Ruger redhawk throats .433 is this bad?

[500bfrman]

I just slugged the throats on a super redhawk and they came out 433. that's not a good thing is it?

[dubber123]

It's WAY better than having them smaller than the bore. What is the bore by the way?

[454PB]

It is if the bore is .432", but then you'll need a mould that casts .433".

So, it depends on other measurements. It would be worse if the throats were too small.

[500bfrman]

I haven't even done the bore yet too:-(. I'm concerned that I'll be sizing the boolit. MIght it be too tight to fit the chamber? I was reading at mountain molds about a s/w that Dan had .433 throats on and he had to trim brass to make it fit.

[Swagerman]

500bfman, I can seat .432 bullets easily in my .44 spl. brass, and my standard .44 special dies can seat and crimp the bullets to perfection.

But, got you beat, my model 441 Taurus has .434 diameter chamber throats. I'm making .431 and .432 bullets that going to down size to .429 in the barrel's rifling.

What is helping me process these bumped up bullets is my swaging die in .432 diameter. It is also great for seating gas checks as well.

Have Lyman .432 lube sizing die, as well as a Star .432 diameter.

As soon as the snow departs and the gun ranges are open again, can begin testing these new bullets.

Jim

[44man]

The gun will do very well with .431" to .432" boolits. Don't size them, just lube and shoot as cast if your mold casts a large enough boolit. Any oversize boolit you can chamber will work. Ruger chambers might even take a .434".
Now what is this about trimming brass to fit oversize throats???? :confused: He might have had to turn or ream to fit the chamber, but not trim it. S&W's have tight chambers.
My SBH has .4324" throats and shoots .430" bullets and boolits just super.

[500bfrman]

yeah it was turning not trimming. :oops:

[Swagerman]

A cheap way to go to gain larger bullet diameters would be to beagle them moulds so they drop out larger.

My friend Don, in Bosie ID did this on request and he was extremely successful first time trying it. He got the beagle information from this forum and had at it.

He claims to be fairly new at bullet casting, but his results are fantastic. I've managed to acquire nearly 900 CB from him in a #2 lead mix...about 16 to 1.


If you don't have a swaging die to bump up bullets, you might try converting a Lee 30/30 seating die...it mikes out around .432 but could could be a tad bigger...I'm not very good at miking cylinders or barrels.

However, the Lee die would require you making an ejector stem of that diameter to push the bullet back out of the swage die as they tend to stay where they are shoved. The Lee die would also require a bolt that fits the top end of the die and has a hole through for the ejector stem.

I know this is bit too much for a beginner, but it works.


Jim

[500bfrman]

Well my main concern is what size mo(u)ld do I buy? Do I try and get 434 and hope they fit? Or do I just go with like a 432? Decisions, decisions. Can't anything every be easy.

[44man]

Unless you order a custom mold you will be hard pressed to find one that will cast large. If you can get .432" you will be lucky.
Check with Ranch Dog, most of his molds cast nice and large.

[500bfrman]

Yeah, I know that I will need to get a custom to do it. I guess I'm just debating should I. It seem like the chambers were rather large, they had a little play in them with a piece of brass in them. I'm thinking it will fit. I guess I need to slug the bore and make sure its not like 50 caliber or something:mrgreen:

[44man]

You will find a few thousandths is not as critical as you think. If you want a larger boolit I would find a way to expand one to what you want, load a dummy and see if it will chamber.
You can paper patch a few to .433 and .434. Even a jacketed bullet will work for that.
Also remember that if the boolit style you choose has a nose that needs to enter the throats, you don't want to go over size. I have a big Lyman .45 boolit like that with a long portion that needs to enter the throats.
Of course if you are not too much oversize, the boolit can be sized to fit.

[Swagerman]

I say again, if you want bigger bullets from normal size moulds that drop .430 or .431 diameters -- you should look in the forum's archives for how to beagle moulds.

Beagling a mould merely involves putting some small Royal aluminum tape strips between the moulds two side blocks.

This will increase the bullets diameter 2 to 3 thousands...and you are doing it with regular buy able moulds that don't need to be custom made.

Stop dwadling and look up 'Beagling'. :)

It works for a lot of us.

Jim

[EDK]

I'm loading for a number of Ruger Original Size VAQUEROS and BLACK HAWKS in 44 magnum. While I have not slugged the barrels, I've checked the chamber throats on most of them with sized boolits; a measured .430+ will go through and a .432- will not. I bought a .432 sizer die for my STAR that is maybe .0003 undersize...just enough to see on the mic. I've been experimenting with .432 versus .430 and no change in die settings, etc. Everything chambers as before.

