Hornady 44 cal lead bullets

[Slahp]

I was gifted 2 boxes of Hornady 44 cal 240 grain SWC/HP and SWC bullets today the one box is marked part number 51111

but there isn't any lube groves on the base of the bullet, it has a cross hatch patern and they don't have any lube on them.

Does anyone have an knoledge on these I'm afraid they will lead my barrel in my pistols.

[Thumbcocker]

They have a dry wax lube in the cross hatch. They are ok for very light loads but will lead past that. I have used them in .44 mag and they did ok with light charges of fast powder. If you are a belt and suspenders kind of guy you could tumble lube them but they would still need to go slow. You might get a little streaking but it should brush out.

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[Kestrel4k]

I have shot thousands of the very-comparable Speer 0.358" version in revolvers (always using Bullseye), never with any problems.
One of the (older?) Hornady manuals would be the place to go for trouble-free data on that particular SKU.

[K43]

Ditto both above. I used them for CAS in 44 Colt. They worked, but I didn't like how they look...:Fire:

[Moleman-]

I have shot thousands of the Hornady .430" 240gr lead SWC #4430 and the SWCHP #4431 out of a couple S&W's over the years before I started casting. I still have some left. I generally ran them over 23.0 gr H110/W296. Looking in my old notes I also have used a health dose of bluedot or 2400, again with no leading. I have taken deer with both. I used them in 44 and tens of thousands of the .452" 200gr in 45acp until finally getting a couple bullet molds and casting my own.

[Bazoo]

I have a friend that loads the Hornady bullets in 38 Special, and they work just fine.

[racepres]

I have a friend that loads the Hornady bullets in 38 Special, and they work just fine.
And...Were a Staple for 32S&WL when available..

[Whole Bunches]

And...Were a Staple for 32S&WL when available..

I recently lucked out and found a local person who’d inherited 4,500 (plus a few hundred loose ones) of the swaged Hornady 98 gr HBWC 32 cal bullets. He gave me the loose ones to experiment with to see if they shot same as their Speer equivalent…they did. His sell price was 10 cents each; I offered 5 cents each for all as no one had expressed any interest…he accepted.

FWIW, they shoot great in my .310 Cadet Martini as long as the velocity is not above 900 fps. The groups begin to enlarge as velocity is increased. No leading. My chosen load of 2.5 gr Bullseye goes 877 fps.

He also had 8,000 32 cal Speer HBWC I got for 5 cents each. I use the in 32 cal revolvers.

[dondiego]

Try 7 to 8 grains of Unique with those bullets.

[gwpercle]

Those were popular for shooters who didn't cast ... they are soft swaged lead with a dry wax lube ... and not a whole lotta lube so you need to not push them fast !
Use cast boollit data and stay under ...900 fps ... This is what my older manuals are showing for these soft boolits ... 950 fps to 750 fps velocities is where I would keep them .

If they do lead ... you might try a thin coat of tumble lube to add more lube .
Load Safe ,
Gary

[HWooldridge]

They work great at lower velocities. The 225 gr .45 version was a favorite of my son in his Italian 45 Colt SAA clone. Shoots to POA and expands reliably in hogs.

[Slahp]

Thanks for all the help.

[Thumbcocker]

I have shot thousands of the Hornady .430" 240gr lead SWC #4430 and the SWCHP #4431 out of a couple S&W's over the years before I started casting. I still have some left. I generally ran them over 23.0 gr H110/W296. Looking in my old notes I also have used a health dose of bluedot or 2400, again with no leading. I have taken deer with both. I used them in 44 and tens of thousands of the .452" 200gr in 45acp until finally getting a couple bullet molds and casting my own.

I had no Idea they could be pushed that hard. Well done.

[PhatForrest]

Melt them down and make them into something you really want.

I was gifted about 500 old Hornady 38s, like 30+ years old, and threw them into the pot.

