Lyman 429640 .44 Cal 275 RNF-GC

[Wally]

I have one of these molds that I haven't used in years. As it takes a gas check and I have the Freechex .44 Cal tool, I woudl liek to use it again. I orginally bought it for my .444 Marlin. What I'd like to do is to develop a load using Unique powder, to be used in my .44 Magnum revolvers & my USRA 94AE carbine. My old Lyman reloading manauls don't show any loads for this heavy of a bullet. Does anyone else have/use it that could give me a load using Unique powder? I would guess that 10.5~11.0 grains woudl be a maximum charge. Thanks...

[Guesser]

Lyman #47 says to start Unique at 9.5 and top out at 11.5.

I cast that bullet with WW and sized, checked and lubed it weighs 290 grains and works very well in my 24" barreled 444 over SR 4759 or RE7, or 5744.

[Wally]

Guesser--T

Thank you--I don't have that version----

Wow you too use it in the .444 Marlin...I did so years ago with a charge of 2400 powder, it worked superbly. Now I use Unique to reduce the cost. Does that # 47 Lyman manual give one the loading in the .444 Marlin using that bullet with Unique powder?

Thanks again...

[Guesser]

No, they don't list that bullet for 444. The mold was only available for a few years, late 80's early 90's, didn't catch on, I guess. It works well for me in revolvers, TC's, carbines and the 444.

[Wally]

Thanks for checking.... I use a 250 grain SWC in my .444 with a 17.0 grains of Unique to obtain 1680 FPS MV.... As I shoot at steel plates that si plenty of velocity for such shooting. The load is remarkable accurate even at long ranges. I was routinely hitting a 3.5" plate at 250 yards last month with it last month...and that was with a 4X scope. I did shoot from a rest. I'll probably try a powder charge of 15.0 grains of Unique with the 275 RNF-GC bullet. I may be able to go up to 16.0...

When I first obtained the mold I was using Blue Dot powder and as I recall was getting 2,100 FPS with that load..it was very accuarte as well. As I was shooting at steel plates I soon learned that I didn't need such a heavy load, that beat me up from recoil and was tough on brass and the rifle. Also decided that the gas checks were too costly, as a plain base bullet worked almost as well. Now that I have a Freechex tool I want to use that bullet once again..it'd be a shame to let that mold sit idle another for another 15 years.

[Wally]

Guesser,


I looked up the loads using the Lyman 275 grain bullet in the .444 Marlin..

28.5 grains of Blue Dot gave me just under 2,100 FPS MV.

33.0 grains 2400 gave me just under 2,200 FPS MV

Both were very accurate; the recoil was quite heavy. Muzzle enerrgy was close to 3,000 foot pounds. I gave up using such stout loads due to the cost and the fact that soon thereafter I aquired a .45-70 1895 Marlin. I then started using PB cast bullet in .444 with Unique powder.

As I recall, the heavy loads were as accuaret as any using the Hornady 265 grain JSP bullet with IMR 3031. That too was quite accurate.

[Guesser]

I found the same thing, PB, even checked were not good in the micro-groove. Lots of fun and plenty accurate if I kept them below 1800 FPS. For Horse Power I use the Hornady 265 over a slower powder. Good gun and cartridge, very versatile.

[Wally]

Guesser

I found it best to keep the velocioty below 1,800 FPS when using PB cast bullets in the .444 Marlin. For shooting at steel plates, that is plenty good enough. I have not loaded it down much less than that, as I have a .44 Carbine, that I can use for much lighter loads. The carbine works nicely even with .44 Specials at velocities less than 1,000 FPS.

[fredj338]

I believe that is the same mold Lyman uses as their Dev. I had the pin changed & it throws a 270grHPGC. Run o/ 9gr of Unique, it will go about 950fps from a 4", 1050fps from a 7 1/2". For more gas than that, I go to 2400 or H110.

[Wally]

fredj338

Did you ever try a larger charge of Unique as I think that the max load is 11.5 grains...?

[fredj338]

fredj338

Did you ever try a larger charge of Unique as I think that the max load is 11.5 grains...?
No, the cases fall out of the cyl w/ ease, so there is room to run a bit, 10.5 should work fine, but near the top. When I want more though, I go slower powder. At 1000fps from a 4", it's about all the recoil I want. In my heavy RBHH w/ scope, running it to 1300fps w/ 2400 o rH100 is quite comfortable.

[Wally]

Extrapolating--using 10.5 grains of Unique one should get 1,150 FPS MV with a 7.5" barrel. That is plenty for such a heavy .44 caliber bullet IMHO.

I no longer use the slower powders, just to get another 100 fps more velocity at about twice the cost for the powder. I have found that they often have much higher std deviations compared to Unique. However I am very careful to check my charged cases that I don't go over the maximum.

[fredj338]

Extrapolating--using 10.5 grains of Unique one should get 1,150 FPS MV with a 7.5" barrel. That is plenty for such a heavy .44 caliber bullet IMHO.

I no longer use the slower powders, just to get another 100 fps more velocity at about twice the cost for the powder. I have found that they often have much higher std deviations compared to Unique. However I am very careful to check my charged cases that I don't go over the maximum.

Wally, I went back & checked my notes. I adjusted my earlier post showing 9gr NOT 9.5gr for 950fps, sorry. Be careful extrapolating charge wts vs vel. With faster powders, pressures can climb from fine to over pressure quickly. I found this to be true w/ Universal in the 44mag.

[Wally]

Thank you, Lyman's # 47 manual gives one a loading from 9.5~11.5 grains of Unique, but you are right: one must be careful as you increase the charge.