Ruger SBH cast bullet mould

[texasbilly]

I want to cast boolits for my Ruger SBH in 44 magnum. I am looking for a mould that will throw boolits in the 225 - 255 grain range. I prefer a GC mould. My intentions are to use this for target shooting and deer hunting.

What are your recommendations for a good mould for this purpose?

tex

[nicholst55]

Take a look at what our vendor/sponsors have to offer, specifically Night Owl Enterprises (NOE) and Mihec. Something along the lines of the Lyman 429421 is hard to beat.

[DougGuy]

In the weight range you are hunting with, I would suggest a RF style boolit, wide flat meplat and smooth round sides transition into the bearing surface very easily, these designs are much better suited to the Ruger than the driving band of the Keith style LSWC, ESPECIALLY if the Ruger has a nicely cut 11° forcing cone. The Lee C430-310-RF is a favorite heavyweight with many here, I am sure NOE has a mold that is similar yet lighter. Prob with the lighter .44 caliber molds, they don't all feature gas checks until you get on up in the heavy for caliber weight range. I myself use gas check wide flat nose designs in both .44 and .45 Colt calibers simply because it allows me to shoot a softer alloy, bhn12 or so, which works really well in Ruger's 1:16" RH twist barrels.

Here is a Lyman mold, plain base, but this will give an idea of the style boolit I am suggesting, AND it is within the weight range you are looking for:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/lyman-pi...er-429667.html

[44man]

In the weight range you are hunting with, I would suggest a RF style boolit, wide flat meplat and smooth round sides transition into the bearing surface very easily, these designs are much better suited to the Ruger than the driving band of the Keith style LSWC, ESPECIALLY if the Ruger has a nicely cut 11° forcing cone. The Lee C430-310-RF is a favorite heavyweight with many here, I am sure NOE has a mold that is similar yet lighter. Prob with the lighter .44 caliber molds, they don't all feature gas checks until you get on up in the heavy for caliber weight range. I myself use gas check wide flat nose designs in both .44 and .45 Colt calibers simply because it allows me to shoot a softer alloy, bhn12 or so, which works really well in Ruger's 1:16" RH twist barrels.

Here is a Lyman mold, plain base, but this will give an idea of the style boolit I am suggesting, AND it is within the weight range you are looking for:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/lyman-pi...er-429667.html

Ruger .44 has a 1 in 20" twist. .45 Colt is 1 in 16".
For deer, I too recommend the lee 310. No expansion needed in the .44 at all. I use WD, WW metal. A few seasons back I grabbed the last five loads from my MTM box, thinking they were my boolit of 330 gr. I never looked as I filled the cylinder and went hunting. During the week I shot 3 deer and had two left in the gun. Only then did I see they were the Lee boolits. I don't unload my SBH, just put it in the basement for the next day, private roads and properties. I just take my shoulder holster off and set it down. Open carry is legal in WV anyway.
Accuracy of the Lee puts it in target class too.
I do not like Keith boolits even though I grew up with the 429421 since 1956, there is better.

[bhn22]

All very nice, but the OP was pretty specific about wanting a max weight of 255 gr, along with a gas check. There are a number of possibilities, but perhaps the best track record in this class is Lyman 429244 (Thompson). This is an older, well-proven design that would be on my list of potential "one and only" moulds, if that were possible . Other contenders include RCBS 240 gr GC, which always cast rather light for my tastes at 225 gr.

[44man]

All very nice, but the OP was pretty specific about wanting a max weight of 255 gr, along with a gas check. There are a number of possibilities, but perhaps the best track record in this class is Lyman 429244 (Thompson). This is an older, well-proven design that would be on my list of potential "one and only" moulds, if that were possible . Other contenders include RCBS 240 gr GC, which always cast rather light for my tastes at 225 gr.

Still a semi wad cutter. I understand he wants a smaller boolit but WHY for deer? I would still look for an LBT or RNFP no matter the weight.
The 240 XTP and Hornady 240 SIL bullets are the most accurate ever made so why put a shoulder on them? Why not match with cast?
I went a step farther with my boolit. I have an 11* forcing cone so i made the ogive as close to 11* as I could get. Steerage at the cone has made it the most accurate .44 boolit ever. I do not want a little shoulder trying to align my cylinder. A Keith must have 100% perfect alignment from each chamber to the bore. Not hardly!