[Hiaboo]

looking for .311 (30-30) molds with no gas checks. No luck.

[1858rem]

use a GC mold but keep it under around 1700 fps/25000psi or less an you dont need em

[Bula]

RCBS makes a plain base cowboy Action mold for the 30-30. it's the "30-150-CM" Also take a look at the Lyman 311008. It's desinged for the .32-20 but it drops a 115 gr bullet at .311

[NuJudge]

The RCBS mold:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=452042

Also, on the Cast Boolit board, they do group buys occasionally for special order molds, usually done in Lee molds. One special order Lee mold they did recently was for the Lyman 311041 (no gas check) in Lee 6-cavity blocks.

There are other makers out there. I'll bet NEI can fix you up. Just looking quickly at their site they have a bullet they designate at 308-170-PB & GC. NEI's website:
http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog/index.html

[rcmodel]

Nothing says you have to use a gas check on a gas check bullet.

If you aren't pushing them hard enough to need them, leave them off.

rc

[Hiaboo]

Thanks guys!

[zxcvbob]

With the right drill bit (might be a letter or number bit or metric to get it just right) could you drill out a GC mold cavity to make a plain flat-base bullet?

[1858rem]

i would like to find some flat tipped bits for just that sort of thing....and as cheap as lee molds are they would be fun to see what you could create!

[rcmodel]

I believe you would be better off using normal drill bits.

Flat-tipped bits would in effect, be end-mill cutters, and they chatter like crazy in a drill press.

It also seems like you could clean out the gas check part of a mold free-hand with a Dremel grinder and pointed stone pretty easy. The sizer die would clean up any minor imperfections.

BTW: The rumor that gas checks are no longer made seems somewhat exaggerated.
Expensive yes, but certainly not extinct.

http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?pageNum=1&tabId=2&categoryId=8658&categoryString=685***

rc

[Hiaboo]

I know there's plenty of gas checks but I don't push my lead bullets fast enough to require one.. about 1200fps.

[rcmodel]

Well, as I said in post #5:
Nothing says you have to use a gas check on a gas check bullet.
If you aren't pushing them hard enough to need them, leave them off.

I have done so in the past, and have noticed no loss of accuracy or increase in leading.

Surprisingly, a gas-check bullet without the gas check can sometimes be more accurate!

Unless a gas-check is seated perfectly flat & square on every bullet, a slightly tilted one can cause a flyer.
A sprue cut-off sticking up slightly on one bullet can upset the apple-cart.

rc