44 mag boolit diameter

[GregLaROCHE]

Fifteen years ago I gave my SW stainless 44 to my brother in-law. I still have the dies for it, but I never cast for it. I want to buy a Lee two boolit mold to cast up some boolits, so I can say, come on let’s shoot that gun and then I will reload the cases for free. He doesn’t like to part with money much. Probably why he’s never shot it. He keeps it for home defense. I think he should shoot it some, so if the situation ever arises, he will be better prepared.

It’s not practical to go through slugging the barrel. What diameter mold should I buy? I will most likely PC the boolits. Not looking for super accuracy and don’t want to get into hollow points. I really want a Lee to keep the price as low as possible.

Thanks

[Targa]

Just check the cylinders with a caliper, you don’t need to slug a revolver barrel. I run .431 diameter through both my 629 and Ruger SBH.

[smkummer]

lee right now is selling an overrun of custom sizers in .431 and .432 at normal prices. I ordered a .431 for my ranch dog bullet intended for my microgroove Marlin and Ruger SBH.

[Outpost75]

Calipers will not give an accurate diameter on a round hole because the tiny flats on the knife edges will bridge across the curvature. Either use plug gages or bullets of known diameter which you have measured.

[fredj338]

Just check the cylinders with a caliper, you don’t need to slug a revolver barrel. I run .431 diameter through both my 629 and Ruger SBH.

^^THIS^^ Regardless of the bore dia, if the cyl throats are small, the bullet will be small. You need pin gages or inside dia microm but pushing a known bullet dia thru each will give you a rough idea. I load for several 44mags so settled on 0.431".

[mdi]

Pin/plug gauges, expanding ball gauges and even slugging the cylinder throats will give very good measurements of the throats. I have been measuring the cylinder throats of all the revolvers I cast for and size to the same diameter. For me, the main reason for slugging my revolver barrels (which I do for every gun I own) is to make sure the throats are larger than the groove diameter. Works for me even with my hot loaded, plain based, BHN 12 bullets driven to magnum velocities in my 44 Magnums...

But working without good, factual info/data is not much more than a wild guess...

[John Boy]

It is recommended that revolver cylinders be opened 0.005 over factory dimensions

[earlmck]

It would be an awfully unusual revolver that wouldn't shoot quite fine with a .430" boolit.

[Hanzy4200]

I've never encountered a .44 mag that doesnt like .429 bullets.

[Mal Paso]

In a 629 "factory" could be .428" to .431" actual throat diameter.

With no info .430" bullets. They will go through .428 throats, I did it before I reamed my 629 throats. It's just not optimum.

Throats .002" over Groove Size is about perfect in a 44. S&W 629 grooves are usually right at .429".

[GregLaROCHE]

Just check the cylinders with a caliper, you don’t need to slug a revolver barrel. I run .431 diameter through both my 629 and Ruger SBH.

I don’t have access to the gun. My brother in-law lives two hours away. I need to spring this on him when he is coming to visit. Something like, Just grab that gun when you come tomorrow. Otherwise he won’t want to be bothered. He’s not into firearms like me.

[3GRacing]

Lee C429-240 SWC- I found this to be most accurate PC'd + W296 + mag primer.

[ABJ]

Both my 44's have .432 throats. I can shoot .430 as long as the pressure is high enough. It takes about 850ish velocity to bump up and not lead the barrel. If I shoot .432, even 700 fps is fine. Mine are pin gauge measurements. My alloy is about 14 brinell.
Tony

[The Dar]

Try the Lee mold 90336 429-214-SWC. I've had real good results with it and it won't go through lead as fast as a 240gn. I'm using Alliant 2400 and Winchester WLP primers. Powder coated and sized to .430. Running them through a 6" S&W model 29. I have two other Lee molds in 240gn but I keep coming back to the 214gn SWC.

[44Blam]

I just got an overrun lee .432" sizer... ;) But I generally size 44 mag to 430 and have no problem with my revolver or my lever gun.

[Larry Gibson]

"Probably why he’s never shot it."

He won't know nor be able to tell the difference between bullets sized .429 through .432.......

I've found .430 sized bullets to shoot well in most all 44 revolvers.

[9.3X62AL]

Early 1980s-era S&W 44 Magnums' throats tend to run large--to .433" in many cases I have examined. Bring a pocket full of pin gauges with you when revolver-shopping. My two Ruger revolvers and the Win 92 repro (Miroku) all dote upon .431" castings.

They can and do vary.

[243winxb]

.430"

[mdi]

Well, the OP has been given recommendations for every diameter from .429" to .432". I prefer to know my guns so I measure the critical dimensions/components, for my revolvers that being throat diameter. Or just use a WAG and ask on a forum "Wha happin?"...

[44magLeo]

Lee's 240 gr TL boolit, PC and shoot. Don't worry to much about the actual diameter.
That gun should be able to shoot them well that way.
A load of 8.5 Grs of Unique behind that boolit is a easy shooting load that is accurate. It's my light load under Lyman's 429421. My heavier load is 17.5 grs of 2400 under the same boolit. Both shoot very well.
Leo

[DougGuy]

If you don't have much of the driving band of the boolit proud of the case it wouldn't matter what you sized to, as long as they chamber, they will fire. Pushing a .432" cast boolit through .429" throats works IF you can chamber the round, it's not optimum but somebody that doesn't shoot the gun wouldn't know the difference anyway like Larry said.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Greg: just buy the .431 mould, and make sure you get the "Gas Check" version so it won't lead the barrel. You can size the boolits smaller when you lube them or PC them to make them bigger, but since he has never shot the gun how would he know.

"You'll" get good enough accuracy with either.

This is the first mould I ever bought and cast boolits for my S&W M 29. It was nothing to get 1.5" groups at 25 yards and we did it weekly at the Police Pistol Range in Ventura CA. 23 gr of H110

If you got a Plain Based Mould sizing becomes more critical. But you can also run these just fine with 8.0 gr of W231 and have some fun instead of beating yourself to hell with the hot loads in a S&W Revolver.

I still have that mould and it still is one of the best .44 cal boolits anyone ever came up with.

Randy

[Jniedbalski]

I just got the lee 429 240 2r round nose and the 429 214 swc for my traditions 44 mag rifle. Just got them in today so need to cast them up this weekend.

[prs]

For what the OP describes as his intended use and as his desired amount of expense I suggest he buy Lee 90285 which is the two cavity.429-200-RF design. It is easy to cast and powder coats well. In wheel weight or alloys around 96/2/2 it will be close to .429 as it drops and with powder coat by shake'n bake will size to .430. From what I speculate from his inquiry, I doubt that the OP wishes to ream throats or buy pins. The above will shoot just fine and rival most any lead over the counter ammo if you follow a recipe from reliable sources.

prs