Probably would like one in the 200 grain range that I can use for both the rifle and my Colt SAA in 44 spl. I used 200 grain bullets when we did cowboy action shooting. I will powder coat these. Any suggestions on a mould?
Probably would like one in the 200 grain range that I can use for both the rifle and my Colt SAA in 44 spl. I used 200 grain bullets when we did cowboy action shooting. I will powder coat these. Any suggestions on a mould?
Any RNFP will work without a pronounced front drive band.
Beware. My Marlin CB in .44 mag will not work with short 200gr. slugs in the .44 spl case. Major jam up at the carrier. They will work with the magnum case tho.
I have a marlin in .44 Mag. My Lee molds are too small at .430". I shot them as cast and still too small. Make sure what mold you get the bullet with your PC is larger than.430. I have the Micro-groove barrel. I would slug the barrel. You may need to go with a custom mold.
I have some left over bullets that I used before when we did cowboy action shooting which worked fine. I will have to measure them. My 94 was worked over for cowboy action shooting and always fed the bullet I used just fine.
I have a Lee 200 RNFP mold that shoots great in my m1894.
Since SAAMI spec for .44 Mag rifles is .432" instead of the handgun spec of .429/.430", I would think that most rifles need a larger bullet. I bought a NOE 235gr RNFP that is labeled as .434", but casts a .435", and I size it to .434" to use in my H&R .44 Mag Handi-rifle and it also works great in a friends Rossi 92 .44 Mag. Which is on my short list of what to get next. I also second what the guys above said with the recommendation that you slug your bore, or even better, measure the inside of a fired case and see what the largest your chamber will allow and use that.
I passed my last psych eval, how bout you?
Doggonit. I've been looking for a Marlin 1894 in .44 magnum for about a decade now....
The Lee 44 200g RNFP has fed well in the Marlins I've owned and the Winchester Trapper I still own. Accuracy is great in the Winnie, but I could never get the Marlins to shoot as well with any boolit design, so I sold them.
It's all chicken, even the beak!
Lyman's 429215 gc works well in all my .44's. COWW with a pinch of tin with Hornady crimp on gc's drop at 0.433" from the mold. I've had two of those molds now and both threw boolits that dia. I size them 0.432" for both Marlins and a pair of Smith's, a trio of Ruger .44 Special Flat Tops, and a 50th Anniversary Ruger .44 Magnum Flat Top. My son's 1921 vintage Winchester M92 likes the same boolit sized 0.430" and prints 'em into nice tight clover leaf's at 50 yds with an ancient Lyman Tang sight helping out.
Feeding has been 100% in both the Winchester and Marlins, one of which is a 336, and notorious for it's finicky feeding habits. I cycle the action like I mean it, and don't baby it...that might have a bearing on feeding. Also, I crimp in the normal groove leaving that narrow dirt scraper band outside of the case. I recently acquired a Lyman 429244 gc, the heavier Ray Thompson design, with hopes that it too will cycle through my Marlins, but suspect that I'll have to crimp over that dirt scraper band.
That 429125 gr is an accurate boolit in any .44 I've tried it in...and drops from the mold at 225 gr with that WW alloy. I'm not a heavy boolit fan, preferring instead to husband my alloy supply...and 429215 gc really does well for me. 2.5x scope groups run right down to an inch if I do my part from the 50 yd line. It'll do the same at 25 yds through the Smith's and Rugers.
HTH's Rod
Last edited by Rodfac; 12-15-2014 at 10:25 PM.
I sent off a couple of my left over bullets to Derek at Hardline Industries to see how close one of their molds is to it. By the description on the website, it looks pretty close. If it is close that is what I will most likely get since I have been pleased with molds from them. Thanks for the help. If this doesn't work out I will try some of the other suggestions I have been given. That is what is nice about this website. Always get a lot of nice suggestions and information.
I just today recieved an accurate 434250h from another member here. I am hoping this is a good boolit in my winchester. For sure it is a top notch mold.
This one is a bit heavier at 250gr. In my 1894 Cowboy Limited the Lyman 429421 sized to .430" works quite well in.44 Special.
While its weight is over 200gn, you might want to check the Group Buys for the Miha 432640 variant of Lyman's 429640, feeds slicks and shoots great, plaing base or gas checked, and the hollow point option. None finer for the Marlin 94 in my opinion.
Pete
I've had a lot of luck with Lee's 240 gas checked SWC in my revolver. My Marlins all feed SWCs just fine, although I don't have a .44 magnum. I'd recommend that bullet if it will feed correctly; having the gas check will do away with leading!
Try to get a ranchdog mold. They are for Marlins. The 432 diam is the most important for accuracy. I have found that my rugers also like the same diam.
Buzzards got to eat, same as the worms.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |