.44 Cast Bullets

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  • Last Post 17 July 2011
sinken posted this 16 February 2010

I am a newbie at reloading and would like some ihfo / knowledge on loading .44 mag and spcl. using cast bullets. These will be used in a puma lever action. Would eventually like to cast my own.

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CB posted this 16 February 2010

I shoot a variety of different bullets out of my Ruger SRH and NEF44. I like the keith style 240gr swc with 6.7grs of bullseye for plinking and I use a 260gr LBT WFN with 24grs of H110 for hunting. Holds about a 2” group at 50 yds if I do my part.

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Buffalo Bill posted this 16 February 2010

For hunting with your lever action I agree with Jeff that a LBT WFN is an excellent choice.  LBT bullets with a LFN (long flat nose) MAY (or may not) be a little long to feed from the magazine when the bullet is crimped in its crimping groove.

Some Keith type SWC (semi wadcutter) bullets MAY not feed through the magazine due to hanging up on the chamber mouth and/or being too long to feed out of the magazine tube onto the cartridge lifter.  This may not be a problem with your Puma, but it has happened to me with a Marlin M1894.  The SWC bullets generally work fine in revolvers and single shots, or single loaded in the chamber of a lever action rifle.

My comments are limited to experience with .44 Magnum cases.  Some potential feeding problems may be solved by using .44 Special cases.  However, I prefer to use Magnum cases for heavy hunting loads.

Hopefully, someone with Puma rifle experience will post here to help answer some of these questions. 

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giorgio de galleani posted this 16 February 2010

You must note that 44  pistol bullets are not 44 carbine bullets.

Long nosed swc bullets usually do not feed in leveractions.

Having different bullets helps to avoid loading a bear bustin 44 carbine gun in a 44 sp peacemaker clone.I   load 44sp loads in 44 sp pistols.Just to avoid piercing the firing line roof with the topstrap of my Uberti pistol. 

The carbines like the Lyman cowboy bullet and the Lyman 210 Thompson gas check bullet.

The Lee 310 gas check bullet has two crimp grooves to be used in both long guns and revolvers.

And the Rolls Royce of bullet moulds s,the LBT are custom made by Veral to your specifications ,tell him the calber and the make of your rifle ,and you'll be able to crimp them and feed them perfectly .

Spend your money once ,get you a custom four cavity mold , from a connaisseur like Veral,and you' ll  be happy forever with your lever gun.

I have 7 lever guns,I have bitten by the bug,no cure for it..

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1kshooter posted this 16 July 2011

Giorgio, I agree 100% I ordered the Ranch dog molds for my 45-70 and 44mag Marlins ...I just recived the 45-70mold and I am very impressed with it and the bullets it casts!

also very impressed with the Sage Outdoors aluma checks!! put the two together and you have one heck of a fine bullet system!

I use a marker (red or green) on the primer to indicate hot or mild loads!

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codarnall posted this 16 July 2011

SAGESOUTDOORS has ordered a .434/.402 shank 44Mag rifle gas check tool and it's on its way to him. I do think it may be a leap of faith on his part to assume the shanks are still .401/2. It is designed for .0175 material. Customer designed molds, though gorgeous and even very high quality can be a real gas check PITA.

Charlie

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6pt-sika posted this 16 July 2011

giorgio de galleani wrote: You must note that 44  pistol bullets are not 44 carbine bullets.

Long nosed swc bullets usually do not feed in leveractions.

Nope I can't agree with that !

I shoot the Lyman 429215 , 429244 , 429244 HP and 429650 in my 444 lever guns with good to excellent results in accuracy and feeding !

Same can be said for the RCBS 44-225 SWC , 44-240 SWC and 44-300 SWC .

 

I have all 7 molds and use them regularly in my 444 rifles !

These all shot well enough and fed well enough in my old 1967 vinatge Marlin 336-44 carbine and the later vintage Marlin 1894P and 1894CB .

In 44-40 Marlin's of post 1998 manufacture I used the Lyman 429215 and RCBS 44-240SWC with very nice results on paper and feeding . And am sorry to say I never tried the RCBS 44-225 SWC in the 44-40 rifles .

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1kshooter posted this 16 July 2011

codarnall wrote: SAGESOUTDOORS has ordered a .434/.402 shank 44Mag rifle gas check tool and it's on its way to him. I do think it may be a leap of faith on his part to assume the shanks are still .401/2. It is designed for .0175 material. Customer designed molds, though gorgeous and even very high quality can be a real gas check PITA.

Charlie

I will let you know how thay work out Charlie!

anyone know what the dimentions of the Hornady GC #7130 are? that is what the RD mold calls for so I hope that there close!

Jonathan

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6pt-sika posted this 17 July 2011

1kshooter wrote: codarnall wrote: SAGESOUTDOORS has ordered a .434/.402 shank 44Mag rifle gas check tool and it's on its way to him. I do think it may be a leap of faith on his part to assume the shanks are still .401/2. It is designed for .0175 material. Customer designed molds, though gorgeous and even very high quality can be a real gas check PITA.

Charlie

I will let you know how thay work out Charlie!

anyone know what the dimentions of the Hornady GC #7130 are? that is what the RD mold calls for so I hope that there close!

Jonathan Hornady , the old Lymans , the new Lymans that are now actually made by Hornady and the Gator checks all work nicely on the Ranch Dog bullets .Be it 458 or 429 !

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1kshooter posted this 17 July 2011

thanks 6pt-sika, thats kind of what I thought but ..I will know for sure when I get them and can try them out!

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codarnall posted this 17 July 2011

That was news to me, 44's have always been .429, now rifles are .433 touting 44mag designations. 44/40 44 LC 44 Mag. Now a new dimension give me a brake. Short fat magnums severely limiting the magazine capacity. The 7.62 Ruger range rifle supposedly has a bore of .311, groove who knows. Ive have heard 309. Never a straight answer. I could never figure out the 45 LC SAA whether it was .452, .454 or what. What I know for sure bullets too small play hell in the case neck, I have vaporized half the neck at times with hot loads and small bullets. Stuck jacketing in dirty AK's. Just marketing?

Charlie

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