Gas Check bullets with out Gas Checks?

[TooManyToys]

My question is this;
Do cast Gas Check style bullets shoot ok without a gas check installed?

The reason I ask is this, a while back aquired a nice bullet mold,
(158g 38/357 HP) that takes a gas check.
My first reaction was to sell it because I wasn't interested in messing around with the availability and cost of gas checks.
But,.... now I'm having 2nd thoughts about selling it if they would shoot just fine without a gas check installed. I'm gussing some of you out there must have tried this before??
Do they shoot much, if any dirrerent than a regular bevel based cast bullet?

 

[Reefinmike]

I cant see why they wouldnt shoot well. pretty sure there are a couple guys on castboolits selling punches to make your own gas checks out of your beer cans.

 

[TooManyToys]

Thats a thought too. Do you have a link?

 

[Reefinmike]

a quick google search brought me here- http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?49811-Gas-Check-punch

you should find what you need in there

 

[BruceB]

There is an entire FORUM on gas-checks at Cast Boolits. More info than you can imagine!

 

[twice barrel]

They usually shoot just fine. The alloy, fit, and velocity will determine whether or not you need the gas check. Back when I cast my own bullets I quit fiddling with the gas checks when I found they made no difference.

TB

 

[GP100man]

In my exp with the 38/357 GC boolits do fine until ya push the gas then grouping will open .

If it`s a steel mold (Lyman 358156??) contact Buckshot over on CastBoolits.com ,he does a fine job of removing the GC shank !!

Here`s a pic of his work , top shelf machinist !!!

 

[wgaynor]

I shoot them that way without problems.

 

[TooManyToys]

It is LEE Mold that isn't available anymore.
For those who haven't seen a mold like this, here are some pictures.

 

[homatok]

To answer the op's question----yes you can. How successful you will be depends on your gun and your load. Keep pressures low and use a well fitted bullet and see for yourself.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I have the exact same mould.
Mine will shoot decent w/o gaschecks if loaded to .38spl loads. I lube them with Lee Alox Tumble Lube. Also, I run them through a .357" sizer to "round" them out. I also often get a bit of "flashing" at the hollow-point punch area.
It's got "issues". Its slightly under sized. The shank for the gas checks is under sized and gas-checks won't fit well unless bullet is really pushed down hard in a Lyman 450 sizer w/flat punch.

There's reasons that Lee discontinued it. But, I'd keep it. Get the 158gr SWC-TL mould and the .358" sizer die and use them with the TL. You can run these up as high as 14.0gr of #2400 in .357magnum loads with good results. If you have a Lyman 450 sizer, you can even swage a gas-check onto the base of the 158swc-tl and "make" it a GC bullet.

With a gas-check (hollow point mould), it also dosen't shoot well until loads are up around 14.0gr of #2400. There, it shoots well. It takes a good "whop" to bump it up to bore cylinder throat diameter in a revolver.

 

[rcmodel]

Yes you can.

When you think about it real hard?

A GC bullet without a GC isn't all that much different then those bevel-base cast bullets everyone sells anymore.

rc

 

[blarby]

^^^^^^^^^^^^


My experience with shooting bullets meant for a gas check without the check has been overwhelmingly positive.

My 44 HP bullets, when machine lubed, use that GC spot for an extra lube ring- and they shoot fantastic.

 

[TooManyToys]

Thanks to all !
Your responces are comfirming what I thought would probably be the case, that a gas check bullet will shoot just fine with or without a gas check installed.

GooseGestapo,.... thanks for sharing your experiances being a owner of the same mold!

 

[BruceB]

I've fired a lot more 358156 bullets WITHOUT gas checks, than I have WITH gas checks..... no problems.

The same applies to 429244 in .44 Magnums....again, no problems.

In rifles, however, direct side-by-side grouping tests showed conclusively that accuracy was FAR better and more consistent WITH gas checks installed, even at very low velocities. By "far better", i mean differences of , say, one- or two-inch groups WITH gaschecks at 100 yards as opposed to a FOOT or more for a 100-yard 'group' without checks in the same load. No contest, in other words.

 

[homatok]

Bullet design/style with respect to weight distribution can also sometimes play a part.