What is your favorite do it all .44mag mold and why?

[21Glock]

Hi guys,
I have been casting for a few years now( 45acp, 10mm, and 500S&W bullets) and use LEE molds and will be getting a S&W 29 Classic revolver in the next few weeks. I had one of these guns years ago, and never cast for it.

I will be shooting some light target loads and some magnum loads, is there a mold, preferably a LEE mold, ok if it's not, that I could shoot from 1000-1300fps, water quenched ww and no gas checks,if possible, and have minimal or no leading in my 6.5" Smith 29?

I know I am asking alot, just want to see if it's possible.

Thanks!

[telebasher]

Lyman 429421 will do mild to wild in my guns just as Elmer intended. I have others but this is all I will ever need. YMMV..

[kenyerian]

Hard to beat the 429421.

[Petrol & Powder]

The RCBS 44-250-K which for all practical purposes is a Lyman 429421 !

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

I too would choose the RCBS keith to the lyman, but to be honest the bullet I shoot the most is the NOE 432 230 WC. It looks like a tiny 55 gallon drum and loaded over 5.5 hrs of Green dot I can consistently put 6 in the same hole at 25 yards.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

H&G #503 does it all for me in both my M29's. For BE shooting I also use H&G #107...a full WC for 25 yards. LLS

[runfiverun]

the lyman 429667 is my all around 44 caliber boolit of choice. [44 mag/445 super/44 special/44-40]
I have the 241 [and 3-4 other molds] and have modified one of my lever guns for it, but the 667 does everything just as well or better.

[kenyerian]

http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,920.0.html It is not too late to get in on this group buy and you can order it in Plain Base. If that is too heavy for you Noe has a good selection of PB Molds for the 44.

[Outpost75]

My Go-To .44 bullet for the .44-40 and . 44 Magnum is Accurate's 43-230G.
I'm not hung up on heavier bullets. A metre of gelatin penetration is quite enough!

[pworley1]

I have several 429 to 431 molds, but if I could only have one, it would be the 429421.

[nagantguy]

As of late my do favorite has been the Lee 430-310. With gas check and pc it weights in at 313, from full house h110 loads in carbines to moderate 2400 loads to puffers with unique or bullseye I've just had a blast with it, even the lightest loading with it should be up to any task. Lee hit a home run with my particular mold, it drops round perfect boolits that shoot well in every gun I've feed it to and several powders. It's a hammer for sure but doesn't have to be on both ends....I'm getting two of my jet black pcd boolits turned into pendants for my girls.

[hendere]

It's not very exciting because I like to be different, but my 429421 just plain works.

[21Glock]

Anyone use the LEE 44 SWC 240gr. TL bullet? I have seen some good reviews for it on Youtube and Midway USA's website.

[Hickory]

The 429421 will do it all.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i have a few molds for the 44 but i like this one the best so does my Ruger SBH and my T/C Contender http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-250J-D.png next is my RCBS 44-250k
just like to add the Accurate mold drops at .434 and 268gr with my range lead and at 100 yards out of my Contender i can keep just over a 2" group and on a real good day 1" group

[Ramjet-SS]

Lyman Devestator CG HP it is lethal on all game and accurate in my guns.

[Mal Paso]

H&G 503 clone from NOE. The 503 is Elmer's redesign for the 44 Magnum. The 429421 predates the Magnum. NOE's version has all 3 drive bands .010". and it comes out weighing about 270g. I had been shooting the MP version which gives up some bearing surface to the lube and crimp grooves. Wondering if the reduced amount of lube could be a problem I shot 100 rounds (19g 2400, 6" S&W 629) in the Heat of Arizona's Ben Avery Shooting Facility. I had a good Lube Star on the crown and no leading despite the temperature. I have never before had to stop because the gun was too hot to touch. Anyway it's slightly heavy for caliber. Mold quality is excellent. Casts .432" or better(WW). They also have the 429421 but it's .434 and sizing water dropped to .431 or smaller can be a bear. The quality is better than Lee but you can use Lee handles.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=1969&osCsid=tvp7uni57602p8lghli951s7l2

[runfiverun]

I have used the 240gr LEE it shoots pretty well but I ain't tried pushing it.
I'd probably buy the mold if I didn't have more than I use now.

