Comments on 429667 Cowboy as a Hollow Point

[Surfdog]

Folks,

What are your thoughts on converting a Lyman 429667 mold to a hollow-point, removing the bevel and opening it up to .430 for use as a general purpose bullet in pistols and a Henry Big Boy Steel?

If loaded light and cast with 50/50, do you think it would make a good plinking boolit for both uses?

And if cast with wheel weights, do you think it could perform similar to the Devastator, if not pushed too hard?

I'd like to have a good bullet for both rifle and pistol, but my Big Boy is finicky and does not like the Keith style SWC.

Surfdog

[Surfdog]

Maybe I should have titled this "Questions about 429667"...I'm surprised that there have been 60 views yet no comments yet. I did a search and found some basic information regading this mold, but only cursory mention about HPing this mold.

If the idea is stupid, and there is a better answer, please tell me



Surfdog

[Shuz]

Surfdog--Take a look at the MP-433-640L. It is basically what you describe doing to a Lyman 429667. I have one and I use it in my revolters as well as my Rossi 92 and Winnie Trapper 94. With 7g of Trail Boss, the MP-433-640L gives 774fps from a Smith 329PD and 1017 from the Winnie Trapper (16"). 5 shots in 1.136" @50 yards with the Trapper which has a 4X Leupold on it.
You could contact Beagle on this board, as I recall, he has the Lyman 429667 modified and HP'd just like you asked.
Hope this helps in your quest.--Shuz

[runfiverun]

I use this boolit to do kind of what you want to do.
except I bump it in the swage die.
it doesn't make any difference, so I gave up on the extra work.

I have no problem pushing them through paper or animals as they are.
I do wish the meplat was a click larger, but it works just fine as is.
adding a hollow point [with a pin in the mold] for hunting, drops the weight about 10-15grs.
and could open in the animal.
I just put the boolit in the shoulder.

[Surfdog]

Shuz,

Thanks for your response! I figured this road has been traveled before!

Did you choose .433 for your rifles...I have yet to slug my Big Boy Steel, but I suspect it will be closer to .430 or .431 based on what others have told me.

I have a 329PD as well, and am happy to know that the MP shoots well in it. I don't know how much an MP costs compared to the Lyman, but by the time Erik does his magic on the Lyman mold I may be better off buying the MP...

Surfdog

[Surfdog]

I use this boolit to do kind of what you want to do.
except I bump it in the swage die.
it doesn't make any difference, so I gave up on the extra work.

I have no problem pushing them through paper or animals as they are.
I do wish the meplat was a click larger, but it works just fine as is.
adding a hollow point [with a pin in the mold] for hunting, drops the weight about 10-15grs.
and could open in the animal.
I just put the boolit in the shoulder.

Runfiverun,

Thanks for verifying the hunting use...I figured that it should work fine, but it is always good to hear from someone who has proved it. How much did you change the boolit in the swage die?

[Surfdog]

Shuz,

How much did that MP-433-640L cost? The more I think about it, the more I may want to get my first MP mold

Do you have any pictures of the boolits?

Surfdog

[runfiverun]

it slopes the nose some, and i have a choice of 2 sized hollow points or a flat point.
i generally make flat points or shallow hollow points using 40 S&W cases, but it's nice to have options.
I.M.O.
the slight nose reform to a flatter point is worth the effort for hunting, a hollow point not so much.

[Shuz]

Surfdog--I use .431 for my Winnie and Rossi and .432 for my Marlin 444XLR. As I recall, the MP-433-640L was about $140.00 and that was for a brass 4C and all the pins. But that was some time ago.
I don't have pictures, but the MP-433-640L looks just like the Lyman 429667. At least to me!!

[Surfdog]

Shuz,

Thanks so much for your responses...Beagle PM'd me back yesterday and I'm glad that he did...I think he probably saved me at least $150 and alot of time and frustrations.

