Looking for 44 mag cast for my Henry

Wendyj · May 3, 2018, 05:50 PM

New cartridge to me. I load 45 colt and 30-30 in cast. I think the laser cast in the 45 are ok for paper but I've yet to find one expand. Maybe a 12-15 Bh from what I've read. Deer inside 100 yards. Don't know if I need to order with gas checks or powder coating. Have yet to slug the barrel on this one HENRY BIG BOY STEEL.

Chainsaw. · May 3, 2018, 10:05 PM

Ive ran into the issue of purchased lead bullets to all be hard, very hard. This brings up one of the nuances of lead bullets, expansion. Being we try to push our lead bullets to greater velocities than perhaps they should be, we must alloy those bullets, this means making them harder usually. Well the issue comes up that a certain lead hardness needs to be driven at a certain speed to see expansion. The lead bullet manufacturer doesnt know how fast you will drive the bullet so they cant tailor the hardness to your use. So, they go the other direction, harder. Harder bullets work to, with the right profile a hard bullet with crush through flesh and bone delivering devastating hydrostatic shock. Additionally they will go in a straight line even when encountering tougher flesh like sinue, cartilage and even bone, this means we can reliably hit vitals. That, again brings up my final point, penetration. A hard bullet will carry deep, really deep into an animal, Im sure you can imagine the usefulness of this feature.
So, will a hardcast be useful in a perfect side on shot? Well, thats for you to decide, but that tough quartering shot might be taken a little easier given the knowledge above.

USSR · May 4, 2018, 07:22 AM

While a fairly hard bullet with a good profile will deliver good penetration (as long as it's heavy for caliber), there is no hydrostatic shock associated with handgun rounds. This was debunked over a hundred years ago when the Brit's did research and found that hydrostatic shock only comes into play when velocities exceed 2200fps. Yes, the commercial casters make their bullets excessively hard for a couple of reasons: first, antimony is a lot cheaper than tin; and second, they hold up real good in shipping. The biggest potential problem with them is their sizing. If their bullet size matches or is larger than what you need, fine. If even slightly smaller, they will lead your gun big time. With offers usually of either 12 BHN or 18 BHN, the commercial caster have done a great job in convincing reloaders that they need hard bullets. Most guys don't know that Elmer Keith used 11 BHN bullets when he developed the .44 Magnum.

Don

May 3, 2018, 05:50 PM	#1
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	Looking for 44 mag cast for my Henry New cartridge to me. I load 45 colt and 30-30 in cast. I think the laser cast in the 45 are ok for paper but I've yet to find one expand. Maybe a 12-15 Bh from what I've read. Deer inside 100 yards. Don't know if I need to order with gas checks or powder coating. Have yet to slug the barrel on this one HENRY BIG BOY STEEL. __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 3, 2018, 10:05 PM	#2
Chainsaw. Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2015 Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain. Posts: 1,774	Ive ran into the issue of purchased lead bullets to all be hard, very hard. This brings up one of the nuances of lead bullets, expansion. Being we try to push our lead bullets to greater velocities than perhaps they should be, we must alloy those bullets, this means making them harder usually. Well the issue comes up that a certain lead hardness needs to be driven at a certain speed to see expansion. The lead bullet manufacturer doesnt know how fast you will drive the bullet so they cant tailor the hardness to your use. So, they go the other direction, harder. Harder bullets work to, with the right profile a hard bullet with crush through flesh and bone delivering devastating hydrostatic shock. Additionally they will go in a straight line even when encountering tougher flesh like sinue, cartilage and even bone, this means we can reliably hit vitals. That, again brings up my final point, penetration. A hard bullet will carry deep, really deep into an animal, Im sure you can imagine the usefulness of this feature. So, will a hardcast be useful in a perfect side on shot? Well, thats for you to decide, but that tough quartering shot might be taken a little easier given the knowledge above. __________________ Just shoot the damn thing.

May 4, 2018, 07:22 AM	#3
USSR Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2017 Location: Finger Lakes Region of NY Posts: 1,442	While a fairly hard bullet with a good profile will deliver good penetration (as long as it's heavy for caliber), there is no hydrostatic shock associated with handgun rounds. This was debunked over a hundred years ago when the Brit's did research and found that hydrostatic shock only comes into play when velocities exceed 2200fps. Yes, the commercial casters make their bullets excessively hard for a couple of reasons: first, antimony is a lot cheaper than tin; and second, they hold up real good in shipping. The biggest potential problem with them is their sizing. If their bullet size matches or is larger than what you need, fine. If even slightly smaller, they will lead your gun big time. With offers usually of either 12 BHN or 18 BHN, the commercial caster have done a great job in convincing reloaders that they need hard bullets. Most guys don't know that Elmer Keith used 11 BHN bullets when he developed the .44 Magnum. Don __________________ NRA Life Member NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor