shooting GC boolits unchecked?

[birddog]

Here's the question at hand. Have any of you shot unchecked gas check style bullets through the revolver and what problems arise from doing so? What I'm wanting to do is load up unchecked bullets at lower velocities just for plinking.
Thanks again,
Charlie

[MT Gianni]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=65035

[watkibe]

The problem that arose for me was miserable accuracy.

[Lizard333]

I shoot a 429421 KD unchecked and I have excellent accuracy out of my redhawk. I end up using a lot more lube, ad reduce the load substantially and use it as a plinking load. Saves me the cost of GC's. It's fine. Load up a few and give it a try.

[HARRYMPOPE]

if kept at plainbase velocity there is no problems at all.I often find better accuracy with a GC bullet sans GC than a "real" plainbase bullet.EH Harrison in his classic NRA bullet casting work also reported similar results.

[Bret4207]

There's a whole section more or less devoted to this question- "gas checks". Look there.

[bobthenailer]

I have gotten excellent accuracy and no leading from several caliber handguns not useing gas checks up to at least 1,100 fps or so .
You will just have to try them in your gun and see if they will shoot !

[birddog]

Thanks a lot guys I figured someone had to have tried this before.
Charlie

[Larry Gibson]

After numerous tries shooting GC'd bullets sans the GC in revolvers I have given up on the idea. Accuracy is the main reason. Plinking to me is more than just shooting a tin can at 5 - 10 yards. If that's what you want then the accuracy is okay out of revolvers. However, when you stretch the range to 25, 50 or even further then the accuracy is very poor with such bullets. That "poor" is based on my own acceptable concept of "accuracy".

What I've found is a Lee 2 holer or even a 6 holer is not that expensive and the PB'd cast bullets I cast from such moulds are very serviceable and accurate for "plinking" and practice loads. It is a lot easier to use the GC'd bullets for top end loads and a proper PB'd cast bullet for the low end and medium loads for plinking and practice. Many times a lighter weight cast bullet can also be used to save on lead and recoil. Using a correct PB’d bullet can also save a lot of frustration.

Larry Gibson

[mpmarty]

I quit using gas checks on my Ranch Dog 45/70/350 boolits a long time ago. No leading and no problems of any kind. Tumble lube unsized over fifteen grains of Unique w/ LP primers make a very pleasant load.

[HARRYMPOPE]

i currently own 15 plainbase 30 caliber molds i have compared to the GC variety as plainbase.i have shot MOA with GC 30 caliber rifle bullets sans GC at 100 yards many times and under 2MOA at 200 in good conditions.I shot near 15000 plainbase bullets in my 30-06's the previous year an a half and found no correlation between a "proper" plainbase and improper GC-less plainbase.Bullet fit and uniform velocity was the key.Plainbase is frustrating when trying for a super consistent accurate match load be it with a plainbase or GC-less bullet in fixed ammo.


George

[Recluse]

What I've found is a Lee 2 holer or even a 6 holer is not that expensive and the PB'd cast bullets I cast from such moulds are very serviceable and accurate for "plinking" and practice loads. It is a lot easier to use the GC'd bullets for top end loads and a proper PB'd cast bullet for the low end and medium loads for plinking and practice. Many times a lighter weight cast bullet can also be used to save on lead and recoil. Using a correct PB’d bullet can also save a lot of frustration.

Larry Gibson

+1

I bought the Lee 105SWC mold specifically to cast lightweight boolits I could load in mouseloads for my wife and that we could use just for plinking.

Turns out, it's one of my favorite molds and I use that boolit in three different calibers now.

:coffee:

[williamwaco]

I have never seen much use for gas checks. Still don't. but after 60 years, I decided to see what they are about. I bought this one:

Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold C358-158-SWC 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 38 Colt New Police (358 Diameter) 158 Grain Semi-Wadcutter Gas Check

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=263780

This is an excellent bullet. Easy to cast and very accurate. I have fired about 1,000 of them. Less than 200 were fitted with the gas check. I can see no difference in accuracy at up to 1200 fps. I rarely load hotter than that but I have tested the gas checks to 1400 and they work great.

Don't believe the claims that it can't be done. It is done every day.

[Ecramer]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but what about in a rifle? I have an old Cramer gas check mold for .32-20 that I'd like to use in Cowboy Action Shooting. The rounds would only be fired through an original Winchester 92, using Trail Boss powder.

I'm assuming velocity would be in the 1000 fps range (it's what I'm shooting for), and there isn't the issue of the sudden bumps a bullet takes jumping from the cylinder to the forcing cone, etc.

I've been assuming it will be OK to go forward with the load, but any actual information would help.

[Larry Gibson]

Ecramer

Be worth a try, I've had much better results with such loads in rifles. Especially at the lower velocity you'll be using.

Larry Gibson

[williamwaco]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but what about in a rifle?.

Bill says, read William Waco above. About 100 of those unchecked bullets were fired through my winchester 92 - .357 Mag.

I find no difference.

Don't know the velocity in the rifle but the load was 11 gr, Accurate No. 9

( Extrapolating from the Lyman manual, that should produce somewhere between 1300 and 1500 in a 20 inch rifle. )

[caseyboy]

No trouble at all in a 7mm-08 if kept at about 22lr rifle velocities (+/- 1200fps). I plan on playing with this some more to see how fast I can go. 1600fps would be great.

The deer in my avatar was taken with a Win94 in 32Special sans GC. If I remember right, it was a mild load of RedDot with the speed at about 1300fps. The shot was about 50yds. The buck was quartering away. The bullet entered at the back of the rib cage and exited through the front shoulder. The buck ran about 60 yds before piling up.