Bought my first 44mag

Finally decided to get a 44 mag and will get my s&w mod 29 in a couple weeks. I was looking for a Lee mold but when I went to my friends house to pay rest of money he hooked me up. I got a Lyman ideal 431244 dc mold a bunch of brass including some once fired once fired primed and a mess of r p never fired brass. Some kind of Molly coated bullets not many and I bought 2 boxes of Speer 240 jhp. Cast up a bunch of boolit today and powder coated some and going to lube and size rest tomorrow. Want to load up full bore jhp but will be shooting mostly some mid range loads. I have some 4227 unique bullseye 700x 800x but none of the 2400 or 110 which I guess is the standard for full bore loads. Bought dies already so start loading tomorrow and be ready when I pick it up.Attachment 215050Attachment 215051Attachment 215052

Congrats! I love my 44mag. I load soft to full house loads. All are fun. The soft loads are similar to my 45 colts. The “full house” loads will wake you up! I use H110.

i love all my many revolver pistols. “If you can’t get ‘er done in 6 rounds, better just throw the the gun at the target”! To heck with all those semi pistols with 10-17 round mags.

Banger

I've had 44mgs for over 50yrs. When I started I was loading full house mags with 240JHPs and
2400 powder. Used in Ruger SBH for deer hunting. I have several S&W 29s that I never fire hot
mag loads or jackets in them. If you don't have a purpose for mag loads/ & jacketed you are just
beating the gun or yourself. I am going to try H-110 / 240XTPs for my Marlin 1894.

The S&W 29/629 is one of the best. Two or 3 grs under maximum load and you will have a great gun that will last to give to your grandchildren.
If you need more power than a 44 magnum get a 480, 454, or a 500. Enjoy yours, I like all 5 of mine.

I shot a LOT of Keith boolits through a 29 over 7.0 of 700x. Around 1000 fps and very accurate. Also 700x is a very clean powder.

I started with one a Desert Eagle and I love max loads in it as the accuracy has to be seen to be believed. Now I have added 3 more to the list a Super Red Hawk, a 629-6 and a 629-3. The Super Red Hawk has a 9 1/4" barrel and with full house loads it simply lifts slightly so recoil isn't a problem. The 629's I shoot slightly lighter loads so as to make them last a lifetime.

Welcome to the addiction....lol.

Which model did you get? The 44 is a fine shooting caliber and if you can’t get it done with the 44, well, you need a rifle

guess I am a 44mag junky I have a Marlin 44mag a Henry 44mag a Ruger Blackhawk in 44mag a 240gr jhp loaded with h110 is a real hog killer yep I do love my 44's and one other thing is when I go hunting I only carry a few extra bullets and they will fit both of my guns I like that D Crockett

Congrats! I have and use the 429-244 mould in my 29-2, which purportedly is the identical Thompson mould as yours, with Ideal/Lyman changing the catalogue numbers from "430--" to "429--" in the mid 1950s. I lub and size mine at 0.430"; and, they weigh in at ~252 grains using a Lyman 450 sized with a #421 top punch. I do employ Hornady gas checks -- and have experienced good accuracy, zero leading, and (vis recoil) the ability to shoot multiple strings at range. I use Alliant Unique powder -- 10.5 grains -- ahead of CCI primers in mine. A moderate recoil field load, imho.
Good luck and best wishes with yours!
geo

I’ve shot a lot of Keith SWC’s in mine over Unique. I used the RCBS 240 grain mold until I acquired a H&G mold.

I have been a ruger fan over the years but mostly because when your younger with a family you need to get the most gang for your buck on purchases. So I've shot and owe a few ruger six shooters and quite a few cap and ball revolvers. Just something about a revolver, kind of like a lever action or a sweet single shot rifle.
Have bought some nice stuff from my buddy and have already picked out my next a s&w mod 38 still in box with paperwork tools and don't think it's been fired. That's the highway patrolman I got from him. Haven't brought myself to shoot it yet but hey that's what it was made for. Also grabbed a old 1902 hand ejector, nothing special but great shooter even with a so so bore but good rifling still in there. The mod 29 is a 8 1/2 pinned and recessed but not sure on year. I didn't want to drool on it much until it's mine but probably a 29-2. Not wanting to shoot full bore loads but have to try a couple that's what kept me from buying a 44 in past is guys who only want hand breaking loads I've shot. Not bad but not pleasant either plus fell in love with the 45colt round.Attachment 215083Attachment 215084

Drm i shoot those in my Marlin without issue, mine are loaded with 2400.
Jwff

I got a Redhawk and try some Lee 310 in them and found it is too much to shoot often.So i try them in my Marlin and no problems So I stick with the 240 and about the same weight in my Redhawk and the heavy ones and other in my Marlin.Yes i will shoot light ones in the rifle, but not heavy ones in the Redhawk.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jedomejd

Drm i shoot those in my Marlin without issue, mine are loaded with 2400.
Jwff

---

That's what I presently shoot in both Ruger SBH & Mar 94. The 240g XTP/ 21.5 gr of 2400. Shoots
good. The XTP is only change I have made in 50yrs. Only because they dropped the older JHP.
I found no difference in accurracy from one to another. I'm going to try some H-110 for Marlin
a lot of guys claiming it's better in carbines, cleaner burning for one thing. I hunt with those two.
I have 4, 29-2s that I never shoot jackets or mag loads. As much as I like S&W revolvers they
won't take the beating of a Ruger as far as duration of firing of magnum loads.

start with the Unique, should go bang quite well and accurately for you

Attachment 215213Attachment 215214Attachment 215215
Here are three of my 44's, a S&W 69, a 29-2 and a Ruger SBH Hunter. The 429-421 is my most used boolit.