240 Grain Boolits for A Uberti SAA

[terryt]

Hi:

A friend of mine has 500 240 grain lead boolits that he got in a trade and has no use for them.

How well would the 240 grain boolit shoot in a Uberti SAA with a 7in barrel?

Would accuracy be ok and how would recoil be?

I have always shot 200 grain boolits in it in the past.

Thanks,

Terry

[Outpost75]

What caliber??????

[shoot-n-lead]

For .44 amd .45...they work well...I have shot piles of them.

[Wayne Smith]

Diameter matters way more than weight. As long as they fit and the powder charge is appropriate ...

[44man]

Perfect for a .44 but a little light for a .45. Still good.
Funny caliber was not mentioned.

[Char-Gar]

I have one of the early U.S.Ptd.F.A. single actions that are Uberti parts assembled, fitted and finished "under the Blue Dome" in the old Colt plant at Hartford. I have it fitted with a 45 ACP cylinder and shoot nothing but Lyman 452423 242 grain bullets in it. Accuracy is outstanding and the bullets shoot to the sights of my handgun.

I put up the loads in 45 Cowboy Special brass with 4.5/Bullseye for a powder charge. Recoil is a subjective thing, but it has some snap to it and the bullet hit with authority. I do not find this load objectionable or punishing to shoot, but others may not think the same way.

[terryt]

Hi:

I am sorry for not mentioning the caliber.

It is 44-40 and after these reply's I will start loading them.
Any load suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Terry

[Outpost75]

Old Hercules data years ago listed 24.5 grains of RL7 in the .44-40 with a 240-grain bullet. That load does not exceed SAAMI pressure limits and is safe in the Winchester 1873 and Colt SAA clones. It is my favorite and I use it with the Accurate 43-230G bullet, which actually weighs 238 grains in 1:30 tin-lead alloy, for 957 fps in my 5-1/2 inch Ruger Vaquero and 1350 fps from my Marlin 1894.

You do get some unburned powder using RL7 in the revolver, but velocities are normal and accuracy is good.

Attachment 189594

[Bent Ramrod]

Generally, boolits over 210 gr or so are made for the .44 Russian, Special or Magnum, and have too much "nose" sticking out, when properly seated and crimped, to allow a .44-40 cylinder to rotate.

The only exception I have found is the obsolete Ideal 429434, which is like the 42798 with an extra 40 gr or so of weight in an added gas check shank. It preserves the short nose of the regular .44-40 boolits.

I banged up a bunch of 240 gr semiwadcutter jacketed bullets in my .44-40 revolver one time. Had to crimp the shells over the front end of the shank, with the actual crimp groove deep in the case. They shot all right, but looked weird. Also, if your revolver has fixed sights, the boolits will definitely be somewhere other than the regular point of impact.

[Larry Gibson]

I use 240 gr cast in my 44-40 old model Vaquero with 7 1/2" barrel. I use the Lee TL 430-240-SWC and the Lyman 429360 both sized .429 for the Rugers chamber and throats. Loaded over 6 gr Bullseye makes for a decent and accurate 44 SPL range load. I mostly use 8.5 gr Unique though as it is regulated to the fixed sight but it's a bit stouter load. For SASS cowboy action 4.2 gr Bullseye works well.

If your 240s are hard cast commercials with a hard wax lube a light coat of LLA on them (let dry thoroughly) will keep leading down to a minimum.

Larry Gibson

[mdi]

Yep, use them, but make sure the bullet diameter is the same as the cylinder throat diameter...

[Outpost75]

These Accurate Molds 230-grain bullets work well for me in the .44-40 as well as in the .44 Special and .44 Magnum:

Attachment 189606Attachment 189607Attachment 189608Attachment 189609

[terryt]

Thanks for all the reply's

[runfiverun]

my unique load is a grain lighter than Larry's with a 240.
watch the length of the nose in the cylinder, there is nothing wrong with crimping lightly over the front band if you have good neck tension.