Experience is something you get right after you need it.

[Jeff423]

I bought some .44 mag. cast bullets from a new source. Only after they wouldn't chamber did I think measure them - 0.005 oversize. I won't do that again. Rather than pulling them I removed the decapping stem and resized them. Not ideal but fine for me.

 

[OldChief]

I've done the same thing a few times and have experienced no problems.

 

[SMSgt]

Watch for bullet jump.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

You also might check for "neck bulge", this is caused by the roll crimp catching on the top edge of the crimp canalure as the bullet is being seated. If you change bullets, you often need to change the crimp/seat settings.

My Ruger Vaquero in 44-40 used .427 bullets, every thing fit and worked on the first batch of 2000. The next batch was with a different bullet, I tried adjusting everything with the RCBS dies. I got it to where 60-75% were fine, that is still 500+ cartridges that were bad! I hate to admit it, but the LEE Factory Crimp Die cured this on all batches from then on. 44 special/mag., have thicker case walls and will bulge worse if you aren't adjusted into the canalure properly!

Ivan

 

[Jeff423]

Thanks for the above advice. The base of the bullet was 0.005 over so that's where the bulge was located. A FCD would have cured it but I don't have one for .44.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Lee Sizing Kit

I bought some .44 Lee Micro Band bullets from a local caster that were too large in diameter (among other problems ) for my liking too.

I bought a .429" push-thru Lee Sizing Kit (~$25) & quickly fixed them.

.

Lee Sizing Kit

(-01a)

.

 

[daboone]

"Good judgement comes from experience,
and a lot of that comes from bad judgement."
Mark Twain