Will a .44 bullet work in a sabot designed to use a .45 bullet in a .54 rifle?

I have a Knight in line 50 and sabots for 45 cal bullets. I inadvertently grabbed some 429 bullets and loaded. The 429 fell out. I just happened to hear it and was able to puzzle out what I had done.
If the smaller bullet had stayed in place I doubt it would have shot accurately.

WVGunman said:

I have heard that stuff needs to fit the bore tightly, but the point of a sabot is to fit the bore, not the bullet within it. Wouldn't either bullet work equally well in a sabot that is made for the bore and is identical for both?

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I agree with Jeff62 that the bullet should fit snug so that the bullet won't fall out of the barrel.
Even if the bullet only slips forward a little, I would be concerned that it could cause a dangerous barrel obstruction.

MMP offered white .54 sabots to fit .44 cal. bullets but IDK if they still sell them.
They're not listed for sale on their website but an MMP chart shows that they once did. --->>> https://mmpsabots.com/recommended-bullet-list/
I also found a discontinued eBay listing for some. --->>> https://www.ebay.com/p/12041622067
I believe that they were also sold in packages with the Knight label, but that was a long time ago when the quality of the plastic wasn't quite the same as it is today.
The older sabots seemed to leave more plastic residue in the bore that required more frequent swabbing to remove it.

1. You can call MMP and ask if they still have any white .54 sabots at (870) 741-5019.
2. You can wait for some to be listed on eBay either under the MMP or Knight label.
3. Another option would be to wrap the bullet with a .010 patch which would increase its diameter to about .450.
Or experiment wrapping the bullet with the correct amount of paper and possibly some glue or tape, enough so that it will fit snug in the sabot.
And be very careful to hold the barrel upright so that the bullet doesn't slip forward.
It's probably better for the bullet to be too tight than too loose, since you don't want to risk creating a dangerous barrel obstruction.
Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Accuracy would be horrible. No spin , or inconsistent spin, would be the result as the sabot would not grip the bullet.

As pointed out above a dangerous situation could result if the bullet slips forward. Black powder , and substitutes, need to have the projectile seated firmly on the charge. Unseated projectiles can cause ringed , or, burst barrels. If you are going to try to make .429 bullets work use extreme caution.

WVGunman said:

I ALSO have a giant bag of 200-grain .44 Magnum bullets (.430), I tried putting these down the bore of the rifle, and they fit a LOT easier. Like, almost no effort required.

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As others have written, your sabots are not gripping the bullet so likely not going to impart enough spin.

IF your .429 bullets are lead alloy then you could get a .452 bullet mold and recast them into the right size. No need to swage for use in the sabots

I've heard of folks trying to paper patch .429's with high quality bond paper, but without much success.
I've heard of folks experimenting with epoxy or silicone caulk and sabots, but part of the problem is the sabot relies on the pressure from the bullet on the interior of the sabot walls to cause a tight fit with the sabot plastic on the barrel rifling..., so all they ended up with were bullets attached to sabots that still wouldn't spin well.

I think hunting up a mold is the best option, and if for nothing else to have it on hand for the future, whatever the future brings.

LD

I have heard of paper patching with Teflon Tape. You could try wrapping with TT to increase the shank diameter but I suspect it will just be a waste of powder, bullets and primer.

Have you tried to find sabots made for .54 caliber and .44 bullets yet? That would be your safest and best route.

They might even be very accurate. Years ago a .40 in a sabot for .50 was known to be extremely accurate so yours may be also if you find the right sabot.

I'd at least try paper patching the 44 to get it up to about .451".

PapaG beat me to it.
Paper patch the bullet to fit tightly in the sabot. Tight enough that the spin imparted to the sabot by the rifling carries over to the bullet.