I just checked an assortment of unsized boolits with the same elderly STARRETT micrcometer and most all of them ran .435 or larger in various alloys.....only tight one was a LYMAN 429649 that ran .432. The guys who shoot BLACK POWDER CARTRIDGE RIFLE want a die in the sizer that is oversize and only lubes the boolits...I use a .512 for a .510 or .511 as cast.

An option would be a harder alloy to incease size. I once cast some boolits out of monotype/foundry type...ran about .004 larger than my regular alloy! Then get a custom sizer in .433 or .434. Magma has made some odd-balls for me for the STAR. LEE will make the push through in custom sizes. I don't know about the LYMAN/RCBS or SAECO dies available in custom sizes since Mr. Stillwell retired.

I'd try loading a dummy round with whatever unsized boolit you cast and try it. If it chambers, work from there. Your boolit is going to slug up some in the throats and then be sized down in the forcing cone and barrel. You'd be surprised how large the forcing cone is also...I could partially insert a .452 boolit base first into most of the 44 VAQUEROS and BLACK HAWKS.

Lots of questions; lots of answers! The more you reload and research and study, the more you realize there is learn. Thank God for the guys on the forums who will keep you from "re-inventing the wheel."

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[slughammer]

What 44 mold(s) do you have?

[500bfrman]

I don't have any 44 mo(u)lds yet. I usually don't shoot anything this small.:mrgreen: I don't really see the point of buying a mo(u)ld and then trying to change it. If I already had some I could see that.

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree with 44 man. People get way to anal with this crap. Id about bet you that even a 431 bullet would do just fine in that gun.

[Swagerman]

I don't have any 44 mo(u)lds yet. I usually don't shoot anything this small.:mrgreen: I don't really see the point of buying a mo(u)ld and then trying to change it. If I already had some I could see that.


Then you are SOOL, as Dirty Harry would say.

If you want bigger bullets you won't find them at your local gun shop.

In this pursuit you have to work at things to achieve what you want in results. At least that's what I've experienced.

Best of luck to you.

Jim

[500bfrman]

so what I'm getting is this. Slug the throats if they are over 431ish just shoot that. I"m not saying that's wrong, just a little odd is all. But 44 man has forgotten more about casting/shooting this week than I will ever know.

[anachronism]

You can also increase "as cast" bullet diameter a bit by using a high antimony alloy, such as linotype. You may pick up a couple of thousandths there if nothing else. The first step would to buy a mould, and see what you're starting out with there. You could also lap out the mould a bit if all else fails. Try a LEE mould to start out with, I've seen plenty of them that cast large. I always special order my Star siging dies to match the average "as cast" bullet diameters. This way I still get to use the Star to lube the bullets, but they don't really size the bullet at all, so almost all my bullets are shot unsized. My 44 mag Star die measures .432, and these bullets chamber in every revolver and lever action I've ever had.

[NSP64]

I just slugged the throats on a super redhawk and they came out 433. that's not a good thing is it?

only if it's a .45 cal:drinks:

[Lloyd Smale]

I guess were not saying its ideal but most of the time the gun will shoot well. the altenatives are cutting a new cylinder or dealing with custom molds. custom molds can be a money pit as there expensive and even if you buy one theres no guarantee your gun is going to like that particular bullet and good luck selling it without about giving it away. If it were mine id try shooting bullets at least 431 and stick to either gas checked bullets or plain based bullets no harder then about #2. Use a good lube too. this is no place for stuff like tumble lubes. Id about bet youd be surprised how well that gun shoots. to be honest with you ive never measured a 44 ruger. Ive owned probably close to 20 of them through the years and ive yet to have one that didnt shoot well and never could see slugging a gun that shot well. All it does is bring up doubts like the ones you have. Heck ive gone through the agravation of slugging a gun and ordering a sizer just for it say marked at 454 and found that it sizes to 453 or 455 and with a differnt alloy and springback those numbers can even get worse. dont sweat the small stuff unless its actually causing a problem. Youll find enough problem guns in your lifetime that do need work.
so what I'm getting is this. Slug the throats if they are over 431ish just shoot that. I"m not saying that's wrong, just a little odd is all. But 44 man has forgotten more about casting/shooting this week than I will ever know.

[500bfrman]

custom molds can be a money pit as there expensive and even if you buy one theres no guarantee your gun is going to like that particular bullet and good luck selling it without about giving it away. .

Yeah, that's my concern spend a bunch of money and it still might not fit. Thanks for all the help and advice all.