Need load for .44 SBH

[hylander]

With 240gr. SJSP's and a max load of H-110 I get under 2" groups at 50yds.
But so far with 240 Laser cast and 250 Keith style and H-110, no gas check, I can not get a consistant grouping. I'll get one group really nice and then it will oen up to 4" :eek:
Also I get alot of leading, mostley at forcing cone.
I did Slug my bore and cylinders:
Bore = .429
Cylinders = .433
I have tried .430 and .431 cast bullets so far.
should I just keep my cast shooting to Plinking and target loads, If so
I need some good recipies.
Thanks

[Larry Gibson]

Did you cast these bullets or are they commercial cast?

Are they flat base bullets or bevel base bullets?

If you cast these bullets, what alloy?

If you cast them, what lube?

If they are commercial cast do they have the hard wax lube?

What powder weight of 2400?

Larry Gibson

[hylander]

Did you cast these bullets or are they commercial cast?
Are they flat base bullets or bevel base bullets?
If you cast these bullets, what alloy?
If you cast them, what lube?
If they are commercial cast do they have the hard wax lube?
What powder weight of 2400?
Larry Gibson

H-110, 22 - 23gr.
Laser Cast 240 RNF hard lube, .431
No gas check
Average group 3.5"- 5"

H-110, 23-24gr.
A freinds cast 250 Keith flat base soft lube, .429-.430
No gas check
Average group 2.5" - 3.5"

[Junior1942]

You're WAY overdriving those plain base cast bullets. Get data from the Hodgdon web site. If you insist on hotrodding that SBH get a gas check bullet or a jacketed bullet.

[Larry Gibson]

Junior is correct, way over driven.

Try 20-22 gr 2400 with your buddies 250 gr Keith bullets if you want a good "classic" magnum load. Try 9 gr of Unique for a medium load at 1050 fps or so.

Wash the hard wax lube off the Laser Cast with Coleman fuel (let soak for a couple hours and it comes right off. Let them dry and tumble lube in LLA or have your buddy lube them for you. Any good Alox/beeswax lube will do like Javelina. Then load them over 18.5 gr 2400. Use standard LP primers. Two things are causing the leading in the throat. Over driving the bullets is one and the other is the hard wax lube is not up to the task.

Also to equal the accuracy at 50 yards with cast you will have to be selective about the bullets and alloy. You should get sub 2" groups at 25 yards without to much problems with commercial cast or home "production" cast bullets.

Larry Gibson

[hylander]

Thanks Guys :
I figured I was pushing the bullets to hard, but this is my Pig and Bear gun.
My hunting Load is a 240gr. SJSP driven by 24gr. of H-110 which gives
me 1,350fps and under 2" @ 50yds.
I'll try the 9gr. of Unique under the Keith :wink:

[30hrrtt]

your major issue is the size of the bullets being .429-.430

you cannot push the hard lasercast hard enough even with your magnum load to bump up to cylinder size causing leading

with a cylinder size of .433 you need a little larger bullet for better performance

if your friend does not have a larger sizer, cast with a softer mix on the 250 keiths which will allow for better bump up to cylinder size

best option is to shoot bullets at .433 or slightly bigger for better performance and less leading

[30hrrtt]

I mean you're shooting .430 & .431 still too small

[EDK]

Buy your buddy a .432 or .433 sizer die. BUCKSHOT or LATHESMITH?

Buy him a RANCH DOG TLC mould...a 265 or 300 grainer...and dip lube them in LEE LIQUID ALOX or LAR45'S XLOX (very similar, only lots cheaper!) and don't size them. You could get a .432 sizer from RANCH DOG or have BUCKSHOT make you a .433 or .434 LEE style push through set up. You could push these gas checked boolits fairly hard and still get good accuracy...if the price of gas checks isn't a problem. Another benefit is that 5-to-10 of the RD gas checked boolits will remove residual lead after a shooting session of plain base boolits that have leaded your bore. I originally bought the moulds because they were designed for MARLIN rifles...and I've owned one or more of the 357 or 44s for 35+ years. Only problems are some designs are not available in six cavity...and I'd really like them in iron rather than aluminum.

I switched from .430 to .432 and started getting leading in the forcing cone area of assorted VAQUEROS/BLACKHAWKS with various lubes and boolit shapes. Some of them still need to be broke in...low round count. I just went back to .430 and will start experimenting to find what will work. Oversize will cause as many problems as undersize.

Even in the long barreled SUPER BLACKHAWK, I'd back the loads down a bit...probably with Unique or Titegroup. A 1000-to-1100 feet per second load is a lot easier on you and your pistol. There have been some threads about no practical difference between 1000 fps and 1400 fps loads performance on game.

:Fire::redneck::cbpour:

[leadeye]

Ditto on the overspeed. I have had good luck with the RD 265 in my SBH on top of 20 grains of Lil Gun. It performs better in my Marlin though.

[BABore]

My SBH Hunter does extremely well with a custom version of the Lyman 429421. With AC'd 50/50 WW-Pb it does extremely well with 8.5 grs of Unique. Water dropped, the same boolit is very accurate with 24 grains of WW 296 (this is a max load). All boolits are sized to the cylinder throats at 0.4315". The groove diameter is 0.4293. I was getting a little leading just ahead of the forcing cone. This was eliminated through fire lapping. When I do my part, 25 yard groups run just above 1/2". 50 yard groups go around 1 1/2". Mainly due to me shaking around too much.

[EDK]

Don't you hate it when you have two or three boolit holes touching in a nice clover leaf and then anxiety/shooter error throws the next two out. If it was just one gun, I'd do some mechanical work, etc; BUT it's the loose nut holding the big RUGER! Any one of a bunch of 357s or 44s; any load and unfortunately, almost any day

I'm having the minor leading symptoms on any of a dozen guns I have access to since I switched to a .432 sizer die....I switched the die back to a .430, but haven't shot any..."IKE" visited St Louie over the week end." Maybe a little fire lapping would help...357 boolits out of the same alloy are not leading much, if at all.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Three44s]

Throats @ .433, Bore @ .429 and slugs in between.

I would start there.

I respectfully disagree with over driving. Though it's possible for the conditions presented ..... I would not bank on it being the only factor.

I have a Smith and two Rugers that EAT heavy loads pushing the RCBS 250K (a plain based slug) for BREAKFAST and don't lead appreciably.

They used to lead some but now are very good. The big change occured with judicious cleaning with USP bore paste.

Once the leading abated ..... I dropped the USP (abrasive) cleaner.

I think in your case I would try adding Lee Liquid Alox to your stated bullets WITHOUT stripping the old lube out. Just try a few .... it can't hurt much and may save some trouble.

With your cylinder and bore specs I would recommend acquiring this book:

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

(click on "book" on the left side bar)

Some food for thought at the least.

Three 44s