casting delema

[n2t]

So casting is going well, got 3 moulds that drop great bullets as cast. I'm tumble lubing and not messing with resizing at all as my resizer is .358 and seems to be sizing a bit too much..my issue is, gas checks. I can shoot the bullets as cast, but I'm hand seating the checks at this point and they just don't seem as tight as I would like on my pistol rounds. On my rcbs 35-200 they fit firm, but on the pistol bullets they have some wiggle at times, anything I can do to fix this or is it a non issue?

[Shasta]

In my experience, gas checks should be crimped in place to fit the bullet securely. If they are not secured, you run the risk of a check separating from the bullet and possibly sticking in the gun's bore. Hornady gas checks have a definite flare that is swaged into the bullet during the sizing process, giving them a superior bond to the bullet. The older Lyman checks do not have this flare, and are prone to coming off the bullet rather easily.
Lyman makes a tool for use in a lubrisizer that seat gas checks. My own method is to set the check on the base of the bullet, then with the bullet nose resting on my work bench, I give the check a couple whacks with a very small hammer, making sure the check sits squarely on the bullet base. Then I run it through my RCBS Lubrisizer, which crimps the gas check onto the bullet as well as adding lube.
Tumble-lubed bullets are fine, but if you are running a gas check, you should still run the bullet into a properly fitted sizer die to crimp the gas check onto the bullet.

SHASTA

[mikld]

I seat gaschecks with my Lee push through sizers. Works well with tumble lube style bullets, as long as the check shank is right diameter to hold a check tight...

[n2t]

Yeah my issue is my sizer is .358 and my bullets are .360 and I think I want to keep them that way. so..that gives me two options, option 1, resize and relube them and try them (what I am doing today), or option two, open up my sizing die so it only seats the check and won't resize..that's what I will try if these bullets lead.

[J Miller]

~ or ~ buy a .360" sizing die. That would crimp the gas check and not size the bullet.

Joe

[n2t]

Must be a special order item, I checked midway and a few other places and can't find a hornady .360 sizing die, am I missing something or is it the panic buying kicking in?

[Griff]

~ or ~ buy a .360" sizing die. That would crimp the gas check and not size the bullet.
Joe

+1.

[pokey]

don't know if it'll fit,

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0152766495

[n2t]

ty, but unfortunately I don't have the item that this fits. I use a lee sizer die that screws into the press I'm new to casting and just purchased the equipment and didn't know enough to buy any kind of lube/sizer, I'm hearing I should save up for one of the star sizers. But for now I have the lee, so I went to walmart, got a polishing kit and used the dremel to polish out a bit of my sizer, I am at about .359 right now so though I'm getting some sizing on my lead it's not overly bad. I may keep going to .360 but we'll see how .359 goes.

[44-40 Willy]

Lee used to would make a custom sized sizer on request for a little more money. They made a .428 for me.

[pokey]

ty, but unfortunately I don't have the item that this fits. I use a lee sizer die that screws into the press I'm new to casting and just purchased the equipment and didn't know enough to buy any kind of lube/sizer, I'm hearing I should save up for one of the star sizers. But for now I have the lee, so I went to walmart, got a polishing kit and used the dremel to polish out a bit of my sizer, I am at about .359 right now so though I'm getting some sizing on my lead it's not overly bad. I may keep going to .360 but we'll see how .359 goes.

good plan let us know how it works out.