[gunseller]

I have had leading problems at over 1000. But if they work for you go for it. I tumble lubed some and that seemed to help. The price was right to play with them.

[higgins]

Before I started casting .44 bullets I shot a couple hundred in .44 mag. at lower velocities and they leaded the bore. I know it was supposed to be dry lube but I just don't think the bullets I got had enough lube on them. If I had a bunch of them to experiment with I would give them a light coat of Lee tumble lube or something comparable before loading, especially if they seem overly dry.

[dondiego]

Before I started casting .44 bullets I shot a couple hundred in .44 mag. at lower velocities and they leaded the bore. I know it was supposed to be dry lube but I just don't think the bullets I got had enough lube on them. If I had a bunch of them to experiment with I would give them a light coat of Lee tumble lube or something comparable before loading, especially if they seem overly dry.

What load did you use for these?

[Moleman-]

I had no Idea they could be pushed that hard. Well done.

Mostly boils down to I didn't know better at the time and they shot great so I kept using that load. Looking at my notes in the back of my old #11 Speer manual I went up as high as 24.0gr H110 with the LSWCHP #4431 for deer hunting, but usually ran 23.0gr H110 with them.

I bought a 8-3/8" model 29 when I turned 21 and two boxes of Federal yellow box 44 mag. After shooting those two boxes I bought a Lee challanger reloading kit, 44 mag dies, powder, primers and a big box of the Hornady LSWC #4430's. They shot great using the 240gr load data. I got into casting a few years later when my brother inlaw asked if I had any use for lead. Turned out to be nice hard medical grade isotope containers that made great hard pistol bullets. Much harder than the Hornadys Coated in alox and dusted with motor mica I run them with the same data and have been very happy with them as well. I don't see the #4430 or #4431 listed in the current Hornady website, so it looks like they discontinued their 44 lead bullets.

[Bazoo]

Mostly boils down to I didn't know better at the time and they shot great so I kept using that load. Looking at my notes in the back of my old #11 Speer manual I went up as high as 24.0gr H110 with the LSWCHP #4431 for deer hunting, but usually ran 23.0gr H110 with them.

I bought a 8-3/8" model 29 when I turned 21 and two boxes of Federal yellow box 44 mag. After shooting those two boxes I bought a Lee challanger reloading kit, 44 mag dies, powder, primers and a big box of the Hornady LSWC #4430's. They shot great using the 240gr load data. I got into casting a few years later when my brother inlaw asked if I had any use for lead. Turned out to be nice hard medical grade isotope containers that made great hard pistol bullets. Much harder than the Hornadys Coated in alox and dusted with motor mica I run them with the same data and have been very happy with them as well. I don't see the #4430 or #4431 listed in the current Hornady website, so it looks like they discontinued their 44 lead bullets.

Thanks for sharing the details.

[higgins]

dondiego-The only reference I have is a chronograph note for 6.5 gr. Unique in .44 mag loads which in my revolver - M629 S&W - gave 785-790 fps. I have a note in my binder that several years ago I discarded several targets with 240 gr. Hornady SWC loads because of poor accuracy and the fact that I knew I wouldn 't be using them in the future. I recall one .44 spl. load that was just horrible. My testing was at 25 yds. I know it's not the gun because I've got plenty of targets in the binder that show good accuracy with other powders and cast bullets.

[dondiego]

dondiego-The only reference I have is a chronograph note for 6.5 gr. Unique in .44 mag loads which in my revolver - M629 S&W - gave 785-790 fps. I have a note in my binder that several years ago I discarded several targets with 240 gr. Hornady SWC loads because of poor accuracy and the fact that I knew I wouldn 't be using them in the future. I recall one .44 spl. load that was just horrible. My testing was at 25 yds. I know it's not the gun because I've got plenty of targets in the binder that show good accuracy with other powders and cast bullets.

I am surprised that they would lead at that velocity but the barrel might have been too large. I have had good luck with these bullets at the velocity that you describe.