CSt bullets without gas checks?

[Jjmwandell]

so like many people, im having a hard time finding supplies. Has anyone had good results shooting 308 or 9mm without gas checks at full pressure and powder load?

[Minerat]

I don't gas check my 9mm but size them for the barrel and PC them. I run them at book levels for similar weight jacketed bullets with no leading problems. On the 308's I haven't played with that enough to have a opinion.

[mdi]

None of m handgun bullets wear gas checks, even my near max 9mm loads. I use my mystery metal of about 12 BHN and sometimes my Lyman #2, either without regard to "keeping my velocity down" to eliminate leading...

[Jjmwandell]

So what exactly is the point of them? Do they prevent lead fouling in the barrel?

[sigep1764]

So what exactly is the point of them? Do they prevent lead fouling in the barrel?

Yes, they do several things, one of which is to prevent leading of the barrel. But they are seldom needed under 1400 or 1500fps if good lube/pc is used and the boolit is sized .002 over groove for pistols or sized to the throat for rifles.

[Jjmwandell]

Whats the point of the lube? How do you lube them? And whats a good lube?

[sigep1764]

A lubesizer is the most preferable way, either the Lyman 450/4500, RCBS Lub-a-matic, or a Star lubrisizer. Some folks melt lube into a baking pan and set their boolits in it. Once the the lube solidifies, they will cut the boolits out using an over sized brass case. Then there is tumble lube, Liquid Alox. A more recent innovation has been to powder coat boolits. A member named Smoke in the Swappin&Sellin section sells some very good powder coat.

As for what is Lube and who makes it, its generally a wax based formula that could include a vast array of ingredients. Some folks have come up with their own recipes and cook it on the stove top, others buy lube from Lyman or White Label Lubes. I personally buy Carnuba Blue from White Label Lubes and use a Star lubrisizer. Different strokes for different folks.

The point of the lube is to protect against leading of the barrel, as a bare boolit would have lead stripped off of it as it travels down the bore. It lubricates the bore and boolit leading travel down the bore without leading.

[memtb]

so like many people, im having a hard time finding supplies. Has anyone had good results shooting 308 or 9mm without gas checks at full pressure and powder load?

My first attempts with cast bullets in a rifle, it was the early ‘70’s and I was about 19 at the time, were in a .308 Win. The initial results were a disaster. Young and dumb, I made two critical mistakes.....the bullet was seated too deep into the case and no gas check! After a few shots, I couldn’t hit a #3 washtub at a hundred yards. It looked as though I’d poured molten lead down the bore. It was a major pain to get the bore clean.

I then started seating much farther out with a gas check. It soon became my squirrel/rabbit gun in the fall and my vermin gun during the summer!

This was just my experiences almost 50 years ago. This was a bit before the internet and the castboolits forum to give guidance! memtb

[mdi]

Whats the point of the lube? How do you lube them? And whats a good lube?

Some good info for new casters, good basic info; http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook-4Th/dp/B07PSNM3KV