Looking for a .44 caliber 200 gr. HP Mould- No Luck

[35 Whelen]

I recently picked up an old Charter Arms Bulldog and have been loading for it. At 21 ounces and loading it with even light-loaded 260 gr. SWC's, recoil is quite heavy. As such, I'd like to find a mould that would cast a hollowpoint bullet in the 190 - 200 gr range. I think something similar in profile to Speer's 200 gr. HP with its large cavity would be just about right, and actually a 200 gr. RNFP designed for the 44-40, only in HP configuration would be excellent. I've looked at all the custom mould makers sites as well as the Group buy forums and everything I find is either too heavy or requires a gas check.

Anyone seen a mould casting something along these lines? Reckon I'd be better off posting this in the Wheelgun section?

Thanks in advance,
35W

[Jailer]

Well it won't be cheap but you could have Tom at Accurate Molds draw you up what you want and then send it out to Eric at hollow point molds and have him fit one of his inset bar conversions.

Accurate Molds (http://www.accuratemolds.com/)

Hollow Point Molds (http://www.hollowpointmold.com/)

[35 Whelen]

You're right, it would be expensive. I have one of Tom's moulds and it is flawless in every way. Love it. But the HP-ing service is pricey and if a Group Buy were to come along with a bullet like I wanted, it'd be much cheaper to go that route. The question is "if"!

Thanks,
35W

[SwedeNelson]

35 Whelen

We have one that's close - 216Gr. as a HP
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=626

Shameless plug
Bullet maker, maker
Swede Nelson

[35 Whelen]

Thanks. I looked through your moulds, but I guess I missed that one. Am I seeing that right....the plain base HP version weighs 221 grs?

Thanks,
35W

[Harry O]

You can always get a non-hollow-pointed bullet you like and have it hollow-pointed. I have had several single-cavity moulds done that way. They can also do multiple cavity moulds, but I have never tried that.

[35 Whelen]

It just occurred to me that I have a version of that NOE that has the large lube grooves for BP lube. Maybe I could have it HP'ed....but then that cost almost as much as a mould!

35W

[denul]

35 -

I was out of town when I saw your post about the 44 special 240 grain hollow point, so couldn't reply until today. Turns out I had ordered 2 of these from a group buy several years ago, when Mihec was just making two cavity brass molds. I tried searching here for the thread, but had no luck at it. I have no idea why I ordered two of them, and had only used the one of them. Apparently he was offering penta pins at the time, because the unused one is set up with those in place; I just never cast anything with it

For several years, I have had several hundred cast laying around that I had never loaded as intended in the 44 Automag. Since then, I have purchased a Ruger flattop 44 special, and I have an older 3" Smith 696, that had not been fired for quite awhile, mostly because of recoil issues with 240 gr loads. I set up the my Star reloader for the maximum amount the adjustable powder slide could throw of Universal powder, (6.7 grains), and put the 200grainers through an new .431 sizer, lubing with a (purple) mix of LBT Blue and CR , ; they weigh almost exactly 200 gr; these test 12-14 BHN. They are a bit harder than I would really like for low velocity loads, and are really very shiny making me think that I got a lot of tin in the mix all those years ago. I am not the record keeper that I should be.

Speer # 14, a very conservative manual, has data for a couple of 200 gr. RCBS cast bullets, listed as cowboy loads, but they are getting near 1100 fps,using Unique and Universal. It is raining out so I could not chronograph my loads, but I doubt they are doing more than about 800 FPS, because they did not expand at all when fired into wet wood chips. They still do plenty of damage plinking in mud,dirt, and rocks, and the effect seems pleasantly out of proportion to the mild recoil. They are quite accurate,and leave no leading. I may try a faster powder, or increase this load to try to get some expansion. It is still too much winter outside to cast up a softer alloy that might also help expansion. Recovered bullets demonstrated very deep engraving of the rifling , with no apparent skidding or slippage.

As soon as he started making them, I only ordered 4 cavity moles from Mihec, and I am not aware of any subsequent buys for this one in 4 cavity. I do have a similar profile NOE 45 hollow point that I am very pleased with, and suspect that HP molds from either maker would satisfy you, if you can find them. Anyway, thanks for reminding me to try these out.

[Forrest r]

There's not allot of choices for lite 44 bullets anymore & the ones that are out there are in the 215/220gr range. I have owned/used bulldogs for decades, rather have a 44spl in my back pocket than a 38spl.

Any of the 215/220gr molds will work & are excellent choices when their hollow pointed. Many of them are a gas checked design but you don't need to use a gc at the low pressure/slower speeds of the 44spl. Right now there's group buys going on for the lyman 429215 clone that would make an excellent hp that should be in the 200/205gr range. Another excellent option is the lighter wc molds that can be ordered from accurate molds. They make excellent plinking boolits & like their lighter 38spl cousin, make excellent thumpers for sd. Used to own/usw the lyman 429348 180gr wc & shot countless 1000's of them in the bulldogs.

