NOE bullets and gas checks

I have always used Lyman and Hornady checks with mixed results. The last NOE mould I purchased was a gas check design so I purchased Gator Checks from the NOE website. They go onto the shank by hand and then are crimped on in the bullet sizer. It takes a bit of pressure to force them down into the die but once started they continue in with just the normal resistance. They are on very securely and are impossible to remove without destroying the bullet. From now on I will use only Gator Checks. They have a flat base that should aid in accuracy.

I still have a few brand X checks and will sell them at the next gun show or flea market and take the money and buy more from the NOE site. It’s not worth the aggravation to struggle with them. I cast bullets as a relaxing hobby and not something to cause me grief.

Another option to consider, as alluded to by sukivel, is to make your own gas checks. There are at least two different makers of gas check making tools. If you go this route you could experiment with different thickness material and find what works best for you and the moulds you have. I’m currently using the leftover flashing from the re-roofing of my garage for gas check designs. I go with cut up soda cans for plain base as it swages into the bullet with minimal disturbance to the design of the bullet.

It seems to make the rounds more accurate. The thinner aluminum swages onto the base fairly seamlessly. I believe one of the big names (Hornady?) makes plain base checks but I’ve never used them. I have a set of dies that I feed strips of metal into to form the checks. I’ve got an RCBS Lube-a-matic 2 so I put the check on the bullet then either swage it with the help of a Lyman Gas check seater or size and swage at the same time.