I cast with Wheel-Weights I know that the alloy varies and so does the hardness, but I use them to keep the cost down. I have a Ruger SRH and Dan Wesson 44mag that I will be casting for. The fastest I shoot will be arround 1000fps

I am planning on getting a new Lyman 255gr 4 cavity SWC mold # 429244 with Gas Check

I already have a new Lyman Elmer Keith style 245gr 4 cavity # 429241 without Gas Check.

Do gas checks help to keep the lead out?

Between Hornady and Lyman Gas Checks which will stay on the best?

Do they have an actual ridge that crimps into the bullet to keep them on or is it more of a friction fit?

Your help will be appreciated.

If your revolver had cast friendly dimensions between the throat, forcing cone and the barrel, then you'd probably find you could shoot water quenched wheelweight bullets as fast as you wanted without leading problems. That said, gas checks allow for less then perfect guns to shoot cast w/o leading, or to allow softer alloys. I guess the real question is, does the plain base bullet give you leading problems?

Hornady checks have a slight "burr" on them, that allows them to grip the check shank when they are fit.

quote:

I guess the real question is, does the plain base bullet give you leading problems?

Hornady checks have a slight "burr" on them, that allows them to grip the check shank when they are fit.

Yes it does in the 44 cal.
I have shot a lot of .358/.359 in my 357 mag revolvers using a H&G 158gr BB SWC and don't seem to have the same problem with 1000fps or less.

Another problem I have is using my Star Bullet lubricator I cant get a gas check to stay on due to the fact that the bullets go straight through.

Does any one know how to put Cas Checks on with a Star Bullet lubricator?

There are two options with the the Star. You can run them through a lee sizer first, check first, to fit the checks, or you can run the bullets check first through the star.

If the lube is blowing the checks off the bullet when running through the star, you might want to back off on the lube pressure.

quote:

Originally posted by Swede44mag:
Between Hornady and Lyman Gas Checks which will stay on the best?
Do they have an actual ridge that crimps into the bullet to keep them on or is it more of a friction fit?

The Hornady gas check will stay on best! Hornady GC's have a beveled skirt that is pressed/crimped into the bullet as the gas check & bullet enter the lubersizer!
Lyman gas checks simply slide onto the bottom of the bullet and are not crimped into the bullet itself!

I do notice less lead with checks, but it is not that much of a problem either way. Any lead from a plain base boolit will wipe out with a tight patch and jag. Just shoot the boolit that does the best and have fun.

At about 1,000 fps you should have no leading with plain base bullets cast from pure lead, much less from wheel weights. IME, plain base bullets in WW start leading at about 1600 fps. That's using Lee Liquid Alox or NRA formula lube.

I tried putting the Gas Check in first then setting the bullet on top and running it through the Star Luber Sizer. When it came out the Gas Gheck was crimped on but not up tight to the bottom of the bullet. If the lee works the same way I dont think it will work either. I used to have a RCBS Luber Sizer and it worked great it looks like I will have to get another one.

I tried casting some of the Keith Style SWC flat base bullets and dropping them straight out of the mold into a 5 gal bucket of water I will try them this weekend to see if it made them harder and if they don't lead my Ruger SRH.

BTW the Ruger SRH 44mag is new so I havent tried it yet.

My lubersizer is an RCBS and works great, unless some of the lube gets in between the bullet and the gas check!