Reccomendation on which 44cal Coated SWC 240gr bullets & Powder

Hello,

I am looking for a good accurate load for Target/defense for my 629-4 3" Trail Boss 44 Mag.

I would like to start with a good coated 240gr SWC Coated bullet ( to prevent leading)

I have seen bullets by Falcon, BayouBullets, Acme, BadManbullets and SNS casting.

I was wondering if any of these brands are good?

I would like to load Starline 44Mag brass with a mid range accurate 44Mag load and powder that burns clean, Possibly Tightgroup, but I am open to suggestions.

I love the 3" Trail Boss but with Factory 44Mag loads it's a beast and not comfortable to shoot.

I have not reloaded in 40 years so any hint on best Carbide dies would also be great.

Thanks,

Rich

I'd get a box of 100 from at least four or five manufacturers, work up some loads and see what shoots most accurately (without leading) from a solid benchrest at 25 yards. If you only want to try one bullet, find the softest bullet that actually measures .431" and give them a try. .430" might work in some guns, but I'd bet on .431". Trying both diameters would hurt nothing.

Experimentation, done right, almost always works, but it seems many today don't care for the one time expense or the effort required to develop the best load. Good luck-

A lot of shooters don't bother to slug the barrel or find the Dia. of their cylinders.......

They just buy bullets and let fly.

Just depends on what your needs are.

Good shooting.

I have a moderate load using 8.4 grains of Titegroup with a 240 grain Lasercast SWC . It runs about 1040 fps out of my 2.75 inch model 69 and 1100 fps out of my 4 inch 629-4.

Lasercast SWC Bullets

Shark Bait said:

I have a moderate load using 8.4 grains of Titegroup with a 240 grain Lasercast SWC . It runs about 1040 fps out of my 2.75 inch model 69 and 1100 fps out of my 4 inch 629-4.

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Are lasercast bullets coated? Are they hardcast? I would just like an accurate losd that does not lead the barrel and burns clean.

Also how do you slug the barrel and is it necessary?

Slug the bore if you wish, but it's seldom necessary unless you're bore's groove diameter is larger than the cylinder throats and that's pretty unusual. Push a cast bullet through the throats. If it goes through with a little resistance, bullet fit should be fine. If a bullet falls through, it's too small and probably won't shoot accurately. It may also lead the bore. Soft bullets generally work best.

I am not a big experimenter - I started reloading over 45 years ago, and have pretty much settled on what works for me. Couple things I have found..

Cast bullets can be accurate and shot with minimal leading in a revolver, but it is important they are a tight fit when exiting the cylinder (chamber) mouths. Reffered to as "throats". Too loose, and they will allow gas cutting around the bullet, poor accuracy, and resulting leading to occur. Too hard, and if not properly sized to the gun, the results will be the same. A "soft" bullet will "bump up or down" at moderate velocity, helping to achieve a good fit.

For an accurate target load, you want a relatively soft (wheel weight or softer) bullet that is sized about .001 larger than your throats. You can measure the throats on your revolver by taking a soft, slightly oversized pure lead ball, gently drive it thru a chamber mouth (throat), and measure its diameter. You can do the same thing with a cast bullet by checking each chamber, and seeing if said bullet falls thru, sticks hard, or can be pushed thru with slight pressure - That's the sizing you are looking for.

Can't comment on your powder selections or particular bullets. I cast my own, do not use powder coated, but the results with a PC bullet would be the same, minus the chance for leading, and a little cleaner due to lack of bullet lube crud. I like Red Dot and Win 231 powders for target / light field .44 mag loads. 6.5 grains of Red Dot in a .44 mag case under a 240 cast will give about 950 fps, is accurate, and burns clean. Red Dot is a fluffly, flake powder that fills a case well, minimizing the chance of an un-noticed double charge.

Other factors like a rough, undersized, or oversize bore may also cause issues, but the most common factor in accuracy and leading that you can easily control is bullet / throat fit.

Larry

With a 240gr LSWC in .44 Mag brass I have had good results with 7.0gr WW231. Chrony`s at around 850fps in my 6" 629-3.
Jim

I have not shot any .44 SNS bullets, but have shot a lot of .45 and have not had any problems. With my cast .44's I use from 7 to 8 grains of Unique for general plinking.

Groo here
My friend and I are going with GT bullets in our 44's.
They have 190gr to 300 gr bullets that can be had in different sizes
and are somewhat soft.
They will deform down to 700fps impact speeds.[ by manufacter]
SNS are coated and hard if going solid and fast.

Groo01 said:

Groo here
My friend and I are going with GT bullets in our 44's.
They have 190gr to 300 gr bullets that can be had in different sizes
and are somewhat soft.
They will deform down to 700fps impact speeds.[ by manufacter]
SNS are coated and hard if going solid and fast.

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GT bullets are excellent but not coated. I use their 250gr Keith style in all my .44 spl loads and they don't lead badly out to about 850 fps.
I also use their 225gr hp in all my .45s at about the same speed, the expansion and weight retention is amazing.
Here's what the .45s look like fired into gel.

We need to get a few things straight here . First, you don’t want the “ bore “ size of a barrel . You want the “ groove “ size when slugging a barrel . It’s the larger of the 2 .
Second , fitting your cast bullets to the cylinder throats is only 1/2 of the work needed . You need the groove size of your barrel to compare to the cylinder throat size . If the cylinder throats are smaller than the groove diameter of the barrel then they need to be opened up larger . The cylinder throats need to be at least the same as the groove size of the barrel and 1-2 thousandths larger is better . Pushing a soft lead slug all the way through the barrel will tell you about the condition inside the barrel , roughness from machine marks and tight spots where they roll stamped the markings on the side of the barrel or where the barrel threads onto the frame . The latter is mostly caused by over torquing the barrel to the frame trying to index the front sight to the rear sight . Leading a barrel is the result of many things , undersize cast bullets , improper size between cylinder throats and the barrel , alloy too hard , poor bullet lube etc ,etc . These things will also effect accuracy , not just lead deposits in the barrel. Powder coated bullets help but are not a cure all . Sometimes the easiest answer is to go to plated bullets . My revolvers shoot pretty lead free with loads from mild to wild but it took time , patience, understanding and effort to resolve those above mentioned issues. Good luck , regards Paul

Target and SD loads are not the same ;if SD is the first use,then 25yds performance is second to bullet energy transfer to target.Other important things like overpenetration if in urban area,winter or summer clothing,urban(short range)or rural area(longer distance,hence a little more prolonged shootout might need spare ammo configured for quick reloads)enter into the equation.
Two different needs that can be answered with one load but all aspects must be taken into consideration.

Groo01 said:

Groo here
My friend and I are going with GT bullets in our 44's.
They have 190gr to 300 gr bullets that can be had in different sizes
and are somewhat soft.
They will deform down to 700fps impact speeds.[ by manufacter]
SNS are coated and hard if going solid and fast.

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I like GT Bullets a lot. Great Quality. Its the only non coated lead bullet I shoot any more. I use the 190gr HP in my 3" 44 special loaded with 6.5gr of Universal. I'm guessing around 900fps. No leading and will expand well in water jugs and wet paper. I'm sure it would do the job in a SD situation. They also have a 240gr with gas check if leading was a problem.
For target I always use coated from SNS, Summers Enterprises or Missouri Bullet.

Eddietruett said:

I like GT Bullets a lot. Great Quality. Its the only non coated lead bullet I shoot any more. I use the 190gr HP in my 3" 44 special loaded with 6.5gr of Universal. I'm guessing around 900fps. No leading and will expand well in water jugs and wet paper. I'm sure it would do the job in a SD situation. They also have a 240gr with gas check if leading was a problem.
For target I always use coated from SNS, Summers Enterprises or Missouri Bullet.

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My vote is Missouri Bullet as I use them. Both uncoated and coated. For the cost have you considered jacketed or plated?

Missouri Bullet Company - .430" 240gr Keith coated.
Winchester WLP primers. 6.5gr of Hodgdon Clays OR 6.5gr Hodgdon Titegroup results ~930fps from a 4" barrel. The two powders are very economical, clean burning, and produce identical velocities.

4" load data - S&W 329pd info - Christian Ed and Hobby info

I use a 240 grain, coated SWC, sized to .432, from Missouri Bullet Company. Propelled by 9 grains of Power Pistol from my 4" 29, it yields 950 feet per second. I wouldn't have any worries substituting a commercial hollow point bullet if that was desired for self defense. Controllable and very consistent.

The information you've been given on sizing the bullet to your gun is good, take it to heart.

You want a bullet with crimp groove. You want 0.430" dia, no smaller to prevent leading. Not a fan of TG in anything, especially cavernous magnums or coated bullets. A good medium burner like Unique or WSF or AA#7, maybe be86 under a 240gr swc easily gets you 1000fps with good accuracy.
Anyones carbide dies will be fine. I prefer RCBS, Dillon or Redding.
None of my revos see jacketed bullets, no point really. A good cast/coated bullet can do anything a jacketed bullet can. In a pinch, any 44cal bullet will do for a SD load. After all, lead bullets were all there was back in the days of revolvers for SD. Substitute lswchp for a specific SD load.

fredj338 said:

You want a bullet with crimp groove. You want 0.430" dia, no smaller to prevent leading. Not a fan of TG in anything, especially cavernous magnums or coated bullets. A good medium burner like Unique or WSF or AA#7, maybe be86 under a 240gr swc easily gets you 1000fps with good accuracy.
Anyones carbide dies will be fine. I prefer RCBS, Dillon or Redding.
None of my revos see jacketed bullets, no point really. A good cast/coated bullet can do anything a jacketed bullet can. In a pinch, any 44cal bullet will do for a SD load. After all, lead bullets were all there was back in the days of revolvers for SD. Substitute lswchp for a specific SD load.

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For the most you right, however I think the exception might be the 1917 which was designed to shoot jacketed bullets. My 1917 and 1950 model ACP don't do as well with lead bullets.

andy52 said:

For the most you right, however I think the exception might be the 1917 which was designed to shoot jacketed bullets. My 1917 and 1950 model ACP don't do as well with lead bullets.

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Designed or not, I just see no point in jacketed bullets for revos, target, hunting or SD.