newbe cast .44 shooter

[45-70 shoooter]

I have been trying to work up a load for my smith 629 44 magnum using laser cast boolits and trail boss powder
i have tried from the bottom up near the top of what imr suggest for a powder charge and still get leading
i am new to shooting cast so i don't know how much lead to expect.
i am trying to figure out if there is something wrong with the bullet combination or whether it is something wrong with the gun
thanks in advance for the help

[calsite]

you might want to slug your barrel, check your inside diameter (grooves) Are you shooting
.429 or .430 boolits right now? Where is the leading appearing in your barrel?

[calsite]

your asking the question in a great forum, should get some very good info back. I've learned a ton since I've been a member. I as well shoot a .44 S&W, Mod. 24. it's a .44 Special and have shot quite a few Lee moulded lead boolits through her as well as my .44 Vaquero. Had mixed results, alittle leading doesn't bother me as long as it comes out pretty easy. That would be one thing you could do in the interim, towards the end of your firing session make the last 15-20 rounds jacketed boolits, that'll loosen up alot of that leading, cleans alot easier. Hope we can get you straightened out, sounds like you've got a lot of shooting ahead of you.

[45-70 shoooter]

The bullets i am shooting are supposed to be .431 but i have measured a couple and they are slightly over that the leading appears to be in the first 1.5" and the last 1" of the barrel it is no big deal to clean it i am using 50/50 vinegar hydrogen peroxide it just dosn't seem right that i would have leading after only one cylinder full

[StrawHat]

The only experience I have with Laser Cast bullets is from reading about them so...

The reason I don't use them is from what I read they are a hard alloy of lead. For me the harder alloys will lead a barrel so I prefer softer alloys.

Hang around and a lot of the others will chime in with a variety of loads and other data.

Why Trail Boss? What velocity are you trying to hit?

[James C. Snodgrass]

I have shot some and they are very hard . You may want to try a bit more powder or more likely more pressure. For a light load out of my 44's I use a medium to fast powder like Unique or Hs-6 or Red Dot. The key to it is to get the bullet to obdurate and seal the chambers and not let the gas by to cut on the base of the bullet.:)

[Bass Ackward]

Shooter,

Did you slug your gun? You could be running too much pressure too quickly. Try a slower powder like Unique. That could be the reason for the leading at the cone area. The muzzle leading is cause you blew the lube off back in the cone area.

Only slugging will tell you if you have a rough spot or a constriction. I have a brand new 625-8 and I have about .0005 constriction. So it still happens.

Only you can answer the question, Is it the gun, or is it me?

[lovedogs]

All the above is correct. Most of the commercial cast I've seen for pistols is too hard. You have to really kick 'em out hard or they'll not obturate and seal bores well, which causes leading. You might want to read up more on loading and shooting lead bullets so you understand all the things that matter. You need the right alloy, the right hardness, the right diameter, the right lube... and shoot them at the right pressures. Different powders behave differently, also. I don't have any low loads for my .44's. Most of my .44's shoot a #2 Lyman alloy with a gas check, sized close to, or .001 over bore diameter, with Larsen's 50/50 Alox lube. Once I get a bbl. smoothed enough for shooting cast they don't lead enough to even notice. You may also want to check cylinder and throat dimensions to make sure they're correct. I have used Unique and Herco powder but usually prefer 2400 or H110.

[45r]

Some of the S&W 44 mags have cylinder throats that are .433 and 431 boolits aren't thick enough to seal well.My PCHunter has 429 throats and shoots lazer-cast into ragged hole groups.My old 629 shot best with slow powders like H-110 and J-word bullets like 240 rem and 270 gold dots.It had .433 throats.I gave it to my son when I got my PCHunter 44 mag.

[Three44s]

Try this:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

Click on the left bar: Book

Three 44s

[Ghugly]

I'm sure that I don't have near the experience that most of the guys here have. I did, however, have a similar experience with commercially cast boolits. I got a bottle of Lee's liquid alox and lubed the boolits with it. It worked for me. It may or may not work for you. If nothing else, it's cheap, easy, and it will do no harm.

[Dark Helmet]

I had a 629 Classic 5", first thing I shot in it was the Speer 240gr swaged SWC over 18-20 gr 2400, CCI Large pistol primers. Shot really well, no leading.

[45-70 shoooter]

thanks for all the advice i slugged the barrel and was unable to measure it due to the 5 grooves but i could definitely feel tight spot under the threads and at the muzzle think i am going to order BTB firelapping kit and get the barrel in shape and then i will start over
thanks again and it is sure nice to have a resource like this available at your fingertips

[calsite]

I second that, I've shot several boxes of my reloads with the Speer swaged .430 boolits, out of both my .44's, Model 24 and Vaquero with no leading. My Model 24 cylinder slug mic'd out at .428, maybe I ought to check that again.

[EDK]

Hard boolits and low pressure loads like Trail Boss are a recipe for leading. You might want to go to another powder and higher velocity/pressure for better results. I'm surprised no one has not suggested the classic Skeeter Skelton 44 Special load of a 250 grain Keith semi wad cutter and 7.5 grains of Unique. I'm getting good results out of a 200 grain full wadcutter from a group buy mould and 6.0 Titegroup in various 44 Rugers.

Hard boolits will lead quicker than softer alloys. Likewise, undersized boolits will lead. I just received a .432 die for my Star and will try it as soon as I can. There's a lot of options on alloys, sizing and lubing boolits; then you can experiment with primers and powders and crimping. You are standing on top of the proverbial ice berg with your questions.

:cbpour::redneck:

[StrawHat]

tight spot under the threads and at the muzzle think i am going to order BTB firelapping kit and get the barrel in shape and then i will start over

Not being a fan of firelapping, I will counsel against it. I would suggest firing a few hundred jacketed rounds to see if that doesn't help smooth things out.

This may open a can of worms and I am not trying to hijack this thread but a lot of barrels have been ruined by firelapping.

Good luck.

[9.3X62AL]

I am another BIG fan of "Skeeter's Load" in the 44 Special, 7.5 grains of Unique behind Lyman #429421. 8.0 to 8.3 grains of Unique in 44 Magnum cases will yield similar results--but I use Herco in the Mag cases--8.0 grains in the 41 Magnum for "police load" ballistics with the 210 grain SWC, and 9.0 grains of Herco with 44 Magnum cases for "Skeeter's Load" with #429421.

[runfiverun]

what bass said
i usually melt down l-cast and make rifle boolits out of them
untill they went to 72.00 a box:shocked: