first post; want to keep it simple

[reo444]

[Hi
Don't know if this is the right forum; please redirect if appropriate.

Have U.S.F.A Rodeo .44 Special, Ruger .44 Mag.,10 1/2" bbl, Mar. 444 S.S.

Want to reload with black powder and keep it simple. Realize I need L.P & L.R primers. Plan to use 3F powder and hope you all can help me find one boolit to use in all three guns.

I want to buy boolits at this time and will cast and reload to fine tune later if I like to shoot black powder cartridges in my guns.

Realize there is a great deal of difference in f.p.s. between .44 Spec. & 444 Mar., don't expect m.o.a. results,just want something functional to test a concept and have fun with.

I want 1 powder, 1 boolit, 1 bullet lube, 1 cleaning solution.

Am thinking Ballistol and Lee Classic Reloader in .44 Special. Put it all in a cigar box.

Get the idea? Lets have fun with this!

Richard

[Jack Stanley]

Welcome to the forum Richard ! I'm sorry I won't be any help with the black powder , all I do with that stuff is pour it down a barrel . I have used a bunch of the LEE two hundred grain bullets loaded light in a forty-four magnum cases . I sorta think that it might not have enough lube capacity but whadda I know ?
I have found that wonder lube does work real well at keeping fouling down in my fifty-four

Jack

[klausg]

Richard-
I don't have any experience with a .444, plenty with the others. Most of the folks here cast their own, but "Bullshop" runs a business of custom cast, I believe "kycaster" also casts commercially; there may be some other folks doing commercial work, I'm not sure. I generally buy some boolits from Bullshop when there is a mould I'm thinking of purchasing, but want to try out before I drop the cash. There is a link to Bullshop's 'store' at the bottom of the page. I would think that a plain based 240 gr would be a good start point for the handguns at least, and I'm pretty sure it would work well in your Marlin also. I shoot a lot of Lyman 429667, that's my plinking boolit in the .44's. Make sure you slug your bores/measure the throats as an undersized boolit will lead faster than anything.

As far as your re-loading equipment goes, I would go with a Lee Hand Press and regular dies; it'll take up a little more room than a Lee Loader, but when you decide to upgrade, (trust me, you will), you'll already have dies & shell holders.

And finally, I have no experience with loading BP, other than a little playing around with a cap & ball revolver years ago. I'm quite sure that someone else will chime in who has BP/.444 experience. Oh yeah, welcome aboard.

-Klaus

[nvbirdman]

If you can order your boolits without lube you should do so. Commercial cast boolits use a very hard lube. This does not benefit you even when using smokeless powder, and is much worse when using black. The boolits will have to be lubed with a soft lube, so you might as well avoid having to remove the hard lube as the first step.

[Dale53]

reo444;
I have a good bit of experience with Black Powder Cartridge guns in general and revolvers and single shots in particular.

You want a bullet with a single, large lube groove (my choice in .45 Colt is Lyman 452664) and the Lyman 429667 fits the bill in caliber .44.

Black powder loading of revolver cartridges is rather simple. You rig up a drop tube and slowly trickle the powder into the case until you get a case full + 1/16" (a case full is defined as even with the base of the seated bullet). The idea is to use the bullet to compress the powder about 1/16". You don't need any wads or filler. You will find that the .44 Special cases will be somewhat easier to shoot do to less recoil. The .44 magnum will give you more velocity and more recoil. Use standard large pistol primers. Use a moderate crimp.

The bullet should be of 30/1 lead/tin alloy. You really should get into casting your own bullets. However, here is a source for proper bullets with proper lube. Lube is EXTREMELY important:

http://bullshop.gunloads.com/prices.html

Be sure and tell Bullshop (one of our very own Forum members) that you are going to use these bullets for black powder and need 30/1 and black powder lube.

If you want the WHOLE SKINNY on shooting black powder in a cartridge revolver, get Mike Venturino's book "Shooting Sixguns of the Old West". He has complete data on all calibers and full reloading information with black powder:

http://www.ycsi.net/users/mlventurino/sixgun.htm

In my .45 Colt Bisley Vaquero, I got nearly 1000 fps with a 250 gr bullet. Using various granulatiions of various powders, the performance of a case full of black will run from 750 fps-1000 fps with a 7½" barrel. The .44 will give similar results.
Make no mistake, the black powder revolver is NO cream puff but the REAL DEAL.

Look at the .444 as a .44 caliber 45/70. Similar tactics will give you similar results. Venturino's information on Lever Guns is recommended reading. Loading successfully for a rifle with black powder is a little more involved but can be VERY rewarding. I can recommend Steve Garbe and Mike Venturino's book, "Black Powder Cartridge Reloading Primer".

These are not only interesting books but are actually text books in "How to do it".

Good luck,
Dale53

[reo444]

Jack, thanks for the welcome to the forum.I want 1 bullet for all 3 guns, so i think I'll try for 240-250 gr. range. As for lube, I think I'll try to get a block of Bullshop's NASA and whatever bullet he recommends for my project.

Klaus, I'm taking your advice re. "Bullshop" and bullet wt. and type.I'll look into Lyman mold,but as for slugging my bores ect., I don't want to get into that yet.I want to keep things as simple as possible for now and see where it goes. I have a Lee Handpress as well as two Lee single stage presses and dies for the 3 guns. I mentioned the Lee Classic Handloader because of the "simple" concept of my project.Wouldn't be cool to load all 3 cal. with those simple tools?
Thanks for the welcome, I think I'm in the right place!

nvbirdman, thanks for answering my post, I agree with you about the lube.

Dale53, Thanks for your recommendations and the sharing of your experience. I have been to the sites in your post and have found good information.
I have been interested in guns all my life. Have reloaded smokless powder in the 3 cals. I mentioned in my first post,have 2 muzzleloading rifles and dbl barrelled shotgun and had a .36 Navy, but for one thing or another have not pursued any of these in depth. Am hoping this project will ignite a passion instead of a mere interest. The purpose of this project is to get there slowly and surely and to use what I have on hand til I'm more sure of my degree of interest.

to all, my writings seem stilted and formal, but it's only because I type so slowly that I need to be concise if I'm to get it done today! I'm not that way and I admire the people who can write conversationally. Hopefully, I'll get better at it.

Richard

[1Shirt]

rio444, Will be interested in your further posts on this subject. Have used Lee Loaders, Lyman 310 tools, and even simple home made minimal loading proceedures for single shots. Didn't take me long to realize that while I was having fun doing this, it was very time consuming, and minimized my shooting. All the other advice given is good, and can't fault any of it. Have shot a lot of black powder in rifle and handgun, and even shot some in my 45-70 a few times until I got tired of cleaning up the #1 Ruger. Have taken a few deer with front stuffers, and a javalina in times past. I shoot 444, 44S, and 44Mag, but it would be a cold day in south pergatory befor I shot black in them. That is particularly true of the 444. That is mainly do to the fact that I am not that crazy about cleaning modern weapons shot with black powder. As a thought however, and if you want to stick with one powder, suggest that you might want to consider Unique. Just my opinion! Good Luck!
1Shirt!:coffee: