I'd like to pick up 1000-2000 bullets to reload for my 1950's 6.5" .44 Magnum. I have only used factory ammo in the revolver, but that is starting to get expensive. What do people recommend for bullets (lead/plated/jacketed) and who are the better online sources that ship in bulk? I already have plenty of brass saved up.

Thanks for you help.

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Ash

I've used cheycast's lswc in a couple of guns with good results

I use Xtreme Bullets 240g plated RNFP bullets and they do fine for plinking out of my 6.5" 629-4.

I buy them in qty of 500 for about $55 per box at a local shop, but I'm sure places like Midway or other big online shops would have them at a reasonable price too.

I'm partial to Xtreme's 240gr. plated SWC's. I stocked up with their black Friday 10% off free shipping weekend.
I also like Missouri bullet co.'s 240gr. coated bullets but Xtreme keeps having sales and taking my money.
90% of my loads with 44mag brass is in the 1000 to 1100fps range. Can shoot them all day long.

Great advice and greater bullets. Order them DIRECT from Extreme. They ship PDQ.

I'd prefer to stay with jacketed bullets only if buying in bulk.
one option: 44 Caliber 240 grain JSP Reloading Bullets
another for Remington 240 JHP in bulk: Pat's Reloading - Priceshttp://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-products/nosler-blemished-2nds/nosler-blemished-bullets/nosler-44-240gr-jhp-sporting-handgun-bullets-blem-100ct.html
one more:

What powder are you using? I have a metric ton of Win 231 & 296.

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Ash

I've been using Rainier 240 grain HP, they are a heavy plated bullet and on top of 23 grains of H110 they perform really well in my 629-4 5". I also used some Powerbond bullets, they are pretty heavily plated also, Last I looked the company recommended jacket bullet velocities. Both of those bullets for me allowed me to shoot full magnum hand loaded ammunition, at a fraction of the cost of factory. Now if you want to talk expansion and terminal performance, that's a horse of another color, and for that you must get the premium bullets and pay premium prices.

I use Hornady XTP JHP bullets for SD and woods carry, or hard cast (Laser-Cast) bullets from Oregon Trails for economy. Hard cast bullets don't lead the barrel, even at carbine velocity (1800 fps). Semi-wadcutters are good for revolvers and clean holes in targets, but RNFP bullets feed better in rifles, and work just as well in revolvers.

Montana bullet works. Check the size of the cylinder throats. I bet they run .432-.433 or even bigger. Ask them to size 250gr Keith or LBT LFN bullets accordingly. And, I would use IMR4227, 22gr or so. No magnum primer, by the way.

I use IMR 4227 a lot in 357 , 41 and 44 magnum as well occasionally in 45 Colt and I always use a magnum primer . It is about the slowest burn rate powder for magnum pistols and the magnum primer really helps with the burn , cleaner shooting . I don't use Winchester primers for 4227 , although they claim they work for all powders . I find that CCI 350 , full magnum primers work best for me . I cast my own bullets but I hear good things about Missouri Bullet Co . He's a large cast bullet supplier in the country . Extreme bullets do work well and since you don't know the throat diameters nor the bore diameter of your gun I probably would recommend Extreme Bullets . Not enough difference in price unless you shoot in competition and need a 1000 a week . Good Luck , have fun . Paul

I have shot a lot of Acme coated 240 grain .44's here lately. Outstanding accuracy using WW 231 powder or Unique. The red bullets have shown no signs of appreciable leading at 1,000 f.p.s. and I love their wooden boxes they ship in.

Another vote for Acme's coated bullets.

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-Mike-

I run 8.5gr of W231 under the 240gr RNFP Xtremes for my typical load and it's fantastically fun, shootable, and accurate in my revolver.

I like W231 for my plinking 44spl loads. By Hodgdon's load data you can go 1300 fps with W231 but I've never tried it. I'd been loading my mid range 44 mag rounds with HS-6 till it got hard to find. I bought a bunch of CFE-P and have been very happy with the results.

I use Missouri Bullets, and have been quite pleased. $49/500, $14 flatrate shipping.

Berry's plated bullets. My brother recently acquired a model 57 and with it came a large box of Berry's plated bullets. They are not recommended for full house barn burners but can be pushed pretty good and they shoot well for practice.

I shoot lead bullets in all calibers(Cast my own).I don't recommend 231 for top end loads but 296 is perfect for those.While 231 will use regular primers to get sparked,go only with full mag primers for 296.
Qc

I shot a lot of 8.0 grs of W231 using a 245 gr swc cast bullet in my 44 magnum w/magnum case & WLP primer . It makes a real nice " everyday " load that is fun to shoot , very accurate and will take care of most of what needs taking care of .

For hunting I use Hornady 240XTPs over 2400. Have used Hornady 240 HPs way before XTPs came out, over 50yrs. I recently loaded some carbine loads with H-110, 240XTPs, but
haven't tested them out yet. Out of my 29s, which I use for target, I use cast 240SWC over target load of Unique, at about
900fps. I cast my own, but have used factory cast similar bullets
with good results. The only bullets that I will never use again
are Speer lead bullets, even shot at low velocity they leaded
severely in 44 & 45 cal target loads. If I didn't use cast I couldn't
afford to shoot near as much.

Like the OP, I have been looking for a decent mid-range load for .44 Mag. I don't want to use .44 Special cases so as to keep chambers clean. I like the idea of W-231 as I have a bunch, but always thought it too fast for medium/larger cases. Lyman's Pistol & Revolver Handbook lists no W-231 loads for 240 SWC, but Hodgdon lists loads online that bracket what I'm looking for, 1,000 fps in a 240 gr SWC. I never got around to W-231 and had erratic results with everything else on hand. Does W-231 give the same sterling performance in .44 Mag that it delivers in smaller cases?

Virtually any fast to medium powder that doesn't mind low pressures will do what you want. What's your intended purpose? What do you consider "erratic results"?

Have to toss in Bayou HiTek coated bullets if you are talking 240 graininers for the .44.

Loaded these with 7.5 of unique and get 975 fps from a 4" M29. Clean shooting, accurate, don't beat you up shooting them.

This is good advice, don't forget if you start cranking up the
velocity, you will have to gas check. I have experimented with
a lot of powders over the years, unique is hard to beat in large
bore Target loads.

Missouri Bullets is the best cast bullet for 44 mag. I have used them for years in various calibers.

I was trying to load down with medium rate powders like 2400 and 4227. My 29-2 at the time was an 8-3/8 in. bbl tack driver with full house rhino-roller loads. 25 yd. groups grew from ragged cloverleafs to 2 in. patterns. Lot of un-burned powder, unlike full power loads. Before I could make the jump to faster powders I traded for a nice 6-1/2 in. M-29-2. So the quest continues. I use a l ot of W-231, so am going to try 8.0 gr. under a 240 gr LSWC based on the good reports here and acceptability on the Hodgdon website as a starting load at 1,000 fps.

You don't have to use gas checks when shooting full magnum loads , or less . Gas checks are for trying to correct a problem , not because of high velocity , unless shooting cast bullets in a rifle. Some think that using powders like H110 / W296 require a gas check because the powder burns the base of the bullet and leads the barrel . That is also completely false . Shooting cast bullets successfully and accurately in revolvers require doing your homework , checking some internal dimensions , looking for tight spots in the barrel etc . Veral Smith @ LBT Molds has a small book for about $15 that explains it all and how to easily correct problems .

I have shot plated Xtreme bullets, Berrys plated and Missouri Hytek Coated.
Personally I prefer the Missouri coated bullets in the 240gr Keith style bullets so that you can do a nice roll crimp. The Berrys plated do not have a crimp ring, the Xtreme plated to have a crimp ring but not a groove.
To me the Missouri is the easiest to properly set and load for.
Karl

With the Hi Tek coated bullets that isn't a problem in my experience with either the 240 SWC Bayou bullets or the Missouri Bullet Company coated bullets.

I can't comment on the W231, as I don't use those fast powders in 44 Mag.

However, I have great success with 240g lead, and 10-12g HS-6.
10.5g HS-6 under a 240g LSWC gives me ~1025fps from my Super Blackhawk Hunter, and very good 25yds accuracy. Shoot it all day, won't beat you up. This load is listed in Hodgdon #25, with a 240g jacketed.

I also use 7.5g Universal under a 200g LRN, gives 950-1000fps, and also very accurate. My 120lb wife loves that load in a Taurus M44 with the ported barrel, it's a very easy shooting load.

If you like the plated bullets check out sagesreloadingsupply.com
I buy the majority of my bullets from him. I buy xtp and gold dots also

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Beware the man with one gun

For a Jacketed Soft Point, I like these:

Roze Distribution: 44 Magnum (.431 diameter)

The .431 size works great in my 24-3, and I've not found a better price for a jacketed .44

I consider 2400 to be a tad slow, especially for trying to load down. Unique and Titegroup oughta do what you want. Things that can be loaded into low-pressure cartridges like .38 Spl or .45 ACP would be a good choice.

9 grains of Unique and a 255 Keith SWC is the perfect load for fun.
21 grains of 2400 with the same bullet is murder she wrote!

If you want plated, Xtreme 200gr RNFP ($58.49/500=11.7 cents each) work well and so do their 240gr RNFP ($63.60/500=12.7 cents each) - and you can usually get free shipping.

For cast lead the best price I've found anywhere are from Summers Enterprises at $35/500. They will ship up to 4 boxes (2000 pieces) for $14 flat rate. All said and done that's $154/2000 or 7.7 cents each delivered.

How have you found their semiwads for paper-punching? I've eyed them a couple times, but I'd like a softer bullet for some of my lighter calibers and couldn't commit.

A metric ton.....!!!! That's is equivalent to approximately 2,204.6 pounds.

DUDE!

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Ash

None of my revolvers see jacketed bullets anymore, strictly lead or coated lead. They are much easier on forcing cones & throats. I make my own but Missouri or Bayou for coated.
FWIW, if I could only have one powder to load the 44mag it would be 2400. It downloads better than most slow powders. You aren't getting good 1000fps loads with 240-250gr bullets, but 1100fps+ with good results.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I ordered two boxes of 500 each of the 240gr LSWC 44s and two boxes of 750 each of the 158gr RNFP 357s. I've only loaded and shot a couple of boxes worth of each, and they have been just fine for me. They were all just target loads using moderate charges of AA #2. No signs of leading and they seemed fine for accuracy.

Huh. Might have to check them out, maybe pair a box or two with some .45 semiwads.