best non gas check boolits

[bongo817]

It seems to me having to use a gas check defeats the purpose/simplicity of using cast boolits.

What are the best molds for non gas check boolits for 7.62x39 for SKS rifle and .223 remington for mini-16.

[felix]

It called a 22 long rifle. ... felix

[MtGun44]

Welcome to the site!

There are no stupid questions, but there is no simple answer to this one. Kinda
like asking "what is the best vehicle" - well, depends on what you want to do with it,
how much money you have, and what kind of style you like. Could be a truck, a motorcycle
a coupe, convertible, Porsche, Chevy, Ford, Mercedes, etc. No simple answer.

You can shoot non-CG boolits up to well over 1800 fps; more in some rifles, with
some boolit designs and some alloys. The faster you go the more difficult it is to
keep your accuracy. Do not expect to make full power loads for .223 with cast, even
with GCs. You may be able to get to normal 7.62x39 velocities, but you will be out
on the extreme edge of doability if you are expecting any accuracy.

The most important thing I can say is that loading for rifles is only fairly easy when you
are loading for lower velocities in the 1400-1600 fps range. Also, .22 cal rifles
are generally harder to cast for and get to work really well. Also, I never heard of
a Mini16. Do you mean a Ruger Mini 14?

SO - start with the 7.62x 39, expect to not have semi-auto capability with your
starting loads. You need to spend some time studying and reading about
casting and loading for rifles. Buy a book like Lyman's Cat Bullet Guide and read
and understand it. When you are stumped, come on over and ask some questions
and the good folks here will be happy to help. You need to read here or in a couple
of casting books to get a baseline of knowledge.

Hope that is useful. :-)

Bill

[longbow]

I tend to agree with you and try to do without gas checks when I can ~ which is most of the time for the shooting I am doing.

I agree with Bill ~ it all depends on what you want to do and what your expectations are. If you are looking for inexpensive practice and plinking it can be pretty easy to get reasonable accuracy but if you are looking for loads to compete with jacketed bullets that is a whole other ball game!

There are several things you can do get by without gas checks. Amongst the most important would be make sure you have proper boolit fit and alloy hardness. Also, good lube, try a variety of powders and for pushing velocities you may have to oven heat treat the boolits as well.

Here is a link to an article on high velocity cast boolit shooting:

http://www.jesseshunting.com/articles/guns/category16/9.html

While he doesn't say so, I am sure he is using gas checks but much of the info is applicable to any high velocity shooting of cast boolits.

He is incorrect in saying that the BHN x 1422 gives the yield strength of the alloy though ~ that number is the recommended chamber pressure for that alloy and should range from 3 to 4 times the yield strength of the alloy. The highest yield strength of any lead alloy is approximately 13,000 PSI. So, an oven heat treated lead alloy at 13,000 PSI should perform at up to at least 39,000 PSI.

Not trying to get overly technical here as all you really need to know is that for high velocities you may have to water drop or oven heat treat the boolits to get them hard. If you want to really push the limits then there is always the fall back position to either gas checks or paper patching.

You won't know until you try or someone here has a proven load they share with you (I don't for .22 or I would). About the worst that will happen if you are unsuccessful is that you may have to clean some lead out of your barrel.

Longbow

[RayinNH]

Bill, Carpetman has the only copy of
Lyman's Cat Bullet Guide :kidding:...Ray

[Bret4207]

Non GC in a 223 beyond 12-1400 fps will be tough, real tough I think. Finding a PB mould will be a job in itself. In the SKS the 311410 is a possibility and it's fairly easy to find. Problem is it may not be anywhere near fat enough to work good. Look for a PB design in the 120-140 gr range throwing a boolit of at least .312. Plan on keeping speeds below 13-14K for easiest good results.

[bingo]

You might consider trying gas checks. Lee has a double mold,155gg. for $25. They also have a sizer .311 for $15. This is not a lube/sizer just a sizer. Really simple and easy to use. Just put the gc on the base of boolit, set on ram(provided) and pull thr handle on your press.

Note: Boolits must be lubed before being run thru sizer. G.C. is sized with the bollit. When done, you must tumble lube with liquid alox to recoat where sizeing removed.

Note: Thined down alox works good. Let dry.

Food for thought.

Bingo

[Leftoverdj]

If gas checks weren't needed, we would not use them.

[geargnasher]

If gas checks weren't needed, we would not use them.

Precisely.

+1 on Felix's comment.

Gear

[johnly]

I was just trying bullets from the 311041 GB bold sized to .312" in my SAR-1 this weekend. This a 165 grain flat nose GC bullet but fed fine with the bullets seated to magazine length. I used 25 grains of BLC-2 as I wanted to keep the port pressure high even with a low operating pressure. It easily extracted and tossed my cases 20 feet, even though the velocity of the load was down in the 1800 fps range. I might be able drop the velocity down to the 1400 fps range and still get solid functioning. At this velocity, plain base bullets should work quite well allowing one to skip the need for gas checks.

[malpaismike]

The main thing, gc/no gc, is the effect on your gas system. You will have significantly more crud w/ cast than w/o. Harder is better to ameliorate the situation, but expect cycling problems with a long bench session.

[jack19512]

Plan on keeping speeds below 13-14K for easiest good results.









Won't he get tons of leading at that speed? :mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

Aw man! Got me on that one!

[GrizzLeeBear]

Won't he get tons of leading at that speed? :mrgreen:

Yeah, but think about the flat trajectory! Point blank range out to about 3 miles. :kidding:

[runfiverun]

i don't think a chrono goes to 5 didgits so he wouldn't be able to prove it.