Which 44 mould to start with

[mtnbkr]

Longtime lurker, short time poster here. [smilie=1:

I'm going to get into casting my own .44 boolits and can't decide what mould I want to start with. These will be fired out of a Ruger Redhawk. Currently, I shoot two different bullets, a 240gr Oregon Trail SWC at 1000fps (Trail Boss load) and Cast Performance's 300gr WFNGC at 1300fps. I use the former for general shooting and the latter for hunting or when I need more "oomph".

I can't decide if I should get the Lee 310 or find a good 240-260gr SWC design. The nice thing about the Lee is the price and that the bullet is pretty close to my hunting bullet (which is getting harder to find and more expensive), but I wonder if I should start with a more general use bullet that is also thriftier with lead.

Can the Lee 310 be shot as cast without gaschecks? It supposedly casts .430 bullets, which is the same diameter of the CP WFNGC bullets I currently shoot. That would certainly take some of the expense out of using that bullet.

If it matters, I'll be melting lead in an old steel saucepan on my turkey fryer and using a ladle to fill molds.

Chris

[runfiverun]

lyman 429421,dont need gas checks.
weighs about 245 or so,but you need to size and lube.

[Firebricker]

I agree with runfiverun 429421 is a good start. The reason it stays so popular is because it works well from plinking to big game. If you decide you want a gas check 429244 is a good one. I have never tried the lee but have shot 429244 without gas checks on light loads and they did fine. If you decide on the lee I'd go with a six cav. What you melt with does'nt matter as long as you get the right temp. Welcome to the forum. FB

[beagle]

I'll second the 429421. If you have a .44, you have to have one of those./beagle

[fredj338]

I'll second the 429421. If you have a .44, you have to have one of those./beagle

Good mold but so is the RCBS 250grK, maybe even a bit better. The Lee is a fine 310gr mold, but I get better accuracy shooting them GC.

[Marlin Hunter]

Can the Lee 310 be shot as cast without gaschecks? It supposedly casts .430 bullets, which is the same diameter of the CP WFNGC bullets I currently shoot. That would certainly take some of the expense out of using that bullet.


Chris

for a quick answer, YES you can use it without a gas check.

For a in-depth answer, look for the "sticky" on gas checks in this posting section.

[ammohead]

I am with fredj338 on the rcbs 250k. But on the heavier end there is no need for gas checks for handgun use. Of course if the mould is for gas checks you will get poor performance if you leave them off. Have Dan at mountain moulds make you exactly what you want.

ammohead

[mdi]

If you are just starting out casting I'd recomment Lee's 240 gr. Tumble Lube, SWC. Easy to cast Lee mold (2 cavity), easy to lube w/liquid alox, and fairly accurate in my .44s. If you need to size your bullets a Lee sizer set-up works great. If you later decide to use gas checks (Lyman 429244!) the Lee sizer will install them as good as any.

[lurch]

I'll toss in another 429421 recommendation. They can be loaded anywhere from mild to attention getter IF the size is correct for your revolver. My Redhawk wants .431 size boolits. The 429421 mold I have just does make this diameter with ACWW. I wish it would cast just a smidge bigger though (one day I might try lapping out the cavities just a bit). I made the mistake of casting & sizing a few to .430 at first and could not get a decent mid range load that worked without leading. Light plinkers were fine and full to near full power loads work fine, just not those 1100'sh fps loads. Bumping up the diameter fixed that.

As for the casting method, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a ladle, though I would advise a little diligence with the saucepan on the turkey fryer. I'm betting it's going to be pretty hard to maintain a reasonably constant casting temperature. With a reasonably constant temperature it is a lot easier to get good consistent results. At a minimum, get a good thermometer and watch it like a hawk. Otherwise, think about an electric pot. There are some serviceable ones around for not much money.

[mtnbkr]

Thanks everyone!

I think I'll start with the 429421. I've always liked the design and you can't argue with the results. I have enough of my CP 300gr WFNGC to last a good while as long as I'm not plinking with them. By the time I run out of those, I'll be ready to get a 2nd mold anyway.

As for the casting setup, this is a temporary solution to get me up and running with a minimal amount of cash since I already had the burner (pot was $4 at goodwill). I'll probably end up with a bottom pour electric pot at some point.

Chris

[softpoint]

Good choice, I was going to add, you could get the tumble lube Lee 240 And the 310 for about the same money or a little less And you can tumble lube them both if you don't have a sizer-luber yet[:D

[Echo]

+1 for the -421 boolit. Don't worry about saving lead - you will learn to harass/beg tire stores and pick up WW's. A dozen donuts works wonders.

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

The Lyman 429421 is actually a Keith design. He used 22 grains of 2400 with it, but that's a really hot load, giving around 1300 FPS out of a 6 1/2" barrel.

I have one of these molds too; just started casting a few of them. Takes a while to get the "feel" for a new mold, but even in my first session with it, I managed to turn out some really good lookin' boolits. I'm glad I started out with this size rather than a larger mold; seems that the bigger the boolit, the harder it is to get the hang of the particular mold. Besides, I'll be doing a heck of a lot more target practice than hunting anyway, and I'd prefer to not shoot my S&W Model 29-2 loose any sooner than I have to.

