A couple 44mag Questions

[thehouseproduct]

I am getting a new 629 soon an had a few questions.

Does anyone have a favorite Lee mold that works adaquatly for both 44 Special and 44 Magnum? I prefer the Lee six cavity molds. They meet all my needs.

Does 44 Mag need a gas check?

Also, can you get away with regular large pistol primers instead of magnum?

Thanks

[454PB]

That's some loaded questions!

I have about 5 different Lee .44 caliber moulds, and all work well in my various .44 magnums and my Taurus .44 special.

Does the 44 mag need a gas check? No.....but if you decide to really push a light boolit, you'll have less chance of leading and better accuracy using gas checks.

I use magnum primers with the slow burning ball powders, standard primers with all others. The argument rages on whether or not the magnum primer is required. The powder manufacturers say "yes" by listing magnum primer use with powders like H-110, WW 296, and AAC #9.

If you decide to use standard primers, be cautious and attentive.....you could have a squib load in very cold weather......it's happened to me.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

most 240 gr boollits will work for you in both.

Depends on how fast you push the boolit in 44 mag and what alloy you are using

Depends on the powder , I use regular primers with 2400 , some like mag primers, try both and see where you get the best accuracy.

[fredj338]

As 545 stated, mag primers are only NEEDED w/ slower powders. Any 240grLSWC will work for iether 44sp or 44mag loads. I like the 310grFP from Lee, but it is a GC design & the GC is really not needed at the vel. you get w/ a 310grLFP.

[mike in co]

you need to slug the bore and cylinder PRIOR to buying any mold.........

just a word of warning.....


mike in co

[higgins]

I helped a friend develop some loads for his 629 several years ago. We got good results with both the Lee #90338-C429-240-SWC, a conventional SWC made for gas checks, and the Lee #90299-TL430-240-SWC, a tumble lube design. Since he wanted to keep it simple and not get into buying sizing equipment we shot both bullets cast of wheelweights unsized, lubed with Lee liquid alox; we did not use a gas check on the #90338. Both gave good accuracy, but the 90338 without the check was actually a bit more accurate in his gun. Both bullets were more than accurate enough for the plinking loads he wanted. It turned out accuracy was best at about 850-900 with Unique or 231, with negligible leading. I can't say how either bullet fit the chamber mouths or how the chamber diameter related to the bore diameter because back then I wasn't aware that the bullet fitting the chamber mouth was so important.

[thehouseproduct]

I have Winchester Super Target I use for 38 special and 9mm. I have H110 that I use for 30 Carbine and 357 mag. Would H110 be considered a slow pistol powder?

[lwknight]

H110 is definitely a slow pistol powder. It don't even like light boolits.
It is not a slow powder if you are talking bottle neck rifle cartridges

[XWrench3]

you need to slug the bore and cylinder PRIOR to buying any mold.........

just a word of warning.....

A M E N to that ! it is a must do! also, polishing up the forcing cone in the barrel will help. i actually had to run some boolits through the barrel starting from the forcing cone end with abrasive paste on them because there was a TIGHT spot in the barrel where the frame was around the barrel. it was leading like crazy there even after polishing the cone. did not find it until i drove a soft lead pill through the barrel. once i got the barrel right, it has been lots of fun, and much less cleanup. as for the molds, i shoot lee's 6 cavity 240g lswcgc bullets, with and without gas checks, depending on how hot i load them. if plinking, i just load them w/o checks. p.s. when working with your gun, even just routine cleaning, DO NOT do it barefoot or in just socks. i droped mine (landed right on the end of the barrel) right onto the end of my big toe and busted it wide open! took 3 weeks to heal up. bled like crazy also. hurt WAY worse! ( i had to throw this in, every story needs a bit of honest humor) if all this sounds confusing, just have your gunsmith do it, tell him your intentions, and he will set you straight. shooting something that needs to constantly scrubbed to get the lead out is a royal pia. a gun that shoots right, is a real pleasure!

[Lloyd Smale]

buck up and buy the rcbs 240 swcgc mold or if you dont want gas checks the lyman 429421

[fredj338]

buck up and buy the rcbs 240 swcgc mold or if you dont want gas checks the lyman 429421
The RCBS 250grKeith is a great mold too.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
LOTS OF GOOD ADVICE SO FAR.
My .02 is I enjoyed shooting the 180grs. starting out, after I got used to the 44 .
I moved to the ever populer 240 gr bullets. dfollowed quickly by the 250 gr kieth.
slug your bore & cylinder throughts if you can. slow powders will serve better with PB bullets. Stay away from bevel base bullets if you can.
I shoot & enjoy the most the 250gr. gc.kieth its just fun!
Have shot the 310 lee, not a real fan, but many sing its praises.
Am going to try the 265gr. ranch dog bullet in the near futur. It may become the favorite if it is more accurate than the 250.
You will not need a gc in the 44 special . Or if you keep vel. at about 1,000-1,200'/s.

