44 marlin, sizing, gas checks, alloys, etc.

[brewer12345]

I bought a couple of Lee 6 bangers (200 grain RNFP plain base and 240 grain gas checked SWC) with the intention to cast up a bunch of boolits for my Marlin in 44 mag. I have not slugged the bore. However, a .430 12 BHN boolit from Missouri Bullet shot well over 6.7 grains of Trail Boss and a commercial cowboy load shoots very well. I plan to measure a bullet from the commercial cowboy load as an additional bit of data. Assume I need to pull it from the case to get a real measurement?

The plain base boolit will be for a low recoil load, probably over Trail Boss or HP38. I will cast with range lead plus some pewter for a softer alloy. Once I figure out what diameter the mold casts, I will know what I have to work with and will either size to .43X and experiment or simply shoot unsized and see how it goes. The gas checked boolit is where I am a little less clear on how to proceed. I will cast it from COWWs plus some pewter for a harder boolit with more antimony. I will be shooting for 3% antimony and 3% tin. I would love to have the option of shooting them unsized, but do gas checks require sizing in order to stay on? I know I can slip them on the bases, but do they have to be crimped via a sizing die?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

as far as I know, yes, they do need to be sized.. the cheapest way is the lee sizer kits, but they do not lube for you.i would go ahead and hammer a pure rounball down your barrel, and then find a sizer .001-.002 bigger than the groove size, I usually do .002 over, but its best ( and a little more expensive) to try both, or you could get a .001 over sizer, and if you can't work out an accurate load with that, lapp it out to +.002, I'm sure someone with a bit more knowledge will come along, but with the info given, that's what I would do. have fun!!!.-Travis