Lee 430-310-RF 44 mag load

[Sturgell]

So I finally loaded up some boolits that I cast the other day.

Both loaded with CCI300 primers and H110 and crimped in the first crimp groove (second groove sticking out of the case.)

22 grains avg 1300 fps
22.5 grains avg just shy of 1350

No signs of pressure, normal looking primers, and easy extraction. Just for the hell of it I am going to see how hard I can push them in my 7.5 Redhawk, then look for a hunting load.

This was my first outing with boolits I have cast and I used my own lube that started out as Darr's lube and morphed into a 2:1 mix of paraffin to vaseline. The lube produced NO leading and I am completely amazed that my first batch of boolits are performing well and not leading.

[Junior1942]

How do you stand the recoil? In my SBH I couldn't take over 1,100 fps with that bullet. The recoil energy compares to a 300 mag rifle.

[Sturgell]

How do you stand the recoil? In my SBH I couldn't take over 1,100 fps with that bullet. The recoil energy compares to a 300 mag rifle.

I am a young punk kid and the Hogue grips make a big difference. Before I pulled the trigger the first time I was a little nervous about what I was fixing to find out recoil wise. I actually found that 13 grains of HS-6 behind a 300 jhp has a lot snappier recoil.

[Sturgell]

Took my 23 and 23.5 grain loads out to launch over the chrony and I can honestly say I don't want to load it any higher.

23 grains
1428 1382 1389 1401

23.5 grains
1441 1447 1430 1436
:shock:

The recoil is abusive, the primers are slightly flattened however, extraction is still easy. Creeping up on the 1500 ft lb mark is someone else's job now.

[leadman]

I sent this boolit thru an elk standing broadside at 75 yards. Hit ribs only, velocity was about 1,150 fps. 44 in, 44 out.
Really don't think you need much more than 1,200 fps or so to help flatten trajectory.

[doctor45]

I am in love with that bullet myself. It is very accurate, as accurate or more so than the Lee 240 swc gas check, and I don't find the recoil abusive. I use 2400, and find the recoil to be more of a big "PUSH" than a snappy "bang!"
Shot two wite tails and a crippled dog with the load so far. I waited until the first deer was facing me, and shot too high, intentionally striking the shoulder. She sat down, like a dog that has been told to "Sit!", but got up and hobbled off. Another deer with her jumped around, looked really hard, and went back to feeding. No daily limit in Ky, so I waited until she was facing me. Exact same result, sans limping. I had to trail those deer a long, long way. Both bled pretty good, But I totally forgot, there are no vitals up high. Both had bullet wounds throgh and through. Next time, I will aim for the vitals, not major bones. Dog was hit, sitting by the road. I saw he had not moved from the previous day, and could not move his back end. Head shot, directed so it would also travel all the way through body, pretty much was instant death. I don't know two things. One, how could anyone not miss a beagle after two days. Two, how could anyone not stop and see the dog was in agony, with a broken back end? No one came and got the corpse, either.

[softpoint]

Lots of shooting with the big handguns will season you to recoil. I have a pretty high "round count," being as I have lived right here on the farm where I can shoot every day, and have for almost 40 years. Get you a Thompson Encore, find one of the 45/70 UNPORTED 15 inch barrels and ease those 500+ grain boolits up to 1600 or so . (I couldn't stand much of that one either). Had a 15 inch Encore in .375 H&H Ackley that was ported though ,and it was tolerable, and got almost the same velocity as the standard H&H out of a rifle,270 grains at 2550fs.
OK back on topic, I never go over 22 grains of 296-H110 in the .44 with either the 310 Lee or the 300Lyman(which weighs about 310 with my alloy),Could, I suppose as one of my .44 mags is a Freedom Arms. Just don't see the need, if I need more horsepower ,I go to something bigger. As much as I like to play with the cannons, you don't need more than that 300 grain at 1250 or so to kill anything on this continent, and it will still shoot flat enough for the distances that it is prudent to shoot things with an iron sight revolver,IMHO:redneck:

[GP100man]

start with imr 4227 at 18grs. & work up , it`ll soften recoil but won`t push the 310 like H-110 will .

[JesterGrin_1]

A good load from a Ruger is with the LEE 310Gr and 21.5Gr of H-110 or W-296 and a standard primer. I use the CCI LPP NOT the mag primer. But I have also found my Ruger Bisley Super Blackhawk Hunter to shoot well with 21.OGr as well or at least as good as I can shoot with open sights lol.

