Gas checks and powder coating

[braddock]

I'm just aout to embark on powder coating boolits for my 30/30 win 94.
Is it as well to add gas checks?
If so gc before or after powder coating?
Many thanks in advance.

[charlie b]

Yes and no. Don't really need GC unless you are going over 1500fps. But, if the bullet has a 'heel' for a GC then it will usually be more accurate with one.

I always PC after sizing (and crimping on the GC). I also size again after PC.

[Hick]

Yes and no. Don't really need GC unless you are going over 1500fps. But, if the bullet has a 'heel' for a GC then it will usually be more accurate with one.

I always PC after sizing (and crimping on the GC). I also size again after PC.

I run my PC bullets over well past 1500 fps without gas checks, even if they have a GC base. The gas check shank without the gas check makes the bullets behave a little like a boat-tail

[braddock]

Charlie, how do you clean lub off your boolits after sizing but before pc? I must be honest this is a problem I'd prefer not to have.
Hick, not trying to squeeze range or velocity out of the old 30/30, as my old rugby coach used to say, you can't polish a turd....

[mehavey]

...how do you clean lub off your boolits after sizing but before pc?

Boil them with a few drops of dish soap/Rinse in clean boiling water.

Note-1: Using Lee push through sizers -- if not grossly reducing diameter -- oft-times no lube req'd
Note-2: Personally, I seat/crimp the GC using either an oversize Lee die 1st/then PC/then size final
-- OR --
Note-3: Seat/crimp the GC using a Lyman 450 using the Gas-Check stopper to juuuuust crimp on the GC/not size, then PC/size again

[braddock]

Mehavey, I have all Lee equipment but I have little experience into what constitutes little force. The boolits I am going to use are the lee 155 2R/312 and my sizer is 309, does this constitute a large reduction?
TBH I'll probably end up pc then gc then size, at least that's what I intend unless persuaded otherwise.
I have to modify the mold (it's a 6 cavity btw) to produce flat nose boolits so the weight will probably be 150 grn as cast or thereabouts. I intend using RL7 and hope to get around 2000fps provided the powder isn't too spiteful in the accuracy dept, if I can get around 3" groups at 100 yards I'll be happy.

[pworley1]

Unless the pc makes the shank to large to get the check on, I pc first.

[LAGS]

I cast my Boolits.
I then run them thru the sizer dry.
Then stand them in a plate of steel that has holes drilled to fit the GC recession in the slug.
I them PC them with my Electric PC gun.
After baking them.
I run them thru the sizer again and set the GC.
Standing the slugs in the plate with the holes keeps the GC area free of PC so the GC's fit the slug better.
If I shake and bake my Boolits , I size and install the GC's before I PC them , and then size them one more time.
But I do not recommend doing the PC on the slug , then installing the GC with the base of the Boolit PC'ed.
But both ways that I do my Boolits seems to work great.
But I do like the shiny GC on the sprayed Boolits.
They look cool and it is easy to see if the slugs are GC'ed when I look thru my stock pile.

[charlie b]

Charlie, how do you clean lub off your boolits after sizing but before pc? I must be honest this is a problem I'd prefer not to have.
Hick, not trying to squeeze range or velocity out of the old 30/30, as my old rugby coach used to say, you can't polish a turd....

Easy, I don't lube them. I just use an NOE push through size bushing.

I do clean some bullets before PC. The long 210gn .308 bore riders are handled a lot. Fit gas checks, then size drive bands, then size the nose. When I do that the oil from my hands can build up and mess the PC. So, I simply rinse them with a bit of acetone before coating. Then I PC and size the drive bands and nose again.

Yes, this is a little OCD, but, when I am trying to shoot less than MOA at 200-500yd it is worth it.

I have installed GC's after PC when the heel of the bullet is undersize. They do look pretty.

And, if I am just making plinking or pistol loads I don't bother with gas checks. I do use PB bullet molds for that kind of shooting.

[Hick]

Charlie, how do you clean lub off your boolits after sizing but before pc? I must be honest this is a problem I'd prefer not to have.
Hick, not trying to squeeze range or velocity out of the old 30/30, as my old rugby coach used to say, you can't polish a turd....

Actually, I don't don't try to get that much velocity either. I generally run the 30-30 at around 1500. But I know PC bullets are good without GC to the higher velocities because I did some experimenting just to see. The main reason I don't put a gas check on a PC bullet is that I haven't found any accuracy advantage so I save the few cents per round that I would spend for the gas checks. It also makes bullet prep easier because I just size them dry on the Lee sizer and don't have the work to do putting on the gas check.

[bruce drake]

PC, gas check and size. Sometimes I even PC again if I want to amp up the loads near 2000+ fps.

Bruce

[GregLaROCHE]

PC then gas check while sizing works fine for me.

[white eagle]

I always PC before I gas check
because I size all my boolits after I PC

[braddock]

Long pause since the last post, many thanks for all the info. Life intervened and most things went on a backburner but now that spring is coming I can get outside and put into practice what I've picked up on this thread and also some of the other threads I've subscribed to.
Since then I've acquired another lever gun in 308 that is a cracker, got it at a basement price and managed to get a set of talley scope mounts from the US so fitted my trusty old Zeiss 1.5x6 scope on it.
I'm down to my last 100 or so boolits so need to top up, should be an image hereabouts. Will be using 163 grn gc mule snot lubed just toget into the swing of things.

[Mordecai]

I don't bother with gas checks on a coated bullet.

[jdgabbard]

Me, I gas check and size after PCing the boolits. I've seen guys PC after gas checking. I don't think it matters too much, but I haven't tried it the other way around.