44 mag rifle case sizing options

[Themoose]

Looking for some advice on tweaking 44 mag cast loads for rifles. Instead of full length resizing does anyone reload their 44 mag cases similar to the guys reloading BP in 45-70 where the cases are only partially sized near the mouth to obtain grip on bullets to be seated? When I look at current loads I see the swelling of the larger sized bullets in the cases. In theory, it seems that this wouldn't provide optimum fit to the chamber, potentially bad for the brass life, and makes obtaining consistent neck/bullet tension difficult... or am I way off? I know that the 44 mag will most likely need a tighter crimp than 45-70 rounds for both ignition and cycling thru repeating rifles.

I was thinking of trying to load some fired cases for each rifle(keeping them separate of course), annealing the brass(something that I have never done) and try to get good bullet fit(I just ordered some alloy from Roto-metals to do chamber casts). I cannot do a whole lot with OAL as each rifle has it's limitations... one is a lever and the other a bolt, but the bolt rifle is restricted to a short magazine length...

I was thinking of making it easier to keep the brass & loaded rounds identified by using nickel plated brass or on and regular for the other. but that brings up another question that I hope you can help with... can you anneal nickel plated brass and soften it??? I have read conflicting opinions...

One thought I did to differentiate brass was to just apply a colored powder coat to only the base of the brass... but not sure how well it would hold up...

I don't want to reinvent the wheel and at my age I don't have enough time left to do it it I wanted to... your experience shared is greatly appreciated.

Kindest regards,

TheMoose

[Themoose]

Any comments? One thing I omitted in the original post is that the diameter of the cast bullets will most likely end up @ .432-.433...

[NSB]

Having owned a good number of 44mags over the last forty years, and shooting them a lot, I think you're wasting your time going in this direction. If you've got a decent chamber, leade, and throat none of this will help improve accuracy. Also, when the primer goes off the bullet starts to move before the powder is ignited and the crimps pretty much gone at that point anyway. I have brass here that's over forty years old and has been loaded probably well over a dozen times. Those loads are extremely accurate in a quality firearm. None of them have ever been annealed and never trimmed. To this day they all allow the bullet to sit in the case so that the crimp can be applied very consistently. There's quite a difference in bottle neck cases and straight wall pistol cases. What is good for the bottle neck isn't as critical, or even important, in a pistol cartridge. What I'd suggest though is for you to try it. You'll easily be able to prove to yourself what is important and what works. Just a note: if you use a couple of different sizing dies on your cases and measure the finished dia. you'll notice that the dia. varies from one die to another. Not much, but measurable. Even that doesn't make a difference in accuracy. My "low tech" reloads still allowed me to get into International Class shooting IHMSA silhouette, so something must be working right. Spend more time at the bench with different powders, primers, and bullets and keep good notes on results. I think you'll get a bigger bang for your buck that way. If you do try your ideas out, let us know the results. Good luck.

[AnthonyB]

Moose, I do the same with my 44 Mag brass and go a step further by using an old steel sizing die instead of carbide. I can’t tell that it makes much difference but makes me feel better. I use a permanent marker to color case bases when I need to track them - it comes off when wet tumbled in SS pins, which I consider a plus. Easy enough to re-apply if needed.
BTW, the carbine brass you allowed me to claim arrived and I am very grateful. I am out of town this week but will post a free brass box when Inget back as a thank you.
Tony

[Themoose]

thanks for your responses.. much appreciated

[winelover]

I neck size my 44 Magnum brass for my Marlin 1894 using RCBS carbide Cowboy Dies. Accuracy results were significant. I use .433 diameter bullets and expand with the included expander die. I always crimp in a separate step, after seating. See attached 100 yard group.





Winelover

[Flinchrock]

I have been partial sizing straight wall cartridges for some 10-11 years now, I always get better accuracy. Could be that I make my own custom sized expander plugs with an "M" step helping too.

[Norske]

Anthony mentions something that plagues one of my 45ACP handguns. All straight cases are actually slightly tapered. Carbide dies make cylindrical cases. I have a 45ACP whose chamber will only accept tapered cases from a steel resizing die. No problems with any other handgun or rifle, just that one. Maybe my carbide die is a bit oversize, but it works for the other two 45's.

[longbow]

I just neck size for my 1894 Marlin. I have Lee carbide die and as you say, it sized down pretty far and all the way to the rim. I load 0.434" boolits so that is a stretch back up when the whole case is sized plus it seems to size the head a bit much so that blows back out. I decided to back off the die and just size the length that the boolit seats to.

Not sure if I can hone out the die being carbide but if not one day I may buy a steel die and hone it out so it sized to suit the fatter boolits.

For my .303's I had the same issue. I am using 0.315" boolits and my RCBS dies size down to about 0.310" I.D. at the neck so same issue with squeezing brass down farther than required then stretching back up. It overworks the brass. My solution there was to buy the Lee collet die and make a mandrel at 0.313" so only neck sizing and only as far as needed for decent neck tension.

I haven't had many .44 mag. cases fail. A few, but not many, have cracked but I haven't been shooting it much either as I had the dreaded Marlin jam going on regularly. I think I have that beat now and if so it will get used more so brass life will be a consideration. Annealing helps but all that squeezing then stretching is unnecessary in my opinion.

As for accuracy, I'd have to run comparison testing to see. I can't say things changed much for me until I got fatter boolit moulds and lapped the bore but by then I was neck sizing only.

Longbow