44 magnum

Bucksnort1 · July 22, 2014, 10:15 PM

I bought some 245 grain CMJ (copper plated) bullets for 44 magnum. Does anyone have a good recipe for this bullet?

buck460XVR · July 23, 2014, 07:01 AM

Some good info here.........

http://cartridgeloaders.com/article/...44%20Mag..html

Bucksnort1 · July 23, 2014, 08:44 AM

Buck460, thanks. I saw this site before you responded. Maybe others will chime in. I don't experiment but I may use 240 grain data and start low, as explained in the site.

mikld · July 23, 2014, 10:03 AM

When I first tried plated bullets, I just went with my cast lead loads. Mid load for a Lyman 429421...

madmo44mag · July 23, 2014, 11:07 AM

You can run most plated bullets at the lower end of magnum loadings.
I load 240g plated with 18.0 - 19.0 of 2400 and get very good accuracy and don't peel the plating off.
Bump that load up to 19.5 and you start peeling the plating off.

Bucksnort1 · July 23, 2014, 01:00 PM

All, I'm more concerned about the weight of the bullet at 245 and not so much the plating. Some of you are talking about 240 grain bullets.

T. O'Heir · July 23, 2014, 01:43 PM

Hi. 5 grains won't make any difference. What does matter is not using jacketed bullet data. Plated bullets use cast bullet data.

Bucksnort1 · July 23, 2014, 03:49 PM

T. O'Heir, this is the response I want to hear but now you bring up another interesting point. A number of reloaders have told me to consider plated bullets as FMJs but not at maximum loads. What say you?

buck460XVR · July 23, 2014, 04:53 PM

Are they the Frontier 245gr CMJs? If so, this is from their website.....

Quote:

CMJ handgun bullets for reloading are treated in the same way as FMJ bullets. With a few basic precautions such as avoiding over-crimping, the bullets can be shot at normal and high velocities without problem and with excellent accuracy.

I would start at the low end of jacketed data for a 240 grainer and work on accuracy.They also have reloading info on their website for the 245 in .44 mag.

http://www.frontierbullets.co.za/forums/

Lost Sheep · July 25, 2014, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pogybait

T. O'Heir, this is the response I want to hear but now you bring up another interesting point. A number of reloaders have told me to consider plated bullets as FMJs but not at maximum loads. What say you?

The conventional wisdom is to run plated bullets at cast lead power levels. Being plated, they can be pushed a little harder, but be aware that some plated bullets are plated thin and some are plated heavy. The heavier plated ones approach jacketed bullet strength and can be pushed harder. Apparently, CMJ bullets that Buck460XVR mentioned are examples of those.

Also note (and you can verify this in your loading manuals by comparing different weights of the same construction bullets over a small weight range, but in the same manual) that heavier bullets take a bit less powder. You should be able to (with a little arithmetic) interpolate 240 grains up to 245 as, for example, one-quarter of the way between 240 and 260 (5 grain boost is one quarter of the 20 grain difference between 240 and 260).

Just be aware of the length of the space contained under the bullet. As it decreases, your powder charge must also decrease, so you should take that into account as well.

Start low in the midrange and work up, watching for pressure signs or erratic behavior.

Good luck.

Lost Sheep

Mike / Tx · July 26, 2014, 05:15 AM

Pogybait,

Using the 245gr bullet and only finding data to use for the 240gr bullet is a very common thing once you get into handloading. The common practice is to use the closest weight to what you have, and go form there. If your bullet like in this cases is only a touch heavier, you use the closest lighter load and the start data. That said, this will also depend, like mentioned above, on just how much your shoving off into the case verses how much the one from the listed data might be. Most bullets with weights this close however aren't going to give you much if any issue regardless, as there simply isn't that much difference.

Now if your using a 275gr bullet and can only find 240gr or 300gr data, then it gets a bit more interesting. However even then you can find a good starting point by simply working through things using the closest data. You might have to work up a bit more from one listing or drop off a grain or two from another depending which side you come from, but in most cases starting at the low end start loads and working up, your usually in pretty good shape.

July 22, 2014, 10:15 PM	#1
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,121	44 magnum I bought some 245 grain CMJ (copper plated) bullets for 44 magnum. Does anyone have a good recipe for this bullet?

July 23, 2014, 08:44 AM	#3
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,121	44 magnum Buck460, thanks. I saw this site before you responded. Maybe others will chime in. I don't experiment but I may use 240 grain data and start low, as explained in the site.

July 23, 2014, 10:03 AM	#4
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	When I first tried plated bullets, I just went with my cast lead loads. Mid load for a Lyman 429421... __________________ My Anchor is holding fast! I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...

July 23, 2014, 11:07 AM	#5
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	You can run most plated bullets at the lower end of magnum loadings. I load 240g plated with 18.0 - 19.0 of 2400 and get very good accuracy and don't peel the plating off. Bump that load up to 19.5 and you start peeling the plating off. __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

July 23, 2014, 01:00 PM	#6
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,121	44 magnum All, I'm more concerned about the weight of the bullet at 245 and not so much the plating. Some of you are talking about 240 grain bullets.

July 23, 2014, 07:01 AM	#2
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	Some good info here......... http://cartridgeloaders.com/article/...44%20Mag..html

July 23, 2014, 01:43 PM	#7
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Hi. 5 grains won't make any difference. What does matter is not using jacketed bullet data. Plated bullets use cast bullet data. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 23, 2014, 03:49 PM	#8
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,121	44 magnum T. O'Heir, this is the response I want to hear but now you bring up another interesting point. A number of reloaders have told me to consider plated bullets as FMJs but not at maximum loads. What say you?

July 26, 2014, 05:15 AM	#11
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Pogybait, Using the 245gr bullet and only finding data to use for the 240gr bullet is a very common thing once you get into handloading. The common practice is to use the closest weight to what you have, and go form there. If your bullet like in this cases is only a touch heavier, you use the closest lighter load and the start data. That said, this will also depend, like mentioned above, on just how much your shoving off into the case verses how much the one from the listed data might be. Most bullets with weights this close however aren't going to give you much if any issue regardless, as there simply isn't that much difference. Now if your using a 275gr bullet and can only find 240gr or 300gr data, then it gets a bit more interesting. However even then you can find a good starting point by simply working through things using the closest data. You might have to work up a bit more from one listing or drop off a grain or two from another depending which side you come from, but in most cases starting at the low end start loads and working up, your usually in pretty good shape. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX