this isn't my first rodeo. Ive been casting and shooting cast for 35 years. In that time ive come to one conclusion about gas checked bullets. there more accurate overall then non gas checked bullets. they usually take less load development to get there too. Now I cant say EVERY gas check bullet is great. Ive ran into dud gas checked bullets. But overall you have a better chance of finding accuracy with on then the same bullets design without one. Ill add too that ive NEVER found great accuracy with ANY gas checked bullet leaving the gas check off. You basically just made a sharp edged bevel base bullet and bevel based bullets are all **** in my opinion. The gas checked bullets without checks are probably worse yet. Do you need them to keep leading down. Maybe not in a good gun and maybe not with a coated bullet. But they sure do help. Especially if your gun tends to lead. Coating helps prevent leading but it does nothing to prevent bullets from turning into a blob of lead if pushed by real high pressures and it doesn't nothing to prevent bullet failures down range because you pushed them faster then your alloy is capable of handling. I guess some of this boils down to what your expectations are. If you want to roll beer cans at 25 yards about anything works. If you want accuracy down range or terminal performance on game theres a lot more to this then preventing leading. Bottom line is if that bullets cut for a check, use it. If you want a plain based bullet buy a plain based mold.