44 Mag-Looking for Suggestions

[NHGrumpyGramps]

This weekend I picked up a S&W 629-1 with two holsters (shoulder and hip), two speed loaders, 50 rd box of ammo, and 50 rounds of brass. I shot a Ruger blackhawk over 40 years ago when I was in high school, but have'nt tried this caliber since then, but it was a deal I couldn't refuse. A friend of mine (FFL dealer) bought it for $350 and I got it for $400 so think I made out OK. It was offered to my friend for $300 but he upped the price as he didn't feel right taking too much advantage of the guy who needed cash. I have not had a 44 mag before so I am looking at gathering needed stuff to reload it. Set of RCBS dies are on order and I have been searching for molds to use. I am looking for some suggestions on what would be a good mold to start wtih. I see that Lyman 429421 seems to a popular one- can anyone give me some feed back on this or suggestions on other molds. I would look for used ones as would like to try out some different options without spending lots of money for new ones. I would use this mostly for range target use with maybe some bowling pins thrown in. How about Lee molds (low costs)? Other questions. Plan base or Gas Check? I don't see that I would need to drive the bullets so hard that a gas check would be needed, but does anyone have any feedback on this? What about size. I am thinking about looking for a .430 H&I die to start and then others as I move forward. Any load suggestions?

Thanks for any help on this.

[stubshaft]

429421 is a good all around choice if you can find an old RCBS 44-250-KT it is also an all around mold. Slug the barrel and chamber mouths before you order the sizing die. Lee is allright just not my cup of tea as I don't really like TL boolits UNLESS they are from Ranch Dog.

[canyon-ghost]

I've been shooting 44 Special in a Blackhawk with lighter bullets, Lee 200 grain RNFP. It works better than I'd have thought.

With Unique, 7.4 grains gets me exactly what I want.

The Old loads run 7.0 grains of Unique (barely gets to the target) to 7.5 grains(Skeeter Skelton's favorite load) to 8.0 grains (all out 100 meters and more).
Granted, that's in 44 Special and a magnum is a longer case. But, it gives you a frame of reference. A guy could adjust from there.

[LAH]

Gramps I shoot the Lyman 429421 & love it. The load I shot for 8 years in my 4" was 20 grains of 2400 & a WLP primer. It would clean the NRA rams in Hunter Pistol.

There are however other boolits that do well. The Lyman 429667 is such a boolit.

[CJR]

My standard load for my 44 Mag is the Lyman 429421 over 25 gr. IMR4227 (a former Lyman accuracy load), with mag primers, @ about 1350 fps (chron'ed).. I've just started loading a 325 gr. LBT LFN over 21 grs. of IMR4227 @ about 1278 fps (Hodgdon load), with mag primers and I'll see how that goes.

Best regards,

CJR

[roysha]

My 629-1 has an 8 3/8" barrel and I have shot 10 grains of Unique and the 429421 bullet for probably 25 years. I have tried quite a few different bullets (cast) from 180 to 305 grains and have never found a bullet that shoots as well as the that old Keith design.

I started using that bullet in 1965 with a Ruger SBH and at that time H-240. That was when I felt I had to shoot full power loads. I still think that was the best powder ever made for the 44 magnum but the magnum loading, for me, has long gone by the wayside. If I can't get it done with the above load, then I need to get something else.

[Larry Gibson]

429421 is a good all around choice if you can find an old RCBS 44-250-KT it is also an all around mold. Slug the barrel and chamber mouths before you order the sizing die. Lee is allright just not my cup of tea as I don't really like TL boolits UNLESS they are from Ranch Dog.

+1 on either of those moulds (I have and use both). I use them for medium and magnum level loads. I use a 6 cavity Lee TL-429-240-SWC for softer cast .44 SPL level loads in my .44s. For your stated needs a GC'd bullet is not needed.

Larry Gibson

[DragoonDrake]

Really like shooting the 429421 over 5 grains of clays. Nice clean very low recoil. I have only shot that load to 25 yards though.

[Mal Paso]

If you HURRY a group Buy of the NOE 429421 is going now http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=122019

Custom Mold at a very good price!

I like the 5 cavity!

[EDK]

There aren't many bad boolits or loads for a 44 magnum. I would advise staying on the lower end of velocity/pressure in your S&W...the gun AND your hands and wrists will all be happier!

429421 from many vendors in slightly altered specifications is THE classic 44 boolit. Our patron saint of handgunning, Elmer Keith, really got this one right. HOWEVER, if you decide to pick up a lever action rifle in 44, you may have feeding problems with it...then you have an excuse for a different mould!

I really, really like FULL WADCUTTERS in the 44...got three moulds and thinking about a fourth design. Nice, well defined holes in the targets and you get the added bonus of freaking out the range ninjas.

