First revolver

[45fan]

Well I got my first revolver this past weekend. A brandy new S&W 629 with a 6 inch barrel. I have always been a 1911 guy and always will be (just love the 1911) but I have been wanting a 44 mag for some reason. Just like this caliber, I now there are bigger and badder revolvers out there these days but I have always wanted a 44 mag.

I am new to casting and feel I have just scratched the surface with my ability to cast for my 1911 and 45 ACP. Now I want to throw 44 into the mix casting for my new revolver. I use HP-38 powder and my boolits for my 45 are 200gr FRN with a 50-50 mix of soft lead and COWW and lubed with Recluse 45/45/10 with good accuracy results and no leading.

What experience do you have casting and shooting boolits for the 44? Will I be able to shoot 44 mag velocities without gas checks? If so would I need very hard lead or could I get away with water dropped COWW and will the 45/45/10 Recluse recipe for lube be sufficient for magnum loads? I really dont want to deal with gas checks at all and honestly I will probably load some magnum but even more 44 special loads. I would really like to hear your experiences with type of lead you use, powder and boolit type, lube, weight, and why.

With the wealth of knowledge around here I know I will be heading in the right direction in no time. Thanks all.

[Cherokee]

Starting with the 44 for your first revolver - well, start low and work up. OK, I use the Lyman 429421 for all magnum loads, no GC. I have one load for my Redhawk 7.5" that hit 1472 fps when I clocked it and there was no leading using a 5/5 alloy. That is a max charge of 2400 and I don't go that high any more. The same bullet works fine with HP38/231 for lighter loads. For lighter boolits I use the RCBS 44-210 RNFP and the Lee 44-200 RNFP. I've got a 1150 fps load with the RCBS boolit in 3/3/94 alloy using 231 that is very accurate in my Redhawk and Super Blackhawk. Light loads use COWW+some tin and I found WST works fine for them; so will 231 and other powders as well. Some shooters find a softer alloy works best for them...let your gun tell you what it likes. As long as the boolits fit the cylinder throats tightly (which hopefully are larger than the barrel bore), you should do well. I'm sure others will chime in...........

[BruceB]

you're starting at the TOP, for all practical purposes. The .44 Magnum , IF HANDLOADED, is a very flexible device.

For my own .44s, I have now standardized on three load levels (after 45 years with the cartridge!). All use .44 Magnum brass.... no .44 Specials in my shop.

First is ".44 Lite", using a Lee 200-grain roundnose at 800 fps. Pleasant to shoot, and relatively inexpensive to load.

Second is what I call ".44-1000", which uses an RCBS 250-grain SWC at..... 1000fps! This is a very effective load for almost anything smaller than elk or moose, and it would ikely kill them as well.

Third is a flat-out .44 MAGNUM load, with that same RCBS bullet traveling 1500fps from a Super Blackhawk's 7.5" barrel. From my 4" S&W it moves out about 100 fps slower.

I use NO gaschecks, and have no leading troubles. Straight wheelweights supply the bullet metal, and it needs no hardening or water dropping. It's strongly recommended that you size the bullets at 431 or .432....bigger is better.

I suggest you stay away from heavy loads until you get some experience. That .44 Lite load approximates your .45ACP for "power", and the heavy loads are MUCH different from the ol' .45.

Enjoy.... you really have some interesting times ahead.

[45fan]

you're starting at the TOP, for all practical purposes. The .44 Magnum , IF HANDLOADED, is a very flexible device.

For my own .44s, I have now standardized on three load levels (after 45 years with the cartridge!). All use .44 Magnum brass.... no .44 Specials in my shop.

First is ".44 Lite", using a Lee 200-grain roundnose at 800 fps. Pleasant to shoot, and relatively inexpensive to load.

Second is what I call ".44-1000", which uses an RCBS 250-grain SWC at..... 1000fps! This is a very effective load for almost anything smaller than elk or moose, and it would ikely kill them as well.

Third is a flat-out .44 MAGNUM load, with that same RCBS bullet traveling 1500fps from a Super Blackhawk's 7.5" barrel. From my 4" S&W it moves out about 100 fps slower.

I use NO gaschecks, and have no leading troubles. Straight wheelweights supply the bullet metal, and it needs no hardening or water dropping. It's strongly recommended that you size the bullets at 431 or .432....bigger is better.

I suggest you stay away from heavy loads until you get some experience. That .44 Lite load approximates your .45ACP for "power", and the heavy loads are MUCH different from the ol' .45.

Enjoy.... you really have some interesting times ahead.

Bruce what type of powder and lube do you use on your magnum loads? I use Recluse 45/45/10 recipe for my 45 ACP loads.

[runfiverun]

i take a similar approach to what bruce does.
i have a few 44 specials so all that brass goes to them.
the 231 you have now will do pretty dang good in the 44 mag.
a load of 7 grs 231 or 9.3 grs of unique and a 240 swc/rnfp has seen a lot of use in my 44's.
i go on up to 19-19.5 grs of 2400 with a plain base 240 rnfp in my leverguns
[1650 fps] and with the 429241 in the revolvers.
i stop there with the 44. [except for one 300 gr flat point home swaged jaxketed just cause i can load]

i have a 445 super mag and figure if i need to go to h-110 i might as well put in 30+grs and use that as a starting powder.

[BruceB]

My Magnum loads aren't very exciting....I use good old 2400 and it does what I need accomplished. The lighter standard loads use different powders. I even have a few pounds of herter's 160, with a burning speed apparently close to Bullseye. It works great in the .44Lite load.

The bullet lube is a mix of White Label's 50-50 and carnauba red. I melt two sticks of 50-50 and one of red in a Pyrex cup in the microwave. The melted lube is poured right into the lube-sizer. I use this lube for EVERYTHING, rifle or pistol. Blackpowder rifles need something different, but I'm not using black much these days.

[Mal Paso]

21g of 2400 is the most I put behind a 250g (.431") Keith Boolit in my 6" 629 for a respectable 1500 fps and 1250 lbs of muzzle energy. My current favorite boolit molds are the MP 432256 and MP 432640.

S&W now cuts their cylinder throats for jacketed bullets and mine were .428"-.4285" on a gun with a .429 groove. I reamed my throats to .431" and am happy with the results. Check with pin gauges first, you may not have this problem but I've seen a couple 629s with small throats.

[41 mag fan]

21gr of 2400 with a 250gr Keith works wonders on deer thru my SBH's. Never chronied it due to it gave me the accuracy results I wass wanting.

[45fan]

21g of 2400 is the most I put behind a 250g (.431") Keith Boolit in my 6" 629 for a respectable 1500 fps and 1250 lbs of muzzle energy. My current favorite boolit molds are the MP 432256 and MP 432640.

S&W now cuts their cylinder throats for jacketed bullets and mine were .428"-.4285" on a gun with a .429 groove. I reamed my throats to .431" and am happy with the results. Check with pin gauges first, you may not have this problem but I've seen a couple 629s with small throats.

As titled this is my first revolver. I am assuming the cylinder throat is the forward most side of the cylinder before the boolit enters the barrel? Typically is the cylinder throat and barrel grooves the same dimension? Is this what is wanted or is one or the other sized smaller better? Do I size my boolits for the cylinder throat or barrel?

Anybody with experience using Recluse 45/45/10 lube for magnum velocities too?

[runfiverun]

cylinder throat is just like you think the throat on the cylinder.
the boolit sits in it.
then it goes through that into the forcing cone of the bbl.
generally the cylinder throat is slightly larger than the bbl diameter.
like 430 throats and 429 barell. [that would be the best]

size for the cylinder throats they will align the cylinder being fired with the bbl
as the boolit is in both at the same time as it crosses the open gap.
you'll want to measure them as quite often you will have one or two smaller ones.
you'll have to try the 45 lube for your set-up.

[45fan]

cylinder throat is just like you think the throat on the cylinder.
the boolit sits in it.
then it goes through that into the forcing cone of the bbl.
generally the cylinder throat is slightly larger than the bbl diameter.
like 430 throats and 429 barell. [that would be the best]

size for the cylinder throats they will align the cylinder being fired with the bbl
as the boolit is in both at the same time as it crosses the open gap.
you'll want to measure them as quite often you will have one or two smaller ones.
you'll have to try the 45 lube for your set-up.

Thanks for the info runfiverun, you say size for the cylinder throat. Do I size the exact size or slightly over the throat size?

