Question Please

[LAH]

What do you consider the best standard weight [240-260 grain] RNFP bullet for the various 44s?

Thanks & God Bless
Creeker

[fryboy]

various has already left out my 44-40 ..( suddenly it feels so neglected lolz ) cant say it's round but cant deny the flat ...it is sorta round tho ..perhaps because i've had it so long that i've learned to work the mold and the load decent ? it's listed as a swc but the 240 swc by rcbs
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=582790
to be fair for my 44-40 i bought the lee 200 rf and it works decent cast from a soft alloy ( it's also one i dream of hollow pointing lolz but a bit lighter than u specified [bummer]
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=520228

[44man]

What do you consider the best standard weight [240-260 grain] RNFP bullet for the various 44s?

Thanks & God Bless
Creeker
Too many .44's and different guns to answer.

[Guesser]

I'm not fond of the cowboy influenced RNFP bullets that so many use today. I'm firmly convinced that Keith was on to something with his designs. I've used the Lyman 429421 in single shot rifles and handguns, revolvers in magnum and special and on paper targets, rodents and varmints, and antlered game. It just plain works; even in lever action and bolt action carbines like Marlin and Remington 788.

[RobS]

The Ranch Dog series seems to be accurate and work well for many, I'm just not up on the TL lube grooves. With that a Ranch Dog copy with traditional lube grooves would fit the bill I believe. NOE has just closed out a 265 grain GB on one like this in paricular. I'll have more info on it soon as it is mailed out to my dad. He shoots a few 44 mag revolvers and a lever action. I thought this would be a great bullet with all the good reviews from the RD series molds.

here is the GB link:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=77300

[fredj338]

44mag? Somethin in the 260-270gr wt class seems to be the best balance of wt vs vel. I like the Lee 310grFP, but would probably like it more w/o the GC @ maybe 275gr.

[Bass Ackward]

What do you consider the best standard weight [240-260 grain] RNFP bullet for the various 44s?

Thanks & God Bless
Creeker


Your answer is pretty simple. I hope you are laughing cause that was a joke.

The real answer is unsupported nose weight. How much do you have to have? How wide of a meplat, how long of a nose? Cause these things move the C of B forward making a bullet have to be driven faster. And because you HAD a large percentage of your weight forward, you don't have the bearing area to hold your rifling and reach a good launch at that velocity level.

Large unsupported nose weight designs do poorly in misaligned situations. So how good is your alignment?

So the real answer to your question is more questions. How fast do you want to go? Once you get to 300 grains in 44 caliber, you have to do something really stupid to ruin a design. At 300 grains everyone looks like an expert. They will shoot well right up until you exceed the minimum velocity / twist rate equation and begin destabilizing on the slow end. Ever wonder why they say to shoot the heaviest weights per bore diameter?

The Lee 429-200-RF gets by because it has a shorter nose and a smaller meplat.

Bob did a descent 250 that is fairly flexible in the mid ranges if Lee hadn't f'd up the molds. I have .... trouble with it real slow. So again we are back to stabilization and velocity to answer the question properly.

[9.3X62AL]

Bass--

This answer deserves being "stickied", and applied to cast boolits in general--not just the 44 caliber. Well said, sir.

I am more a fan of Keith- and Thompson-derived semi-wadcutters for general usage in revolvers, but a round flat-nose works well also. The RFNs are much easier to work with in leverguns, and if your plans include ammo-swapping between a roller and a levercritter, the RFN could make life a lot less complicated.

I've settled on the SAECO #446 (THANK YOU, Jon K!) for my '73 Winchester in 44-40. Its load of 13.5 grains of 2400 is a real "sweet spot" accuracy-wise. A gas check at pressure levels this low is superfluous. No leading whatsoever, and I suspect that the shorter 200 grain boolits were optimized for the 1-38" twist rates of the 44-40 WCF leverguns. This is just a guess--but it may be that running the boolits at 1100 FPS avoids that whole trans-sonic destabilization effect that is possible as a missile slows through the sonic threshold (1119 FPS). I'm no ballistician, though.

Both Lymans #429421 and #429244 have performed admirably in a number of 44 Special and 44 Magnum revolvers for me. The Magnum's faster revolver twist rates (1-16" to 1-20") seem to compensate for any trans-sonic misbehavior enroute to the targets. Again, I'm not a ballistics expert--I'm just mentioning what I've seen.

The Marlin 94s in 44 Magnum I've had could benefit from a faster twist rate--or a shorter boolit, perhaps. I would greatly prefer to go 240 grains or heavier in this caliber, and a 1-20" twist would make this a much more useful tool, likely enabling more accurate use of the 300 grain-class boolits in the little rifles. What twist rate are the Ballard-rifled 94s in 44 Magnum being given?