For Cowboy Action Shooters or guys like me who love the MARLIN 1894 Cowboy rifles, MIHEC has a group buy going for his version of LYMAN 429640 in a cramer style hollow point mould. Dandy hunting boolit and excellent in speed loaders.

This is just a quickie...I have a bunch of 44 moulds, BUT not as many as Blammer or GLL do. Check your chamber mouths with pin gauges and slug your barrel; then find a sizing diameter that works for you. (Lots of posts concerning this issue and varying opinions.) Another suggested site would be lasc.us and the Glenn Fryxell articles.

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley:

[MGySgt]

The only problem I have found with the Lyman moulds (429421) is that is casts undersize for me. I have 3 of the, 2 - 2 cavity and a single cavity.

I also have the RCBS 44-250-KT, it too is slightly under size - have to add some tin to get it to come up in size (.431).

With 8 to 12 grains of Unique you have mild to wild with regular strength primers! Of course the other standby is 19 grains of 2400 - good accurate load with more than enough oumph to put down deer, elk, etc...

[Shuz]

The only bullet I would not recommend for the .44mag is Lyman's 429360. Several of us on this board have tried it, and modified it, and tried it again, all with poor results.

[theperfessor]

Not a SWC or FP but I've had a lot of fun lately with the Lee 429-240-2R. It's kind of retro but the rounds just drop into the gun. I wouldn't hunt with it but its deadly on steel and pop cans.

[Jim]

.....I've had a lot of fun lately with the Lee 429-240-2R.....

I have that same mold. I use them in my Charter Arms Bulldog for carry loads.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Papa Keith smiles on us from above when we cast 429421 or better yet the RCBS 44 250 K. However Lyman 429667 is available in 4 cavity and the beveled base and rounded shoulders enables the bullets to fall out of the mold easier, I have to pick the Keith bullet out of the mold often times. The vast majority of my shooting is junk pure wheel weight bullets at 1,100 fps. I use 10 grains of Unique in my Ruger Super Blackhawk. The Keith bullet cast from 10:1 purchased bullet alloy is more accurate downrange, but more expensive and more laborous the cast with only a double cavity mold. So I cast both.

[Frosty Boolit]

For fun I use a 200gr. RNFP with 9 grains of W-231.

[Tom W.]

I like the RCBS 44-245- SWC for a plain base boolit and the Lee C430-310-rf for a gas check boolit.

They serve me well, at least I'm happy with them....

[Safeshot]

I second the Lee C430-310-rf for a gas check boolit, it makes "gongs swing", bowling pins and dirt "fly" and "holes" in things. H 110 and Win 296 powders are "nice" and Mag Primers "do well". Have fun.

[NHGrumpyGramps]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Based on these I think that I would like to try the 429421. I want a SWC design plain base bullet not GC iin weight range of 240-250 gr so this one seems to be a good choice as well as having a lot of history asscociated with it.
The NOE molds would be a really nice option especially the RG type which could produce either hollow point or solids. The problem is the goup buy would not be available until early summer and I con't want to wait that long to shoot. I don't have money right now to buy a new lyman mold now and an NOE mold later, so guess I need to make a choice. I have been looking for a cheaper used single cavity mold that would get me going until I could get one of the NOE molds, but haven't seen anything yet. I could buy a cheap Lee mold as an interim solution, but none of their designs seem to meet my criteria. They have a SC 240 gr but it is gas check design, so not sure how it would work without using the GC?

[bowfishn]

Gramps Lee does have a Tumble lube semi wad cutter design Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold TL430-240-SWC if you are looking for a cheap mold to start casting with. The reviews at Midway on this bullet are pretty good, this one could hold you over till you got the group buy mold you want.

[rintinglen]

bowfishn speaks wisdom. Though I use a 4 cavity Lyman 429-421, I used a 2 cavity Lee until I could find an older Lyman. The heavier Lee boolits are much better than the lighter ones. 200 grains and up in a 2 cavity Lee mold works very well. A double sawbuck gets you a Lee mold till you can afford to spend a century note on what you really want.

[RKJ]

Gramps Lee does have a Tumble lube semi wad cutter design Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold TL430-240-SWC if you are looking for a cheap mold to start casting with. The reviews at Midway on this bullet are pretty good, this one could hold you over till you got the group buy mold you want.


I have a Lee 240 Grain SWC/GC but use the Lyman 429421 over 10.0 grains of Unique (read in a GUNS magazine that is John Taffin's go-to 44 mag load, and if it's good enough for him it's good for me. It's stout but not too stout and it's accurate out of my 629). What I've learned is while the GC is good I don't need it for the pistol velocities I'm shooting (I've also go a Saeco .357 4 cav that's a GC design but haven't needed the GC's. (yet). The Lee design is a SWC, looks pretty well and is a regular lube mold. It would get you shooting in the meantime. Here is the link below and Midway usually has them but are out of stock until 1/28/12.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/516757/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c429-240-swc-44-special-44-remington-magnum-44-40-wcf-429-diameter-240-grain-semi-wadcutter-gas-check

[odis]

If someone likes the lyman or the RCBS keith bullet but is worried about it casting under size there is always the accurate 43-250K. I ordered one from Tom last summer to cast at .431 with wheel weight alloy and thats exactly what it does. Its all I shoot in my Redfhawk and in my 624. Lubed with BAC I find it near perfect, and as everybody knows nothing is perfect.

