gas check seating

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Ross Smith posted this 10 November 2017

 I started checking my gas checks after I found 2 of them in my tumble lube bowl. They did not seat and crimp fully while going thru the NOE copy of the Lee push thru crimper-sizer die. I gave up on my rcbs lube-sizer when I discovered I was squishing and bending bullets. My fault I know but the push thrus are easier and faster for us ADHD types. NOE also makes a gas check seater for their push thru system that only starts the gas check on fully and  square. After finding my errant checks, I took several of the bullets I was tumble lubing after seating the gas checks and put them on the NOE check starter and sure enough a high percentage of them were not seated all the way to the base of the bullet. I went back and re-seated 200 bullets using the staring die only on checks that were already crimped. Tomorrow will tell at the range if accuracy is improved. I will in the future always use my NOE check starter, It' worth the extra step. Any one else have loose checks? There is a cure!

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BigMan54 posted this 10 November 2017

I still have an old LYMAN #358156 2cav mold that dropped bullets from the front cavity with a undersized shank. The old LYMAN slip-on gaschecks would not stay on even when using Linotype to try for the largest diameter. I switched to the HORNADY crimp-on, problem solved. 

I tried the .429 sizer by LEE. A "gift" from my Dr. Buddy that I cast/load for.  It just seemed to much extra work to me.  You have to put on the gaschecks, lube to push the bullets through the die & then lube the bullets again because the lube is scraped off going through the die.  What the "heck".    

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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OU812 posted this 10 November 2017

What caliber? What brand gas check? Some gas checks do not like being sized nose first (Gator 22 caliber comes to mind). I first crimp on the gas check in the RCBS sizer, stopping when gas check is just crimped, then I size bullet nose first in the Lee sizer.

Hornaday gas checks seem to like being sized nose first in Lee sizer (one easy step).

Do your gas checks have a loose fit on shank? Or do they snap on? Snap on fit is better.

Loose fitting gas checks will stay on a soft alloy bullet when fired. Harder alloys like linotype need more tight grip.

 

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GP Idaho posted this 10 November 2017

I've had very good luck using the Noe gas check tools, both the seating die and their expanders. I've had the luck? that gas check shanks on the bullets I cast are a nice fit or oversize for checking. Since I purchased the seating die the expanders get used to a lesser extent. OBs right some bullets just take the check better if fed into the die base first. I find that the push rod will leave an indent in the check if they are too tight and with these I feed them into the Noe-Lee die using the nose punch and press ram tool supplied by Noe.  I also make my own checks and you can get a much better fit by using the proper thickness of material. Like always, get your measuring tools out and make things fit. I have never understood the rush to get it done line of thought but then I don't need a thousand+ rounds a week. Gp

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Ross Smith posted this 10 November 2017

OU812:  I'm loading for my 30-06 and using Gator brand checks. They fit very tight and that is where I'm having a problem. The resistance of pushing them thru the nose first .311 sizing die is not enough to first fully seat and then crimp the gas check. If I was using a .309 die things would maybe be different, my rifle likes .311. The moral of the story is I can't skip the seating procedure first. I also tumble lube so there is no problem wiping off the lube, I always lube after crimping on the GC.  Apperently some of you have faced the same situation. Thanks all. Ross

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Bud Hyett posted this 10 November 2017

Star lubrisizer with custom dies for nose first lubing. David Lee recommended nose-first sizing in a discussion at a Clark Rifles match. He stated he eliminated a few more flyers (He had very few "Flyers") by going to nose first sizing. Thus, Alice and I worked to see what would come of this.

Seating gas checks was a consideration when ordering the dies, this necessitated experimenting. Casting at 800 degrees produced larger gas check shanks and occasional fins. Casting at 775 degrees produced better shanks and no bullets with fins. The 775 degree bullets had shanks where one could snap on the gas check before sizing versus using the SAECO lubrisizer seating attachment. Any that did not easily snap on went back into the pot. The 775 degree bullets came out on the body at .310 to .3105 versus .3110 to .3115. 

The criteria for successful gas check seating in that the gas check fully seats against the base of the bullet with RCBS 30-180-SP and SAECO #315, leaving no gap. Any bullets with a gap get a red nose and are shot for practice. With the Hoch 310-215, the gas check shank is longer and the gap is visually determined to be seated by length and concentricity. Again, the ones who do not make it are shot for practice.

This approach has eliminated flyers and gained better accuracy. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Ross Smith posted this 10 November 2017

BHYETT: That sounds like my situation. My hoch nose pour bullets cast at 211gr and have the long shank. If making sure of the correct seating will eliminate some of my fliers, I'll be flirting with MOA. Again, Thanks,All

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OU812 posted this 11 November 2017

 They fit very tight and that is where I'm having a problem. 

Are you shaving lead off shank when seating GC. If so, maybe flaring gas check before sizing will help grip shank better. Flare just enough so GC check snaps on fully. I think over flaring weakens the gas check causing gas check to fly off during flight.

Maybe just Crimp on gas check base first in the RCBS using smaller .310 sizer . Then size nose first in .311 sizer. Let your bullets age harden a couple of days to reduce distortion of bullet before using the base first RCBS or Lyman sizer.

Sometimes it is not so simple to make things work properly.

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R. Dupraz posted this 12 November 2017

Member

Ross Smith posted this yesterday

 

 "I started checking my gas checks after I found 2 of them in my tumble lube bowl. They did not seat and crimp fully while going thru the NOE copy of the Lee push thru crimper-sizer die"

 

That's why I don't use either the NOE or Lee push through dies  to seat GC's while push through sizing nose first. Typical problem in my experience. 

I use my Saeco  lube Sizer to first seat and partially crimp GC's base first then run the CK'd bullet nose first through the appropriate NOE bushing to fully crimp and size. Then tumble lube with LA. Perfectly flat and fully seated  GC's.

Typical results at 100 yds on a fifty ft. slow fire pistol target. 7x57 Venezuelan Mauser

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Ross Smith posted this 12 November 2017

Mr Dupraz: Amen, that's what I'm doing now. Wanted to see if it was just me or similar experiences out there. 

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John Alexander posted this 12 November 2017

BigMan54 wrote:

"I tried the .429 sizer by LEE. A "gift" from my Dr. Buddy that I cast/load for.  It just seemed to much extra work to me.  You have to put on the gaschecks, lube to push the bullets through the die & then lube the bullets again because the lube is scraped off going through the die.  What the "heck".    

There is no reason to lube the bullets before pushing them through the Lee die.  They go through fine without it. Lead is slick.

John

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BigMan54 posted this 13 November 2017

 John,

I was working off the 2nd hand directions my buddy got from the man he bought the sizer die, liquid alox & .429-200-RF 2cav mold, from at our club. No printed directions for any of it. It became a moot point anyway as my buddy didn't like the 200gr bullet. It didn't shoot well enough in his old Vaqueo's & WIN 94 in .44MAG. He had been previously shooting a 240gr 430dia bullet. 

Maybe I'll cast up a few of those 200 grainers & size them in that .429 sizer die. Try them in a S&W .44SPL. But that Liquid Alox just seems weird after almost 60yrs working with a Lubi-Sizer.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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