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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 04-20-2011, 08:24 PM
dentkimterry dentkimterry is offline
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I just pulled the trigger on a nice 629-3. The previous owner didn't shoot it much but when he did he used 240gr. stuff. I'm mostly going to be shooting holes in paper plates and looking for something accurate and economical (I know those two words don't usually go together!). The best 240gr I've seen is $28 for 50. Not bad. Any ideas? Thanks, Terry
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Old 04-20-2011, 08:55 PM
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My 44 mag reloads are about $6 / box of 50. Brass is range pick-ups, primers are pre-Bama @ $17 per 1,000, cast lead bullets from range scrap, powder is pre-Bama @ $18 / pound. I bought casting equipment in 1980 and my first Dillon in 1982. My second Dillon 550B was used for $250. My goal was to have sufficient supplies to shoot for 8 to 9 years and then have a serious yard sale.

So when do you start casting and reloading? Today from what I see, cast lead bullets cost almost as much as jacketed.
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Old 04-20-2011, 10:53 PM
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Yeah, can you believe those prices? I never thought I would see cast prices up where they are now. Back in the 1980s I never knew how lucky I was to live 20 minutes from Bull-X's factory and be able to back up to the door and buy cast bullets for $17 and $18 a box of 500. I really miss those guys.
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Old 04-21-2011, 01:01 PM
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is offline
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Casting is getting tougher with states banning the use of lead in wheelweights, my supply guy in Elmira NY told me NY passed a no lead law

Scrapyards want crazy $$ for wheelweights even buying a ton I can't find a good source, $40 a 5 gallon bucket & yes it will be mixed with some junk.

prices have come down on powder & primers some in my area
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Old 04-21-2011, 05:40 PM
dentkimterry dentkimterry is offline
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So what I'm getting here is reload and cast your own bullets? Is it worth it if you can't cast bullets? Where do you get the best deal on your supplies?

Is 240gr the best to use in this gun? I don't want to tear it apart with too heavy a load.
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Old 04-21-2011, 06:56 PM
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I think 240 grains is the logical bullet weight, but really miss Remington's former 1,000 FPS "medium" load.

Those of us who don't reload have a hard time finding milder ammo in .44.

Has anyone here clocked Frederal's 200 grain lead HP round from a six-inch M-629? If it actually gets about 900 FPS, that may be a good defense load.

T-Star
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Old 04-21-2011, 07:46 PM
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I'm also a reloader and I have a lot of brass which helps a lot and I load 240 grain SWC to about 950 FPS. For defensive loads I load them to the max and I load 270 grain Gold Dot hollow point bullets. When Obama was elected within 30 days I stocked my bench to the max because three months later you couldn't get the stuff.
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Old 04-22-2011, 08:16 AM
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If you don't reload there really are no mid range .44 loads anymore and I don't know why. I've yet to shoot a mag velocity round out of any of my .44's, don't see a need.

Reloading cost has gone through the roof over the last couple years. I started a bullet casting business 6 years ago but at present it sits idle. You just can't find lead at a reasonable price so you can't be competitive.

My last search found wheel weights at $1 a lb. I figure 1/3 of that is zinc and then you still have the metal you need to separate. Decent lead is $2 a lb. At these prices you can't be competitive.
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