My Barrel is hair under.429 and my throaghts are .431 so I size to a hair over .431 where I can push the ungas checked bullet through the cilender with a hard thumb push.

Right now I am working with the GB 44/444 mold for the Ruger which is a HP and all up weight is right at 300Gr. :)

[jbc]

I am in love with that bullet myself. It is very accurate, as accurate or more so than the Lee 240 swc gas check, and I don't find the recoil abusive. I use 2400, and find the recoil to be more of a big "PUSH" than a snappy "bang!"
Shot two wite tails and a crippled dog with the load so far. I waited until the first deer was facing me, and shot too high, intentionally striking the shoulder. She sat down, like a dog that has been told to "Sit!", but got up and hobbled off. Another deer with her jumped around, looked really hard, and went back to feeding. No daily limit in Ky, so I waited until she was facing me. Exact same result, sans limping. I had to trail those deer a long, long way. Both bled pretty good, But I totally forgot, there are no vitals up high. Both had bullet wounds throgh and through. Next time, I will aim for the vitals, not major bones. Dog was hit, sitting by the road. I saw he had not moved from the previous day, and could not move his back end. Head shot, directed so it would also travel all the way through body, pretty much was instant death. I don't know two things. One, how could anyone not miss a beagle after two days. Two, how could anyone not stop and see the dog was in agony, with a broken back end? No one came and got the corpse, either.


doctor 45 - what startig loads do you work up from? I also like 2400 as a .44mag powder because it is so much safer to load down than h110/296. When I am working up loads for lee bullets with no published load data I feel much safer starting low with 2400 because of all the overpressure issues with h110 when underloaded. I just ordered this mold from midway and i'm starting to gather info about load data

[country85]

I know this is a super old thread, but gotta throw it out there any way, anyone push this boolit with h110 with NO gas check?

[paul h]

A couple things to consider before ditching the gas check. The lee rf gc designs have very small lube grooves, by not using a gas check you'll loose one of the two lube grooves. By not using the gas check you've reduced the bearing length of the bullet and hence it will be tougher for the bullet to get fully stabalized by the barrel.

My prediction is you'll find the accuracy sans gas check just isn't up to snuff. If you really want to use the bullet that way you should have the gas check nub machined off of the mold and have it converted to a pb. I did that with a lee 240gr swc mold and then I cut the nose of the mold to make it a wfn shape. It dropped 330gr and shot just as accurately as the 310rf and an lbt 300 lfn from my super blackhawk.

[Whistler]

I loaded the Lee 310gn (seated long, crimped into the rear crimp groove) with 21.0gn of Vihtavuori N110 back when I had a 9.5" SRH. The recoil was more than most could stand, but accuracy was outstanding for long range competition and probably hunting as well (illegal to hunt with handguns in Sweden). I used water dropped WW with aluminum gas check and Carnauba Red lube.

WARNING! This is a RUGER ONLY load and will probably damage any S&W or other lighter framed revolvers.

[Plinkster]

Kinda, I machined out the check shank for a plain based mold. With my alloy they come out at 315 gr, would have to check my notes for exact charge but IIRC best accuracy was at 21.5 gr of H110 in a WW case and with a WLPP. Grouped about 3" at 50yds with me behind the trigger. My gun likes 2400 better with this boolit though.

[COgunLVR]

Trying to work up a load with this bullet in my 6" 44 Revolver and my 20" Rossi 92 Octagon any recommendations? I have gas checks and powder coat so lube or no lube? What do you think?

[Tom W.]

I use it in my SRH. Accurate, and recoil isn't bad at all.... It's there, but not like a SBH....

[dhom]

Took my 23 and 23.5 grain loads out to launch over the chrony and I can honestly say I don't want to load it any higher.

23 grains
1428 1382 1389 1401

23.5 grains
1441 1447 1430 1436
:shock:

The recoil is abusive, the primers are slightly flattened however, extraction is still easy. Creeping up on the 1500 ft lb mark is someone else's job now.

The load at 23.5 gr is a really low ES. How does it shoot on paper?

[softpoint]

Trying to work up a load with this bullet in my 6" 44 Revolver and my 20" Rossi 92 Octagon any recommendations? I have gas checks and powder coat so lube or no lube? What do you think?
Try those with no other lube if you have them powder coated and gaschecked, I've never added any additional lube to a powder coated bullet.