.44Mag H&R with heavy bullets ?

[GLL]

Will heavy 325gr. cast bullets stabilize in a 20" H&R carbine (1 in 38" twist) ?
I do not own one but am curious before I invest !

I have asked over on the Greybeard Handi site but did not get an answer

Jerry

[dk17hmr]

I had a 44 mag barrel at one time. It was one of the larger bores I think it measured .432

I shot some 300gr LEE flat points, sized .430, out of it with full charges of H110 and Lil Gun...it did alright....4" or so at 75 yards with a 4x scope. I didnt keep it long because a better deal came along for a caliber I wanted.

[Junior1942]

The Lee 310 works well in mine. No groups, but with a Firesight front and resting on the side of a tree it puts 'em all in a 6" bull @ 50 yards.

[leftiye]

H&R persisted in using that 1 in 38 twist barrel that Marlin gave them in their 44's. Doubtful that it will stabilize a roundball correctly (just kidding). Real doubtful that it will stabilize heavy for caliber boolits well. Though I did hear that that twist would do acceptably with a 250 grainer in the .444's.

[GLL]

leftiye:

My newer .444 Handi has a 1 in 20" twist !

Jerry

[O.S.O.K.]

Based on the results in my Marlin 94 that has the 1:38" twist with microgroove rifling, I'd say that it will do just fine if you size the boolits .001 or better, .002" over groove diameter and push it with a max load ( I got 2" groups with 21.0 grains of H110 and the Lee 310 gas check boolit).

Of course, you need to use good lube (I use LLA) and I used straight wheel weight alloy.

[leftiye]

Yup, (thas why I've got a .444 instead of the .44 that I wanted) but the .44 mag. still has the 1 in 38. BTW, the shallow rifling likes harder alloys a lot better than soft lead too.