[EDK]

429421/#503 or clone are the classics.
BUT for revolver only, a clone of 429352 (Blammer group buy) is a favorite. NOE and ACCURATE have some good wadcutter molds.
For rifle and revolver, 429667 or 429640 are good. RANCH DOG 432-265 and the lube groove clone from NOE are right up there also.
It's great to have some many designs available.

[Shuz]

429421,H&G 503 clone,Saeco 441,& RCBS 44- 250KT, are all the most accurate I've ever shot in over 50 years playing around with cast boolits in the .44 magnum. A person really can't go wrong with any of those designs as far as accuracy goes. In some rifles, these designs are a bit finicky in feeding from a magazine, but can be made to work by adjusting OAL, etc. If a rifle is in the future, I'd look at a Lyman 429667 or a Lee 200 RNFP. These both feed and shoot well in my Winchester Trapper as well as my Smith and Ruger revolvers.

[Larry Gibson]

"The RCBS 44-250-K which for all practical purposes is a Lyman 429421 ! "

+1 !

I've used thousands of each over the years and find it, as several here have said, "does it all". If you want one mould either of those will do nicely. If you don't want a Lyman or RCBS mould almost all mould makers, except Lee, make a very similar mould. I do use a lot of the Lee 240s for 44 SPL and medium level loads in the 800 - 1050 fps range. I have not been able to get the Lee to do as well as the 429421 or 44-250-K with magnum level loads. I use the 429421 or 44-250-K for any 1100 - 1400+ fps PB'd cast bullet loads out of my 44 handguns.

Larry Gibson

[odis]

I like the 43-250-k from Tom at accurate. It drops them at .431 with WW alloy. Haven't felt the need for anything else.

[Ramjet-SS]

I have used the 240gr LEE it shoots pretty well but I ain't tried pushing it.
I'd probably buy the mold if I didn't have more than I use now.

Now there is a problem we all suffer from.....

[rintinglen]

I can not do other than join the chorus for the 44-250k, 429-421 boolits. 6.5 grains of WW-231, 8.5 grains of Unique, 19.5 grains of 2400=everything I need done.

[Rodfac]

Given only one choice, it would be Lyman's 429215 GC, an old Ray Thompson design from the 40's I believe. His other famous mold for .44's is 429244 GC, a 240 gr SWC in the Keith style. Both are superbly accurate...less than an inch at 25 yds from a firm rest from my revolvers, and the same at 50 yds from my Marlin 336 in .44 Magnum.

The 429215 GC drops at 220 grains from my double cavity mold when using a WW+1% tin alloy...it's lighter in recoil for smaller .44 Spl guns, conserves precious lead alloy and has all the smack I need for random targets or hunting/defense use. I like Win 231 in both Special and Magnum length brass, but Ac#9, Unique, Herco, and 2400 do as well. I've even done some really good work lately with 4759.

I size mine with a 0.431" RCBS die after lightly swirl lubing with White Label's 45-45-10 or LLA. While sizing in my Lyman 450, I lube with 50-50 and seat Hornady GC's. It's a great combination that I've used literally thousands of times...my go-to bullet for all things .44.

A close 2nd is Lyman's 429421 or Mihec's copy of the old H&G 503 (true copies of Keith's original 429421 bullet with square lube grooves and equal width driving and scrapping bands). Either will duplicate the 429215 GC grouping and neither needs a GC to prevent leading even up to 1200 fps with WW+1% alloy and not water quenched either.

These two heavier molds drop in the 260-265 gr weight region and I size them as I do the others, ie. 0.431" which works very well through the oversize bore of my Marlins as well as my Ruger and S&W .44's. The same powders work equally well with them. The Mihec copy came with 3 different HP pins allowing a variety of options. In my guns, the Penta style one gives equal accuracy to the solid type, and saves a bit of alloy...expansion is moderate with the Penta petals folding back to some extant at velocities over 1100 fps. It'd be a deadly combination for defense/hunting, for sure. Pic below of that 6.5 load / 429215 gc load at 25 yds.

HTH's Rod

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii64/Rodfac/Targets/D44Tgt.jpg (http://s261.photobucket.com/user/Rodfac/media/Targets/D44Tgt.jpg.html)