357 cal with gas checks

[catkiller45]

Anyone find that gas checks are really necessary for bullets in the 357 cal rifle. Seen a gas check mold hollow point mold but it was for gas check bullets. Any thoughts on this.. thanks.

[MT Gianni]

They are not for 125 gr lee plinkers. I use them for NOE WFN pushed hard and for 358156 HP. That mold is very accurate in my rifles.

[Sam Sackett]

It all depends on how hard you are pushing the bullet. I shoot cowboy action with a Rossi 92 in 357. I shoot soft lead, plain based lubricated bullets. I have not had any leading at all.

If you go midrange, you can use soft lead and gas checks. Or you can use harder lead and no gas check.

If you go top of the range hot stuff, you need both harder lead and a gas check.

It’s up to you……
Sam Sackett

[TjB101]

Sam nailed it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

IMHO, the only time a GC is needed for that application, is when you are shooting farther than 100 yds. Mostly, a GC provides a perfect base, whereas a plain base not so much. A perfect base will deliver the best accuracy, but you will not likely see any difference until you get out to 100 yds.

[GBertolet]

I find them necessiary for high velocity hunting loads. I have the 358156 mold also. I love it for this rifle. My business load in my Ruger #3, in 357mag, runs @ over 1900 fps, and yes, it is necessiary for top loads. If you are going at say, 1500 fps or less, and have bullets cast hard, you can get away without them. No need for using max loads for plinking, or regular range use, so you can omit them, and save some money, if you wish.

[megasupermagnum]

I could never get plain base to shoot worth a darn at high velocity. Even 1500 fps is too much. For me the big change seems to happen around 1400 fps. Anything over that, and you want a gas check if you want accuracy.

[P Flados]

After going to powder coat for stout loads, I found I could push 35 cal pretty hard without gas checks. Both plain base and gas check style boolits without checks.

Eventually I worked up to a 2 MOA load at 200 yards with a 2000 fps 200 gr bullet in my 16" 357AR Max.

I also did pretty good with the Lee 200 and no checks. Around 3 MOA from a 10" 357 Max pushed hard enough for IHMSA.

Some guns may however do better with checks. This is especially true with AR platform guns. Without, you can have gas cutting damage as the bullet goes pass the gas port.

Trying without is cheap. If it works, you are ahead.

[winelover]

Original poster mentioned GC on a HP mold. Main reason for the GC is that HP alloy should be on the soft side. The softer the alloy the gas check is good insurance against barrel leading. Secondary reason is for use in a rifle or carbine........the longer barrel increasing velocity by hundreds of feet per second.

I frequently order molds with half the cavities GC and half PB. Even in non HP molds. The reason is that I have carbines in most of my handgun calibers. I'm a hunter and use softer alloys for casting non hollow pointed bullets.

Disclaimer: I don't PC so this is my opinion with traditionally lubed cast bullets.

Winelover

[GBertolet]

I have found, that if you PC, you can get along with a softer alloy, and, or, higher velocity. You could likely push the envelope out further for needing a GC.

[trapper9260]

It all depends on how hard you are pushing the bullet. I shoot cowboy action with a Rossi 92 in 357. I shoot soft lead, plain based lubricated bullets. I have not had any leading at all.

If you go midrange, you can use soft lead and gas checks. Or you can use harder lead and no gas check.

If you go top of the range hot stuff, you need both harder lead and a gas check.

It’s up to you……
Sam Sackett

You explain it the best for how you word it , that is how I do it also.

[robg]

It all depends on how hard you are pushing the bullet. I shoot cowboy action with a Rossi 92 in 357. I shoot soft lead, plain based lubricated bullets. I have not had any leading at all.

If you go midrange, you can use soft lead and gas checks. Or you can use harder lead and no gas check.

If you go top of the range hot stuff, you need both harder lead and a gas check.

It’s up to you……
Sam Sackett

says it all

[Larry Gibson]

Not quite......

I've been shooting the 358156, both solid and HP, since '69. I've always found the best results regardless of alloy will be with GCs. Talking lubed bullets here. Over many thousands in revolvers, single shots and rifles I've come to believe the best alloy for velocities up through 1600 fps is a binary alloy. I use a 40-1 alloy up through 1000 fps, a 20-1 alloy 1000 fps up through 1300 fps and a 16-1 alloy from 1300 fps up through 1600 fps. Those alloys in those velocity ranges give excellent accuracy, no leading with a 50/50 or BAC lube, Hornady GCs and excellent expansion w/o the petals sloughing off if the HP cavity is correct. Many times, even the solid will give very good expansion at practical 357 ranges. Most true magnum level handgun loads will give 1500 - 1600 + fps in 18-20" rifles. The 16-1 alloy with GCs on that bullet have given excellent results ballistically and terminally. With long barreled rifles special rifle loads can give really good results in the 1600 - 2000 fps range. In my 35 Rem bolt gun the 358156 cast of 97/1.5/1.5 alloy air cooled, GC'd, lubed with 2500+, pushed to 1950 fps and HP'd with the Forster 1/8" tool is very deadly on rabbits and other vermin.

The 358156 deserves to be GC'd, as designed, and when matched to an appropriate alloy, you'll get outstanding performance in the 38 SPL+P and 357 Magnum cartridges for use in both handguns and rifles. Yes, a PB'd bullet is better for low end loads or even but those are not what the 358156 was designed for. If you want low end or medium level performance, then get a proper PB'd mould and go for it {I use the 358477 or TL358-158-SWC for such].

For high end performance you wouldn't put retreads on a Corvette so don't leave the GC off the 358156.

[gwpercle]

In a 357 Magnum rifle you can push them hard with a rather soft alloy... this makes for a decent hunting load . Same goes for handguns , pushed hard , soft alloy and a hollow point makes for a hard hitting load . I was reader of Skeeter Skelton who did not fear the gas check and used them when he needed them . The Lyman 358156-HP with it's two crimping grooves and gas check design was a favorite of his and the first mould I bought for a new Ruger Blackhawk in 1971... it has worked wonderfully all these years .
I can also say that installing a gas check on a boolit has always improved the accuracy ... Always !
Don't fear the gas check ... learn when to use them and use them .
Gary