.44 mag/special bullet diameter

[G. Glock]

I should be giving advice on this subject rather than asking about it. I've handloaded and fired between 75,000 and 100,000 rounds of .44.

I can't seem to find any .44 240 gr. cast bullets locally and ordered some from Meister. It gave the option of .429 or .430 diameter. I really think most of the .44 I've loaded are .429 and do just fine, but I ordered .430 since I had a choice. Thought maybe I'd reduce leading even further with a tigher seal.

All my .44s are Smiths - 70s and 80s vintage, except for the new Thunder Ranch. What do you think? Should I have been shooting .430 bullets all along?
Maybe I have part of the time, but generally it's not even indicated. The .240 grain bullet is just such a standard.

Thanks,

 

[LHB1]

Why not try some of both diameters? Let your gun(s) tell you which they prefer. I don't necessarily agree with using oversize cast bullets and sizing them down in the barrel despite the argument about better obturation, etc. That being said, my .44 bullets for S&W M629 Classics are sized to .430 instead of .429 because I couldn't get a .429 sizing die when buying my Star lube/sizer. I do use .451 instead of .452 in .45 ACP's with good results.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

 

[Majic]

Cast bullets .002" oversize is a good starting point. The .430" bullet for the .44 generally works well, but for a custom fit for your revolver then you should mic your throats and get bullets .001" oversize.

 

[Archie]

Doesn't matter much...

In reality, a bullet gets upset or forced down to throat diameter when the ignited powder charge rudely boots it on its way. Then it gets sized to bore diameter in the forcing cone. The exceptions to this involve very hard undersize bullets, oversized throats and very weak powder charges, either separately or in some combination.

For best results, all six (five, seven - what ever) cylinder throats should be identical in diameter, and .001" larger than bore diameter. Bullets should be right at or .001" greater than throat diameter. That should give the best results with the least amount of bullet deformation.

 

[LAH]

.430 will work nice...........Creeker

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

.429 vs .430 diameters

In selling Original Star and Saeco lubers and Saeco molds.
I sold Luber dies .430 for the 44 Special and .429 for the .44 Magnum.

That was Saeco's and my opionion and none of my many hundreds of customers disagreed with me.

Nowadays since Creeker sells bullets in large volumes I feel he would have a good current opinion.

 

[LAH]

Paul the trend over the last few years has been to size bullets to fit the cylinder throats. Some of the 44's are found to have throats in the .432-.433 range. I haven't this problem and .430 works great for me. I know guys with older S&W 44's that use the .429 size to good success.

Creeker

 

[Hutch]

I agree w/ Archie. If they are hard cast, I'd go .430 but for soft swaged, it don't hardly matter none.

 

[G. Glock]

Thanks for the input. That's about what I figured.

I used to cast some bullets and size them, but once I got to shooting so many thousands of the racals, the casting and sizing got in the way of my shootin' time.

So, I'm pretty much at the mercy of whatever the bullets are sized when I find a decent price on several thousand.

I have had great success in the accuracy with my Model 29's with whatever bullets I've been able to find. I bought my first 8 3/8" Model 29 in 1974, and it still drives nails way the heck out there as well as it did 75 thousand rounds ago. if I'm doing MY part.

I dragged out my copy of Keith's SIXGUNS a night or two ago, and good ole' Elmer assuaged my concern, too.

While it's always nice to have thing set up for optimal performance, it's been my observation over the years that the most important "measurement" tends to be that of the operator's skill level.

 

[LAH]

the most important "measurement" tends to be that of the operator's skill level.

AMEN