330gn 44mag load questions

[440turner]

I have loaded 10 rounds for my 44 SRH, I chose to load them with some 330ish gn lead gas checked bullets for the coming deer season, after loading them I realized the don't fully seat in the cylinders. The bullets seem to be about a Sixteenth from fully seating on the cylinder, they are so close you could actually close the cylinder. I thought the cylinders may need to be bored deeper, is this a common problem with this bullet? I know that I could seat the bullets deeper, but then I would be out of the crimp groove. I could trim the Brass as well, what gives?

 

[Titegroups]

Wonder if you have lead buildup in the throats. You may want to ask on the ruger forum, lot of guys load those heavyweights over there. 300g are as far as I have gone.

 

[427mach1]

Did you measure the brass before loading? Was the overall length within specifications? You might be able to measure them without pulling the bullet but I would start by determining if the brass has stretched and is preventing proper seating.

Have you been shooting 44 Specials out of this gun? If so, there could be a buildup of carbon residue in the cylinder. Give the cylinder a good cleaning and see if the rounds will seat properly.

 

[Skip Sackett]

What kind of nose shape do they have? If they are full diameter quick after the crimp groove, you will have to trim cases and seat to the crimp groove.

Make sure you reduce the charges accordingly. In my personal opinion, and to most folks, that ain't much, there is no need for the +300gr bullets in this caliber. Drive a 240gr to it's full potential, you need no other.

 

[Warren Sear]

For deer hunting, I shoot a 310 grain gas checked bullet cast from a Lee mold in my Thompson Contender, loaded with 2400 powder. The bullet is seated on the bottom crimp grove, making the loaded cartridge slightly longer than industry spec. That load is extremely accurate in my Contender. I also shot a few in my 3" model 629. The loaded cartridges chamber easily in both guns.

As said before, I would make sure your chambers are clean.

 

[440turner]

Thanks for the replies, I have checked the suggested problems and this is what I found out. The OAL of the case is 1.275/1.277, the loaded length is 1.776, the bullet is .431 right after the crimp wich is where I think my problem might be. The bullet is .040 away from seating completely into the cylinder. I could trim the cases that .040 and adjust my powder accordingly, a 44 special is 1.150 long and the mag is 1.275, so it still would be significantly longer than the special still. I loaded the round with 20.0 grns of 296 and a Fed 155 primer, although now it looks like I wil be disassembling them, oh well live and learn and its only 10 rounds! and of course I dont need a round this heavy, but why not. I also intend on using my 460 XVR to shoot deer here in Southern Michigan, they dont allow rifles in my area and I thought it would be fun, that gun is a reloaders dream.

 

[Alk8944]

440 Turner,

Typically heavy-for-caliber bullets will often give exactly what you are seeing. If these are bullets you cast, and the nose diameter is larger than what you are sizing the shank to, simply run them into your sizing die deeper, or get a Lee sizing die of the right diameter and post-size the nose after running them through the lubri-sizer.

It the bullet nose is larger than the charge-hole throats, and the bullet is long enough, guess what happens? They won't seat in the cylinder. This can even happen sometimes with Lyman 428421, depending on the lead shape in the charge holes and the front band diameter!

 

[Dragon88]

Drop down to a bullet of reasonable weight and profile and you will solve your problem.

 

[440turner]

thanks for the reply on the reasonable weight DAD, Im tired of shooting common weight bullets. I didnt post this for you to tell me to change my load, simply looking for opinions on the load. I have close to 20 profiles of 44 caliber bullets and load all of them, not looking to stay with a "reasonable weight and profile"

 

[Dragon88]

simply looking for opinions on the load.

And that's what you got, my opinion of your load. Having to trim brass far below trim-to length just to seat and chamber a grossly overweight bullet for 44 mag doesn't seem sensible to me. Like smith crazy said, a properly driven 240gr bullet will accomplish anything the 44 mag is capable of. If you need more than that, you probably need a larger cartridge.

If you are using this bullet just to tinker, well that's fine. But tinkering with bullets outside the normal range for a cartridge often leads to problems like the one you are experiencing.

 

[440turner]

I have loads for 240 gn bullets that drive tacks, and yes that will kill deer just fine. I dont need help with standard weight loads. I am looking to load a bullet that is not offered by any manufacturer, regardless if im tinkering or not, im looking to load it, and yes this is large for the caliber.....so what, isnt that the fun of the hobby?

I load 535 gn bullets in my 460 and intend to kill deer with that as well.....so I dont consider this 335gn 44 mag bullet too heavy

 

[venomballistics]

330 is serious overkill for deer so dont let it break your heart if you cant find an answer.

 

[Paul105]

the bullet is .431 right after the crimp wich is where I think my problem might be.

I think you are right. I hate trimming brass, and if these are commercially cast, then I would suggest you try a Lee Factory Crimp Die. In addition to crimping, it has a carbide sizer that will size the entire case (incl the .431 bullet) so that it will fit int the cyl throats.

If these are bullets you cast, just size them to a smaller diameter. If commercial, you could order the next batch with a smaller diameter.

I have an older Freedom Arms M83 that had the same problem with Factory Jacketed Ammo. The solution was to chamfer the cyl throats -- fixed the problem.

Have also had the same problem with a FA83 in .475 LB where the bullet diameter just ahead of the crimp is right at, or slightly above throat diameter.

Here are some cyl throat measurements (with plug gauges) I've made over time on various .44s. Some of the throats are tapered, so they may accept larger than throat diam at the rear of the throat.

S&W 329 0.429
S&W 329 0.429
S&W 629 6" 0.4285
S&W 629 4" 0.43
RBH 50th 0.431
RSBH OM 0.431
FA97 Cyl 0.4295

Hope some of this is useful.

Paul

 

[440turner]

After cleaning the cylinders thoroughly, the bullets seat properly. I think I would prefer to have these sized a little smaller, after shooting a few hundred lead 240gn bullets these longer heavy bullets will not fit if there is alot of lead build up in the cylinders.

 

[fredj338]

Have you measured your cyl throats? If they are 0.431", that is likely your problem if the bullet dia is also that. I don't like the idea of shortening brass, especially w/ a heavy for caliber bullet, but you can do that & adjust charge wt. Resizing the bullet to 0.4305" should solve the problem or opening the cyl throats 0.0005" larger.
Personnaly, I doubt there is an elk, much less deer walking the planet, that will stop a 250grLSWC so 330grLFP for deer seems too much trouble for what you are trying to achieve. The 310grLFP from Lee, great bullet, fits every 44mag I won, S&W or Ruger, very accurate. Just a thought.