I measured six random bullets the shank is .286 to .288 at the largest obviously .284 diameter gas checks are not going to fit.
I'll tell you right now I ordered a sample of 30 caliber .017" gas checks and I had real hard time putting them on. Obviously you also have burrs that are in the way but for my own gas checks I've been using .012 that works great and later I discovered .014" works equally well. Having my own gas check punch I have luxury to have forming pin in any size. I use .286 for powder coated bullets and .284 - .285 for bare. For me 30 caliber gas checks are most consistent and easiest to work with. I have Lee, RCBS, NOE molds and they all work fine.
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Ok Lee molds and some others have tapered shanks. If you measure most bottom at the base you'll get .284 - .283 and at the top you might get .288 or higher and that's ok, a standard GC should fit. I prefer NOE, it's not tapered and makes it easier to seat. A very small taper would be ok like from .284 to .285 but Lee has too much. I even experimented with making tapered forming pin, it's time consuming but it works.
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You dimaprok are in an ideal situation having a gas check maker. It does add another complexity to the whole cast bullet thing, but with a check maker you don't worry about shank size much.
I read about thinner gas checks (thinner than .015" anyway), but it seems vulcan checks is out of business. Sage's has .015" copper and aluminum and .017" copper.
I hope the OP finds a way to make it work for him (with this mold I mean).
I just paid attention to the flashing on the base and NOE makes a tool to remove the flashing, but it won't help the .286" - .288" shank, but that is a known.
Ahh, the simplicity of a plain base bullet!
My measurement were taken at the base of the bullet. I will be sending the mold back tomorrow.
One last thing to check if you have't sent already. close two halves of the mold and look up against the light. Do you see any light seeping through? I had RCBS mold that constantly had flashing in the nose, it was annoying to clean each bullet up until I did this and realized there was a gap, the problem was that guide pins weren't seating flush. I reamed the hole just a little with conical reamer, it might have even been the same one I used for case necks and that was it! Problem solved. This might not be a problem but just a thought.
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BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |