.44 mag bullet for SRH and Win Trapper

[dntfxr]

Any help here is appreciated. I'm looking for recommendations for a mold that will work well with both guns. They both shoot 240XTPs exceptionally well but I want to start casting for them and would like to have a mold that will do it all for me. The SRH has a 24 twist, the Win has a 26twist bbl, so they are pretty close and it seems like the win allows loading longer than the marlins if I remember correctly. I'm undecided on whether a GC is necessary, but I want the most accuracy possible and at least 240ish grains for hunting. Some I'm considering are the RCBS 250k, Lyman 429640hp, 429421, maybe the Lee 430310 or I'm open to any suggestions. The HP seems like a good idea but I read the sticky on making the soft lead tips for expansion and that would probably do just as good. Can anyone make some suggestions on which may be the most accurate and best suited for me? I'm open to any other molds too, not just the ones I mentioned.
Thanks

[Blammer]

I think the lyman 429640 in the pic will be a really good one for both of your firearms.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/44list-1.jpg

[btroj]

[smilie=p:Please don't ask questions like this. Blammer can't resist showing his large, and growing?, group of 44 moulds. He lives for moments like this.

That being said, he gave you sound advice. I use a group buy Keith style for much of my plinking ammo because it shoots well, is easy to cast, and uses no gas check. For full power hunting loads I would lean toward the 429640 or the Lee 310.

You can always do what Blammer has done and just get one of each!

[PacMan]

Will those recommended bullets feed in his Win.Trapper when crimped in the crimp grove.
Not trying to butt in but do not want him to buy a mold for both to find out it will not feed in his Win.

[Dale53]

For full power rifle loads, a gas check is a VERY good idea. When you couple that with needing to feed in a rifle, a RF nose becomes an excellent choice.

I vote for the Lee Six Cavity C430-310-RF (Frank Siefer and I designed this bullet for a custom choice and Lee added it to their catalog). Further, they adapted the design to .45 caliber for an excellent choice in that caliber.

If we were talking about a revolver, only, I would unhesitatingly suggest the Mihec H&G #503. There is no need for a gas check in the revolver, and the 250 gr Keith has worked extremely well for me for many years. However, when you are talking rifle, with it's much greater velocity, the Gas Check becomes very important for best results.

At any rate, when you couple the design needs of the original poster with the VERY reasonable price of a Lee Six Cavity mould... it is the Lee 310 all the way.



FWIW
Dale53

[btroj]

The 310 Lee has always shot very well in my SRH. I would use it in a heartbeat for deer.
Another good choice is any of the Ranch Dog bullets.

As for feeding in a Win trapper I don't think the Lee is going to be a problem, it is pretty short in the nose.

Dale has some sound advice and good reasoning. The 6 cav Lee olds will turn out bullets so fast it is amazing.

Brad

[kelbro]

I like the 310 Lee and the 265 Ranch Dog. Both shoot well in my SBH Hunter and my Marlin 1894.

[Larry Gibson]

I've used the RCBS 44-250-K, the Lyman 429421, 429244 GC and 429640HP GC in Rugers and a couple Winchesters including a trapper. All fed perfectly when crimped in the crimp groove. All gave excellent accuracy with the 429244 and 429640HP giving best results in both revolver and rilfe at top end magnum velocities, especially with softer alloys for expansion. If I had to choose which of each it would be tough. I've got all 4 so I don't have that problem but of the 2 GC'd bullets I'd go with the 429640HP as I prefer HPs for hunting.

Larry Gibson

But on the other hand................the 429244 with a Forster 1/8" HP tool goves the option of both HP and solid.........with the 2 Keith bullets just toss a coin. My 429244 out of softer 50/50 alloy runs 270 gr fully dressed and I've not found a need for anything heavier..........

[nicholst55]

Be certain to slug the bore on your Trapper before you settle on a mold. Mine slugs at .432", and so do a few others that I'm aware of.

[HammerMTB]

I like the 310 Lee and the 265 Ranch Dog. Both shoot well in my SBH Hunter and my Marlin 1894.

I'll add my $.02 for these 2. I have both and like 'em a lot. The 310 seems to need to be driven hard for best accuracy, I s'pose because of twist rate. The 265 is more versatile, and since I have those in both GC and PB versions, I can load either mild or wild.
sold my 240 gr .44 mold as these do all I need.

[runfiverun]

good advice above.
the trappers do have a different rifling in them which [much like the marlins] needs a bigger boolit.
mine will feed the 429421 at a longer oal than saami or even a longer oal than my browning 92 [which needs a minimum oal]
or rossi 92,which will feed the 429421 in the crimp groove after i modified the lifter silghtly.
the one blammer recommends is a good one but i'd go with the 429667 which is very similar but has no gas check.

as an aside,,,,, if i had to get rid of a levergun or two the trappers would top the first to go list.
they do well but need some extra attention.
i just plain started swaging for mine as it does well with jaxketed at 430 as you have found out.

[EDK]

RANCH DOG TLC 432 265/NOE plain base lube grooved clone or LYMAN 429640 (or clones) would be good places to start. There ain't no flies on LYMAN 429667 either. These all feed well in my MARLIN Cowboy rifles and would be my choice for your rifle.

There are proposed group buys for MIHEC's hollow point clone of H&G 503/LYMAN 429421, but this might have feeding issues in your rifle. This is THE boolit for a 44 revolver, designed by the patron saint of handgunners, Elmer Keith...and true to his design.

The 310 grain LEE is supposed to be a good boolit...don't have a mould so I have not tried it. It will eat up some lead if you shoot it much and a gas check is an additional expense and procedure to install. I use the gas checked RANCH DOG dipped in ALOX to clean residual lead from pistol barrels...more fun and a lot quicker than CHOREBOY or a Lewis Lead Remover. I ran 72 rounds through three VAQUEROS tonight...gas checks would have doubled the cost of the boolit itself! Figure under $3 per hundred 250/260 grain 44s...another $3 plus for gas checks.

If you haven't used "combination ammo" in rifle and pistol, experience will show that you eventually load "rifle specific" for performance and "generic" for both. Most of the posters here have a lot of shooting experience and have made the same recommendations for you.

There's good reasons why Blammer has all those different moulds...and the rest of us have a few also.

:Fire::castmine::redneck:

[dntfxr]

Wow, thanks for all the replies and experiences! It's kinda hard to narrow it down to just one, I can see how a collection is easy to start! I think I'll go with the 429640 to start with, but I'm tempted to get the Lee 310 6 cav too since I already have Lee handles. I guess a PB would be nice also while I'm at it to save a couple bux on GC. Is the Mihec H&G #503 currently available?

Blammer I noticed that your 429640 seems to be non-HP. Did you make a shorter pin for it to have both options? Nice collection BTW! : )

[44man]

All good boolit choices.
The SRH .44 has a 1 in 20" twist, perfect for 240 to 330 gr boolits.
The 1 in 26" for the rifle is also good with the added velocity.
The RD 265 would be a good one for both.

[PbHurler]

Just to add to the mix...I've been using the Saeco #431 mould: 250 gr. RNFP G.C. bullet in my Win. Trapper. Drops at 4325" with "my version" of No. 2 Alloy (I size to .430"). Crimped in the crimp groove, the round feeds beautifully and is very accurate. Bbl. looks beautiful.

[white eagle]

http://www.mp-molds.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=3&=SID
check this one out

[jlchucker]

I bought my Winnie trapper (angle eject) just before they started putting lawyer-safeties on them. It does have a rebounding hammer but that was never an issue, even though I've put a couple of thousand boolits through this little rifle. My favorite boolit has been the Lyman 429215. I've used it for plinking out to 100 yd, and pretty much for everything else. It's accurate, and recoil is minimal. That boolit isn't as accurate in my EMF Hartford full length rifle, though. It's OK but the rifle seems to like bigger boolits.

[dntfxr]

You guys are making it tough! : ) So many choices! Man that MP mold looks really nice for the money, and versatile. I wonder how accurate they shoot? What is the advantage to the RD mini-grove design? Both of those use Lee handles which I already have too. BTW I want to try to use a lee sizing kit cause I don't have a sizing press. Hmm decisions....

[44man]

You guys are making it tough! : ) So many choices! Man that MP mold looks really nice for the money, and versatile. I wonder how accurate they shoot? What is the advantage to the RD mini-grove design? Both of those use Lee handles which I already have too. BTW I want to try to use a lee sizing kit cause I don't have a sizing press. Hmm decisions....
The grooves don't matter. I just use Felix lube on them. I rub it into the grooves by hand and run them through a Lee die to remove excess lube and size if needed.
I hate Alox but the boolits are fine.

[dntfxr]

Guys I really appreciate all the suggestions. I think I'm just gonna start out with the 429640HP for now, but I'd love to get a few more down the road to try. I do have a couple more questions though. Is it recommended to size them, and what dia should I go with for these guns? .431? It looks like the lee kit is .429, so I'm not sure if it would work well. Also, I wonder how they'd work without a GC for a plinking load?
Thanks again for helping me get started!

BTW if that 503 comes available again I might have to jump on it!


ETA: Hmmm, that ML-Mold 44/444 would be about the same price as the Lyman once I figure in the handles. Its an awesome looking mold, I wonder if they are as accurate as the 429460?

[Blammer]

my 429640 is not a HP mould. it's a FP mould. :)

[dntfxr]

my 429640 is not a HP mould. it's a FP mould. :)

Ah one of those oldies but goodies! Do you have an opinion of the Mihec 44/444 vs the 429640HP? That Mihec looks like a piece of art!

[44man]

I would slug the guns but chances are you would do better with .431" to .432".
.429" is small for most Ruger's but you can lap the Lee die out real easy.

[dntfxr]

Thanks again for the help, I have the 429640hp, Hornady checks and Lee size kit on the way. I'll figure out the details when I get it in, can't wait to test it on some hogs! =]

[Blammer]

Can't recall what the Mihec 44/444 boolit is. Sorry.

[Dale53]

Here is the Mihec 44/444 bullet. This two cavity Cramer Style hollow point mould will cast either solids OR hollow points. It is faster than a Lyman single cavity hollow point mould by a factor of four even tho' it is just a two cavity mould. Plus, you are guaranteed that it will produce bullets at EXACTLY the size stated. They just don't get any better than Mihec's...

http://www.mp-molds.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=3

Dale53

[dntfxr]

Yeah I almost ordered it too, it looks awesome! I read through the old threads on it that there were some that had issues with the GC not fitting tight, not sure what that's about though. I may still get it anyway, that thing is drawing me in like a tractor beam! :) I'd like to hear a range report from someone with it though...