I've been using a Lee Production Pot Four bottom-pour furnace that seems to work quite well with this and other Lyman/Ideal and Hensley molds. This is MidwayUSA's page for that furnace: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=637732

You don't have to start out with something like that, but it does make things go faster. If you don't have a bottom pour pot, you'll need a decent dipper, something like this Lyman model: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=286579
It has a spout that mates with the sprue plate. Lee makes a very inexpensive dipper, but it doesn't have a spout; just a slight "v" stamp on either side. I'm too much of a klutz to even try pouring hot alloy into a mold with it - I'd wind up tin plated. :roll:

[mtgrs737]

I started casting 44 boolits 35 years ago with the Lyman 429421 mould, it was recomended by a older retired guy I bought reloading stuff from.

[GLL]

The 429421 or RCBS 44-250-KT are both great choices ! Note the 44-250-KT & 44-250-K are two distinctly different bullets !

I would also add the H&G #503 to the list ! It is currently available as a Group Buy from MiHec !

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/230BBEA6EC040D5/orig.jpg

[

[Patrick L]

The 429421 style is an excellent choice. My only reservation is that current Lymans seem to have spotty QC. I bought a new 429421 a few months ago and it is dropping bullets as cast at .428-.429. Others have posted similar complaints with recent Lyman molds dropping undersize bullets.

I'm thinking the RCBS Keith bullet might be a better choice. Same style, better quality. For that matter, I also have the lee 240 TL bullet mdi suggested. Thats a fine bullet, easy to cast and process, and accurate too.

[Dale53]

The H&G #503 was pretty much the bullet of choice for Elmer in his later years. He complained that Lyman had changed the design over the years and he was pretty upset with them (frankly, I agree with his feelings). Here is the bullet from my original two cavity H&G #503:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/QHG503bullet-1734.jpg

They have the proper dimensions and distinctive features of a REAL Keith bullet mould. Lyman has, at times, done an excellent job but also at other times has done REALLY poorly.

My shooting buddy recently sent a new Lyman four cavity back becaused it cast undersized bullets (complete with bullets cast with it). He got it back after two or three weeks and they did NOT solve the problem. That is inexcusable and needless to say, he is off Lyman moulds. That really troubles me as the Lyman moulds, if you get a good one, have a lot going for them.

By the way, the bullets pictured here are the models for the MeHec #503 six cavity mould that will ship to us in a few days. I can't wait!!:drinks:

The two cavity brass Cramer style mould (that casts either two solid point bullets or two hollow point bullets upon demand) group buy is still open - I look for it to close quite soon so if you are interested I suggest you get on board:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=56995

Dale53

[paul edward]

The Lyman 429336 has worked well in several different pistols. Runs about 250 grains. Been casting and shooting this one since 1963.

PD

[captaint]

mtn - One other thing. What you melt can matter. WW's is great, but do add 2% tin. Solder is probably the most accessable. Just watch the % of the solder, tin to whatever. Makes the molds fill out nice. Sharp corners and all. Enjoy Mike

[mtnbkr]

Captaint, I haven't gotten around to deciding on a specific alloy yet. From what I've been told, that one large hunk of lead I have is pure, so I'll need to add something to it. I don't have enough WW yet to use on their own. I've been asking around, but most of the tire shops don't give them away anymore.

GLL, is it me or does that RCBS have a wider meplat than the Lyman version? If so, that's a plus in my opinion. Been reading a lot about the two and it sounds like the RCBS 250K might be a better choice.

I looked into the group buy, but the price is a bit more than I can justify just yet, especially with so many similar designs on the market for less.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

I bought the RCBS 44-250K and a set of Lee handles. I bought a bunch of tin, lead, and Super Hard alloy from Rotometals and mixed that with my existing batch of pure lead to get a 1.9/5.4/92.7 (approx) alloy. While I was pouring alloy into muffin tins, I decided to clean my mould and give it a try. The ladle I was using is way too large for casting and pours a huge stream, so I had a hard time getting a proper fill, but here's my first results (yes, I know they're wrinkled).

http://mysite.verizon.net/allencb/boolits.jpg

Chris

[mtnbkr]

I took the worst of the bunch, placed it on my vice's anvil, and pounded it as flat as I could. I gave up when it got to just over half it's original length and about .5" wide. No cracking, flaking, or other breakage.

Chris

[big dale]

Let me suggest another mold to try. I have been using the Lee 255 grain semi wadcutter thru a half dozen 44's for more than a couple of decades. No telling how many thousand of those have been cast out of that old 2 cavity mold block. This is a plain base bullet, so you also save by not buying any gas checks. I have used up several 8 pound kegs of Herco 9 grains at a time behind that bullet for my everyday all around practice rounds. Works great on bowling pins and makes those steel plated clang real good.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[Dale53]

mtnbkr;
I presume your "handle" means "mountain biker"?...

At any rate, I was looking at the picture and couldn't understand what happened to the bullet picture. I looked again, nothing, then-n-n, it dawned on me. The bullets in the picture are not part of the book
cover:veryconfu. The reflections just tied the bullets in so well, that I thought they were part of the cover shot.

Oh well, I'll get over it:mrgreen:.

Back on topic:
I have used the Keith bullet in several forms (Lyman 429421 and H&G #503 are favorites) and found them to work well on everything from Bunnies to and including deer. This is a REALLY good bullet. The RCBS, reportedly (I have not had the pleasure), is right amongst them for "good".

Ah-h-h, 44's FOREVER!!

You might want to investigate our Group Buy H&G #503 .44 Cramer Style Hollow Point bullet. You'll have to act quickly as the buy will close any day now. At any rate, if you are interested, sign on in the Group Buy Forum.

Dale53



Dale53