Suggestions for a 44 Bullet

gman

gman

Well-Known Member
While I have several molds for casting 44 bullets for my magnums and specials I am thinking of trying a new bullet. I was looking through Tom's catalog and also offerings from Veral. This would be a bullet to be used on whitetail and shooting some steel for the much needed practice to stay tuned up. I have the 429421 versions as well as the NOE-432640. I have the big LEE bullet mold stashed somewhere but if my memory is correct it casted too small for the gun I was using at the time. Looks like Tom has a copy of this bullet as well as a few others that look good. From LBT it would be a LFN. Weight wise I was thinking somewhere in the 280-310 range give or take. Guns used in would be the SRH, Bisley BH and my newest addition the SBH Hunter. Just picking your brains for suggestions. Thanks!
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I have had good results with a 305 gr HP from MP moulds. I will get some photos up later, need to get to work now.
I haven't shot my Lee 432640 at 100 yet but I think it will do very well.
Size them right and get a good load. Use cases that have all been fired the same number of times. Primers MAY help you, I found Fed std primers were best for my SRH in 44 mag.
Don't go too hard. I did very well with bullets around 18 BHn with a max load of H110.

Rick is the guy to listen to. He shot handguns for accuracy at ridiculous ranges for a long time. If he says something is important then listen.

Oh, grip, grip, grip.
 
Chris

Chris

Well-Known Member
I have the 265 Ranch Dog from NOE, shooting in Marlin 1894 though. Nice design, casts easily albeit slightly large in my alloy.
 
Will

Will

Well-Known Member
My suggestion would be the 265gr ranch dog or the Lee 430-310 copy. I also really like accurate's 43-255R if you decide to go a little lighter. It shoots really well in my ruger SBH Bisley.

And the deer don't like it either.

image.jpeg
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
it's almost a RNFP.
make sure the nose will fit your cylinders.
Tom puts that measurement on there for a reason.
 
waco

waco

Springfield, Oregon
IMG_1135.JPG I have the plain base version of the Lee 310 that Tom makes. A HUGE improvement over my Lee that also casts too small.
 
quicksylver

quicksylver

Well-Known Member
Golly Gee...you guys sure like the 55 gal drum type bullets...me I'm sort of the traditional type ..I like the old Cowboyish RNFP....;)could be yours shoot better than mine...but it's one time I like to look cool...;);););)

How easily do those slide into a revolver?
 
quicksylver

quicksylver

Well-Known Member
You guys have got me thinking about casting for my handguns again....I've got thousands upon thousands of commercial diamond hard cast bullets for the 45, 44,38,and 9mm I could melt those down and add some pure....
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
What's all the fascination,with 300+ grain bullets in the 44 Magnum? o_O I doubt very much there is much Grizzly Bear hunting going on.

Disadvantages out weigh the advantages. IHMO

1. Recoil generated is significantly higher.

2. The POA is 9-12" higher in a revolver. So sights must be adjusted for lighter bullet weights.

3. Waste more lead, down range, if you can't recover them.

4. 1-38" twist barrels, don't do well with them.


The 265 RNFP is the heaviest 44 caliber bullet mold I own. Most used mold is the 240 SWC. If and when, I do purchase another 44 caliber mold, it will in the 190-200 grain range.
 
9

9.3X62AL

Guest
I've gotten good work out of Accurate # 43-250-D from 2 revolvers and a levergun. Feeds well in the Rising Sun 1892 and plops right into cylinders from speedloaders.

I am in Winelover's camp on the uber-heavy 44 bullets. They might have a place in 45 Colt, but I haven't found that yet either.
 
Rick

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
240 gr is my preference in the 44 mag. I used the RCBS 300 gr on a pig hunt but if I never go pig hunting again I'll most likely stick with 240 gr.
 
Rick

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
I've two RCBS 300 gr molds, in one I had the gas check shank removed in one cavity and one cavity with a HP, did the opposite with the other mold so I have 2 molds, 4 cavities and 4 different hunting bullets. These molds and bullets are the cover picture for Glen Fryxell's book "From Ingot to Target".
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Love to cast with RCBS molds, that's what I learned on.....except they cast too small for my three 44's. Need .431/.432 in the Marlin. The RH and Bulldog both have large throats.
 
9

9.3X62AL

Guest
Gas check designs......I start thinking "GC" at about 1200 FPS in handguns and 1400 FPS in rifles. The 250-D gets run to 1800+ in the Win 92, so the GC comes along for the rides. 90% of my revolver shooting in 44 Mag these days is done with #429421 at velocities of 950-1100 FPS.
 
Rick

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Winelover said:
My preference for the 45 Colt is the same. Anything over 270 grains is over kill.
Click to expand...

Same here. I've never been very recoil sensitive or too much bothered by it but sure seems that as the years click by it's getting less enjoyable.
.
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I found no accuracy difference between the PB NOE 265 RNFP versus the GC version, loaded across all powder charges. Neither, leads at maximum charges/velocities.

Same goes for the NOE 180 RNFP in the 357 Magnum.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.