Favorite .44 cal boolit mold

[2shot]

Shame on me! I cast boolits for my .38/.357's, .41, .45 plus my 30-06's and 45/70's but I don't have a boolit mold for any of my .44 Specials or .44 Mag's but I'm planning on fixing this minor problem. Sad to think that I've been casting since 1970 and have no .44 molds.:(

For those of you that cast for the .44 Special and .44 Mag., what are some of your favorite/most accurate .44 cal boolit molds? I'm looking for suggestions on a standard weight mold in a 240/250 grain SWC range and really don't need any heavy weights and would prefere plain base over GC. Punching paper and deer hunting is about all I'll ask out of these two .44 cartridges in a handgun.

2shot

[Blammer]

RCBS 44 245 SWC is one I like

[Blammer]

I also like the Lyman 429421

[Thumbcocker]

Be aware that some of the RCBS cast a bit small.

[fredj338]

RCBS 44 245 SWC is one I like
This is my current fav. non GC mold. I also like the RCBS 250grK. FWIW, I don't find they cast small using upto #2 alloy.

[stickandrudder]

Just ordered the Lee 240gr SWC TL mold from Midway. This is my first boolit mold. Should be here next Tuesday. Then we will see. A little Unique and some practice. Made my first ingots last week from WW. I'm all new at this.

[45nut]

my fav 44 mold is the one holding down my bait.

[vanilla_gorilla]

Rcbs 44-250-k

[Three44s]

RCBS 250K

Three 44s

[JesterGrin_1]

my fav 44 mold is the one holding down my bait.

Ken Stop lol.

[AZ-Stew]

429421.

Are there any others?

Regards,

Stew

[Slow Elk 45/70]

429421 Keith 250gr, 429215 215gr. Mr. Keiths boolit has many variations by several makers.

Most of the variations are in lube groove and driving bands , The RCBS offering is ok.

If you go to the group buys, there are some .44 molds being made that will be good , IMHO.

[EDK]

LYMAN 429667, 429244 and 429215 are all good...used them all...BUT my favorite is the 250 grain full wadcutter from OLD WEST BULLET MOULDS, designed by Blammer. The 200 grain double ended wadcutter group buy mould is also excellent, but shoots low in my herd of VAQUEROS/BISLEY VAQUEROS.

I'm waiting as patiently as possible for the 250 grain KEITH mould from MAKE MINE A 10 MM's group buy. It has the good characteristics of various designs and hopefully will feed in my 44 MARLIN Cowboy rifles...like the 3 LYMANS.

If you're a serious pistol shooter, you need 4-to-6 cavity moulds, a 20 pound+ lead pot, a STAR lubri-sizer and a DILLON 550B or similar progressive reloading press.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[lead_her_fly]

The premier 44 bullet mold is the H&G #503. 250gr Elmer Keith bullet and they drop like a dream. I have one in 4 cavity. The best 44 caliber mold ever made!

[Ben]

I recently acquired an Ideal 431215. I had Erik remove the g/c shank ( rear band now mikes .432 " ) and HP the mold also.

I shoot it in my New Model Ruger 44 special. A super accurate bullet .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/431215%20%20HP/PICT0002-1.jpg

[dale2242]

429421 is my favorite. Load with 8.5 gr Unique or 22 gr 296 in the 44 Mag.---dale

[waksupi]

my fav 44 mold is the one holding down my bait.

Not big enough for a boat anchor, eh?

[Edubya]

Just ordered the Lee 240gr SWC TL mold from Midway. This is my first boolit mold. Should be here next Tuesday. Then we will see. A little Unique and some practice. Made my first ingots last week from WW. I'm all new at this.

Stick, be sure to read and follow the instructions on that Lee mould. Don't try to cast at less than 725 degrees and once you get started, keep it moving. I started with one and just got really frustrated wuth it until I caught on.
Your beeswax makes a good pin lube for that mould.

My favorite mould (regardless of caliber) is a Saeco 445 w/Cramer mod by Erik @ http://www.hollowpointmold.com/
It casts a 212gr HP and drops a 431 bullet with about 12BHN alloy. Lube and shoot as cast.

[cajun shooter]

Edubya, The best lube for any aluminum mold is the Sprue plate lube sold by Bullshop on this forum. If you give it a try you will only use beeswax for making lubes and medicine. People buy it from all over the world!! I'm suprised in the month that you have been here that you have not heard about it. Welcome to the forum!! Later David

[kelbro]

I have great luck with the Lee 240gr SWC TL mold. Keep the lead hot and a touch of moly grease on the sprue plate and alignment pins and it will cast like a dream. TL in LLA cut 50-50 with mineral spirits and it shoots very well too.