[Matt_G]

When you are looking for your mould, remember the Elmer designed it with a square bottom lube groove and all three driving bands equal width.
Most Lyman's are not like that, in fact Elmer was not pleased when they changed his design, yet kept the 429421 nomenclature.
The H&G 503 and the RCBS 44-250-KT are more what Elmer had in mind than the Lyman's are.
I'm not sure when Lyman made that change.
Now to be fair, I have shot both "old" and "new" 429421 designs and can't really tell the difference accuracy wise.

Just a little food for thought...

Edit:
Here's is a link to a good article by Glen Fryxell:
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell44SWC.htm

[big dale]

I would say to save your pennys till you can get in on one of Mihec's group buys for his version of the H&G 503 boolit. I have three of them now and my favorite is the 4 cavity one in brass... But you can't have any of mine. I am sure you would be very happy with anything made by Noe as well. I have three molds that they made and could not be any happier with any of them. I think Swede also makes a few extra that he can sell from the shop whenever he does a group buy so you might want to check on that as well. I am sure there are others making molds in this quality class, but those are the ones that I have purchased...keep in mind that these folks are doing work for us that is simply THE BEST IN THE WORLD. It would be a shame to miss out on the chance to something that costs less than a hundred bucks and is the best in the world.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[LAH]

Dont' tell anyone but I have a new in the box MiHec 4 cavity (H&G 503). Ended with with 3 instead of 2.

[kweidner]

if you are interested in trying before you buy I am sure one of us will send you some to load up. I have an opened up Lyman and the NOE hp configuration as well. I only have a .431 sizer. Mic your throats and let us know. My ruger sbh likes 18.3 grains of 2400 cast acww. It runs a 9 bhn and really has impressive results. I did some testing in various media today. It's running 1200 fps and opens nicely without fragmenting. Mic your throats and slug your bbl and then we can get a better idea how to help you out.

[GaryN]

If you do get a lee tumble lube design like I have, I would crimp to the top lube groove (instead of the crimp groove) and see if it fits in your gun. It does in mine(Ruger) and is more accurate that way.

[EDK]

Dont' tell anyone but I have a new in the box MiHec 4 cavity (H&G 503). Ended with with 3 instead of 2.

I've got the aluminum AND brass moulds for #503...now I wish I'd have gotten the hollow point also...neither of these is going anywhere soon!

Now I'm waiting for the hollow point 434640 from Miha.

:redneck::cbpour::2gunsfiring_v1:

[Matt_G]

I've got the aluminum AND brass moulds for #503...now I wish I'd have gotten the hollow point also...neither of these is going anywhere soon!

Now I'm waiting for the hollow point 434640 from Miha.

Miha makes good stuff, that's for sure.
I have a baker's dozen of his moulds, and am on the list for 2 more. :shock:

[Alan]

Miha #503 or lyman 429421 and 9 gr of Unique in magnum cases. Elmer's favorite target load was 8.5 gr of Unique, but I want just a bit more oomph, and 9 grains shoots great.

[big dale]

I like your idea of looking for a used mold to get started. Don't rule out the old Lee 2 cavity molds as well. Someone mentioned their 240 grain round nosed bullet and I always enjoyed casting with it as it cast so easily. I also had one of their 255 grain semiwadcutter two cavity molds that I used for several years in the 1980's. I used a stout load of Blue Dot behind this boolit and it always made a cool noise as it knocked over those 50 pound rams at 200 meters when used in my old Super Blackhawk. I went thru several of the 5 pound kegs of Blue Dot that way. If you stumble onto one of those, get it and have a bunch of fun. I had a couple of very short wadcutter molds made by Lee in 44 caliber that were the worst casting molds that I ever had. The one that cast a slug of about 65 grains only cast about 3 good boolits out of every 100 tries. I had this damn fool idea about loading three of these boolits in a case,it never worked out well for me. but I never found anyone I hated enough to give that mold to.

You might want to also buy a pound of Herco to use for loads similar to the mid range loads with unique. Some guns seem to prefer Herco to Unique. When you load full Magnum loads you might also want to pick up a pound of 4227. Some guns prefer it to 2400. I don't seem to shoot as many full Magnum loads now as I did 30 or 40 years ago, but I still shoot a few cylinders full each time I go to the range.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale