Did you say .44 Special

Wallyl

Active Member
Been shooting this caliber for many years. I have used various cast bullets for it; never found one that was inaccurate except for the 429360. I like experimenting with the Lyman 429383 and Lees 240 RN....both load/cast/shoot very well for me. 5.0 grains of Bullseye works well for me with both. However the Lee version casts out 15 grains heavier than 240 grains. Do others use these bullets in their .44 Specials...which do you prefer?


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Cherokee

Medina, Ohio
I like the RCBS 200 FN (@212 gr) for my 44 Special loads. I use a lot of 231 with it. It also shoots well in 44 Mag.10636
 

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KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I have the 6 cavity Lee version and use it a lot to make a sort of “ factory duplication” load for my .44 Specials. The loaded rounds just slide into the cylinders sooooo easily. I’ve used BE, Unique, and 231 all at Special velocities and pressures, no hot rodding. Not for hunting or even defense but paper and inanimate objects don’t care much about nose shape.
 

Wallyl

Active Member
What do your bullets weigh from that mold?


I have the 6 cavity Lee version and use it a lot to make a sort of “ factory duplication” load for my .44 Specials. The loaded rounds just slide into the cylinders sooooo easily. I’ve used BE, Unique, and 231 all at Special velocities and pressures, no hot rodding. Not for hunting or even defense but paper and inanimate objects don’t care much about nose shape.
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
I love the 429421. I have a Lee 200 RN, and like your 240, it drops WW+2% 15-17 grns heavy. I primarily use the RN for the 44-40, but also works fine for the 44 SPC.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I let my 41 Mags and 44 Specials go about 5 years ago and kept the 44s around to fill that role. I shoot a lot of "Skeeter's Load" equivalents in the 44 Mags--mag cases filled with 8.5 grains of Unique or 9.0 grains of Herco under Lyman #429421 sized at .431". Donner und Blitzen in my magnum revolvers have their place--just not very often.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I use the 421 mostly, mainly because I only have a few 44 cal molds.
the 421 and the 664 are the 2 main ones, the third is a 44-40 200gr rnfp from magma engineering I use in my 44-40 after I bump swage it up to 430 from it's barely 428 diameter.

the 4th is another magma mold I forget I have all the time [mainly because i have about 9-10K of them cast up] it also weighs 240+ grs.
I usually punch a hollow point in it's nose and re-form it more into a rnfp shape and use it here and there. [in the 44-40 rifle mostly and some in the 44 mag lever guns]
if I were to carry the special for P/P that would be the one I would have in the chamber with some modifications to the hollow point.
or I'd get serious and design something that weighs about 220grs similar to the keith bullet for the 45 cal auto-rim revolvers and have it cut.
that would give me pretty much a 44 cal. 45 acp +P type load without having to go +P, and with less recoil than the Skeeter load using the heavier 421.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
I have a 429421 ..... It was let out to cast .448 , perfect for my Dragoon and 1858 . Unfortunately it's just a titch too long for the Colts Carbines and the crimp is hard on the patch ..... It'll probably be great in the Schofield .
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Mine has a pretty exclusive diet. An NOE 503 on top of 4.5 gr of Titegroup in Starline brass.
Shoots well enough to not need anything else.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
The 429421 is my favorite. I'd like a 200-ish grainer for my Charter Bull Dog but I want more of a wide flat nose than I've seen so far from the major outfits. I'm sure there is a custom producer that has something like what I want, but I haven't spent any time looking.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I mostly shoot 240 and 250 grain bullets, because that's what the fixed sights on the CA Bulldog are regulated for. Don't see that much difference in recoil with the 200 grain Saeco's I've tried.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
The 429421 is my favorite. I'd like a 200-ish grainer for my Charter Bull Dog but I want more of a wide flat nose than I've seen so far from the major outfits. I'm sure there is a custom producer that has something like what I want, but I haven't spent any time looking.

Same here - the 429421 has just always worked. The LEE 200, if you can get one fat enough (I haven't, but I borrow one) is good but has a small meplat. I keep thinking my lead will last longer with the lighter bullets, but I don't get to shoot enough these days to make a difference in that.

I cured that with an Arsenal mould - 210 grains with a wider meplat, but have not been able to shoot it much. If you would like to try it, I can donate some - PM me with your address if interested.

By the way, the 200 (or so) 44s shoot low in the 3" Bulldogs - about 3" to 4" low at 25 yards. My last one shot 2 1/2" groups at 25 yards with them.
 

L Ross

Well-Known Member
The 429421 is my favorite. I'd like a 200-ish grainer for my Charter Bull Dog but I want more of a wide flat nose than I've seen so far from the major outfits. I'm sure there is a custom producer that has something like what I want, but I haven't spent any time looking.
I am going post about a new mould I got yesterday to shoot with BP in my 44 w.c.f. It has a big flat nose, is a RNFP, drops from the mould at .433" and weighs right at 200 grains. The meplat is .340" as near as I can measure. It also has a crimp groove. It's called the Mav Dutchman or the Big Lube bullet.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Hmmmmm. I'd not really thought about the 200 gr designs hitting low. I was just after something that didn't torque up and to the left (right? I forget) as much when you touch off the 421 with a healthy dose of Unique behind it. IIRC my BD, if I'm having a good day, will put 5 in 2" or so at 25 yards, but about 2" to the left of the bull. I really wish I could come up with an easy to install adjustable sight for the BD. It's a superb field gun.

Actually, I think I have a Lyman 44 wadcutter here someplace. Going to have to look around in the records and see if I ever loaded any up. Knowing my memory there may well be 100 loaded rounds sitting in a dusty box in a forgotten corner!
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I recently ordered a 210 grain RNFP GC from Accurate........................434 diameter for my Marlin. Haven't tried it in the Bulldog. However, it should be a good fit, since the throats are .433, anyways.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Hmmmmm. I'd not really thought about the 200 gr designs hitting low. I was just after something that didn't torque up and to the left (right? I forget) as much when you touch off the 421 with a healthy dose of Unique behind it. IIRC my BD, if I'm having a good day, will put 5 in 2" or so at 25 yards, but about 2" to the left of the bull. I really wish I could come up with an easy to install adjustable sight for the BD. It's a superb field gun.

Actually, I think I have a Lyman 44 wadcutter here someplace. Going to have to look around in the records and see if I ever loaded any up. Knowing my memory there may well be 100 loaded rounds sitting in a dusty box in a forgotten corner!


Yes! An excellent field gun. A gunsmith friend installed a S&W M60 adjustable sight for me on a 3" SP101 in 357 Mag and it was a treat. I was always nervous about removing any of the top strap on a fixed-sight Bulldog, even though my Target models have them. I've also thought about screwing a 3" Bulldog barrel onto a Target model, but Charter's adjustable sights are something short of amazing. Taller front sight are obviously in order but easy enough to do.

The lower POI with the lighter bullets isn't isn't much of an issue, just something to be aware of.

For the reduction of torque - the 200 (or so) grain bullets pushed at 750 to 800 fps make a difference alright. Load data tends to pump the lighter bullets' powder charges and velocities up a bit. Finding a powder which burns efficiently with the low pressure, without sooting everything up is key. I'd guess Bullseye would work, but before I started consolidating powders, Red Dot worked well in this application - very well.

I wasn't ignoring the OP - the only RNs I ever shot out of the 44 Special was one box of 50 factory Winchester 146 grain RNs I had to buy in 1982 because I was stationed 2+k miles away from dad's reloading bench. They soaked me for $13 for that box of cartridges.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I recently ordered a 210 grain RNFP GC from Accurate........................434 diameter for my Marlin. Haven't tried it in the Bulldog. However, it should be a good fit, since the throats are .433, anyways.

Every Bulldog I've had, and two Rossi 720s, had .433+" throats. Forget what the Tauruses were. My first Lipsey's FT 44 Special had .433" throats as well.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
My ancient Super Bhawk has .433 throats. Takes .432 bullets, at least, to get proper accuracy from it.

Bill