Oversized Commercial Bullets- 432

[burnston]

Good evening all,

First of all, I began my first evening of "registration" by reading Recluse's post "Why some new members will do better than others," which I would recommend to all new members like myself. I hope to fall into a positive category. I've searched previous posts and have found volumes of valuable information, but very little dealing directly with the problem at hand.

I've not yet ventured into boolit casting, but was directed here by multiple friends over at the 'singleactions' forum, (my usual stomping grounds.) That said, I am currently at the mercy of commercially cast bullets. Aware of the limitations accompanying this existence, I am confronted with a sizing dilemma. After a miscommunication with a trusted smith, My S&W m21 cylinder throats were reamed to .431.5. This particular pistol does best on the #429421, and Montana Bullet Works and Beartooth are the only distributors I've found that offer this bullet in .432, both of whom make an excellent product, but are slightly out of my price range.

I acknowledge the audacity of asking a group of casters about commercial bullets, and hope that I am not too far out of place in requesting a more economical suggestion for a commercial provider who stocks this particular size.

I have a lot to learn about reloading and the use of lead projectiles, so perhaps there is an alternative solution outside of a .432 bullet. Please contribute liberally, as I am open to any wisdom or experience you old hands are willing to share. Thank you.

256437

[45workhorse]

https://www.pennbullets.com/44/44-caliber.html

Don't know if these are any cheaper, but another place to look at!

Welcome to the addiction!

[Wheelguns 1961]

If your throats are as stated, I would use .431” sized bullets. I have found that they work best when you can push a bullet through the throats with just a slight resistance.

[burnston]

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I have looked into Penn Bullets and their bullets are tapered, which I would like to avoid.

[burnston]

If your throats are as stated, I would use .431” sized bullets. I have found that they work best when you can push a bullet through the throats with just a slight resistance.

Thank you for your input. Point of clarification; so 431 bullet will create resistance traveling through a 432 throat?

[Wheelguns 1961]

If your throats are .4315” as stated, a .431” bullet will push through using slight finger pressure. This is the fit you want. If you buy a reamer for a 45 colt, it will be .4525” and you use a .452” bullet. You want your bullet to go through your throats without being sized down by the throat. Sounds like your smith sized your throats for .431” bullets.

[Texas by God]

THAT is my idea of a proper .44 revolver! I hope you find your preferred bullets. Someone here can probably provide some.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[mdi]

Quite often, .0005" in bullet diameter won't make any difference. If your throats are .4315", a .431" bullet will probably work fine. (I don't use "push through", "fall through", "tight", "snug" or "loose". They are not measurements). I did a quick search and found Montana Bullet works offers 44 cal. bullets from .429"-.432".

[megasupermagnum]

A .431" bullet is going to be ideal for that gun. I don't buy 44 caliber cast bullets, I only make my own, and all are sized to .431". Oddly it seems that commercial bullets are only offered in .430" and sometimes .432".

Anyway, a source for the bullet you want is Leadheads bullets. They have a "44 keith" #PM44-250, and they offer .431" sizing. $83 for 500. That doesn't sound bad.

https://www.proshootpro.com/secure/OrderForm.aspx

[oconeedan]

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I have looked into Penn Bullets and their bullets are tapered, which I would like to avoid.

What do you mean "tapered"? Are you referring to the beveled base? If so, have no worries, that makes them easier to load and they will shoot fine.
Dan

[Larry Gibson]

Hate to burst a bubble here or stab the sacred cow but I shot a bazillion .429 sized 429421s through numerous 44 SPL and Magnum revolvers. I was using COWW alloy and Javelina lube and never ever got any leading in the cylinder throats or barrels. Back when my eyes were good and hands were steady 12 shot groups (twice around the cylinder) using 2400 or 4227 hovered between 1 to 1 1/2" at 25 yards (rested of course).

