Can a lousy 2 thousandths

[TCLouis]

make a big difference in accuracy?

I used to size everything 44 Mag related to 0.429" and seemed to have several accurate loads. I arbitrarily jumped up to 0.431" and have chased accuracy allover the board.

I can see where 2 thousandths under could be an issue, but figured 2 over would come out in the throat and barrel. by the way all of the throats will pass a 0.431" in gauge.

14.5 bhn
Opinions sought!!

[Blammer]

IMO, yes, that much difference can matter in the accuracy deptment.

[beagle]

Evidently it does make a difference from your results. I'm of the same opinion that you are that bigger has always been more accurate from my experiences. At least it is in Ruger BHs and SBHs. Now, I have had several S & Ws and a Colt Python that were the exception to that rule so let's settle for the rulle that it's gun dependent./beagle

[geargnasher]

Listen to what your pistol is telling you.

Find what it likes and stick with it. Experimentation is the name of the game.

Gear

[44man]

I use .432" in the Rugers. .430" in the S&W's I had.

[PatMarlin]

-someone said "rules are broken with cast" ...:Fire:

[canyon-ghost]

Don't forget about elasticity when you size. Some that I size to exact bore size just spring back and ARE oversized! Chances are you may not measure them afterwards. I measured some of mine and they're still larger than the .002" oversize die. May not be the sizer, may be the lead, hmmm.... I haven't completely got a handle on it myself.

[machinisttx]

.002" is about one third to half the thickness of a sheet of notebook paper. Yes, it matters.

[lathesmith]

This is a prime reason why Lyman recommends buying and trying at least a couple of different size of dies for any given caliber--you just don't know, cannot know until you try them. Sometimes one day at the range is worth more than several months of accumulated armchair wisdom.
lathesmith

[Shiloh]

In a word, Yes.

Shiloh

[Bret4207]

This is a prime reason why Lyman recommends buying and trying at least a couple of different size of dies for any given caliber--you just don't know, cannot know until you try them. Sometimes one day at the range is worth more than several months of accumulated armchair wisdom.
lathesmith

Yupper, lotta truth in those words. Change your alloy significantly and everything starts fresh too. It seems to be more pronounced with some guns than others, but fit is still king and always has been.

[mike in co]

yep...by a bunch in some cases.

my srh loves stuff around 432...and falls off the charts when smaller.
as in 3/4 or so at 25yds with correctly sized boolets...to 4-6 INCHES at 50 with undersized( what happened to me at the winniemucca shoot this year)

mike in co

[bubba.50]

seems to me you answered your own question with your shootin'.

[leftiye]

If a .431 pin gauge will pass your chamber mouths (you didn't say what the barrel groove measurement was), then you might need to go to .432" or even larger.

[1Shirt]

Yep, Like they all say! Makes a difference!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[JIMinPHX]

I have loaded for a fussy 9-iron that would go from groups to patterns if I increased the boolit diameter by .001".

.002" is no small difference when talking about boolit diameter.