Gator gas checks on Lee bator bullet

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Anyone using this combination?

I had no luck with the crummy ebay copper checks no matter what I did

They always smear out on one side.

I have some gators coming and I’m hoping they work.

Had a similar experience with ebay 30 cal checks

40 bucks wasted,oh well

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[garyburns]

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Same result with gator checks.

Theres a little slop in my lee push thru die [new]

And some bullet bases arent perfectly flat

But I’m not throwing anymore money at it.

They just going to get their bases powder coated and aloxed.

I tried EVERYTHING,annealing the checks,the whole bit.

I’m done with this horror show lemme tell ya.

[ericvandusenParticipant]

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I don’t have the bator mold but I have 4 other .224 gas check molds (Lyman, MP, and 2 NOE-no Lee) and a Lee .225″ push through sizer. Only checks I’ve used at Hornady and they work great.

[robertpedersen1]

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Sounds like a bad sizing die, and/or an undersized GC shank.

[Hugh KuhnsParticipant]

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I just sized 300 bullets from a NOE mould and used Gator checks and had 2 that were not keepers. I think your problem could be the Lee push through sizer. I am not familiar with the Lee unit so I can’t be sure that is your problem.  I apply gas checks with a Saeco sizer and then size and lube them. I have few problems with the Gator checks…a lot less than with Hornady or Lyman checks. But I also make my own top punchs for my Saeco sizer. I make a flat punch with a rounded bevel on the tip which is the correct size to fit into the gas check and flair the top of it. This allows the bullet to fit into  the check fully and then be pressed onto the bullet shank when it enters the die. If you use a Lyman or RCBS sizer a top punch of this style top punch would also work.  This is only something that would work for a flat nose type bullet and not for a spritzer shaped one.

762sultan

[garyburns]

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I’m pretty sure the problem is my sizing die.

I can push them thru base first and the checks stay on but the bullets get bent or side swiped

Its times like these I wish I had a lathe.

I’ll end up ordering another die but this project is getting dropped until I get unaggravated.

[thomaswarren]

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I GC my .224 RCBS clone bullets with my Lee sizer with no problems. I started out with that Bator mold, and before I even used it once I traded it off and got the RCBS clone from NOE. Very happy I did that. They cycle everytime thru my AR.

[garyburns]

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Got a new .225 sizing die and the problem went away.

That was a wild ride on the learning curve.

[Author]

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