Alternatives to gas checks?

[jamesgpobog]

Will using a card or fiber wad behind a cast .357 bullet work to prevent leading and allow higher velocities?

And are jacketed hollowpoints viable in tube mags, or is it strictly wide meplat cast/jacketed solids?

[Tycer]

How fast do you want to go? If the bullet fits and you stay below 1800 you don't need anything but good lube. Yes, a card or wad can make up for a bit of poor fit. Try milk jug plastic.

JHPs will work fine so long as the tip is larger than a small pistol primer.

[jamesgpobog]

How fast do you want to go? If the bullet fits and you stay below 1800 you don't need anything but good lube. Yes, a card or wad can make up for a bit of poor fit. Try milk jug plastic.

JHPs will work fine so long as the tip is larger than a small pistol primer.

Speed, not really sure yet. I'm trying to settle on a bullet style/weight or two the gun will like, the most readily available seem to be 158/160gr FP's, but I'd also like to have some good 125/130gr at stiff velocities, and a real heavyweight slug (180-200gr) but for Rossi's twist, those need to be driven hard too.

[92&94]

Have you considered paper patching?

[Catshooter]

Best way to tell if that'll work is to try it.


Cat

[jamesgpobog]

Have you considered paper patching?

Don't know much about it, seems like a PITA...

[AJMD429]

Have you considered paper patching?

Don't know much about it, seems like a PITA...

Actually from what little I've seen it isn't all that hard to do, but I don't know much about it.

Maybe someone will post up a 'tutorial' on it.

I did find a couple articles, though:

• From LASC - http://www.lasc.us/brennan_4-4_paperpatchedbullets.htm
  
  From Montana Bullet Works (just a short page) - http://www.montanabulletworks.com/page8.html

[Sixgun]

yea, lots of stuff will work but unless your retired or homebound in some way, its hard to beat the gas check for "easability".

Gas checks are still cheap compared to what we all spend on car insurance, real estate taxes, and health ins.-----------6

[missionary5155]

Greetings
To add one more possibility. There are available gas checks for plain base bullets. Gator and some other "custom" check makers sell them.
I assume this is a lever gun ?? If a 180-200 grainer in caliber .358 at 1750 fps will not do the job then you need to step up to a caliber 45 Colt and tackle most any critter out there.
Mike in Peru

[mike@nds]

There some guys powder coating their lead bullets for use in suppressed 300 Blackouts.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... ng-Boolits

[BigSky56]

Plain base checks. danny
http://www.sagesoutdoors.com/index.php?

[mikld]

Some fellers even load a bit of cream of wheat (COW) over the powder as a bullet base protector...

[piller]

mikld, I am going to try that Cream of Wheat idea. I have some 350 grain bullets for my .45-70 that have a beveled base and for some reason they are getting blow-by and the accuracy is about 5 inches at 50 yards. I am using IMR 30-31 in the rounds and the book value says it should be about 1500 fps. They are the only beveled base lead bullets I have ever used and they are not acting right. 86er saw the way they have a lot of gas blowing out at the 7 o'clock position from the barrel. It only occurs with those lead bullets. Next will be taking an empty brass and using it to cut paper milk cartons into wads. I have used plain flat base lead and no problems at all.

[Tycer]

Piller,
Cream of wheat will eat up case capacity and raise pressure. Use plastic milk jug and glue it to the base. It will expand and seal better than the paper.

[earlmck]

Plain base checks. danny

Hmmm.... now those look interesting, danny. Looks like he has them in 10mm, too. I'm gonna have to give those a try and heat up the old 38-40 to a downright modern velocity (QuickLoad says 2200 fps with 175 grain bullet should be quite doable).

[jamesgpobog]

Here's what my brain gives me about gluing wads on the bullet base...

1. Drill an appropriate size hole in a 2x4, close to bullet/wad size, but not too tight, must not be a press fit.

2. With a wad punch, cut a number of wads, let them stack up in the punch.

3. When the punch is full, with a piece of coat hanger, push the cut wads into the hole in the 2x4.

4. Take each bullet, dab glue (what kind? Super? White?) on the base, tap bullet into the hole to pick up wad.

5. Set aside to dry? Or load?

[Tycer]

It's white glue. or PVA.
It's not milk jugs, those are HDPE, it's meat trays LDPE. The ones that are about a 1/16" or .060" thick. Where is w30wcf to slap me around when I need him. He's the one who's done some testing on this.

[3leggedturtle]

mikld, I am going to try that Cream of Wheat idea. I have some 350 grain bullets for my .45-70 that have a beveled base and for some reason they are getting blow-by and the accuracy is about 5 inches at 50 yards. I am using IMR 30-31 in the rounds and the book value says it should be about 1500 fps. They are the only beveled base lead bullets I have ever used and they are not acting right. 86er saw the way they have a lot of gas blowing out at the 7 o'clock position from the barrel. It only occurs with those lead bullets. Next will be taking an empty brass and using it to cut paper milk cartons into wads. I have used plain flat base lead and no problems at all.

I have been using Laser-Cast 300,350 and 405gr BB bullets. I was worried about that. I used 2400 with the starting loads got soot on the cases but no blow by and 100 yard accuracy was 1 1/2 to 2". When I got to medium loads and above the soot stopped. I have also used Unique and HS7 to push the 350gr bullets at 1100fps with no problems. The bullets mic .458. Have you slugged your bore? Paco wrote about using the styrofoam also from meat packages. He also used foam packing "peanuts" to protect the base. Hope you get it figured out, and let us know what solved it. 3leg

[Model 52B]

I started using 1/4" poly fiber wads in a couple of my .38-55 and .45-70 loads and in addition to eating up some excess case volume, they seem to do a nice job in preventing leading.

I just use 1/4" thick polyester quilt batting from a craft or sewing store and cut it in 5/8" squares for the .45-70 and 1/2" squares for the .38-55.They are them just pressed in the case on top of the powder with the eraser end of a pencil.

[Griff]

Just use a card wad from a waxed paper carton, like those used from ½ gal milk jugs or "½-&-½" cartons. Drop by a Tandy Leather and pick up a ½" hammer powered punch and start whackin' away! I use them in my 45Colt and .45-70BP rounds.

[jamesgpobog]

Just use a card wad from a waxed paper carton, like those used from ½ gal milk jugs or "½-&-½" cartons. Drop by a Tandy Leather and pick up a ½" hammer powered punch and start whackin' away! I use them in my 45Colt and .45-70BP rounds.

Except I'm using .357 mag. Would a 3/8 punch (.375)be OK for that?

[Mescalero]

A little big.

[jamesgpobog]

A little big.

Well heck. That ups the $'s.

[w30wcf]

I have used a .06" thick poly disc under a 150 gr. plain based bullet in the .30-30 to achieve 2,000 f.p.s. with good accuracy.
The poly disc works very good as a gas check.

w30wcf