Then I read THE article in a gun rag that basically said much better accuracy was to be had if the bullet fit the cylinder throat diameter. I got H&I sizers for .430, .431 and .432 as I and a couple friends with 44s had cylinder throats measured from .430 to .433 (slugged). All the groove diameters slugged out at .429. My single cavity Lyman 429421 mould dropped the bullets right at .431 so I cast up a bunch to be sized and lubed at .429, .430 and .431. I then lapped out the mould so it would drop bullets right at .433 which were sized and lube at .432 and .433. Extensive testing by me and my friends determined as long as the bullet was within a couple thousands of the throat diameter (a .430 bullet in a .431 - .432 size throats) and was not over .002 of the groove diameter accuracy was excellent. Accuracy remained excellent and the same in my Ruger [.431 throats], S&W [.431 throats] with bullets sized at .429, .430, .431....absolutely no difference in accuracy. The Hawes with .433 throats did show an improvement in accuracy with bullets over the .429 sized with .430 and .432 bullets. With the .433 sized bullets all my revolvers show a sharp degradation in accuracy. The same held true in my friends revolvers of which a couple also had .433 throats with .429 barrels and showed the same degradation in accuracy with .433 sized bullets.

If you think about it a .433 bullet being slammed into a .429 barrel gets sized quite a bit especially considering, if a lubed bullet, it will get sized even more riding over the lube. A bullet getting sized down .004 to .006" under the pressure of being fired is not going to be a very well balanced bullet coming out of the barrel. It will not give the best accuracy either.

I currently have three 44 revolvers and use .430 sized bullets in all three with excellent accuracy and no leading. One is still the Hawes with .433 throats [has been "pinned" now and that is correct]. My Ruger FTBH has .431 - .4315 throats (pinned) and my Colt Anaconda has .429 throats (pinned) and I use .429 sized bullets in it although some .430 bullets are used for convenience and they shoot well. The Colt is exceptionally accurate.

I found out the same with numerous S&W and Colt M1917s along with several 45 Colt SAAs of Colt and Uberti make which all had large throats for their barrel groove diameters. Hard cast bullets sized and lubed .452 shot as well as any sized bullet to throat diameter. With a proper alloy and lube no leading was had either.

So, burnston (welcome to the forum BTW), that is a very fine looking S&W and I'm sure it will shoot well. However, unless, maybe, you are a world class revolver shot that revolver, if it has a .429 groove barrel, will not know the difference between .429 a .432 sized bullet. My suggestion is to get a bottle of LLA and buy some Laser Cast .430 sized 240 gr SWC bullets or other manufacturer that is within your price range. Then lube the bullets as per Lee's direction except no further sizing is needed. Let them dry completely so they can be loaded (basically use a light coat and let dry to non-tacky) without making a mess. I'll bett they will shoot as well as any bullet will in your very fine S&W.

Just my suggestion based on years shooting cast bullets in 44 SPLs and 44 Magnums.

[rockrat]

Try some .430" powder coated boolits. I bought some from Chey Cast and will try them in my 624 w/.432 throats. Where are you located in the Sooner State?

[JoeJames]

Oregon Trail .431 240 grain laser cast SWC's.

[Larry Gibson]

Oregon Trail .431 240 grain laser cast SWC's.

There ya go....forgot they were making them that size. Just TL them with LLA to prevent any leading.

[burnston]

Sincerest thanks to all of you for the welcome, and especially the productive input.

Oconeedan, please pardon my malapropism; I do indeed mean a beveled based bullet. My objection to their use stems from shooting hundreds of them from Missouri Bullet Company when I first got in to reloading. They were a fine product from a fine manufacturer, but my initial powder charges were somewhat reserved, which I believe contributed to their erratic discrepancies on paper, though I acknowledge a multitude of other possible contributing factors.

I am in Pittsburg County in central Oklahoma. Any neighbors out there, I am at your service.

[megasupermagnum]

Sincerest thanks to all of you for the welcome, and especially the productive input.

Oconeedan, please pardon my malapropism; I do indeed mean a beveled based bullet. My objection to their use stems from shooting hundreds of them from Missouri Bullet Company when I first got in to reloading. They were a fine product from a fine manufacturer, but my initial powder charges were somewhat reserved, which I believe contributed to their erratic discrepancies on paper, though I acknowledge a multitude of other possible contributing factors.

I am in Pittsburg County in central Oklahoma. Any neighbors out there, I am at your service.

The company I linked above offers a flat base bullet that is the 429421 or clone. I've never bought from them before, but I don't think you are going to beat that.

[burnston]

I've examined their inventory and placed an order. Thank you for the recommendation.