Met Ranch Dog....

[x101airborne]

Met Ranch Dog last nite at his ranch. What a nice guy!! Sure enough, he figured out my marlin 44 mag in about 30 seconds. We tried his 300 gr. flat point and viola, about 1.2 inches at 25 yards. Im gonna tweak that load for my rifle, but its better than the 5 inch groups i was getting with the lee 240gr swc. Went on a little hog hunt with no luck, but what a nice way to spend the evening. Cool breeze, dry air, birds chirping. i hope heaven is like the view from a deer stand. I cant wait to spend more time with him and purchase some of his molds. Thanks for all the help I got on this forum from my previous posts, and thank you, Michael for all you did. See you soon.

[Ranch Dog]

It was a pleasure Trey. I knew you where a good guy when my dog didn't bite you!

I figured those TLC432-300-RF bullets would cure what was wrong. The critters just haven't been moving with the temperature, moon, and acorns but I'm with you; I'd rather be other there enjoying the evening!

[Echo]

DANG, this is a great Forum!

[Ranch Dog]

Come to find out, x101 lives just east of me, has kin folk on my Farm to Market road, and had a young fellow of relation particpate in a Youth Hunt I sponsor for Texas Parks and Wildlife last year! Small world!

[x101airborne]

I just loaded up some of Ranch Dog's 300 gr flatpoint loads in my Redhawk 44. They shot better than anything i have ever tried beford. Even jacketed. @ 25 yards, i had three cutting each other, an inch away had two cut each other, and the last was my fault about an inch off. Recoil was, uhhhh, stout. They grouped even better in the pistol than the rifle. hard to believe one well designed bullet can do so much. now just to get that 260 grainer.

[Gee_Wizz01]

The RD 265 straightened out my Rossi Puma 44 Mag. I could not get any cast boolits to group better than 5" at 50yds until I got the RD 432-265 and 2400. My first 5 shot group at 50 yds was 1 1/2". That was about a year and half ago, now I have several more molds for 45-70 and 30-30 and they all work great.

G

[x101airborne]

and the boolit angels sing..... finally, something that works as it "should"

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

The RD 265 straightened out my Rossi Puma 44 Mag. I could not get any cast boolits to group better than 5" at 50yds until I got the RD 432-265 and 2400. My first 5 shot group at 50 yds was 1 1/2". That was about a year and half ago, now I have several more molds for 45-70 and 30-30 and they all work great.

G

What rate of twist is your barrel?

I'm only getting 3.5" groups with my Marlin w/20" barrel and 1 in 38" twist at 50 yards (But I don't have a RD mold)

[Ranch Dog]

But I don't have a RD mold

Dude, that's the problem [smilie=b:

All the inital work with the bullet was with the 1:38.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Dude, that's the problem [smilie=b:

All the inital work with the bullet was with the 1:38.

So I should be able to get 4" at 100 yards? Thats as far as I need, but what I have been shooting ain't cutting it . . .434640, or H&G 503 . . .

[Steelbanger]

x101airborne,

I must agree with you and your assessment of meeting Ranch Dog. My son and I were guests at his ranch a few years back and were treated royally. Great man with a great family.

Now, about that 300 gr. 44 bullet. A few days back I killed a deer with one of RD's 300 grainers using my 444P Marlin. The deer dropped dead at the shot. Perfect bullet performance, much damage to the spine in the lower neck, and no trailing needed. I am sure your 44 mag will give you many great groups using that bullet too.

Best regards,
Frank

[x101airborne]

"I am sure your 44 mag will give you many great groups using that bullet too."

i have to say, other than the recoil from the pistol, I get a warm fuzzy ffeeling about spring hog roundup. I had the pistol loaded at the range yesterday doing some testing. when i picked it up after putting on my ear protection, i noticed how heavy it was fully loaded. Six of those 300 grainers is a whole lot of hate and discontent at whatsoever be in the way. Just gotta make SURE i dont fall in the river........

[geargnasher]

Am I gonna have to move or what? :kidding:

Gear

[JesterGrin_1]

What rate of twist is your barrel?

I'm only getting 3.5" groups with my Marlin w/20" barrel and 1 in 38" twist at 50 yards (But I don't have a RD mold)

The big deal for the Marlin in the .44 Mag is you need to size them at .432 for them to shoot worth the hoot lol. But do not expect the rifle to be perfect lol. The best I have ever done is between 2 to 2 1/2 inches at 100 yards. And yes that is with a scope lol.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/SHAKERATTLEROLL/IMAG0051.jpg

[x101airborne]

i wanted to figure out why R D's mold worked so well and my regular lee did not. besides the R D being a superior designed boolit, my regular lee throws lino boolits at .430, and the R D throws .432. well, duh. there we go. since the .432 boolits chamber easily in both the rifle and pistol, we gonna shoot em as cast and enjoy em. now bout that lube thing.....

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Yesterday I put in my new 1/2" OD X .050" aperture, and shot this in the wind:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/ShawnTVT/Guns/Marlin%201894/434640Solid2348in.jpg

Ten shots, sized to .4325" (as cast .4335)

So I think I might get a scope mount and try one of my scopes on it . . . I'm still working on load development with that thing, but it was very frustrating, as when I bought the gun used, it only had a ghostring . . .

Can you get enough "regular" lube to stick to those micro bands?

I bought one lee mold, and it had those microbands, didn't care for tumble lubing, nor the Lee quality . . .

[Ranch Dog]

Can you get enough "regular" lube to stick to those micro bands?

I bought one lee mold, and it had those microbands, didn't care for tumble lubing, nor the Lee quality . . .

Yeap, about half my customers use traditional lube/sizers.

[ghh3rd]

The RD 265 slicked up with Felix lube sitting on 21.0 gr H110 packs a pretty good punch. I haven't chronographed that load from the rifle yet, but it runs 1386 fps from my 7.5" Super Blackhawk.

My results for the same boolit, same gun, same lube, same load -- 1364 fps average, and it's been average. Since I hear the 240 gr boolits at about the same speed work well, I would imagine that the 265gr would do fine too.