The Mihec 220gr hbwc (another group buy right now), another excellent plinking boolit that is extremely impressive when used as a hp for sd. Fired from a snub nosed bulldog.

99750

I also use/shoot a swc in the 44spl/bulldog, its a h&g 142 boolit that weighs 220gr as a swc and 200gr as a swchp.

99751

The lyman 429303 is a sp boolit that weighs 200gr has very impressive penetration even at bulldog speeds & makes a great light weight plinker for these lite pistols.

99752

There's lots of molds out there & getting a setup like the forster hp tool is always another option.

[35 Whelen]

Found this one (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?86539-432-423-(-44-special-SWCHP)-Hollow-point-cramer-style-order-page&highlight=mihec) that would fit the bill perfectly, but it's long gone.

99754


I do have a Forster trimmer, but the HP-ing bit is way too small. Right now I'm considering casting up a few out of my NOE 200 gr. (actually 220 gr)RNFP and using my lathe to HP them to the size I want.

Keep the ideas coming!

[Forrest r]

Interesting.

If you have a lathe then you have the ability to make your own hp bit/bits. Lyman used a .125 (1/8" bit) for the 9mm/357 & .140 (9/64"bit) for 44/45cal along with a larger pin .156 (5/32"bit) for large hp's in the 44/45cals. Simply make another bit holder for the foster or order one & drill it out.

Seeing how you have a lathe you're 1/2 way there. All's you need is a drill press & some brass rod and you can hp any mold you want. The nice thing about making your own hp pins is you can make them any size/shape/depth you want.

How to hp a mold:

Make a drill bit guide with a piece of brass rod. Turn the brass rod on a lathe to the shape/fit of the bullet mold & then drill that plug out with the size hp pin you plan on using. Put the mold/plug/same drillbit into the drill press & drill the mold out. Then drill/tap the bottom of the mold for a screw that will act as a stop & to hold the hp pin in place. Then make the pin & cross drill it for a set pin.

Any mold can easily be hollow pointed, the cramer style pins take a little longer to make install. I usually just make the lyman/h&g removable pin style hp molds.

A pic of a mold I hp'd along with the hp pin & a couple of brass plugs/inserts/drillbit guides for different molds.

99822

Hollow pointing a mold is easy, takes around an hour to make the brass guide, drill the mold, make the hp pin & drill tap the mold for the hp screw stop/holder in the base of the mold.

Get a couple cheap used lee molds to practice on, after that you can & easily will hp any mold/bullet you want. A sample of some of the boolits I cast & use in the snub nosed revolvers (44spl/38spl). The 35cal's are the top row & the 44cal's are the bottom row.

99823


99824


Between the ability to hp boolits with a forster tool & make your own hp molds you will spend 1/2 your range time just testing/shooting them.

forrest r

[MT Gianni]

When I had a 3" bulldog I don't think I would have had any expansion from an HP at the velocities I shot it at. If my alloy was soft enough it would have needed a gc for sure if it did expand. I used Skeeters load of Unique and a 250 gr swc from ww.

[triggerhappy243]

You do know that someone makes a jacketed 180 gr. HP bullet? and think of this before you have to "TAG" someone with a cast lead HP bullet. If the person survives the hit and decides to sue you, the lawyers will eat you for lunch. The legal negatives outweigh the cost of some factory 44 spl.

[GP100man]

How `bout a Lyman 429215 HPed , it`s already been deshanked .

????

[35 Whelen]

You do know that someone makes a jacketed 180 gr. HP bullet? and think of this before you have to "TAG" someone with a cast lead HP bullet. If the person survives the hit and decides to sue you, the lawyers will eat you for lunch. The legal negatives outweigh the cost of some factory 44 spl.

Thanks for the reply.

I'll start by saying I don't care what a lawyer may or may not think about my choice in self defense ammunition, period. It'll be a cold day in hell before I choose to use "less lethal" ammunition or bullets because I don't want to offend anyone.

Second, I have no use for jacketed bullets in my revolvers.

Third, I think I have found a simple solution; a full wadcutter in the 200 gr. range. A proven defense bullet that doesn't have to be driven to high velocities so it'll expand.

I think I'll try to buy a few already cast from a member.

Thanks,
35W

[Blammer]

You do know that someone makes a jacketed 180 gr. HP bullet? and think of this before you have to "TAG" someone with a cast lead HP bullet. If the person survives the hit and decides to sue you, the lawyers will eat you for lunch. The legal negatives outweigh the cost of some factory 44 spl.

that is dependant on what state you are in. NC for example has a law that you cannot be sued by the assailant or his family if the use of deadly force is justified. IE a legal self defense use of deadly force.

[35 Whelen]

True. And in Texas, the law heavily frowns on lawbreakers and gives citizens lots of leeway in defending themselves.