I finally found a comparison between the Lyman 429640 and the Mihec...and now I am VERY excited to see if I can order one. It is shorter that the Lyman mold by just enough that it looks to resolve feeding issues...just a slighty shorter, squatter version of the devastator, which I realize is exactly what I wanted.

I slugged my Big Boy last night, and it is just a hair over .431 so I think I'm going to try and order up a .432 which I know will shoot well through my SBH's, and I hope will shoot well through the 329PD.

Have you had any reservations in getting a non-gas check version of the mold? Are you casting them with 50/50?

BTW, between you, beagle and runfiverun, I spent my money and became a sponsor late last night. No more lurking for me!

Surfdog

[Shuz]

Surfdog--I actually prefer the plain based version of all designs for .44 mag use. I do use ww/pure pb in 50/50 for hunting and ww+1% tin for plinking. I'd use 50/50 all the time if I had more of a stock of pure lead!

[rintinglen]

I have both 429-667 and the MP 432-640. The 667 does not get much use from me due to the bevel base. I don't like the build up you get when you size in a Lyman/RCBS sizer. The MP HP version seems to be slightly more accurate to me, though I must say that is an impression and not a tested fact. 8.5 grains of Unique has been a mild, but accurate load for me in my 44 Mag loadings. I have had very good accuracy with 7.5 grains of Unique in 44 special cases. I have not used either in my Marlin Cowboy. It has turned into something of a safe queen, I really should take it out. Sigh, so many guns, so little time.

[Surfdog]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Shuz, do you size the 433 boolits to .432 or do you shoot them as cast?


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[Shuz]

Surfdog--I size and lube the MP-433-640L in my Lyman old 45 to. 431.It is a plain based design.
My MP-433-640(regular) casts a gas checked design boolit that weighs about 255g and I size it to .431 also in my old Lyman 45 without lubing them and then tumble lube the boolits with a mixture of Lee Liquid Alox and mineral spirits 50/50. I do this because I don't like the lube hanging on the gas check shank when the boolit comes outta the sizer. So far, results have been good, getting less than 1", 5 shot groups at 25 yards with 7g of Trail Boss. The revolver used is a Smith 629-3DX 5" bbl with a 4x Leupold. I'm still experimenting with how much of the liquid Alox mixture to use, and I'm beginning to lean toward less is better than more! I don't like how the liquid Alox tumbled boolits appear with that brown goopy stuff smeared unevenly over each boolit;but, they sure seem to shoot fine, at least with Trail Boss. I just wish this mould was a plain based design, but I got it here from one of the members and did not order it plain base from MP-Molds like I did on the MP-433-640L.

[Surfdog]

Shuz,

Thanks again....Miha responded to my request, and I'll be placing an order with him as soon as he sends me a Paypal request. I'll let you know how it goes!

Surfdog

[Surfdog]

Shuz,

You probably already know this, but Erik from HollowpointBulletMold has removed GC from a few molds for me in the past, and does good work for a reasonable cost...

Surfdog

[Shuz]

Surfdog--Yep, I'm aware of Erik, and I have one of his fine hollow point conversions of a Lee 35-100RN. I also have a Marlin 444XLR that I use to drive boolits to 2200fps, so a gas checked design is needed for that.
Be sure to let us now how your new MP-Mold works for you, and be sure to try 7g of Trail Boss for some fun plinking!

[Surfdog]

Ahhh...I understand why you keep the gascheck now. Funny, but I recently had been considering a .444 Marlin, but I decided against it just because of the potential for more recoil that I'd like to subject my body too. I had a Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 for awhile...it was a hoot to shoot and the cowboy loads were not at all painful...but wow...stuff a fat bullet in that and stoke it up and wow...That is why I opted to sell it off and pick up a .44 Magnum rifle, because it would do all that I wanted on North American game, and would not allow me to get too crazy on the top end.

I had some rather significant neck surgury done last year, and while I'm sure that I'm on the mend, I'm going to try to keep the punishment to a minimum so that I can shoot for years to come.

I hope I'm getting wiser...finally.

Surfdog

[bluejay75]

Does the solid PB version of this cast less than 250?