[runfiverun]

yes.... the same or a little bigger both work just fine.
i'd guess at just going with 430 at first.
if the cyl throats are a little undersized cylinder smith can open them up.
if they are a little bigger than 430 you should still be fine.
you can play with the alloy and make the jump without any issues.
and open the sizer just a little at home with a little effort yourself.
i don't believe in having a giant huge over big boolit, one that fills the throats somewhat closely is good enough.
doing as little damage to the boolit as it goes down the barell will pay off.

[44man]

A good choice in caliber and the S&W is a wonderful revolver. I will never be without a .44.
I don't know how a new one will take heavy boolits. The only problems I have seen with the 29's was when over heavy boolits were used. Too much recoil inertia for a few parts. I found 240 to 265 gr boolits best.
I had five 29's over the years and if I remember, groove was .429" on all and I used 430" bullets and boolits. I don't remember throat sizes but a .430" would fit through them.
There is no sense making throats smaller for jacketed either. I don't know why they do that and think reamers were just sharpened again. Mine were OK. Best to measure, most are right.

[mdi]

.44 Magnum! My all time, most favorite cartridge! I started reloading for my S&W 629 in '86 and have added 4 more Magnums since. My .44s have shot everything from .433" balls single loaded, to 300 gr LRNFP T-Rex killers. Almost all of my loading for the last 14 years has been cast lead with my favorite being Ranch Dog 240 gr. RNFP. Lyman's bullets '421, and '244 are about all a body would need for loading a .44 and Unique, Blue Dot, 2400, AA-9, and for the guys that like pain/recoil H110, all work well. One of my favorites for my 629 is about 9.0 gr. Unique under a Lyman 429421 lubed with Carnauba Red (I don't shoot top loads in my 629 anymore). My .44Puma gets a steady diet of 265 gr RNFP Ranch Dog bullets lubed with 45-45-10 and loaded over either Blue Dot, 2400, or WC820. And don't forget "the load" of 10 gr. Unique under a 250 gr. LSWC.

All the lead I shoot is sized to the gun I'll shoot them in. My revolvers get sized to the same diameter as the cylinder throats and my Contender and Puma get sized to .002" over groove diameter. As long as the bullets fit, there is no leading issue. 90% of the alloy I use is wheel weights, air cooled.The only magnum primers I use are used with WC820. For lube I use Carnauba Red (White Label Lubes) for hot stuff and Speed Green (home made) or Mike's Mystery Lube ( homemade of Beeswax, Marvel's Mystery Oil, carnauba flakes), and 45-45-10 as a dip lube for everything else.

Reloading for the .44 Magnum has kept me busy for at least 25 years and there's always a new/different combination of components or methods to make up something new and different...

[44man]

mdi, I feel the same. But you are a youngster because I have shot the great gun for 56 years! :Fire:
Any man that likes the .44 is a friend of mine.

[Thumbcocker]

I load 429421's almost exclusively. People on this forum with more experience than I have and who I respect advocate different boolits for hunting or other purposes. I have found that 421429 is a very versatile boolit as far as accuracy over a wide power range. I use two loads mostly. 6.5 of red dot for every day use and 22 of H110 or 4227 for hunting. Either of these will scare the snot out of a soda can at 100 when all is right. A good learning load is 6.0 of 231. Standard disclaimers on the loads. In my opinion you have a gun chambered for possibly the most versatile pistol round there is for a hand loader. Study her and treat her right and she will recripericate.

[Bucking the Tiger]

Reading this thread inspired me to join.
You now own a really fantastic revolver( I just bought my third S&W 44 Magnum) This is an extremely versatile caliber.
I would highly recommend the Lyman 429421 design boolit. Lyman, Accurate Molds(Look for the K), Mountain Molds, or my favorite: NOE Molds make great molds. Size them at .430 is a great place to start. There are a lot of heavyweight 44 boolits, but none have the versatility of this Elmer Keith design. It works at a wide range of velocities and is very accurate at long range. It has a giant lube groove so almost any half decent lube will work
I use straight air cooled wheel weights for anything under 1200 fps, and Lyman #2 or linotype for faster speeds.
Powder choices are numerous. I use Bullseye for light stuff, Unique for 800 to 1100 fps, and Alliant 2400 for full power. I am not a fan of H110/ W296: They offer maximum velocity, but are fine ball powders that burn really hot. A steady diet of this will wear your barrel out over time.
Wish you the best with your 44!

[45fan]

.44 Magnum! My all time, most favorite cartridge! I started reloading for my S&W 629 in '86 and have added 4 more Magnums since. My .44s have shot everything from .433" balls single loaded, to 300 gr LRNFP T-Rex killers. Almost all of my loading for the last 14 years has been cast lead with my favorite being Ranch Dog 240 gr. RNFP. Lyman's bullets '421, and '244 are about all a body would need for loading a .44 and Unique, Blue Dot, 2400, AA-9, and for the guys that like pain/recoil H110, all work well. One of my favorites for my 629 is about 9.0 gr. Unique under a Lyman 429421 lubed with Carnauba Red (I don't shoot top loads in my 629 anymore). My .44Puma gets a steady diet of 265 gr RNFP Ranch Dog bullets lubed with 45-45-10 and loaded over either Blue Dot, 2400, or WC820. And don't forget "the load" of 10 gr. Unique under a 250 gr. LSWC.

All the lead I shoot is sized to the gun I'll shoot them in. My revolvers get sized to the same diameter as the cylinder throats and my Contender and Puma get sized to .002" over groove diameter. As long as the bullets fit, there is no leading issue. 90% of the alloy I use is wheel weights, air cooled.The only magnum primers I use are used with WC820. For lube I use Carnauba Red (White Label Lubes) for hot stuff and Speed Green (home made) or Mike's Mystery Lube ( homemade of Beeswax, Marvel's Mystery Oil, carnauba flakes), and 45-45-10 as a dip lube for everything else.

Reloading for the .44 Magnum has kept me busy for at least 25 years and there's always a new/different combination of components or methods to make up something new and different...

mdi you say "(I don't shoot top loads in my 629 anymore)" not sure what you mean by top loads. Do you mean hot, high velocity loads or something else?

[45fan]

Lots of info and suggestions, it appears I have some home work to do. I want to start off with light loads obviously then work up to hotter loads. I would like to find a boolit design for all around use from home defense, hunting, to "plinking" steel plates at the range. Then if I see a need for a different boolit design I will go from there. It does sound like COWW will work for my allow but I do believe I will get a different powder in the long run and keep my HP-38 for my 45 acp and my starting 44 light loads.

I do like hearing what other are using and their experiences with different combos. So keep em coming guys.

Thanks
Allen

[44man]

I am not a fan of H110/ W296: They offer maximum velocity, but are fine ball powders that burn really hot. A steady diet of this will wear your barrel out over time.
Wish you the best with your 44!
Not true, only Lil Gun can harm the gun from heat. My old SBH has just reached 70,000 rounds and will still do 1-1/4" at 100 yards. ALL of my revolvers use 296 except the 45-70.
Both H110 and 296 have enough coating for a cool progressive burn.
My 29's thrived on 296.
The 29's can take pressure but not super heavy recoil of heavy boolits. The cylinder stop can unlock the gun and the pin in the center of the cylinder that unlocks the front lock will get peened. S&W has addressed some of this with a stronger cylinder stop spring and a hardened pin. How much, I don't know. But I have heard of the S&W .500 mag doubling because the stop unlocked. The cylinder goes BACKWARDS and hammer bounce can fire the first loaded chamber.
Other then that, the 29 can take hot loads all day, just don't stick 300 gr or more boolits in them.
Some talk of frame stretch but I have never seen it and don't know what they did. Maybe looking for 1500 to 1600 fps.
The cranes on S&W's are not real hard and I have seen bent ones from the movie junk of twisting the gun to close them. Do you know I can straighten them by hand? Not an issue if you treat the guns right.
It is a fine gun, built like a watch so don't use a ford wrench to wind them.

[Bucking the Tiger]

Fair enough: Thank you for the information. I may have to give 296 another looking at. I am a bit biased about most ball powders(and 296 was the first powder I ever loaded in the 44....). Thank you, 44man.

[44man]

Fair enough: Thank you for the information. I may have to give 296 another looking at. I am a bit biased about most ball powders(and 296 was the first powder I ever loaded in the 44....). Thank you, 44man.
Me and 296 are a love affair. I do use standard primers with a preference of the Fed 150 in the .44.
Larger uses the 155.