Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Gas check warning for rifles

This a common sense warning for cast bullet rifle handloaders.
It comes under the heading: words to the wise.

Gas checks WILL dislodge from the base of bullets. In bottleneck
cartridges, this may result in an obstruction in the case and SERIOUS rise in pressure.
(Read damage to rifle and owner.)

EXCEPTIONS: straight wall cases. I also trust a long neck more, like the 30-40 Krag.
Once the bullet goes into the case and is seated, you no longer have control
over that bullet base gas check.
Iuse lots of lead bullets in a Sharps and a 1885 Winchester Hi Wall made in 1887. No gas check needed.

I no longer use gas checks in bottle neck cartridge rifles-good luck to those who do. For 270, 348 WCF, 338-06, 35 Whelen & 375-its
jacketed bullets or they stay in the safe with cleaned & oiled bores. I will save money some other way than buying gas checks/GC bullets.

Shot lots of gas checked bullets in my .35 Whelen with no problems. Do you have a documented incidence of the problem you cite ?

That's why the crimp on check was created.

^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^!

Thanks for the heads-up, as some may not be familiar with the “crimp-on” checks! 👍 memtb

Documentation, or gut feeling?

I've been shooting gas checked bullets out of bottle necked cases from .22 to .35 for 50+ years now. God only knows how many tens or hundreds of thousands and never experienced anything of this sort. And having been a member of the Cast Bullet Association for 40 years with my finger on the pulse of the hobby I've never heard of any untoward incidents of this nature.

HUH?????? I've been shooting cast bullets with gas checks since 1954. back then the only checks available were Lymans and they were a sloppy fit at best. Never had one give a problem. When Hornady came out with the crimp on type, problem solved. Methinks you know not of what you speak. That's 66 years of cast bullets with gas checks experience. I call BS.
Paul B.

I've been shooting lots of cast bullets in lots of bottleneck cases, quite often seating the check below the shoulder. I've not done it as much or as long as many cast bullet shooters here, but I have done it thousands of times. Have never seen any problem with checks staying in fired cases, or ending up in the bore.

The only problem I've ever had is when I decide I don't like some load and need to break some down. It is a PITA to get gas checks out of cases when they fall off when pulling the bullet. This also happens with straight-walled cases, but it is rare there. It isn't rare when breaking down bottle-necked cases. Sometimes, if the load is judged too hot for my purposes, I will pull the bullets, and those with gas checks stuck in the neck (or just in the case, with straight-walled cartridges), I will shoot them just like that the next time I go shooting. That way I get to reuse the lead, if not the primer/powder, and it saves time. Again, never an issue with checks in the bore.

I'm having a hard time seeing the "common sense" in your warning. I've heard it before, but never have seen it happen. Does that mean it won't, or that it can't happen? No. I just don't worry about things I have never seen, after several thousands of opportunities to see them. If it had happened to you, I could see why you would issue the warning, but you mentioned nothing of that sort.

Just so you know: 218 Bee, 223, 22-250, 243, 6.5 Carcano, 270, 280, 30-06, 300 SAUM, 35 Whelen with gas checks seated below the neck, just off the top of my head. Several of those produce MOA using gas checks seated below the neck, and at velocities in the low 2k range.

My close call was with a pre-64 Model 70 in 338-06 . The incident came close
to hurting the rifle permanently when the GCheck became an obstruction in the case/barrel.
It shot the pressure up above the 75K and only the strong action saved the day.
This was confirmed by my gunsmith. Had to replace the extractor. He had heard of it happening before
in New Mexico with a friend shooting GC bullets out of a Pattern 1917 Enfield.
Just relating what has happened in the past.

I don't need to sell my point of view. I already know better. Been reloading for 50 years,
and still load and shoot lots of lead bullets-in about 4 of 7 calibers. . Like I said, and related- it DID happen to me
and it has never happened again.
And it won't. But its a free country-your rifles. And people regularly go to Las Vegas to gamble. Not me.

If I had a pressure excursion with cast bullets, I'd not be blaming an errant gas check, but rather trying to remember that loading session and my processes and if I was distracted. Sounds like a double charge to me. I don't know how you could go about verifying that you had a gas check lodged in the bore as opposed to some other reason for the sudden jump in pressure. You'll have to explain it to me.

Skeeter had a gas check ring the barrel of a 45 ACP.. Have the story some place.. He probably shot more GC than anyone here.. If it happened with a pistol why not a rifle...

As previously mentioned, I am not selling a point of view. This caca sells itself.
For ALL rifle loading of cartridges, I hand weigh each charge. No progressive loading.
For the 338-06 based on the 30-06 case, a medium charge of IMR 4064 or 4320 was used.
Use these 2 powders all the time with jacketed 225-250 gr bullets. Never an issue or problem.
To even slightly overcharge the case would be noticeable, a double charge of a powder like those above
would spill powder out of the neck before anything else........

The gunsmith and I agree-it was a detached gas check that powder ignition and gas pressure forced into
the barrel after the bullet, spiking pressure to a blue pill load equivalent.

Can you find the story? I heard it was a 44 special, and there was a lot of skepticism about it.


Caca, indeed.

I don't doubt the fact that it happened to the OP and probably has happened. All I said was I've been loading and shooting gas checked bullets since 1954 How many rounds? Damned if I know but if I had a dollar for every one of the shots I could probably afford a three month safari in Africa including all the trophy fees and custom fees, not to mention the taxidermy. That's a lot of shots and all I can say is it never happened to me. I never said it never could happen though, but I do believe the odd are in my favor.
Paul B.