cast bullets, different load with and without gas checks?

[drone]

I just missed my reloading guru at the LGS, closed early on Xmas Eve what's wrong with people .
Question I was going to ask him was about 224 and 308 cast bullets, do I use the same load when they are loaded with gas checks as when they are loaded plain based.
I have a rake of 224 with gas checks and a few without, I can't get hold of any 224 gcs. Same with 309 cast bullets, though I have gas checks the bullets are 170 grain without the recess for the gas checks but the mold I have which looks very similar to those cast bullets does have a recess for the gc - do they get loaded the same or should I download them slightly?

[GasGuzzler]

A gas check design will do much better at all speeds with a gas check. You can back them off and run GC bullets without but there's little point. Just get GC's or a different bullet.

A non-GC bullet (in a rifle) is generally limited to low pressure and therefore slower loads. .223 Rem is fairly high pressure AND has a small diameter so I would not run cast bullets without GC's in it. I wouldn't run cast in a .223 Rem anyway but each to his own.

[farmerjim]

Sage's outdoors has them in stock. I use the same loads with and without checks on the Lee bator powder coated in 22 hornet and 223. They shoot better groups with the check.

[RBHarter]

Just in case you don't already have information overload .

There's no need to rework loads with a gas check worked up with Plain Base bullets often it makes a good place to start if you need more speed .

Yes you need a gas check shank for a gas check .

A dirty little secrets.

Lots of moulds , especially Lee moulds get the gas check step removed to make a plain base mould .

Sages also offers in select calibers plain base checks .

Where you have long necks left over after seating with varying degrees of success a wad card held tight to the base can be an effective gas check sort of . What it actually does is reduce or eliminate base peening from the powder charge. The trick is finding or making punches of suited dia ......

[drone]

Thanks for the interest. I'm in the UK so we don't got sages over here, in fact the amount of stores selling reloading stuff is limited.
But it is what it is.

[RBHarter]

I don't know if gas checks qualify as AA&E . I mean they're really just tiny little freeze plugs . The freight might be high but you can get about 3000 in a 4oz 5×7" padded envelope.

Can't hurt anything to email.

[RBHarter]

Sages outdoors.

Their contact email page I think.
https://www.sagesoutdoors.com/contact-us/

[drone]

RBH, many thanks, they took my order! I'll just have to see how long it takes, normally gets held up in border control at London Heathrow.

[RBHarter]

If it works out it's a great gift !

[reloader762]

I just missed my reloading guru at the LGS, closed early on Xmas Eve what's wrong with people .
Question I was going to ask him was about 224 and 308 cast bullets, do I use the same load when they are loaded with gas checks as when they are loaded plain based.
I have a rake of 224 with gas checks and a few without, I can't get hold of any 224 gcs. Same with 309 cast bullets, though I have gas checks the bullets are 170 grain without the recess for the gas checks but the mold I have which looks very similar to those cast bullets does have a recess for the gc - do they get loaded the same or should I download them slightly?

I have a 4 cavity Arsenal 50/50 mold that cast two plain base and two gas check 170 gr. FN bullets that I shoot in my Savage 99 in 300 Sav. MV runs around between 1600 and 1700 fps. using an identical load with each bullet. At some point, along the velocity pressure curve, the gas check bullet is just going to be more accurate.


Target, not much difference in accuracy.