[LAH]

I thought the question simple. With all the casters here I figured someone or several had a favorite RNFP or close profile bullet they loved or at least worked great.

I've shot, cast & sold Keith 44s since 1973. I would like to try a FP////RNFP

So allow me to edit & narrow the cartridges to 44 special & mainly 44 Mag sixguns.

I like the looks of something along the lines of a Saeco 429 or 430. Anyone tried these?

[Bass Ackward]

I recommend the 200 for the Specials cause 240s shoot way high at SAAMI pressures for me.

In the Mags, you could find a point that the #429 or #430 would work.

I am kinda partial to the #428 at 245 gr which is on the right.

[buck1]

In the 44 colt, 44spl,44mag,and 444Marlin I like the 240gr. The Saeco is my baby. The marlin is gas checked.

[Jack Stanley]

I'm pretty fond of the mold that Veral Smith made for me . It weighs in at just over two hundred fifty and feeds through my 336 real well , don't have a 1894 in that caliber but I bet it's work there too .

It also runs real well when launched from a model twenty-nine .

Jack

[mdi]

No editorializing, jus an answer[smilie=1:. I'm fond of Ranchdog's 265 gr FRN gas check boolit. Tumble lubed or pan lubed (some guys use their lubersizer too). I shoot it in all my .44s.

[mroliver77]

You could do much worse than the Lee 200 RF. Even in a rifle it shoots well. I read many say it like most Lee is short on lube capacity but with FWFL I dont see it even in a 20" rifle. I like the LBT WFN designs in 240-300gr never had a lighter one. I personally shoot boolits on the lighter (for caliber)side except I really like the Kieth in .357 im my BH. I try tobe open minded about such things.
Jay

[LAH]

I recommend the 200 for the Specials cause 240s shoot way high at SAAMI pressures for me.

In the Mags, you could find a point that the #429 or #430 would work.

I am kinda partial to the #428 at 245 gr which is on the right.

Point well taken for the Special. My MMC custom M28 hits high at 25 yards with the 250 Keith at 850 fps. If I use 15 grains of 2400 it groups great but high. If I up the charge to 17 grains it will hit directly on top the front sight. It needs a lighter bullet for sure. So tell me Bass, which is the center bullet?

In the opinion of the board, what’s the chance of getting a 429 mould from Saeco that casts properly & large enough [.432]???? All my Saeco moulds are great but they are from the early 2002.

Thanks guys, love this board…………….Creeker

[cbrick]

In the opinion of the board, what’s the chance of getting a 429 mould from Saeco that casts properly & large enough [.432]???? All my Saeco moulds are great but they are from the early 2002. Thanks guys, love this board …….Creeker

Going by my last two SAECO mold purchases I would say the answer to your question is . . .

SLIM

Rick

[Bass Ackward]

So tell me Bass, which is the center bullet?

In the opinion of the board, what’s the chance of getting a 429 mould from Saeco that casts properly & large enough [.432]???? All my Saeco moulds are great but they are from the early 2002.

Thanks guys, love this board…………….Creeker


That's the Lee 200-RF.

Mine will cast out at .4315 with WW +2%.
@.431 with straight WW
Has multiple accuracy points, with virtually any powder you have on hand. But that could simply be this revolver. I finally got one. :grin:


When I said that was a SAECO #28 I forgot, it is by design, but not by the mold. I had that made in a Mountain Mold to get .433 out of it. The SAECO I had would hardly give me a sizable .429 out of WW. That was the only SAECO mold I had my hands on. So I don't know what to tell you bout the #429 or #430.

Maybe somebody has current experience with these.

[TCLouis]

45-2.1's 250 grain RNFP seems to be pretty good.

Heck most are in that range, my RD weighs 278 fully outfitted and shoots pretty well. The Lee 30 is the most accurate I have shot out of the SRH though.
t

[Cherokee]

Lynn - I use the Lee 44-200 in some 44 Spl and 44 mag loads. For me, they cast out at +/- 210 gr from WW+2% Tin and are .431-.432 from the mould. If your are not in a hurry, I'ed be glad to cast some up for you and let you size them to what you want. PM me if you want to.

[LAH]

Lynn - I use the Lee 44-200 in some 44 Spl and 44 mag loads. For me, they cast out at +/- 210 gr from WW+2% Tin and are .431-.432 from the mould. If your are not in a hurry, I'ed be glad to cast some up for you and let you size them to what you want. PM me if you want to.

You have a deal neighbor to the north..............PM inbound.....................Lynn




Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood