44 Mag Bullets

[jpaul]

I am gearing up to start reloading for my 44 mag. What are your thoughts on the Rainier LeadSafe bullets? I have never used them but the price caught my eye.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Rainier LeadSafe Bullets 44 Cal (429 Diameter) 240 Grain Plated Hollow

 

[mosquito]

I use them and they are great, BUT......you can't push them too hard, just like lead! So, if you are loading light to mid-range .44 loads, they will be fine. "IF" you are looking to load MAX/Full Power .44 loads, use jacketed bullets! I load Lad, Rainier (plated) and Jacketed bullets for .44 and this is what I do. Light to mid, lead and plated OK.......full power stuff, JACKETED ONLY!

G

PS: High Power .44 loads need a very firm crimp. If you crimp plated bullets too much, the plating will rip apart when you fire them hence, they are only good for "milder" loads.

 

[venomballistics]

not my first choice honestly
44 magnum loading runs in two schools of thought.
Mild target loads and full house magnums.
both are just better served with a true hard cast bullet in this caliber

 

[Vulcan Bob]

According to Rainier the speed limet for thier plated bullets is 1,150fps as long as you keep the velocity below that they should work just fine. However I have a 950fps speed limit just in case, dont need them to strip the copper plate off in the bore. I use them in 38 Special,45 ACP and 45 Colt at 850fps each and found they work nicely with good accuracy(with the right load of course). Also only use a light roll crimp or taper crimp to avoid cutting through the plateing.

 

[tappedandtagged]

I use Missouri bullet co. 240 grn "Keith" LSWC at anything from mid to full magnum (1200 fps from a 3" barrel). Never seen a need for plated.

 

[TexasRider]

I shoot a variety of bullets in the 44. The Hornadys in the 240's are clean and shoot accurately enough for most any targets. You can load them up for power or down slow too. I even have some powder puffs in 180 grain. They also load well too.

While I wasnt that big on Hornadys bullets these are good and at a reasonable cost. I was surprised at what Reminton cost for the 240 SJHPs.

 

[Sebago Son]

Not my first choice...

I think you could do alot better with cast...

These are .430" 242 grain Round Nose, Flat Point from our fellow forumite Jessie Clark of Tennessee Valley Bullet.

Over 7.8 grains of Unique, I get 907 fps according to my chronograph, and as you can see they shoot pretty well... even out of a fixed sighted, .44 Magnum converted Model 58.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Plated in a magnum just isn't a good idea unless they will all be VERY tame loads.

 

[TexasRider]

Good looking loads Sebago.

 

[Engineer1911]

I haven't had problems with 357 mag or 44 mag plated bullets loaded to factory levels, Berry or Rainier. When I mined 200# of bullet scrap from the dirt berm at the range, I found out that plated bullets are not deformed anymore than 230 gr FMJ 45ACP. I found lots of "reloadable" factory hollow points without any deformation.

When I was melting the bullets down to make ingots, using a turkey fryer burner, I had to agitate the melt with a shovel to rupture the plated bullets so the lead would run out. More then half the plated bullets still were intact when I first cleaned the "junk" off of the top of the melt.

 

[Lenny_D]

I think you could do alot better with cast...

These are .430" 242 grain Round Nose, Flat Point from our fellow forumite Jessie Clark of Tennessee Valley Bullet.

Over 7.8 grains of Unique, I get 907 fps according to my chronograph, and as you can see they shoot pretty well... even out of a fixed sighted, .44 Magnum converted Model 58.

Drew,
You had to bring out that converted 58 once again! Man I've got to have a fixed N frame 44. I'll be laying in bed tonight just counting bullet holes till I fall asleep.

Len