.44 cast bullets

[m16a2223]

Im going to be loading some cast hunting bullets for my Ruger Redhawk. Is there anything special I need to know concerning bullet style/weight etc. so they will work in the cylinder? Any info about loading cast bullets would be great because I have zero experience. thanks

[Walt Welch]

Test

[Walt Welch]

I can never keep my passwords straight; sorry for the 'edit.'

Here is the info on .429 cast bullets. Some of this may be obsolete, dating from the late '50's, so beware.

First; are you sure you really want to do this? I did it in my youth to save money, but excellent cast bullets are now available for a very reasonable price. Casting bullets is a very arduous, tedious, lengthy process, with a fairly high number of rejects (3 to 5% on regular bullets, 20 to 30% on hollow points). Then you have to lube and size the things. You should rethink your reasons for undertaking this project.

If you are still determimed, get yourself a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Loading Guide, a copy of Cast Bullets, by Col. E H Harrison, USA (ret), and a copy of Lyman's Pistol and Revolver Loading Manual. Questions not answered by one source will be answered by the others.

The bullets I cast most for the .44 Mag were Lyman's 429215, a 215 gr. gas checked SWC and the hollow point version thereof, and 429244, a 255 gr. gas checked SWC with a large flat meplat (about 0.300). I believe these are the Elmer Keith designs. I don't know about fitting into revolver cylinders, but the 255 gr. has an OAL of 0.777. I do recall that we could fit an extra round in the Ruger carbine by using the shorter 215 gr. bullets.

Gas checks, rather cheap in days of yore, are rather expensive themselves now. You should see just how much they cost before you start. Don't want a gas checked bullet? Then I suggest you buy commercial bullets.

Why? Well, the only reason I can imagine putting up with the hassle of casting is to make up some special purpose gas checked bullets. heh heh heh

The 215 gr. hollow point gives explosive results on varmits up to coyote size. Especially cast of wheel weight metal. May prove efficacious on lightly clothed humans, and not over penetrate.

The 255 gr., cast of linotype or equivalent, would be my choice for nasty things with thick skin. That big flat meplat really bores a large hole through stuff. You could make a case for an even heavier bullet of, say, 275 or 300 gr., but the loading of these is somewhat tricky, with pressures being prone to rapid increase, and I would prefer to purchase these from one of those chaps that make custom ammo that is guaranteed to perform at a certain level, and is fairly expensive, but worth the cost.

Looking through one of the Lyman books, a new bullet style caught my eye. It is the 429640, a 250 gr. gas checked hollow point, but the hollow point is wider and not as deep as on the 429244. Cast of wheel weights, this might serve well against humans in a cold climate; if they were dressed heavily, there is plenty of core left to penetrate after the point expands.

As far as iron vs. aluminum blocks, I have no preference, but used primarily iron. I would certainly use an iron block for any hollow points, as the problem is that the blocks cool too much between pours, and the lower specific heat of Al would exacerbate this.

Before you cast, clean the blocks thoroughly with solvent, then smoke the cavities with an ordinary kitchen match.

As for lube-sizers, look around. The Lyman was OK, but used to squeeze lube under the bullet and contaminate the base, no matter how hard I tried to prevent this. One of the newer lubes which require a heater to bring it to a point at which it is ductile may be worth investigating.

Hope this helps, Walt

[m16a2223]

Walt, thanks for the info. I am planning to buy commercially made casts. I have too many irons in the fire now to take up that hobby, if you know what I mean. My real question was, What style/weight bullets can be seated to a short enough o.a.l. to work in the Super Redhawk cylinder? or will any of them work. Also, what bullets/loads would you recommend on 140-180lb whitetails. Thanks again

[Paul B.]

M16. You should be able to load any of the available cast bullets for handguns up to 300 gr. with no problem. About the only real difficulty I see, is that most handguns do not have a front sight high enough for bullets heavier that about 250-255 gr. My Ruger Super Blachhawks hit from 6-8 inches high at 25 yards depending on barrel length. I think the cylinder length on your revolver is slightly longer than on my guns, so you should have no problems as far as cartridge length. I use W296 in all my 44 loads for serious work, and W321 for the small game and plinking loads.
I have been casting bullets for pistol and rifle for over 40 years. I guess it is a labor of love. Sure lubing and sizing is a pain. Weighing bullets to sort out bullets that atr out of spec is a super pain. But when I am eating venison brought down by a round that I reloaded, with a bullet I made myself, I get a satisfaction that does not come from store bought ammo.
Go for it M-16. Get the books that were mentioned. Another that was not mention was the RCBS Cast Bullet reloading book, which is unfortunately out of print. You might find one at a gun show. I don't much care for some of the loading data for rifles, but the text is good, and the handgun loads are OK. (I don't like pistol powders in rifle cast bullet loads. Too much chance of double charging.)
If you have any questions, E-mail me and I'll try to help.
Paul B.

[m16a2223]

Thanks Paul, Im gonna use some "store bought" bullets first, just to see how i like cast bullets. As for making my own, Ive got too many hobbies as it is....but one day I might. thanks again, you helped me alot. If I run into any problems, I will e-mail you. m16