44 cal cast bullets Favorites

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I use my .44's primarily for hunting.
For that purpose I prefer a WFNGC ("wide flat nose gas check") of 250-300 grs. as cast by "Beartooth" or "Cast Performance".
I do not cast my own.
 
I have buying Vance cast bullets and been pretty satisfied. My Rugers did not like the 200 gr. flatnose, but the Cimarrons do. Everything shoots the 215 gr SWC and 240 gr SWC real well.
 
I cast and load Ideal 429360 as a general use round in mag and special. Drops at 240 gr. from w/w. Not hard but very accurate at 1000/1100. I actually took a cow elk at 30 yds with it. One shot kill, surprised me but it was all I had with me while fixing fence and the season was about gone.
 
Elmer Keiths famous bullet.
Hard cast Lyman 429421 or RCBS 44-250-K.

It is the one all others have to beat.

Seeing as how Griz are pretty scarce here in eastern Kansas, the 250 grain weight is all I have ever found a need for.

Shoots flat, is very accurate at long range, and will kill anything on 4 legs in this part of the country.

rcmodel
 
I'll second the Keith model. My 250-K RCBS mould tends to drop a bit heaver bullet using the wheelweight batch I have but delivers cloverleaf groups.

I also have an old Lyman 429244 I picked up way over twenty years ago as I had a buddy that was shooting a Ruger carbine that needed a gas checked bullet. With or without the checks that bullet is absolutely phenominal, groups every bit as well as the RCBS one and both will drop a large hog "right now"!

FYI, I don't really use ball bustin' loads either, just some of Keith's old favorites. I settled on his "hot" .44 spl. load of 18.5 of 2400 as my all around load. Why punish yourself and your gun if a good moderate load will do what you want?
 
I've got a Lyman #429244 2-cavity mould that drops my lead at 262 grains, and with gas check and lube it levels out around 265 grains.

I didn't like the idea of them bullets becoming so heavy, but after shooting them in my taurus three inch barrel model 441 in .44 special they are an exceptional accurate bullet I will hence forth enjoy processing.

I loaded them with 4.5 grains of Trail Boss for approx. 700 + fps velocity. This is a plinking load for me.

Jim
 
I do it on the cheap. I alternately use a 2-cavity and a 6-cavity Lee mold that produces 240 gr SWC tumble-lube wheel-weight bullets that I drop directly into water for extra hardness.

My favorite to this point.
 
Depends on what I'm doing. Often, the Keith bullet at 1400 FPS is just the ticket. Worth noting, though, that the true Keith bullet is a bit hard to find. If your mold isn't dropping a bullet with a full diameter front driving band and a square grease groove -- as opposed to radiused/rounded -- you've got a projectile Keith called "ruined".

When I'm being serious with a .44 -- which is pretty much never, considering the existence of the .45 Colt and Ruger Bisley -- the LBT WFN or LFN mentioned by "huntershooter" has no equal, IMO.
 
I use the bullet below @ 1201 fps from my 4" M29. Keith wanted the factory to bring out a load using his bullet at 1200 fps in the 44 Special. Said if they would there would be no use the for 44 Magnum. I tend to agree. A 44/250/1200 fps was enough gun for Keith & should be enough gun for us 99.9% of the time. Just my two............Creeker
Lyman+429421+Blueprint+1+RS.jpg
 
Favorite .44 bullets

H&G 190 gr full WC
250 gr Keith custom group buy
300 gr LBT GC
310 gr Lee GC RNFP
290 GR RNFP custom group buy

These are what I use most in both 44 spl and 44 mag. All are home grown.
 
I load the 429421 in .44 Special with the Skeeter loading of 7.5 grains of Unique, always accurate and hits with authority. Runs at just over 900 fps, should have been the baseline .44 Special loading instead of being considered slightly hot. I consistently knock down pins on a metal bowling pin machine at 50 yards with a satisfying whack. These pins fall much slower with a 1911. My second favorite loading is .44 Mag with 10.5 grains of Unique over the 429244 (265 grains with GC). This load is good for 1100 fps and will do anything I ask of it, it is my field load and is also extremely accurate. I have nothing but problems with bevel based machine cast bullets in my Ruger SBH, they ALL lead something terrible for me. The flat based bullets and the gas checks have eliminated it completely. I got a major score a few years ago on Ebay. Several thousand of both bullets that looked like they were cast 30 years ago for pennies. The lead is not bright and the copper GC's are not shiny but shoot great and I have enough of these to last a lifetime. Your results may vary! Bill
 
My second favorite loading is .44 Mag with 10.5 grains of Unique over the 429244 (265 grains with GC). This load is good for 1100 fps and will do anything I ask of it, it is my field load and is also extremely accurate.
Click to expand...

'bout on the same page.........Creeker
 
I use the bullet below @ 1201 fps from my 4" M29. Keith wanted the factory to bring out a load using his bullet at 1200 fps in the 44 Special. Said if they would there would be no use the for 44 Magnum. I tend to agree. A 44/250/1200 fps was enough gun for Keith & should be enough gun for us 99.9% of the time. Just my two............Creeker


Creeker, I've got an NEI 429235 mould that cast a look a like bullet like the one in your picture, and at the 245 grain weight with GC and lube.

Only trouble is, I haven't found a powder type and load it wants to shoot accurate in. Still working on it.

I don't shoot anything but .44 special with .44 bullets.

Jim
 
Another vote for the classics.

Lyman #429241 - 240g Keith

Lyman #429244 - 265g Thompson GCSWC

I shoot the 429421 over 7g W231 in a magnum case for a useful special load @ 900fps.

I shoot the 429244 over 22g W296 in a magnum case for a 1200fps hunting round.

Both are accurate and hard hitting.
 
When I had a 44 my favorite bullet was the Keith from an old Lyman 429421.

When I sold the M29, I threw the mold in with it.

Now I have a 44 Colt and am becoming very fond of a 44 200 grain WC bullet.
 
If you like 200 grain wad cutters, try the Lee 200 grain SWC mould. I got excellent results using it recently. The 2-cavity mould is quite resonable.

Jim

Picture says it all...

P9060030firstprintimproved556X.jpg
 
Shooting distance is about 15 yards, can't see much further than that with any clear clarity using the sights.

Jim

Here's a B-27 at same distance...

P9130005B-27targetB-27600XmarkedB-2.jpg
 
I load 240gr .430" LSWC from Meister and Oregon Trails 'Laser Cast' over 3.5gr Titegroup in .44 Russian cases for 692 fps from my 3" 696, an all-day popper load that still makes 'major' power factor. I also load them over from 4.2-4.7gr, same powder, in .44 Special cases, for 710-760 fps from that 3"-er to 796-840 fps from a 6" 629. Up that to 5.6gr in a .44 Magnum case and it'll make 800/820 fps from my 4"/6" 629s. I also use that amount under my Magnus 300gr LSWC for 830/850 fps from the same 4"/6" 629s - real plate bonker!

I like Titegroup.

Stainz
 
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