Bullet for .44 Cal Desert Eagle?

[Malone LaVeigh]

I'm looking to reload .44 Cal for a friend's Desert Eagle and need advice on, well, everything, I guess, but right now I'm trying to order a bullet for it. They need to be at least partially jacketed. We decided on 240 grain because that's mostly what he's been shooting.

I went to Midsouth Shooters Supply last night and found these:

1) http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000344200 (240GR XTP)

2) http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000034425 (240GR CRIMP LOCK SILHOUETTE)

I've been in the process of getting started in reloading for a few years now, but had some setbacks in life, so thus far have only collected some equipment. This will be the first actual reloading either of us has done, so please pardon my ignorance. Is this a round that requires a crimp? They don't appear to be crimped, as far as I can tell.

 

[Big_R]

Seems to me that the Accurate Arms manual I have had special loads developed for the DE. I think its on their site, but if memore serves, the bullets have to be jacketed (to prevent filling the gas system with lead) and they recommend slower powder lit with a magnum primer. I think we used Speer 240 JSP's.

You will need to crimp, and probably a good crimp if you use slower burning powder. Most .44 mag die sets come with a roll crimp. This may or may not work in your friends pistol. Flare the case mouth only as much as you have to. Make a dummy round and try chambering it. If it chambers well, you're fine. If not, you will need a taper crimp or a Lee factory crimp die.

Many moons ago, I helped a friend load for his DE in .41 magnum. We learned that in his particular gun, the brass needed to be trimmed to the recommended trim length in that AA manual or every once in a while, a round would not chamber all the way. We used a load of AA#9 and a CCI magnum large pistol primer. It shot very well, but a large percentage of the brass hit me square in the forehead.

Good luck.

Ryan

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

Thanks, Big R. Sounds like I need to add that manual to my list. That round is just too expensive to keep shooting the new stuff.

 

[Onty]

”… They need to be at least partially jacketed…”

Any area of the bullet used in Desert Eagle that gets in contact with barrel rifling MUST be jacketed, otherwise you are going to see a nasty “surprise”. My friend thought otherwise and new barrel is in order now…