44 mold recommendation for semiauto rifle

[Moleman-]

I'm getting near the end of a 44x1.8" (44BGM) AR10 build that I will hopefully be using this November 15 in the Limited firearm zone here in Michigan. I hunted with a bolt action 1891 Mauser (kept the chamber pressure around 35kpsi for it) chambered in it last year and thought I'd try a semiauto this year and up the allowable pressure. The barrel was made from a GMB 1:20" blank and is about 17" long to make it more treestand friendly. Basically it's a 44 version of the 450 raptor. I was wanting to get a mold between 300-350 grains with a gas check and a more rounded profile. Velocity wise I hope to run around 1800fps to 2000fps. So far I've looked online at molds and the best I've come up with is a NEI 350gr-gc mold that looks like it would feed well, but I wonder how it would perform on deer.

What are some good molds to look at?

[scottfire1957]

Same as I would use for my pistol. Seriously. If I were lucky enough to own both.

[Tatume]

Any 44 bullet will perform excellently on deer. Your problem is going to be too much performance. I suggest that you cast your bullets very hard, perhaps by water dropping wheel weight bullets. Otherwise, like me, you'll be accused of hunting with hand grenades.

[Moleman-]

I started pistol deer hunting with a 44 S&W in 91 and a 50 Hawkins (with 240gr LSWC 44 bullets in a sabot at about 1850fps) in 1993. I started off with lead hornadys in the Hawkins but eventually started using cast in it. I didn't have to worry about leading in the Hawkins using a sabot so the cast bullets were on the softer side as I mainly cast for pistols. The soft 44 bullets in the Hawkins did much more damage than a SJHP from one of my 44 pistols. So being accused of hunting with grenades is fine with me. Eventually got a 444 marlin but moved to the Limited zone where it can't be used on deer before starting to cast for it. Still like the 444 and will keep it for when we go hunt non-restricted areas. The 44x1.8 round matches the 444 marlin velocity, but takes a lot more pressure to get there. What I don't want to happen is the bullets being so hard they don't transfer much energy. Back in the late 80's BRI had a wasp waist 12ga sabot that shot great. They didn't perform well on the one deer I shot with them before switching back to Winchester slugs. Looking at the deer it was like someone took a cookie cutter and made .5" holes in the deer with not much shock. They later made those slugs softer but I never tired them.

[mdi]

While not 300+ grains, have you looked into Ranch Dog's design bullets? He has a 265 gr. RNFP, GC, that feeds with 100% reliability in my levergun. He designed his bullets mostly for hunting purposes but the ones I cast are very accurate in my 5, .44 Magnums...

[Moleman-]

I had looked at Ranch Dog and NOE. What I was concerned about with the flat tipped bullets was a similar issue that came up with a 208gr NOE flat tip at around 1850fps in my 357AR (357max-rimless+p) in an ar15 where the corners of the flat tips were getting rounded off going through the mag/feed ramp/chamber. They still shot ok, but you could hear that they chambered slower than other rounds from the extra drag. They were cast hard which I think helped them feed. When I first made that rifle I had a partial box of 30 year old hornady SJHP bullets that had soft exposed lead that would hang up on the feed ramp/chamber mouth. The same profile in an xtp would slide in no problem. I think it would be the same issue going too soft of an alloy or too wide of a tip. I've got this 44x1.8 rifle done to the point where it will feed, perhaps I can make up a few dummy rounds with 240gr SWC and see how they feed. Here's what the 357AR/208gr NOE bullets looked like. I have been looking at several different designs for it as well.

[beechbum444]

Wow. great post.

[Moleman-]

Can't seem to find my fired brass from last year to make up some more dummy rounds, but I did find a couple dummy rounds that were made up to test functioning in the 1891 mauser. A 240gr xtp feeds just fine, a 200gr SJHP (very old hornady) with a similar profile and COL jammed every time. The only difference is the soft tip deforms and snags on the feed ramp. Should have a cast 240gr SWC dummy round around here somewhere left over from the Mauser to test if I didn't pitch it. Went ahead and ordered the Lee 310gr FP mold figuring if it doesn't work in this rifle it should work just fine in my 444 Marlin. Can never have too many molds or tools right?