Hornady gas check sizing

[Bad Ass Wallace]

"Down Under" in the land of plenty, the availability of gas checks is a matter of if available and how much. Most 25-35cal are over $AU110 per box with 44-45 over AU140 per thousand. (If you think that is expensive, primers are presently $AU175-250/1000). Most big stores only stock the popular sizes.

I size my 303 boolits with an 0.316" sizer and have found that 8mm (32cal) Hornady gas checks crimp on to the boolit shank much better than using the traditional 30 cal ones. Similarly, when I want to add gas checks to my 0.277" boolits I am using 7mm gas checks. Accuracy is not improved BUT the groups are a lot more consistant.

278" cast boolits with 7mm Hornady gas checks

[405grain]

Bad Ass: Have you considered getting (or making) a gas check maker? A roll of .014" thick aluminum roof flashing can make enough checks to last into the next ice age. There's plenty of plans for check makers on this site, as well as vendors that make them. Those prices for checks and primers are ridiculous, but even if they were a penny a box it wouldn't matter if there were none available. Making gas checks is easy, and I've seen no difference in accuracy between home made checks and the ones that cost an arm & a leg.

[Winger Ed.]

That's crazy expensive.

I'd check into making my own, or how to get up to max. speeds without needing them.

[murf205]

"I'd check into making my own"
Ed, that was a cool subtle pun.