Reloading cast .44

jeffrice6 · December 20, 2005, 09:26 PM

I have a new marlin 44mag on the way and a Smith & Wesson 629--and I have just started my adventures in reloading, which brings me to my question. When reloading lead bullets I see that there are different diameters, SO what size do i need? Also, do i need to do anything different when loading cast bullets than i would with jacketed?

somerled · December 21, 2005, 01:17 AM

A good rule of thumb is to use cast bullets .001 inches greater than bore diameter. That would be .430 inches in most cases with the .44 Mag. If you're buying commerically cast bullets, they'll might be labeled as .429 inches. They'll probably work just fine if of good quality.

It's not much different to load cast bullets. One has to expand the case mouth a bit more to get the bullet base in without shaving. Push a few loaded cases with crimp applied against the edge of your bench and see if the bullet slipped and reduced overall length. If it does, you've expanded the case mouth too much.

sundog · December 21, 2005, 10:14 AM

Optimally, throats should be larger then groove dimensions. A lead bullet then should be sized so that it is not squeezed or is gently sqeezed as it leaves the cylinder, squeezed more as it passes thru the forcing cone, in effect funneling it into the bbl which is the smallest dimension. In many cases where the cylinder throat is of a too small diameter, it won't make much difference what size a lead bullet is, it probably will not shot that well because it's already too small for the bbl before it gets there. All that said, if your throats, forcing cone and groove dimensions are all in tune then you would want a bullet at or just slightly larger than the cylinder throat. A firm push thru fit is good, and so is consistency of each chamber and throat. Of course, every firearm is an individual, and there are exceptions, but this would be a real good starting place to fit a bullet. sundog

somerled · December 21, 2005, 12:36 PM

sundog makes a good point about loading cast bullets in revolvers. I've had two Ruger .45 Colts with really tight chamber throats. The last one's throats miked at .447. The bullets were sized down by the chamber throats before they entered the forcing cone and the .451 barrel. The throats leaded up badly and there was always lead smear on one side of the barrel just past the beginning of the rifling.

Some older revolvers have oversize chamber throats. With computers, these problems should be less likely. The newer S&W revolvers are usually dead on with the specs.

December 20, 2005, 09:26 PM	#1
jeffrice6 Member Join Date: November 5, 2005 Posts: 64	Reloading cast .44 I have a new marlin 44mag on the way and a Smith & Wesson 629--and I have just started my adventures in reloading, which brings me to my question. When reloading lead bullets I see that there are different diameters, SO what size do i need? Also, do i need to do anything different when loading cast bullets than i would with jacketed?

December 21, 2005, 10:14 AM	#3
sundog Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Green Country, OK Posts: 782	Optimally, throats should be larger then groove dimensions. A lead bullet then should be sized so that it is not squeezed or is gently sqeezed as it leaves the cylinder, squeezed more as it passes thru the forcing cone, in effect funneling it into the bbl which is the smallest dimension. In many cases where the cylinder throat is of a too small diameter, it won't make much difference what size a lead bullet is, it probably will not shot that well because it's already too small for the bbl before it gets there. All that said, if your throats, forcing cone and groove dimensions are all in tune then you would want a bullet at or just slightly larger than the cylinder throat. A firm push thru fit is good, and so is consistency of each chamber and throat. Of course, every firearm is an individual, and there are exceptions, but this would be a real good starting place to fit a bullet. sundog __________________ safety first

December 21, 2005, 01:17 AM	#2
somerled Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2005 Location: eastern Kansas Posts: 603	A good rule of thumb is to use cast bullets .001 inches greater than bore diameter. That would be .430 inches in most cases with the .44 Mag. If you're buying commerically cast bullets, they'll might be labeled as .429 inches. They'll probably work just fine if of good quality. It's not much different to load cast bullets. One has to expand the case mouth a bit more to get the bullet base in without shaving. Push a few loaded cases with crimp applied against the edge of your bench and see if the bullet slipped and reduced overall length. If it does, you've expanded the case mouth too much.

December 21, 2005, 12:36 PM	#4
somerled Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2005 Location: eastern Kansas Posts: 603	sundog makes a good point about loading cast bullets in revolvers. I've had two Ruger .45 Colts with really tight chamber throats. The last one's throats miked at .447. The bullets were sized down by the chamber throats before they entered the forcing cone and the .451 barrel. The throats leaded up badly and there was always lead smear on one side of the barrel just past the beginning of the rifling. Some older revolvers have oversize chamber throats. With computers, these problems should be less likely. The newer S&W revolvers are usually dead on with the specs.