Loading ??'s for My "new to me" 44 Mag.

Originally Posted By: JonathanH110/WW296 is the powder for cast 44mag bullets!!! go to cast bullets.com and ask what they are using....99.9% H110!

How many using H110/W296 with cast bullets are using gas checks?

I am not an expert but I have read a lot. I have read on castboolits some, and even am a member there, but I have yet to cast a bullet.

I have read quite a bit on the topic and I know that at the velocities H110/W296 is going to produce, you will get leading. Unless they are using a particularly hard alloy perhaps, or a gas check.

I use H110, but for jacketed bullets. For the cast bullets I load, I used W231, H longshot, red dot etc.

So I think H110 would be fine for cast bullets, but you'd need a gas check. I'd research it first.
 
One article I read stated that a Bullet too small for the Barrel is what causes leading? He said that by getting the correct bullet size for the barrel was paramount to reduce leading? Thats why Im asking and reading prior to purchase..
 
check your cylinder mouths also if your barrel slugs at .430 and you buy bullets sized .431 but your cylinder slugs at .428 then it will still size the bullet down before it get in the barrel and can still cause you problems. Alot of people are just concerned with bore size in a revolver for cast bullets but the bullet has to go thru the cylinder before it gets to the barrel. Alot of Ruger 45 colts had this problem and some of the 44-40's, haven't seen it to much in the 44mags but it does happen.
 
Originally Posted By: mark shubertAlloy (hardness) also has a lot to do with leading issues.
Mark
+1

Big difference between: lead, Lyman 90-5-5, pure wheel weights, linotype, etc.

Jack
 
THE critical thing with high performance cast bullet loads is the relationship between the cylinder throats, the barrel and the bullet diameter. The throats must match or exceed bore diameter. In an ideal world the bore will be .429-.430, and the throats will be .430 -.431. This is so the bullet is in the neighborhood of .001 over bore diameter. With this proper relation ship neither the gas checks nor an extremely hard alloy are neccesary.

I've been making bullets, jacketed and cast alike, commercially for close to thirty years now. And I still hear an amazing number of misconseptions about lead bullets. In the shop we use H110/296 for about 90% of our high performance cast bullet loads in handguns gas-check or no. And we deal with very little in the way of leading issues. Also, most commercial cast bullets are actually too hard for all but the most extreme high pressure loadings. We offer our bullets at a standard BHN of 16 which works for virtualy all magnum type loads. These CAN be heat treated to 22-24 BHN for super loads if the shooter desires. It is not uncommon at all to see MORE leading with a bullet that is too hard.

The sad thing is, few revolvers are actually correct for lead bullets out of the box. We regularly open up the cylinder throats to better match the cylinders to barrels. But this is not always the answer to all the problems. A suprising number of revolvers will also exhibit varying degrees of "swage" choke in the forcing cone area which is caused, among other things, by the over tightening of the barrel at the factory. A great example of all of these things coming together at once is the Flat Top 44 special on my bench right now. The bore measures right at .430 for most of it's length. The last half inch or so at the forcing cone "choked" down to .4285. The cylinder throats varied from .4285 - .4295. The ideal bullet for the bore would be .430 -.431. which of course would be too small for the throats.

This gun leaded up with any lead alloy bullet gas check, or PB, regardless of alloy, lube or anything else. Groups ran 5-6" at fifty yards. Because, the bullet is swaged down before it hits the bore, and there is no way for it to obturate back up enough to fill the bore correctly. On this one, we opened the cylinders to an even .431 all around. Then we fire lapped the bore until the swage choke evened out. It now measures a pretty even .430 end to end and is very smooth. We could have done a taylor throat instead of the lap to fix the choke, but elected to give the fire lap a try on this one as it can be a very effective process. With a PB 250 ger SWC (16 BHN), and an appropriate charge of H110 or 2400 it now does right at 1200 FPS with 2-1/2 in 50 yard groups. Oh yea - No leading.

-John
 
Gunhaus, thanks for the info. I knew that some articles that I have read suggested that 44 mag full loads were possible with certain cast bullets. Now its a matter of selecting a bullet and a load to try.
 
Originally Posted By: Orneryolfart357Gunhaus, thanks for the info. I knew that some articles that I have read suggested that 44 mag full loads were possible with certain cast bullets. Now its a matter of selecting a bullet and a load to try.
I wish we lived a little bit closer ...but I would be willing to sell you some of the Ranch Dogs 265gr some with g/c and some without if you want to pay the shipping from Ontario Canada?
that way if you like them you can get a mold of your own and for not a heck of a lot of money you will be able to load all you want for peanuts!
 
Thank you Johnathan. I may take you up on that offer! My question now is, As cast bullets approach the same price as jacketed bullets" comercially bought" what would be the advantage of Cast vs Jacketed? I suppose that if you want to get all of the tools required to make your own you could indeed save money. Other than cost, is there any other advantage to cast bullets?
 
cost is huge! but I like the fact that I can alter the hardness for different things with the same load (groundhog-bear) I think you would be surprized at how little it cost to start making your own and how much fun it is once you get the bug!
I would be more then happy to walk you through the steeps and the tools you need!
from this!
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to this
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to this
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into these
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oh ya and it feels great when they do this!
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man I am bit by the casting bug bad ...I love how little it costs to shoot 100 sabot slugs in the off season and learn my gun or 200-400 45-70 gov with out having to refinance my house lol
 
anyone eles cast for there hunting needs?
I have a lot of fun casting,kind of like fly tying for me a hobby with in a hobby!
I love the feeling when I go for a stroll with a new farmer and past a hog at 150+ yards with an iron sighted shorty lever gun ..in a handgun cal....with my own bullets!
the look on there faces are pricless
 
I honestly love it as do all the folks that tried it!...seams like everyone I know that gave it a whirl loved it and dove in with both feet!

to tell ya the truth I bought the .44 mag because i wanted another gun to cast for not just another gun!
 
I have three ruger 44 mags, all single action and have been reloading for them for several years. My favorite cast load is the oregon trails laser cast 240 swc and 10 grains of unique. I dont have a chronigraph so dont know how fast it is moving but is a stout acurate economical load and I have no problem with leading. Might work for you. Nice gun btw.
 
very well could airman I was just showing him that cast was an option..and a fun one at that!

I am very happy with the Ranch Dog Mold company as well as Sage Outdoors Aluma check gas checks and I push good people with good products all the time lol
 
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