Greetings to all,

      Have never tried cast bullets designed for a gas check without the gas check. Would like to hear what those of you that have found in doing so. That way I'd get an idea of what to expect.I do not indend to push the bullet over 1500 fps without the GC. BTW the bullet in question is a Lyman #311332 cast 1 to 20.   

     Does the accuracy fall off? What are the pros and cons?

                               Sendaro

.22s see to be accurate! The heeled bullet design is effectively the same as a gas check design without the check fitted.
Fred

You've got two things to take into cosideration with that bullet. The very first thing is the bore riding section, it has to be at least bore size, .001 - .002 is much better. Many of them in #2 alloy, cast no larger than .299 on this area. I have a 311334 (same but longer bore riding section) that casts .298 in 20/1.

I've herd of people shooting w/o the GC and not leading but, I've also herd of many that do get leading.

My suggestion if the nose is large enough, is to shoot it with the GC and see how it does, if it's promicing, then try it w/o, if it leads, put a wad behind it, if you can't stop the leading, have the GC area removed with a .3115 (undersize dowel pin reamer) and that should take care of it.

Bore riders can be very accurate, BSed, in competition, I've shot a 1 1/4 five shot group @ 200 with a PB 190 gr bore rider, spitzer, in my 32/35 (.308 groove).

Frank

My local retired single-shot shooter told me that he shot lead gas check bullets sans gas checks without problem but to play it safe, used a card wad (cereal box).  Sort of a red-neck boat-tail I suppose.

James

Frank,

       Do you do that type of work on molds, removing the gas check area so it cast a plain base? If so I have a two cavaty mold and would like to have one of the cavities altered to cast a plain base bullet. That way I'd have the best of both available. Please advise.

                       thanks, Sendaro

Quote:


Mike, do you know something that I don't know?

I've reamed the GC of of many molds, both for myself and others.

Frank

It's not difficult to dial in a mold on the lathe using a 4 jaw chuck and bore off the gas check shank.  I have done this exactly once and it worked fine.  I have also once bored the shank to about a mil or two larger (I forget how much) on a mold that cast bullets that the shank was too small to hold the gas checks.

I used to buy up any good molds that were cheap for years. Often found nice old Lyman and Ideal molds for $5 ea., so I ended up with many GC style molds. I played with some of them in diameters that I could and found they shot pretty darn well at lower cast bullet velocities of 1300-1500 fps.