Gas checks or not?

[jason280]

I am getting ready to load for a couple .45 Colts and a .44 Mag.  Both guns will be shooting hard cast lead bullets in the 250-265gr range, and velocities will be limited to roughly 1200fps.  My question is, do you need gas checks?  If not, at what veloicty does the gas check become necessary?  Thanks!

[Redhawk1]

I would use gas check, it keeps down on leading in the barrel. But if you have a bunch without gas checks, just make sure you are not shooting them to hot. I would say in the 850 to 1000 fps range. 

[Racer X]

I am trying to do the same thing in my Blackhawk 45 Colt. I want to shoot plain-base bullets because they are cheaper. If your bullets are correctly sized to your gun, try slower powders such as H110, 4227 and Lil' Gun. The down side with the slow powders is you are going to be using 20 + grains of powder with each round versus 10 - 12 grains with faster powders such as AA # 5, Unique and HS-6. I have also tried 2400 and AA #9 for those velocities. Although these powders leaded at those velocities in my gun, I have heard of other people using them with good results.
 

[Brian T]

Ijust about always get better accuract with GCs. That being said if youmatch the bore size, bullet hardness and velocity you can get excellent results. I normally get better results with the slower powders like 2400

[Lloyd Smale]

I use both and have had good luck with both.

[jason280]

I plan on using AA #7, as I picked up five pounds of it pretty cheap.  I also found a couple 300 ct boxes of 255gr .452" and 240gr .430" lead cast bullets at the last gun show for $15 each, and I figured these would work for plinking loads out to about 1000-1100 fps.  I'm not sure exactly how "hard" they are, but they seem to be pretty tough.  Of course, I really need to shoot a few through newsprint to see how well the hold together and whether or not they expand. 

I guess I really need to slug my bores and see what they measure out to, and go from there when I do get ready to order bullets.  I have a 7.5" Bisley and 4 5/8" Blackhawk in .45 Colt and a 10" Contender in .44 Magnum that I am loading for, and will be adding a short barrel .44 in the near future.  Who has the best deal on GC hardcast SWC bullets?  I would probably want to go with 255's in my .44 and 265's in the Colt.   

[Olav]

Lube the bullets with Lee Liquid Alox,works like a dream for me

[Darrell Davis]

Depends??

On bullet fit/size, barrel size and quality, size of cylinder throat, pressure, velocity, etc., in short you can work with generalities but like .22s each gun is a situation unto itself.

My son and I were both shooting Black Hawks and while I could shoot non-gas check bullets for extended periods with little or no problem, they leaded his gun.  We are talking Mag. loads.

We went to gas check bullet design with the seated gas checks for his gun and no more problem.

I shoot almost entirely non-gas check bullets (as opposed to jacketed) in my .357 - mostly low pressure/velocity loads with no problem. However, I load and shoot heavy loads when desired, using the same bullet and never worry about what little leading might occur.

I also Quench my bullets in cold water as they drop fron the molds.

BUT, bullets which are overly hard can also cause leading if your cylinder throat is under sized and/or your barrel is over sized, and your pressures are not high enough to "bump" the bullet up to bore size when fired.

Give cast bullets a try, but by all means don't stop using them if you show a bit of leading with the first attempts.

I probably have some leading signs in every barrel in which I regularly shoot them, - 38/357, 44 and 45acp - and it sure ain't any big thing, providing it isn't out of control.

Keep em coming!

[safetysheriff]

i recommend you read up on bullet alloys at a couple of websites such as www.leverguns.com going to their articles page.   the www.lasc.us (Los Angeles Shooting Club) also has info' under their "Hand Loaders References" section dealing with Cast Bullets.   when you get to "cast bullet articles of glen e. fryxell" you'll be in the gold!

i'd use gaschecks with revolvers that need them; and with every Micro-Grooved rifle that i shoot as well.   

i buy .44 mag' bullets in ne Ohio from NATIONAL BULLET COMPANY.   their alloy is hard enough to shoot mag' loads without getting much leading out of my Rugers.

good shooting to you,

ss'   

[Lone Star]

The Cast Bullet Association and Handloader magazine both proved pretty conclusively that the vast majority of barrel leading from cast bullets is due to gas cutting, not velocity.  Once a little gas gets around the bullet base it will act like a blow torch and melt off bullet alloy, depositing it on the bore.  Once it starts it generally doesn't get better.

Controlling gas cutting is done by:
* picking a bullet which fits the cylinder throats tightly
* picking an alloy which suits the velocity desired
* Picking a chamber pressure which will insure bullet upset

In many cases, leading is reduced or eliminated by using a heavier powder charge - this is particularly helpful with the very hard cast bullets that seem so popular today.  If you find your mid-level load leading, clean out the lead and increase the powder charge; this will help to fully upset the bullet in the throat and bore, keep the gas behind the bullet base, and reduce or eliminate leading.  Actually, properly used the faster powders like Unique and AA7 can give less leading than the slow powders like H4227 and H110.  Just avoid using low pressure loads with really hard bullets.


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