Originally Posted by
carelesslove
carelesslove, here !
I only have 1 mold for my .41s - a SAECO 230 gr. SWC (plain base), but it is a sweet one! I got lucky at a gunshow, many years ago, here in my hometown. An older gentleman was selling off his .41 mold, handles, 0.410" lubersizer die, fitted top punches (all SAECO brand) and reloading dies and claimed to be "getting out of the .41 Magnum business". I made him a reasonable offer for the whole shooting match and he took me up on it.
Twenty+ years down the road, the only change I have made was to go to 0.411" on the sizing die - to fit the throats of my 2 - M57s. I have settled in on an alloy that runs ~6.5 on my SAECO tester, where 10 is linotype.
The mold - at purchase - was not even broken in - but, I have subsequently cast several thousand bullets, ranging from 226-231 gr. (depending on alloy) and never saw a reason to change. At 1000 fps and at 1200+, these bullets are stable and accurate. The ~20 gr. of additional bullet weight (over the standard 210gr.) was all out in front of the crimp groove, leaving plenty of room for powder.
Honestly, the only mold change I would consider would be an LBT WFN-PB at the same weight. Every time I try to justify the potential accuracy improvement in changing molds, my aging eyes remind me that they won't allow it.
I shoot these 230s at 1000 fps, 90+ percent of the time - at metal targets - and they deliver a satisfying "THUD", without excessive blast & recoil. At 1200 fps and higher, they simply explain why they are just about as effective as .44/240s, but with less recoil.
I don't think this SAECO mold is even in production anymore, but look around on this Forum and others. They probably can't command top dollar, due to the caliber, but they are worth it.
Then again, I have an LBT in .44 cal. / 260 gr. / .432" / WFN-PB that is all I need in .44. I feel certain that ACCURATE, or ARSENAL can duplicate this level of performance, but I have not tried their products.
Thanks, Tom "carelesslove" Love