First kills with Lyman 429421

[44 flattop]

I've killed a LOT of deer with nearly that exact load, 9grs Unique and either the 429244 or 429421 from both rifles and pistols. Even wrote up a little article about it back in the '80's for SSK's HHI. Took a few bear with it too. And still use it today.

Out of more than a couple dozen deer that I've taken with this load the reactions can be as varied as one can imagine. From dropping in their tracks at the shot without a twitch to running a couple hundred yards before bedding down. Like us, deer are quite a lot different from one another. Two things that always remained consistant were that one, I never recovered a bullet from any angle. Always exited. And two, I never lost a deer shot with this load, nearly every one was a one shot kill.

44

[cbr]

Thanks for all the responses. I cast a batch of 429421's today out of a pretty soft mystery alloy ( I think about 50% lead and 50% WW), and a batch of air cooled WW. I would like to try some of these softer boolits with the same 9 grain of Unique load, and also see how fast I can push them with 2400 without leading.

44 flattop, how hard of an alloy were you using? Is your article available to read anywhere? If so I would like to read it. I found a bunch of Elmer Keith's articles about the .44 online the other day and found them to be very interesting. I have been kind of obsessed with hunting with the .44 mag here lately. Hunting with a handgun is so much fun I may never deer hunt with a rifle again.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I knew this old cowpuncher years ago, lived up in Salmon, Idaho. He used about the same load, and that exact bullet, in its' original form. I think he started using it in the early 1930's...

Rich

[44 flattop]

44 flattop, how hard of an alloy were you using? Is your article available to read anywhere? If so I would like to read it.

I use about 75/25 WW/pure lead with a pinch of tin thrown in. As to the article, I have no idea if it is available online anywhere.

I found a bunch of Elmer Keith's articles about the .44 online the other day and found them to be very interesting. I have been kind of obsessed with hunting with the .44 mag here lately. Hunting with a handgun is so much fun I may never deer hunt with a rifle again.

I've had so much fun over the past 35 years hunting with the .44 in mostly revolver form, I just can't tell you. Only recently have I went back to using rifles any, and that in Leverguns using straight walled cases and mostly just .44's.

44

[pcmacd]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to load up some hotter loads with 2400 and hopefully try the same boolits on another doe if I can find the time to sneak away and hunt some more. White Eagle, your response made me chuckle. While the 9 grain of unique killed the deer, I dont plan on using it again for hunting. It was a very pleasant and accurate load though.

I like #9 or 2400 for full house 44 mag loads, usually with a gas check. I'm sure they would be fine at lower velocities. H296 is just soooo abrupt - these other two are much pleasant to shoot at the same velocity. I've got a great grand jug of 296, but still bought some of these other two. I'll use the H296 for 30 carbine.

These two propellants (esp. #9) also work great for 240 grain or 300 grain JHPs (they were blems but I'd wager they are Hornady) at top velocities in my 629 with the ~8" barrel, and my Desert Eagle.