullets. I found these aluminum signs and they're perfect in every way. I also made a few checks out of aluminum guttering. It's somewhat thicker material but never tried them.

The bottom two targets may not look too impressive, but bear in mind they were fired prone with a sling and NOT from the bench.
35W

35W,

Let me help you a little more. The flashing is great material, but only good for 22 cal up to 6.5, unless the gas check shank on the bullet is very very shallow. For the larger calibers you must have thicker material.

One more note. Some believe the aluminum wears your barrel out. I don't. I just recently realized how many 6.5's I've been shooting when I discovered that my 12 inch by 10 foot long piece of flashing had been all used up making 6.5 checks. My barrels show no abnormal wear from them.

Shooting from the sling makes you're groups even more impressive to me.

Joe

[Wally]

I tried making my own gas checks and the results were terrible. Below is a couple of examples of their poor performance:





...and for what it's worth, I make my own lube too. So, you're damned right I'm tight! And proud of it!!!
35W

Might I suggest......try sizing the bullets to a larger size and/or use a different powder charge...I find Unique powder to work exceptionally well in my .30-06 (Rem 700). A little experimentation will do wonders and I suspect will give you the accuracy that you'd be pleased with.

I have used/tested Freechex GC's in my .243 Winchester--they were every bit as good as Hotnady's ..next year I'll be using Freechex GC's with my .30-06..I am sure they will work just fine.

[HollowPoint]

Every time I see a Gas Check Post like this it makes me wonder, "Why do some guys have good experiences with their home-made-checks and others seem to struggle to get decent results.

I do believe that experience helps alot to achieve success with home-made gas checks but, from the way most of these post are worded, there might be a little luck involved in getting good results as well.

With an uneducated guess on my part, I suspect that those having less than acceptable results may be because their Home-Made gas checks are coming off at the exact moment that their bullets exists the barrel.

It's possible that this is interfering with the uniformity of the hot gas that's pushing the bullet out of the barrel and throwing it off just enough to lead to bad results down range.

In my case, it's very rare to find one of my Gas Checked bullet with the Gas Check still attached.
They had to have come off at some point between exiting the barrel and impacting the target.

Occasionally I've found my Gas Checks laying in or around my target but, those are usually the bullets that give me good accuracy. (good enough for me anyway)

I'd love to see a slow motion video of a Gas Checked Cast bullet exiting the barrel. One from a known accurate load and one known to give poor accuracy.

It would be interesting to see at what point the accurate bullet looses its Gas Check. (If at all) And, at what point the poorer accuracy load looses its check.

I've never tried the aluminum Gas Checks but, it seems that the thin soda can Checks may not always have the strength to grip the bullet as snugly as might be possible with thicker walled Checks.

I know, I know, some guys have good luck with the thinner material and some guys have good luck with the thicker material.

It was just a thought.
HollowPoint

[StarMetal]

Every time I see a Gas Check Post like this it makes me wonder, "Why do some guys have good experiences with their home-made-checks and others seem to struggle to get decent results.

I do believe that experience helps alot to achieve success with home-made gas checks but, from the way most of these post are worded, there might be a little luck involved in getting good results as well.

With an uneducated guess on my part, I suspect that those having less than acceptable results may be because their Home-Made gas checks are coming off at the exact moment that their bullets exists the barrel.

It's possible that this is interfering with the uniformity of the hot gas that's pushing the bullet out of the barrel and throwing it off just enough to lead to bad results down range.

In my case, it's very rare to find one of my Gas Checked bullet with the Gas Check still attached.
They had to have come off at some point between exiting the barrel and impacting the target.

Occasionally I've found my Gas Checks laying in or around my target but, those are usually the bullets that give me good accuracy. (good enough for me anyway)

I'd love to see a slow motion video of a Gas Checked Cast bullet exiting the barrel. One from a known accurate load and one known to give poor accuracy.

It would be interesting to see at what point the accurate bullet looses its Gas Check. (If at all) And, at what point the poorer accuracy load looses its check.

I've never tried the aluminum Gas Checks but, it seems that the thin soda can Checks may not always have the strength to grip the bullet as snugly as might be possible with thicker walled Checks.

I know, I know, some guys have good luck with the thinner material and some guys have good luck with the thicker material.

It was just a thought.
HollowPoint

I don't think the gas check coming off has that much effect on the bullet. Lyman original checks weren't crimp on and many had very good results with them. My checks all aren't coming off because I find them in my dirt backstop after they pass through a 1 inch oak front! It's kind of hard to tell whether all the checks stay on because they do get messed up going through the oak and dirt both.

I think the difference between good and bad groups with home made checks has more to do with the rifle they were shot from, the load, how well the bullets were cast and fit to that rifle, and the shooter.

I've shot some really shoddy looking checks that have given very good results. I don't feel the quality has a lot to do with how good the bullet shoots. Don't get me wrong...there's a point where it's real bad the results will be bad.

Joe

[leadman]

35W, good shooting with that ol' Springfield.

I have some of the old brass Lyman checks for the 44 and ran a test with these and Gator checks. The Lyman checks lost the accuracy test. The Gator checked boolits had approx. a 50% smaller group using the same load.
The Lyman checks could be turned on the base of the boolit.

Does using some type of adhesive on the homemade checks help at all?

Dr. Blackman is a very nice person to do business with. I have purchased from him directly by calling his doctors office and placing an order. His checks are made by his company, Hornady makes for the rest. He also has swaging equipment.

[OneShotNeeded]

I've noticed one thing everyone seems to be so worried about how the check looks, or wether or not it stays on the boolit once it leaves the barrel....well honestly I don't see where it matters. I don't see how a "check" is going to make a huge difference in accuracy. In my experience I've noticed that if you have a group like 35 Whelen top target, most of the time you can tighten up the group by either going down 1/2 a grain on the charge or up 1/2 a grain on the charge. I'm not trying to argue just mentioning what I've noticed.

[StarMetal]

I've noticed one thing everyone seems to be so worried about how the check looks, or wether or not it stays on the boolit once it leaves the barrel....well honestly I don't see where it matters. I don't see how a "check" is going to make a huge difference in accuracy. In my experience I've noticed that if you have a group like 35 Whelen top target, most of the time you can tighten up the group by either going down 1/2 a grain on the charge or up 1/2 a grain on the charge. I'm not trying to argue just mentioning what I've noticed.

Exclude me out of your post as I just posted to the same effect. Read above.

Joe

[Wally]

I tried making my own gas checks and the results were terrible. Below is a couple of examples of their poor performance:





...and for what it's worth, I make my own lube too. So, you're damned right I'm tight! And proud of it!!!
35W

A wave of inspiration came over me....to make it a truly fair test you should make gas checks out of the same material that the commercially made ones are made from---copper. I make my own out of aluminum as copper is too expensive IMHO to be using. I have had excellent results with a wide variety of calibers---I still have some tweaking to do with the .22 Caliber though...I have no doubt that I will get the right combination eventually for it as well..others have.l

[StarMetal]

When I test my aluminum checks I do double test loads and the difference is the others have Hornady checks on them. I would have been satisfied if my check shot at least as good as the Hornady, but was rewarded with them out shooting the big H in most calibers. Couldn't ask for more.

Joe

[yondering]

Every time I see a Gas Check Post like this it makes me wonder, "Why do some guys have good experiences with their home-made-checks and others seem to struggle to get decent results.

Natural talent maybe? Some folks have it, and some obviously don't.

Seriously though, why would anyone waste time making there own gas check junk when you could paper patch?

[StarMetal]

Natural talent maybe? Some folks have it, and some obviously don't.

Seriously though, why would anyone waste time making there own gas check junk when you could paper patch?

...because I can put a check on my bullet faster then you can paper patch one....and I've been known to shoot cast pretty accurately and at high velocities.

Joe

[35 Whelen]

I've noticed one thing everyone seems to be so worried about how the check looks, or wether or not it stays on the boolit once it leaves the barrel....well honestly I don't see where it matters. I don't see how a "check" is going to make a huge difference in accuracy. In my experience I've noticed that if you have a group like 35 Whelen top target, most of the time you can tighten up the group by either going down 1/2 a grain on the charge or up 1/2 a grain on the charge. I'm not trying to argue just mentioning what I've noticed.

Well, I'd think it'd make a HUGE difference in accuracy if the check stayed on or fell off. To me if it looks bad, as in one side of the check is misformed, etc. this throws the bullet out of balance thus affecting accuracy.
As far as tightening the group in the top target, it may or may not be possible. After all it was fired from a 67 year old, as-issued No.4 Enfield. Hopefully within the next year I'll be able to do some in depth testing with that rifle as I intend to shoot CMP vintage matches with it.


35W

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

same reason some guys like short, fat women instead of tall skinny ones?
OK, the sense of accomplishment and having control of your entire process?

that's all I can come up with.

Rich

[StarMetal]

same reason some guys like short, fat women instead of tall skinny ones?
OK, the sense of accomplishment and having control of your entire process?

that's all I can come up with.

Rich

I though the short fat women was a low self esteem problem.

Joe

[RU shooter]

I though the short fat women was a low self esteem problem.

Joe

I dont know about self esteem but If they can cook well who cares!As far as why you would bother to make your own checks? No stores around me stock them and I really hate catalog ordering AND mine are free.


Tim

[Taylor]

OK,so how do I make them? Is there a kit available for sale? Why should I buy anything that I can make myself? At least it will be made in the USA!

[35 Whelen]

OK,so how do I make them? Is there a kit available for sale? Why should I buy anything that I can make myself? At least it will be made in the USA!

I use the Free Chex II. It can be bought on eBay. Someone here on the board makes them too.
35W