Interesting that this thread should be resurrected right now. I got a 44 magnum for Father's day and knowing what the ammo costs I started pulling together the stuff I needed to add this caliber to my reloading bench.

For some reason the brass just seemed to be in short supply. I was finding everything I needed EXCEPT brass. None of the local retailers had it, including Cabelas, White Elephant, or Black Sheep - and those last two are well known locally for their stocks of reloading supplies.

Gunbroker had some but with shipping it ended up being around $30-$35 per hundred new and $20-$25 per hundred for once-fired. I finally found a guy on Armslist selling 300 pieces of once-fired in shell-holder boxes (one 100 rounder and four 50 rounders) for $60 including shipping. I jumped on it. I also bought one box of ammo and 43 rounds of once-fired brass from a local guy.

So I now have roughly 400 cases to work with. I don't understand why, but for some reason the brass still seems to be in short supply 4 years after this thread was started.

It is available, but it's brass; not gold!

Wow. This was an old thread resurrection.

Back in the day I bought 1000 rounds of 240 grain JHP for about $400 from Georgia Arms. Today that same 1000 rounds goes for $630. I still have unopened bags of it, as I also reload. I load light, middle and heavy .44 magnum and heavy .44 Special. I have lost very few cases over the years and definately do not leave any empties at the range. The gun club I belong to empties the range brass buckets, sorts the brass and puts the sorted into zip-lock bags. These are sold at club meetings. I bought .44 Magnum/Special brass so sorted for about a nickle a case.

All calibers I shoot I do this way, buy the commercial I intend to shoot, chronograph it, then work up reloads that come close to matching it. This has worked for me.

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Hook686

Yeah, but thanks to DCameron for resurrecting it.

Does it strike anyone else as odd that it's still in as short supply now as it was 4 years ago? I mean it isn't as if they stopped making it or something.

Or maybe it has been more available most of the time since then and we're just now experiencing a new shortage? I wouldn't know since I just started reloading 44 mag.

I have had some 44 brass listed on 2 forums for about 3 weeks. As I am reading through this thread a guy just hit me up for 200 of them. What are the odds of this happening??? I do have 300 more to sell. The problem is I can only get 200 in a small flat rate box and to get 300 the shipping price doubles. Shoot me a PM if you need some. Remington---$50 per 200 pieces.
SOLD ALL of it to the original buyer.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

If it's anything like .357 it seems they make runs only periodically. It's been scarce and expensive. I haven't checked to see if it is any better.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

It is funny how the .44 brass situation hasn't seemed to change. I always figured that most people who do any real shooting with a .44 tend to be fellow reloaders. I think I'd be shocked if I saw .44 mag brass laying on the ground somewhere. It's so easy to dump from the cylinder and put it right back in the box!

I do quite a bit of shooting and reloading for my 629, and have accumulated a decent stash of brash. Cabelas seems to get regular shipments of Starline .44 mag brass, so check there. I just got 2 more bags just to sit on in case some of my older brass starts to split. My go to load is a mild one, using plated bullets, mag cases, and averages 925 fps over the chrono. I haven't started wearing out brass yet. If I were just starting to load for .44 mag and couldn't find any brass I think I'd go buy a box or two of Federal .44 mag. You'll get a decent and stout magnum to shoot, and then have pretty decent brass afterwards. Federal factory ammo seems to shoot clean too and I really like Federal...it's just behind Starline if you ask me, and worlds better than Winchester white box, which is filthy and the brass always measures very short, with very poorly cut case mouths and flash holes. The good thing about reloading pistol brass, revolvers in particular is that once you have the brass and you can get powder, primers, and bullets...you're all set for a long time.

I just looked and Starline has 44 Magnum brass in stock, for 101.00/500 and 176.00/1000. Those looking for brass in 44 Mag really should think about placing an order.

Two weeks ago I was posting on local boards looking for some and would have jumped on that deal. I didn't think to post on here looking for it or I'm sure we'd have done business.

With 1 box of loaded rounds and another 350 empty cases on my bench, I'm pretty much all set now...

I've got Norma brass bought in 1964. Bought 500 for my "new"
M-29. This is my Target brass for that gun. Has been loaded
countless times, mild loads with old Ideal wadcutter. The few
I lost were due to not expanding enough for the cast bullet. I
have several thousand other brass. The only ones I notice short
life on is Remington, with 240JHPs/ 21 1/2gr of 2400. They get
recycled into 44 Sp or 44 Russian. I get approx 7 loadings out
of the Rems. The others 12-15 with hot loads. I have a Ruger
44 Deer stalker that I don't shoot much because it bails brass.
Use it for hunting only.