[2shot]

I like the way the RCBS 250 K looks and it sounds like some of you have had good success with it. I have a RCBS 270 SAA that I like very much in my .45 Colts that shoots good with just about any load that I use under it and was hoping to find an equal to it in .44 cal, but it can be from any manufacturer not just RCBS. The 429421 Lyman also sounds good and I have had good luck with their molds also but I would like to check out some of the others that have been pointed out here before I purchase anything. I'm not totally against going lighter like a 200 or 215 grain but I feel that lighter boolits take away from the usefulness of the .44 as a good for anything I might want to use it for caliber. A WC'er for my .44 Special sounds interesting too for my Bullseye shooting, sounds like I may need several different molds in .44 cal to keep me happy.

Thanks for the suggestions!

2shot

[Leadforbrains]

I have only one .44 mold. Its the .44 lyman Devastator mold. I like it alot. I have been meaning to buy more .44 molds, but everytime I get ready to buy another mold I end up buying another .44 caliber firearm instead.

It's a vicious cycle, and it's driving me insane.

[Shuz]

My favorite nominal 250g mould is 429421 with round grease grooves. I have 2 ea in 4C, and when I get them both up to temp, I can sure crank out a lotta boolits in a hurry. The boolits drop outta those moulds much easier than my 4C 429421 with the square grease grooves. I have not been able to detect any difference in accuracy between the two groove designs, so I go for ease of casting.

[felix]

Yep, Ray, I agree, the shape of the grease groove makes no difference unless a change alters the balance of the boolit in the negative direction. The best shape in my opinion would be a round one such that the center of the cutting circle would be offset to the outside of the boolit slightly. ... felix

[Down South]

I like the RCBS .44-240-SWC which is a GC Boolit and the Lyman 429421 PB Boolit. I’m on a group buy for another similar Keith style but it hasn’t came in yet.

[anachronism]

Be aware that some of the RCBS cast a bit small.

RCBS moulds are cut for linotype. dimensions with wheelweights would be smaller.

[GLL]

Three of my favorites ! :)

I personally favor the 44-250KT over the 44-250K even though the latter is more popular and easier to find!

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/926CCD023699C62/standard.jpg

Plus a very old 429421 compared to the 44-250KT
http://www.fototime.com/0063A6EFA35740F/standard.jpg

[ChuckS1]

Okay, I like the 429421. I have a 2 cavity mold and then a single cavity that Erik HP'd for me. I also like the 429383 round nose. In fact, that's probably my most accurate boolit of the three. My "dog" is a 180 grain wadcutter (429348) that I really can't get to shoot well unless it's pushed real fast.

[archmaker]

I have had really good results with the Lee 250. Was my standard load for long range pistol shooting.

My favorite has to be the 285gr GC Keith style that I got from NEI a long time ago. The mold itself also cast a 310gr PB TC style.

I have a 4 cavity 230gr NEI SWC PB that I love to cast with, but to date I can't get to shoot. :( Favorite mold, not favorite bullet.

[lurch]

I would have to vote for the 429244 and the 429421 in that order. I have a 429215 but they don't shoot as well as the 244 in my gun.

Those are the only three I have for .44 so take it for what it's worth.

[SCIBUL]

Hello.
My favorite is the 429421. I used to shoot the LEE C-429-240 but a friend lended me his mould (2 cavitys). I ordered a 4 cav. one but it seems to cast on the small side... I think I'm gonna try the aluminium tape.
A few weecks ago I modified the LEE mould and trimmed the GC area (special thanks to dremel [smilie=1:) and I have to try this "new" bullet. I'll let you know...

[Blammer]

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/44list.jpg

I like some of these... :)

actually all of them!

[Rodfac]

I'd like to echo Ben's comments on 431215 GC or as mine is marked 429215 GC. Cast from straight WW's and gas checked with Hornady's, I can expect sub-1.5" gps from 25 yds, sitting with either my Ruger .44 Magnum 50th Anniversary or Ruger-Lipsey's .44 Special. The load in either case is 7.5 gr of Win 231 or relatively recent lots of Unique.

I lube them with LLA, size them to .432" and shoot them in any and all .44 caliber guns that I own...to include a Marlin 336 with the much-maligned Micro-Groove rifling. My WW alloy results in a 216 gr boolit. I've had even better luck, just recently with 8.0 gr of Win 231 in the magnum case, double lubed with LLA and sized to .430". A definite improvement that .430" size so far.

Regards, Rodfac

[mtgrs737]

I have three Lyman 429421 moulds but my favorite is the Lyman 429667 that I have Erik remove the bevel base on. I like the RNF as it is easier to load in the chamber by hand or with speedloaders.

[mtgrs737]

I have three Lyman 429421 moulds but my favorite is the Lyman 429667 that I had Erik remove the bevel base on. I like the RNF as it is easier to load in the chamber by hand or with speedloaders. It would of been perfect the way it is had it not been for the small bevel base which I dislike.

[tackstrp]

will the Lee Molds that are NOT the tumble lube mico bands type size in a RCBS or LYman lubicator/sizer. Problem I have with the 44 mag molds from LEE they fall out of the mold at .429 and I have always shot my 44 mag guns at .430 dia.

The normal looking 358 mould from LEE look like they will work with out a problem, Sizing at .358. Tried a couple in my Lyman sizer/luber, did not see anything strange. or problems