New check user having issues

[jsheyn]

I've been reloading and casting for a while but never ever used a gas check. I am working on a 45 300Grain at the moment that has me extra frustrated. I have watched youtube videos for hours and cannot see what I am doing wrong...HELP!!

Mold: RCBS45-300FN
Gas Check: Aluminum (purchased from 338RemUltraMag)
Check ID: .420
Check OD: .459

Bullet: .459
check stub: .422

Lube/Sizer: RCBS LAM 1
Sizing Die: .458

I have problems I am encountering


1) The check seems to be catching on the side of the sizer die lube holes. Once this happens I have beat the snot of it to ge tthe top of the stroke.

2) Even on the check that do not catch on the dies lube holes the check comes up concave at the bottom and has a little pad of lube in the cavity.


8820888207

[jsheyn]

One other thing....I like to use some what hard lube (1lb BeesWax, 1 lb Paraffin wax, 1 TBS STP oil treatment, 2 TBS Petro Jely) I use a heater on the LAM when the tempts get below 80 in the shop. Well today it's in the 20's so I fired up the heater in the shop and the heater on the LAM. The lube was soft.

coming from the shop I turned everthing off (LAM heater and shop heater) to come inside and take measurements and wite the post above....either way I just stepped back out to the shop and did 5 more boolits using modertly cold lube and they went smooth as butter nothing got stuck no craters???? I dont understand but I assume, and I will test again later, that the warmer lube had something to do with it not provin enough resistance...I dont know

[wallenba]

I suspect that maybe it's not a GC design.


After re-reading your post, I see you included a gas check stub diameter, so obviously it is a gas check design. I don't have an answer for you. Someone will have encountered this, so you'll figure it out sooner or later.

Can you measure the thickness of the check material?

[tjones]

It appears that the lube hole in the die have burrs from drilling them. Uncommon but certainly possible.

tj

[338RemUltraMag]

I suspect that maybe it's not a GC design.


After re-reading your post, I see you included a gas check stub diameter, so obviously it is a gas check design. I don't have an answer for you. Someone will have encountered this, so you'll figure it out sooner or later.

Can you measure the thickness of the check material?

I can answer that, it is .017 metal, if sounds to me that the lube is either to hot and losing it's lubricity OR as stated there is a burr in the sizer die. It does look like there is a drag mark on the boolit.

[JeffinNZ]

It appears that the lube hole in the die have burrs from drilling them. Uncommon but certainly possible.

tj

Bingo! It's not the check.

[Capt. Methane]

It may be that 80 degree ambient temperature was not enough and that your heat system needed a little more time to get all of the lube up to the same temperature. I use L&S Stuff Red Carnuba and have to heat it some even in the summer...

Also-and I'm only familiar with the Star sizer-it recommends to run a lubed and sized bullet through the dies every once and a while to lube the die. The scarring on the bullet could be that the die isn't lubed adequately, try running a lubed bullet through once and a while.

Hope that helps!

[roysha]

If I understand your specs correctly, you are putting a GC on a bullet that is .002" larger than the ID of the GC. If this is correct, how are you getting the GC on?

[AlaskanGuy]

I had the same trouble with one of my sizers... A tiny burr was making my life hell... Used some good advice from a member... All it took was a sharpie and some ultra fine paper and i was back to happily applying gas checks...

[338RemUltraMag]

If I understand your specs correctly, you are putting a GC on a bullet that is .002" larger than the ID of the GC. If this is correct, how are you getting the GC on?

It isn't hard, they just press right on the shank, no big deal.

[roysha]

Well I guess I need someone to show me how to shear .002" easily with a GC. I have hell's own time if they are size on size much less .002" tight. Oh well!

[jsheyn]

It isn't hard, they just press right on the shank, no big deal.


That's exactly what I am doing. My issue was as stated; the lube was to hot and not providing enough resistance to seat the check. so when i pushed the ram down the check was turning sideways and causing havic....now I dont let the lube get that hot and I have plenty of resistance I can see the check get seated before it even makes it even a little bit into the die.

it was a good lesson learned!

[338RemUltraMag]

Well I guess I need someone to show me how to shear .002" easily with a GC. I have hell's own time if they are size on size much less .002" tight. Oh well!

Here is how even the most mechanically inept can seat checks with zero issues

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?201576-Super-simple-way-to-seat-gas-checks-perfect-every-time

[338RemUltraMag]

That's exactly what I am doing. My issue was as stated; the lube was to hot and not providing enough resistance to seat the check. so when i pushed the ram down the check was turning sideways and causing havic....now I dont let the lube get that hot and I have plenty of resistance I can see the check get seated before it even makes it even a little bit into the die.

it was a good lesson learned!
I thought it might have been a lubricity issue, glad to see you got it working right!

[myg30]

I went back to the picture and looked twice at it, looked like Rifling ! Glad you got-r-done ! I have not had any trouble with the alum checks from 338RMU. I don't use a heater yet either.

mike