In stock ammo, guns, magazines, and reloading supplies
Lists 20 sites with .44 mag brass available. Starting at $23.00/100.

You must not shoot nearly as much as some of us do. Heck I have been known to shoot up 200 in an afternoon by myself. When you add a teenage son into the mix, we burn through a whole bunch more. I prefer to keep 500 to 1000 brass and about the same in loaded stuff.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Some people must be hording it. I have seen a few empties laying around , but not for long. So all you folks that do not reload , ( its way too expensive ) PM Me and I will tell you were to send it for recycling.

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Not so Free in the Free State

You guys do realize this thread is over 4 years old!

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

LOL, I guess not. On a typical range day my boy and I may shoot 400 or 500 rounds - but never more than a couple of hundred in 44 mag.

We always take 3 or 4 different calibers with us to the range. 44, 38, 357, 9mm - even 22lr...

Those are the same kind of boxes I got with that 300 pieces of once-fired brass...

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LOL, you do realize I have already said that - not just once, but twice - since the thread got resurrected.

It's hard to beat starline brass with their free shipping.

Right now they have new 44mag brass for 176.00 a 1000 or 17.6 cents a piece.

I just ordered/received 2000 of their 357 brass for 135.50 a 1000 or 13.55 cents apiece.

For as long as the strait walled pistol brass lasts, ordering new brass for less then 20 cents apiece is a no brainer.

https://www.starlinebrass.com/brass-cases/44-Mag-Brass/

Most commercial brass handlers sell once fired brass for more $$$$, in the 23/24 cents apiece range for their 44mag brass and then there's shipping charges.

Interesting read.

I bought my M29 about 18 months ago, but didn't start reloading until maybe 3-4 months ago. I was shooting a lot of factory ammo over the course of that first year (~500 rounds?). About a box or two into ownership decided that it (this is my first wheelgun) would make an ideal candidate to start reloading for and started saving my brass. The biggest part for me is not having to pick anything up - it's just sitting in the gun there waiting for you. Super easy.

I've now got a little under 400 pieces of brass that are in my reloading rotation and have never gone out to look for purchasing new brass. Pretty nice little setup. I definitely shoot more now than I did before.

I've been shooting and reloading 44 Magnum for over 40 years. Mostly shoot 240 grain hard cast bullets with 10 grains of Unique. I guess I have well over 1000 pieces of brass. All of it bought early or remember when it was easy to pick up range brass. Not anymore though.

I don't believe I've ever shot 200 rounds of 44 mag at one time.

One part of loading your own that a bunch of folks don't understand, is the fact that you can load them down to where they are fun to shoot rather than punishing.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Since we're all piling on a old thread... I started reloading 44 mag, ah.. can't remember but recently. Googled once fired brass and when they had 44 mag the price was more than starline was asking for new. Yes, you have to order 500 minimum but when I bought a 44 mag lever gun I was glad I did. Recently bought a 21-4 44 special and wasn't sure I'd like it so ordered 200 cases from Midway for $25/100. Wasn't sure I'd like it... what was I thinking.

Almost 3500 rds thru my 629 Magnum Hunter. 300 PMC cases have been used for most of those 44s...

I have some nickel brass from old Eldorado Starfire ammo. It starts to split after about 6-8 reloads of 10.0 grains unique behind a 255 gr. Cast bullet. The nickel must be fairly week cause I get several more reloads out of brass casings with a hotter reload.

I'm fully aware of that, and take full advantage of that fact. My kids were shooting 44 mags at age 5. I even have a 44 mag rifle. Recoil isn't the issue. I guess I go for quality of shooting rather than quantity.

Please don't think I'm belittling you in any way. Heck, I might give it a try sometime. I rarely shoot that many 22 lr rounds at one time either.

I was either lucky or smart because I started hoarding components back in the Clinton years. Most of my powder is marked $8 to $12 bucks, all my primers are either 99 cents or $1.19, and I am getting low on the $19.99 boxes of 500 cast 240gr bullets. I do still have plenty of jacketed stuff with an average price of around $10 per box of 100. I keep trying to tell my son to start buying now, because the price of these components will never again be as low as it is today.

Oh ya---who cares if this thread is 4 years old---still valid info today.

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"Tastes just like chicken"