slugging a .44mag Handi Rifle

[.429]

has anyone ever slugged the barrel on a handi rifle? i'm wanting to get one and i'm hoping that 1 of my 2 molds will work for it. i know i'm gonna slug it when i get it. just thought i might get some input from u guys. another question...will it work out fine to use the same loads as for my revolver? or should i use a diff powder for the rifle loads?

[Nobade]

Every one I have seen was .433" or a touch bigger.

Use the same powder as you would in revolver loads. It might take a different seating depth and a different charge but the same powders will work fine.

-Nobade

[.429]

.433?? yikes!

[45-70 Chevroner]

I got rid of a Rossi single shot 44 mag because the bore was over sized. I also heard the same thing about the 44 Handi rifle. I think I will just stick with my Super 14 TC.

[Nobade]

Well, that is SAAMI spec for a 44 mag rifle barrel.

My own shoot really well with boolits paper patched to .434" but never did much with naked ones. Marlin 1894 is the same way.

-Nobade

[Lonegun1894]

My H&R .44 slugs to .4325". I took a Lee mould and polished it out to .434" and it works fine, but I have been thinking of using another one I have that casts at .430" and trying to PP it and see what it does. With the plain base cast boolits I get about 1500fps and it shoots into 3-4" at 100yds with the 4x scope I have on it, so nothing special accuracy wise, but good enough for the hogs that I take at 50yds and the pests I shoot with it in my garden at 15-20yds. Now it did 1.5-2.5" at 100yds with jacketed but I trust the cast more on hogs and am too cheap to use it in garden with the cost of jacketed nowadays, so it was an easy choice to use cast with it. Now I got my barrel used and mounted it on my 12ga's frame so I don't know how old the barrel is, just that it is the 1:38" twist.

[.429]

does anyone make a .434 240gr mold?

[.429]

I got rid of a Rossi single shot 44 mag because the bore was over sized. I also heard the same thing about the 44 Handi rifle. I think I will just stick with my Super 14 TC.

what does ur TC slug?

[Nobade]

does anyone make a .434 240gr mold?

Yep, lots of them out there. NOE, Accurate, Mountain Molds, and others as well.

-Nobade

[Lonegun1894]

I took a Lee 240SWC mold and put some polishing compound on it and spun it with a power drill. Little at a time and several slugs later I was casting .434". It still sizes down to .431" fine for my revolver when I feel like sizing it down like I used to before I got the H&R, but they shoot just fine unsized in the Ruger and shoot like **** in the H&R if I do size them, so sizing is a waste of time currently.

[Four-Sixty]

I've seen so many complaints about boolit to bore fit on the .44 Mag Handi-rifle that I've just about ruled out ever getting this barrel.

[onegunred]

Why are 44 barrels oversized? I see bullets and boolits at .429 and .430 and they are more common to a non caster. I don't cast and don't want to stock 3 different boolits, I load for my SBH's but want 1 load fits all.

[.429]

Why are 44 barrels oversized? I see bullets and boolits at .429 and .430 and they are more common to a non caster. I don't cast and don't want to stock 3 different boolits, I load for my SBH's but want 1 load fits all.

i agree with u! i'm also wanting things to be a simple as possible. now i'm wondering if i should get a .434 mold and use them straight out of the mold for a rifle and size them down to .430 for my alaskan? is sizing .434 down to a .430 gonna be a problem in any way?

[kenjuudo]

I've seen so many complaints about boolit to bore fit on the .44 Mag Handi-rifle that I've just about ruled out ever getting this barrel.


Lapping out a cheap Lee mold and an afternoon of tweaking got this 100 yard target. Very repeatable and easy clean up. This one was quite loose at .4345".

67946

[Lonegun1894]

I wouldn't rule one of these out, as the target above shows. Yes, they require a little tweaking of the mold, but so does every other .44 Mag rifle due to the .432" rifle spec as opposed to the .429" handgun SAAMI specs. Yes, I wish they had made the same specs for both to simplify life for us, but at the same time, this is the nice thing about handloading our own ammunition. And yes, there is as much difference between a handloader and a reloader as there is between a reloader and just a shooter. We handloaders can do things that a shooter only dreams of, and things that make a reloader nervous til they graduate and join our ranks.

[.429]

i've decided to still get a handi rifle in .44mag but i don't trust myself to "lap" out a .430 mold so i'll just spend the coin for a .434-.435 mold

[ironhead7544]

Just slugged my M92 Rossi in 44 Mag. Came out at just a hair less than .430. Most users have slugged theirs at .429 lately. Bought some generic 200 gr RNFP cast bullets at .429 and they worked just fine. My Marlin Cowboy 1894 slugged at .432.

If I wanted a single shot 44 Mag I would just develop a load for it. Thats what handloaders do.

[45-70 Chevroner]

what does ur TC slug?

I haven't slugged this 14" TC since I just traded for it. I will check it out though.

[Nobade]

i've decided to still get a handi rifle in .44mag but i don't trust myself to "lap" out a .430 mold so i'll just spend the coin for a .434-.435 mold

I tell ya, paper patching works really good in 44 mag rifles, and you don't need a new mould.

-Nobade

[.429]

I tell ya, paper patching works really good in 44 mag rifles, and you don't need a new mould.

-Nobade

i've never done any paper patching...i'll look into it before i buy anything

[.429]

Lapping out a cheap Lee mold and an afternoon of tweaking got this 100 yard target. Very repeatable and easy clean up. This one was quite loose at .4345".

67946
very nice! irons or scope?

[.429]

Just slugged my M92 Rossi in 44 Mag. Came out at just a hair less than .430. Most users have slugged theirs at .429 lately. Bought some generic 200 gr RNFP cast bullets at .429 and they worked just fine. My Marlin Cowboy 1894 slugged at .432.

If I wanted a single shot 44 Mag I would just develop a load for it. Thats what handloaders do.
i'm gonna look into the M92 because slugging at .429 is right up my ally!!

[Lonegun1894]

I've been thinking the same thing. Mainly that I wish the 92 was .429" like my handguns, and I think this is some of the best news I've had in the past few days.

[onegunred]

Why can they not make the barrels .429 or .430? Or should I ask why will they not make them 429?

[Lonegun1894]

I have no idea. All I know is that there is one SAAMI spec for handguns in .44 Mag, and a different one for rifles. But as to the why, it has never made sense to me, so maybe someone will come along and edumacate us both on this.