429360 bullet mold

[rrob692326]

I have a 429360 bullet mold that I bought back in 1970 for my 44 magnums, and like most I did not get very good accuracy with it. I have toyed with the idea of opening up the mold, but have come up with something that seems to work without all that fuss. I have been using a very hard alloy which doesn't shrink very much. Then I size the boolit .432 without sizing the last and usually undersized driving band. It seems to work and I know there are others who have this mold and I thought this might also work for them.
Aloha and good luck
RR

[Wally]

Have a good buddy that did that with a 429360 and it didn't help. As I recall he even HP'd it. I tried two different ones and would get many substantial "flyers".....it seems that it is just not possible to have bullets cast from the mold to shoot with consistent accuracy.

[Maven]

RR, You may want to read this: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell44SWC.htm Apparently #429360 was designed for different chamber/throat dimensions from today's. I too owned that mold, which cast beautiful, but inaccurate bullets. A 6" spread @ 25 yds. from a rested Ruger SBH was typical whereas the Lyman & RCBS 250gr. Keith designs grouped under 2" from a rest at the same distance...with open sights.

[theperfessor]

I've got one of those in a two cavity version and never could get much accuracy out of it. Do you think that enlarging the front band would help?

[Guesser]

I'm also toying with the concept of enlarging the front band to .432. I get barely acceptable field accuracy with two Taurus Model 441's in 44 Special. My mold drops 240 grain bullets at .432 base band from WW but the front band is barely .428. If I don't push over 800+/- I can do gophers with adequate repeatability. But I'd like to do better and it is the purtiest 44 bullet I've ever seen.

[Maven]

Keith, I think 429360's undersized front band is the source of our woes if I read Glen's article correctly (post #3). If I still owned that mold, I would indeed enlarge that band.

[GLL]

My 429360 casts very nice bullets but they are not at all accurate ! I am not sure it is worth the expense to gamble on opening up that small front band !

429360 right:
http://www.fototime.com/4D3FAB7846E87C3/orig.jpg

Jerry

[theperfessor]

I might enlarge the front band (and possibly the rest of the bands if necessary) in one cavity only. I've been wanting to try a new technique for enlarging/lapping out a mold cavity in specific places. This would be a good test.

[GLL]

theperfessor:

I look forward to seeing your results !

Jerry