44 Mag. SBH and cast bullets

[triggerhappy243]

I slugged my 44 mag today. easier than I thought. measures .430 at its widest point. Now what sizer do I need? I shoot straight wheel weights.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Triggerhappy,

Years back I sized all .44 cast boolits at .429 but some place came up with a .431 die and have used it ever since.

I would think minimum of .431 for your BlackHawk. A .432 die might be required, but good chance the 431 will do it.

Some folk don't, but I have used gas checks on almost all of my .44 boolits for years.

Back some years, the oldest son and I were both shooting a BH and with the same powder and load, his would lead a bit with a plain base boolits while mine with the same boolit didn't.

I think that had I slugged the barrels way back, that would have likely shown the problem.

But, I just cast Gas Check bullets for Jeff's BH and used the plain base in mine. Solved the problem back then and both were sized .429.

Wheel Weights ------------ Yes, I along with MANY others have in total shot millions of WW boolits in the .44. See no reason to stop now.

I went to water quenching almost all my cast boolits some years back and other then some test boolits for my 45/70 which were cast a few weeks back and allowed to air cool, I continue to quench.

If your barrel is good, and the throats in your cylinder NOT undersized, you will likely be able to shoot non-gas checked boolits at hand gun velocities with no problem.

I have just continued to use the G.C. as they work and I just stay with them.

I have 3 .44 molds and maybe another or so, most of them around 240 - 250gr. However, have shot a lot of 310gr WFN (Wide Flat Nose) from a LBT mold (Lead Bullet Technology) from which I get right at 1300fps from a 5.5" RedHawk.

A few months ago, I bought a couple new molds from Accurate Mold, one of which is about 275gr with a WFN made basically for the .444. However, it is being sized .431 and I am testing it in the RedHawk. A internet friend has recently shot some in tests from a .44 Marlin rifle.

The WFN cast boolits are awesome on game.

I have taken a number of deer and a couple of elk with a 465gr WFN from my 45/70 and it really puts em down. That boolit is being shot with a muzzle velocity of about 1650fps and is cast of a 50/50 alloy of WW/lead water quenched as they fall from the mold.

All that to say, unless you have a gas check mold already in hand, I think I'd go with the .431/.432 boolit cast of WW and quenched. And if hunting think really strong about a WFN boolit profile and no real need to go anything above 250 - 275gr.

By the way, I am getting just over 1300fps with my early 275gr triple 4 boolit tests in my 5.5" RedHawk and suspect when tests are over the velocity will be something higher then that.

Keep us posted as to your results.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Piedmont]

Size to match your cylinder throats, not the barrel.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

That would be fine, unless the cylinder throats are under sized.

Then, best is a trip to the gun smith to have them properly opened up.

Undersized throats will swage the cast bullets down and they will likely NEVER expand enough to again properly fill the bore.

So Yes, pay attention to the cylinder throats.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[44man]

I shoot a .431" boolit from my SBH, .430" groove and .4324" throats. But I have also shot .430" with good accuracy. I do have the .432" RD that shoots super so you do have a larger range as long as throats are larger then groove. usually OK in the .44. The .45 Colt was a problem from Ruger.
Darn good gun!

[williamwaco]

Bought my first .44 Mag in 1956.

Since them I have traded for around two dozen different Smiths and Rugers.

Never owned one that didn't shoot .431 bullets with complete satisfaction.

[AlaskanGuy]

Both my 44's run .431 sized boolits... Anything else and I have issues...lol

AG

[mdi]

Well, yer half way there, Slug the cylinder throats to make sure everything is right (or use a pin gauge). The throats must be larger than the barrel groove diameter to shoot lead bullets well. All my revolvers shoot bullets sized to the same diameter as the cylinder throats...

[243winxb]

I shoot straight wheel weights.

Not in a 44 magnum. Size to .430"

[Gtek]

Cylinder in my brand new Hunter found to be .432". Still popping factory fodder, but I think I will shoot for .432" when pot goes hot.

[Blackwater]

The .44 mag. isn't usually all that particular in my own personal experience, but where eccentricities or preferences exist, the only way to find them is by actually shooting YOUR loads in YOUR gun. Guns are like people. Each one is an individual, and preferences can vary. Change the alloy and you MAY change the results, but leading usually isn't a problem with plain based bullets in the .44, even at max. It's usually a very easy caliber to load for and get good to excellent results. I've always found 2400 to be THE best or ONE of the best in it, at least for full power loads. Your mileage may vary, of course. Just go shoot it and see. Advice is one thing. KNOWING is another.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Pretty well said Blackwater.

As you indicate, can't know without testing.

I don't currently have any 2400, but will be doing testing with H110 and AA#9.

Years back, I ran tests with a RUGER BlackHawk "Hunter" and in that case the AA#9 got the nod. So, I bought a jug of it, so will test what I have at the moment with the H110 and AA#9.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[cbrick]

Only one reason to slug a revolver barrel and that's to know that it's at or a tick smaller than the throats. Boolits should be sized to a mild snug fit in the "throats". Slug your throats and size accordingly.

Rick

[DougGuy]

What size boolit you will choose is basically dependent on the cylinder throat diameters. In a perfect world, the boolit would be .001" to .002" greater than groove diameter, and the cylinder throats would be .0005" to .001" greater than boolit diameter.

As long as the boolit you choose to shoot is A. slightly larger than groove diameter and B. will go into the cylinder throats from the front with little to no resistance you should be good to go. It's not uncommon to see .44 cylinders with 3 different sized throats, this is just how Ruger manufactured them. Best accuracy will be had if all the throats are the same size, because obviously this affects pressure and also recoil and consequently point of impact. Even if the throats are a little loose to the fit of the boolit, because they are consistent, groups will improve.

I get my best accuracy and no leading whatsoever out of reaming the smaller cylinder throats to match the bigger ones, which in my case was .4325" and then sizing the boolits to .432"

Some cylinders will not chamber .432" boolits in all 6 charge holes until and unless they are reamed. It just depends on your individual gun what you can size them to, or if you choose to have the cylinder reamed and honed so you can shoot .432" if you want to.

[triggerhappy243]

at this point in time my mould casts at .431 and my .431 sizer die barely rubs the bullet. the largest chamber is .4315.... I am trying to lap out the mould to give me a little more bullet dia. so the .431 sizer die would true up all the cast slugs.

[Shuz]

Bought my first .44 Mag in 1956.

Since them I have traded for around two dozen different Smiths and Rugers.

Never owned one that didn't shoot .431 bullets with complete satisfaction.

I've been shooting the .44 magnum with cast boolits since 1963.
I currently have 11ea 44 mag revolvers;6 Smiths and 5 Rugers. Cylinder throats range from .4285 to .4315. I don't have a clue as to the bbl dimensions, I've never tried to slug one! Like Williamwaco, I shoot .431 diameter cast boolits out of every one with complete satisfaction.

[dale2242]

Every 44 mag revolver I have shot with cast sized to .230 have shot well with no leading.
I use my generic #2 alloy.....dale

[MtGun44]

Find out if cyl throats are same or larger than groove diam. If it is, then size to cyl throat,
or even throat +.001 if needed, and you should be there. In the end, each gun in a thing
unto itself, and only Mr. Target knows the real answer.

Bill

[triggerhappy243]

No one makes a .432 bullet sizer. I have a .431

[gray wolf]

You need to open a .431 or have one made, .001 is not hard to lap out.