[Edubya]

DO NOT do it barefoot or in just socks. i droped mine (landed right on the end of the barrel) right onto the end of my big toe and busted it wide open! took 3 weeks to heal up. bled like crazy also. hurt WAY worse! ( i had to throw this in, every story needs a bit of honest humor) if all this sounds confusing, just have your gunsmith do it, tell him your intentions, and he will set you straight. shooting something that needs to constantly scrubbed to get the lead out is a royal pia. a gun that shoots right, is a real pleasure!

Sure glad it didn't hit the floor directly, it could have messed up the muzzle.:kidding:
EW

[ghh3rd]

I can deal with a busted toe... but not a dented crown :-)

[GP100man]

Most of my 44 shootin is done with a 429421 boolit but i do own a 429215 deGCed & a lee 310 rnfp GC.

I use Lloyd Smales favorite load of 8 grs. of HERCO under the 429421 & it`s a good all around load to shoot what needs shootin!!

[archmaker]

I have shot a lot of 44 over the years, and the one I used the most for Silhouette in a 10 1/2" SSB, was lee's 255 SWC GC with 16grs of AA#9.

My current list of bullets for the 44 go from an 180gr GC to a 355gr GC model before lube or GC. The heavy ones seem to shoot more accurate, but the 255 at almost 1100fps was the fun one to shoot, low recoil, and enough energy to knock over targets all the way out to 200m.

[Char-Gar]

I have been handloading for the 44 Mag since 1964 and it is one of my favorite rounds. It is easy to obtain fine accuracy all up and down the power level with good bullets. I have never loaded condom bullet in round. I got started with the 44 mag, before such things existed and never saw a reason to mess with them. Cast bullets did everything I could want. Now to your questions...

Gas checks are not needed in the 44 magnum, even up to the top end loads. A good plain base cast bullet, of the proper size for the firearm and of the proper temper for the pressure will do just fine.

I have had many plain based 44 molds, but the one I use most is an NEI clone of the original Keith bullets. We have done several group buys on this board for similiar bullets.

I have had good luck with plain base bullets all the way from 200 grains up to 260 or so grains.

As stated above, a gas check bullet is not needed, but they can and often do make life allot easier.

A. A gas check will enable the use of a wider variety of alloys with good accuracy.
B. A gas check will allow and alloy soft enough to be hollow pointed that will expand well.
C. A gas check bullet will give a slight accuracy edge, but that edge won't mean anything until the ranges stretch way beyond 100 yards.

The downside of a gas check is the added cost and time to fix to the base.

I have never used a magnum primer as I don't use the hard to light ball powders like H110, etc. For top end loads I still use good ol 2400 and that powder does not need a magnum primer under any weather circumstance.

I can't comment on which Lee design would be best as I have never used a Lee 44 mold, but I am certain there will be one or more Lee design that will get the job done.

After 45 years with the 44 mag. Here are the loads I use..nothing new or dramatic, just the tried and true.

1. 240-250 pb or gc, 21/2400 - This is is a full snort load. It will shoot an older SMith 29 loose after a thousand rounds or so. The velocity will run 1.4K or so depending on the firearm and barrel length. All the stomp you need in a handgun.

2. 240-250 pb - 10/Unique - This is a low end magnum load that will produce 1.1K fps in a 4" or longer barrel. These loads will kill any deer graveyard dead, be easy on the hands and easy on the firearms.

3. 240-250 pb - 8/Unique - A mid range load, good for general use around the farm, ranch, desert or woods.

4. 240-250 pb - 4/Bullseye - Elmer Keiths old target load that is good for target use, plinking and small game

Good luck the Smith 629 is a fine sixgun and the 44 mag is a fine round. It won't take many full snort round, for you to decide you want to shoot lesser loads most of the time. There is nothing in Texas that needs the full stomp loads.

[BLTsandwedge]

23g of H110 under Lyman's 429421 will be all the boom you'll need. Mike in Co says to measure throat and bore diameters before deciding on a bullet diameter- wise move. The first issue I ever brought to the old forum 7 or 8 years ago was a brand new 629 with extraordinarily tight cylinder throats- so tight they required reaming. Check it out and then lay out your hard-won green for a mould or twelve.

Tom

[Jumping Frog]

you need to slug the bore and cylinder PRIOR to buying any mold.........
I'll also point out it is impossible to measure a slugged bore on a 629 without specialized equipment. 5 grooves . . . .