43-287B

[Ian]

You've been putting up enough pressure to obturate diamonds, and the bullets are a swage-fit into the barrel, I don't think you're going to have any leading issues at all if you can keep the bullets from going to mush and the lube groove from totally collapsing. You were experiencing total material failure before, even the gas check. Remember that one thing that Rick and James both agree on with hot .44 loads: The only deformation the bullet should experience when being fired is rifling engraves. So far the only bullet you've managed to recover in that condition from the revolver was launched with two grains of Titegroup, so the addition of woodpecker lips should solve a lot of problems for you.

What I don't get is how I can shoot plain-based 16:1 SWCs in a .44 revolver within a half grain of max load of 2400 and have none of the issues you've been having with your Ruger.

 

[Brad]

I think it is a combination of throats and bore diameter. Throats demand a big bullet that is then swaged by the bore.
Have another bullet I plan to try. It should eliminate some of the issues. I hope.

 

[fiver]

that's been perplexing me some too.
Ian uses the same basic alloy and load of 2400 as I do.
the mis-match of diameters could explain some of it.

 

[freebullet]

Hmmm, firelap bore only..?

 

[Ian]

I was thinking buy mill, buy barrel blank, make new barrel....

 

[Rick]

I was thinking buy mill, buy barrel blank, make new barrel....

And then install that new barrel on a revolver that has four throats incorrectly indexed.
.

 

[Ian]

Who cares about the indexing, he'd have a mill.

 

[fiver]

he could just make a new cylinder too.
heck he could just build a new gun and get it how he wants it.

 

[Ian]

Ok, as promised, shot some groups today. L1A1Rocker is my witness First for the excuses, I haven't shot a magnum revolver in a few years, so gimme a break for not being a Rick.

I sized the bullets to fit my Model 29's throats (.4315"), grabbed some Federal brass that I primed about five years ago with CCI-200s, and loaded some of the 43-287s up. They just BARELY cleared the barrel when seated as deeply as I could and still crimp them properly.

First group from a completely clean barrel I shot at 50 yards to see if it was on paper, that's the group high and right, first shot is the clean hole. I pushed the trigger on the lower-right one can called it, and flinched on the other. Dammit. That was 18.0 grains of 2400. Loving that SL-68B lube!

Second group is lower left after making a sight adjustment and switching to 18.7 grains, it's ok but could have been better, I was wiggling at least as much as the group dispersion.

Then I moved out to 75 yards with the 18.7 grain load, adjusted the windage a few clicks and aimed at the top of the circle. Light was bad and I sort of just squinted through it, so there ya go. Again, I was trembling as much as the group dispersion, so I think the load actually is capable of ragged holes.

I was going to try a squib load and recover a bullet, but ran out of time. The last group of five are in soft dirt, so I can dig them up at some point.

 

[Brad]

Irons or scope?
That certainly would be good enough for deer at either range.

I will be interested to see what your recovered bullets look like. And did you use the Magnetospeed?

 

[Ian]

4 MOA Ultra-dot.

I thought about the Magnetospeed when I was packing up, sorry. I didn't count the bullets you sent but probably have another 15 I can shoot sometime, but it might not be until Thanksgiving weekend.

My impression is that the bullet is excellent and does exactly what you intended.....in MY revolver. Not so much in yours.

I actually have a bruise in the web of my hand from the backstrap and Pachmayr stock, might as well just shoot with the bare frame. I don't know how anyone can stand those things, I start getting the trembles after one cylinder and little involuntary jerks just as the primer is struck.

 

[Brad]

Have you ever slugged your bore? What are the dimensions?

I may just try 2400. I have tried damn near everything else.....

Recoil is a bit to handle. That is what I tend to shoot 30 per session tops. After that fatigue sets in and it goes to hell.

 

[Rick]

Fine shooting especially with a dot scope Ian. Sized .4315" and they fit the throats, I also would be interested in groove diameter. Any throat or barrel leading?

And Rick cannot do it anymore, simply can't see well enough to even come close. Even scope shooting is getting tough.
.

 

[Ian]

Thanks, Rick. It's frustrating to be so out of shape and watch the dot tell my how bad my follow-through and steadiness is, but paying attention to how it jumps it under recoil does tell me that the revolver and load will do better than this quick test told. 2400 is my go-to powder in the .44 Magnum, though True Blue is better with my 225-grain Keith hollow points. Brad, you really should try 2400 to drop the pressure a bit, if it won't shoot with that it just won't shoot. 18.7 grains was nearly to the bullet base in my carbide-sized, .44 brass.

I don't remember what the bore/groove is on this one, it's 5 groove and I'm pretty sure I did check it at one time with a vee block. The barrel is bulged in front of the frame (from my FIL shooting THE load that all the sillywet guys swear by), so I got the usual lumpy buildup of lead in front of that for a half inch or so, but the rest of the bore was completely clean, not even any wash and not a trace of lube star. The forcing cone was clean but the leades in the cylinder between chamber and throat had a pretty good lead/lube/carbon coating that's flaking off now that it's cooled down. The throats themselves are clean and the cylinder face and frame is clean and dry.

 

[Pistolero]

I wound up with 2400 for my Africa .44 mag hunting loads in 629. I was able to keep them in 2" at 50 when
I could get things right. When the loose nut behind the trigger messed up, about 2.5-3" was it. Big fan
of 2400, Elmer was right, as far as I can tell. I use 20gr under a 250 Keith type.

Bill

 

[gman]

Nice shooting Ian. Now that I have a supply of 2400 I need to try it in the 44's. If I can only leave that new bass boat alone for a bit.

 

[fiver]

you could bring that boat up here and launch it on the ice, that should stop you from messing with it for a while.

I would think that Ian's load is getting near maximum with this bullet.

 

[Rick]

He could solve two issues at once, simply mount the press in the boat.

 

[Ian]

The purple stripe on my hand would agree it's getting near maximum @18.7. This particular revolver has always showed pressure signs (or outright damage, ref. the bulged barrel) well before established safe loads are reached. The brass was starting to get a little sticky and the firing pin indents had a crater pushed up around them (18 grain load did not)...remember I used CCI, not Federal. Primers were not flattened, though. Any more powder and it would start skipping the cylinder back a hole. The very last bullet pulled just enough that the cylinder needed some help rotating into battery (shaved a couple thou. off the nose).

 

[Rick]

Might want to consider backing that off some. Those 29's are infamous for shooting loose. No sense to beating a good gun to death not to mention yourself.