Suggested Gas Checked CBs for Marlin 1894C

[Jeff82]

I'm thinking of trying out a gas checked CB for my Marlin 1894c 357. I'm wondering what works well. I've been looking at the Lee 158-SWC CG mold and, for three times the price, the Lyman 158 SWC CG bullet. I'd be interested in what feeds well into the Marlin and what people recommend. I've been using the Lee 158gr RNFP with mediocre results.

[btroj]

Mine really like a Mihec 359640 HP. Haven't cast any as a solid so I don't know but bet those would work,too.

I failed to get any decent results with bullets other than this one.

[Bullshop]

RFs feed better than SWCs
My favorite is the 125gn RF but its not a gas check type.

[Iowa Fox]

Glenn Larson's Lee group buy for for the 359180- I got one in GC and then the guys did one for plain base so I got one of those. They are both good.

[harley45]

I've got two that work in mine one is the 180 WFN GC from now and the newest is the 360-156 GC from MP molds both have been excellent for me.

[FergusonTO35]

Jeff, I would advise you to try your Lee 358-158 with a PB check added. My 1894 loves 'em even with a healthy dose of H110.

[Jeff82]

What's a lead check?

[larrupin]

PB in this case means "plain base" check.

[randy_68]

I use the Noe 360-180wfngc sized at .358. Also had good luck with Cast Performance 360-180. The Lee 158 swc gc seem to shoot ok but I haven't experimented with them enough yet.

[HiVelocity]

Jeff82-

You won't find a better bullet suited exactly for your rifle than NOE's SC359-175-RF 4 GC mold. I bought the plain base mold and love it. I apply a plain base gas check to mine, works great. No feed issues.

HV

[Jeff82]

I'm really interested in the plain base gas check idea. As I understand it, I can use pop can aluminum to form gas checks that will fit on my existing Lee cowboy bullet (non GC). I looks like it might take some doing to create the GCs on my Lee Challenger press, but the idea of having an unlimited supply of gas checks is very appealing as is the ability to continue to use my Lee Cowboy bullet mold. Do I understand this correctly. Any disadvantages to doing this? Sounds too good to be true.

[Lonegun1894]

I have a PB check for a .45, and it works great with my .45 Colt loads and even a few .45ACP loads I have tried it in. But yes, you understand it right, just fits on the base of your plain base cast boolit and crimps on when you size it. I have bought a few PB checks from a member here and the checkmaker to make my own is on my short list of checkmakers to get.

[FergusonTO35]

That's it exactly. The Lee push through sizing dies are perfect for this purpose.

[TXGunNut]

Why a GC boolit? Seems a good-fitting PB boolit would go as fast as I'd want a .357 to go.

[Jeff82]

The reason I want to try a CG is that I have a really hard time getting good accuracy out of my Marlin 1894c with the regular CBs I'm using. I get good accuracy out of my Lee Cowboy Bullets when shooting 38-special and 357 in my pistols, but not with the carbine. To get marginal performance at 100-yards the best thing I've come up with is a 0.359 diameter bullet with a BHN of around 12 pushed hard. I think the CG might work better, but that's just my guess.

[imashooter2]

It is certainly easier to get accuracy out of boolits pushed hard when they wear a gas check. I use Glen Larson's Lee C360-180-RF. NOE sells a mold that is very close to it. I've used those as well. Both are excellent in the Marlin 1894C.

[TXGunNut]

The reason I want to try a CG is that I have a really hard time getting good accuracy out of my Marlin 1894c with the regular CBs I'm using. -Jeff82

Good reason. I'm looking to buy a 92 in .357 someday and I'm hoping to use it for cheap plinking, would rather not use a GC. Have you slugged the bore? What is your velocity?

[btroj]

My Marlin didn't care about checks one bit. It wants anything that doesn't have a shoulder on it and it wants it driven hard.
Driving a 359 bullet at 1700 without a check isn't a bit deal. Use a good lube and an appropriate alloy and go shoot.

[Idaho Mule]

Mine likes the rcbs 158 cm boolit. It is plain base, I size to .359 and use r5r's Simple Lube, over 13 gr of 2400 powder. JW

[dragon813gt]

Plain base 359640 in solid form is deadly accurate in mine. I don't shoot any checked bullets because they don't make any difference in accuracy. I'm surprised that people are getting fat nosed bullets to feed. I have a C358-180 RF that will not chamber. It's relegated to revolver duty only.

[FergusonTO35]

My 1894 decidedly needs harder lead if using a pb boolit at .357 velocities. Adding a pb check means air cooled range scrap alloy works perfectly as it does in .30 WCF and is one less thing to worry about. Most of my shooting with the 1894 is with stout .38 Special loads which don't need checks.

[Jeff82]

It's funny how different people using the same gun have very different results. Some people say they only get good accuracy out of their Marlin with gas checks, others swear that it's more a matter of getting the alloy to the right hardness. I've found that accuracy falls apart with light loads, and the bullets sized to 0.358 don't even group at 100 yards. When I used a hard lube, I generally had good accuracy with an 11 bhn bullet, but terrible leading. When I switched to a softer lube, the leading disappeared along with the accuracy. I could go on and on.

Gas checking my Lee Cowboy bullets has a lot of appeal. I could use the same 12-bhn alloy that I use for 38-special and 38-special +P, gas check the 357s, and use one bullet with one hardness for all my shooting. That's if it works. For simplicities sake alone I think its worth experimenting with.

[dverna]

Jeff,
That is part of the fun - experimenting. And yes, different people get different results. Even worse is defining success.

What the heck does "work great" mean? 4" groups, 2"???? Groups at 50 yards or 100 yards? Using iron sights or scope??? For 10 shots for 50 shots??? Your definition of "good 'nuff" may be different than someone else's.

But, to add some value. Contact Pat Marlin about the PB cast checks. If you are reluctant to make the investment, ask him to send you 50 or so for testing or maybe someone here will send you some. If they work for you - that is all that matters.

Don Verna

[Jeff82]

I decided that the idea of gas checking my Lee Cowboy bullet was worth plunking down some cash to try Pat Marlin's dies. It may or may not work out, but my grand plan would be to use 12-bhn bullets for 38-special and the same gas checked bullet for 357. If it works, this would greatly simplify my whole production process. Best of all, I would now have a use for all of my Diet A&W Rootbeer cans. It's got good karma through and through.

Anyway, I decided it's worth the buck-two-eighty to try it.

[454PB]

It's funny how different people using the same gun have very different results. Some people say they only get good accuracy out of their Marlin with gas checks, others swear that it's more a matter of getting the alloy to the right hardness. I've found that accuracy falls apart with light loads, and the bullets sized to 0.358 don't even group at 100 yards. When I used a hard lube, I generally had good accuracy with an 11 bhn bullet, but terrible leading. When I switched to a softer lube, the leading disappeared along with the accuracy. I could go on and on.


Yup, I had good results using Lyman 358156 gas checked, wheel weight alloy, sized .358, and driven around 1700 fps. It feeds fine and groups around 3" at 100 yards.