To gas check ? or Not to gas check ??

[The_Architect_23]

I vote for gas check and pc if you can find a good mold. There is a few folks that offer "check makers" tools to pop your own so you can choose the material and thickness to best suit your mold.

 

[Ozzman]

I stopped gas-checking my cast bullets a few years ago.

Over the last decade, I started powder coating and water quenching ALL of my pills regardless of the caliber. I find zero to no leading as long as I keep the velocities under 2600 fps and use an alloy/mix that has a BHN of 16+. For any velocities greater than that, I use jacketed bullets.

In my experience, powder-coated bullets (that I retrieve from the sand berm) don't show signs of gas-cutting, so I figured there is no benefit (to me) anymore.

I also found no improvements in accuracy or inconsistencies in checked vs. non-checked bullets.
As long as it rings steel at 200, consistently... nothing is needed.

 

[Eastexasrick]

I stopped gas-checking my cast bullets a few years ago.

Over the last decade, I started powder coating and water quenching ALL of my pills regardless of the caliber. I find zero to no leading as long as I keep the velocities under 2600 fps and use an alloy/mix that has a BHN of 16+. For any velocities greater than that, I use jacketed .

In my experience, powder-coated bullets (that I retrieve from the sand berm) don't show signs of gas-cutting, so I figured there is no benefit (to me) anymore.

I also found no improvements in accuracy or inconsistencies in checked vs. non-checked bullets.
As long as it rings steel at 200, consistently... nothing is needed.

I just started powder coating last month. Been casting for 30+ years. I am amazed at the results. No more gas checks for me.

 

[safestuffer]

I've never gas checked significantly, but I don't run cast bullets through rifles.
I do own one mold that I gas check with, because its a gas check mold, but the only reason I have it is because thats the only 300gr. Keith style mold Lyman makes.

 

[Coon]

Quite a few years ago, I was loading for the .454 Casull and found some 325 gr. hard cast gas checked bullets online. They were impressive, too say the least. I experienced better accuracy and less leading. But that was at pretty high velocities. I've never tried powder coating though.

 

[davek42]

Noobie question: What is gas checking and purpose? I’ve reloaded 9mm and 45 ACP. I haven’t done any rifle rounds yet.

Gas check helps stop leading of your barrel. Rifle bullets should be gas checked because of speed. or you can powder coat then Gas check is not needed

 

[Tex62]

I don’t cast but I do reload.

I’ve been using Missouri Bullets for a while. Just shot some coated 180g 357s under a full load of H110 out of my Marlin. Around 100 rounds. The bore shows no signs of leading.

I was very happy with the way they shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hornetguy]

On powder coated bullets, I would say you don't need them.
A gas check is just what it says.... it "checks" the hot gases, and prevents them from blowing past any gaps between the bullet and the lands/grooves. That is what causes leading.

When a bullet is cast to the proper size, and then powder coated, the coating acts as the "seal" around the bullet, and you get no leading.