44 Special and Magnum Mould.

[Bazoo]

I’m researching a new mould for 44, both special and magnum. Both rifle and pistol. Not to mean that it has to function in a rifle, rather I’m researching both.

I use currently.
RCBS 44-250-k
RCBS-44-240-swc
Lee c432-265-RF ranchdog

And I have but don’t use because it’s undersized. I am going to powder coat these or lap the mould a but haven’t don’t anything with them yet.
Lee 429-200-rf
Lee 429-240-2r

So what’s everyone’s pet moulds?

 

[fiver]

429667
been starting to do a little work with the LEE 200rf. and powder coat.
but i already have the Magma Engineering 200 and their 240.[meant for the smaller 44-40 like the lee is]
i swage a hollow point into the 240 and bump the 200 to 430.

easier to just run the 667 4 cavity mold like normal and skip all the extra work with the others.

 

[richhodg66]

That RCBS Keith bullet is a good one in my experience.

 

[Brad]

My 44 special loads are all made with an NOE 503 clone- runs about 265 gr.

For 44 mag I use a 300 gr bullet from MP- I think it was a 44/444 design.

 

[Walks]

I use;
N.O.E #TL432-247-RF mainly for rifle, but also a Cowboy bullet.

Lyman #429667 RF another Cowboy bullet.
Lyman #429251 & #429478, both old RN Styles in .44Spl for handgun plinking or Cowboy handgun. Unfortunately both are discontinued.

Lee bullets are used too.
#429-200-RF
#429-240-2R
#429-214-1R, discontinued.
All of My loadings are for .44Spl with few Magnum loads, usually just the 1st N.O.E & 1st Lyman bullets for .44Mag.

For paper punching I use the #429421 in either case.

For Hot Loads #429215GC-215gr & #429244GC, both Thompson Gas Check designs. Either feeds in a Marlin 1894, a Winchester 94, and both Winchester/Browning 1892 and Rossi R92.

The Lyman #42798 $ #427666 drop too small for .432dia barrels.

 

[Winelover]

Currently, MP 250 RNFP with GC. Has pins for solids, cup and HP. With my alloy, grain weight is 250, 240 & 238 respectively. I have the .434 diameter option for use in my Marlin carbine and my large throated RH and Bulldog.

I also have the Lyman 429667 that fiver referred to. However, it's a PB and only drops at .431 for me. Ok, for the pistols but accuracy with the Marlin carbine suffers.

The Marlin really likes Accurate's 210 RNFP.

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

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[Petrol & Powder]

The RCBS 44-250-K has proven to be a great bullet for my uses.

 

[Bret4207]

For the Special the 429421 has done all I could ask of it. I'm fortunate that mine drops around .431+ IIRC. I've had no luck with commercial .429 castings whatsoever.

 

[Jeff H]

The RCBS 44-250-K has proven to be a great bullet for my uses.

I'll back that one, hands down. for the Mag or the Special. NOT that other bullets aren't worthy - not at all. I've tried bunch of stuff, thinking something someone had come up with besides some variation of Keith's pet HAD to be "better."

No matter what else I've tried this bullet has always worked well in light loads, heavy loads, close up, farther off,... Couldn't get away from it, so I'm at a point where I'm down to two 44 bullets, an Arsenal 210 grain RFN and their version of the 429421. If it came down to picking just one, it'd be the 250 grain SWC. That's the bullet I've always started with in new guns and always seems to come through for me.

Aside from under-sized LEE and Lyman moulds, I don't think I've found a 44 bullet which did not shoot well in the 'Special or 'Mag, but the 250 grain SWC of the same or similar form as the RCBS version just always works out to be a no-fail shooter.

 

[Jeff H]

For the Special the 429421 has done all I could ask of it. I'm fortunate that mine drops around .431 IIRC. I've had no luck with commercial .429 castings whatsoever.

My old single-cavity Lyman drops .433" and was my main bullet for a long time. I finally got Arsenal to make me a 4C and specified .433" I was shooting Bulldogs, Rossi 720s, and at one time a specific Flat Top Blackhawk (which Ruger traded me out of for a better one) which all required .432"-PLUS.

Also no luck with smaller bullets in many 44 Specials and several 44 Mags over the years.

 

[Thumbcocker]

The NOE version of the Ranch Dog shot well for me in several revolvers.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

To expand on what Jeff H wrote, I don’t wish to disparage other designs but I’ve found the RCBS 44-250-K to just flat work. My mold produces very consistent bullets with few, if any, rejections. They perform equally as well at “Skeeter” load velocities and when pushed harder (which there is seldom need for)

The RCBS 2 cavity limit is the only fault I can find and that’s not a significant issue with a bullet that I rarely cast more than 100 in a session. Plus, the consistency of that mold makes one batch identical to any other batch, so no worries there.

If for some reason I wanted more than 2 cavities in that type, I would just order a clone of the RCBS design from a different maker. Everything about that RCBS 44-250-K is on the money. The weight, the driving bands, the lube groove, the profile, the flat nose, it all just clicks in that application.

In my opinion, there’s just no need to look further.

 

[Winelover]

To expand on what Jeff H wrote, I don’t wish to disparage other designs but I’ve found the RCBS 44-250-K to just flat work. My mold produces very consistent bullets with few, if any, rejections. They perform equally as well at “Skeeter” load velocities and when pushed harder (which there is seldom need for)

The RCBS 2 cavity limit is the only fault I can find and that’s not a significant issue with a bullet that I rarely cast more than 100 in a session. Plus, the consistency of that mold makes one batch identical to any other batch, so no worries there.

If for some reason I wanted more than 2 cavities in that type, I would just order a clone of the RCBS design from a different maker. Everything about that RCBS 44-250-K is on the money. The weight, the driving bands, the lube groove, the profile, the flat nose, it all just clicks in that application.

In my opinion, there’s just no need to look further.

Unless, your loading for a carbine that balks at SWC designs.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I dont do allot in "44".

But Im more than satisfied with my RCBS 44-250 KT and Lyman 429421 and altho I dont have in 44. I enjoy the heck out if the Lee 452-200 RF. Same in a 44 aughta be just as good.

CW

 

[358156 hp]

M&P H&G 503 Keith, LBT 44-280 LFN, LBT 44-280 WFN, Lyman 429244, solid and HP, a few stray Ideal 429421 SC, and there's another couple that I'd have to find in order to identify, but they're low use. A shoulder injury has me on hiatus with shooting right now. I no longer have the mould, but I do still have a small supply of 429649 left as well. If I could use only one it would be 429244 even though it's a GC mould.

 

[Winelover]

My first mold, in 44 caliber was the RCBS 240 SWC GC. That was the only mold, I owned when, I purchased the Marlin carbine. It fed and cycled the SWC but never did get the accuracy I was after. It only dropped bullets at .4295 diameter. Marlins like .432 diameter, at the minimum. So, I decided to go with custom makers, where I could specify diameter and alloy.

Got in on a group buy for the NOE version, of Ranch Dog's 265 RNFP (GC), with conventional lube grooves. Harvested several deer with that, but wasn't totally satisfied with the distance the deer traveled, after taking out both lungs.

Eventually, went to the MP 250 mould, referred to earlier...........with the three pin option. Haven't used any on deer sized game. Usually, because I get a nice buck (8 pt or better), during archery. By the time gun season comes around, I'm looking for more antler points, than the one I took during early archery. Everything else gets a pass. Except, with the video camera.

 

[Brad]

My Marlin will feed the swc fine but damned it wants to shoot them well. I have a 240 RD with a plain base. Have some cast but have never shot any.

 

[fiver]

i have that RCBS 240 G/C also.
it feeds well in the Rossi, and casts like a dream, it's only fault is the gas check.

i got the 429241 to feed well in my lever rifles, but i had to slightly grind the little Cartridge stop to let the round come back a bit further on the lifter.
it shoots well in the 44 specials too.
not any better or worse than the 667 though.

 

[Bazoo]

I appreciate all the replies. It's an interesting discussion. I have been wanting to try the 429215 and 429244 bullets.

It's interesting what some have said about not being able to best the Keith design, and or the RCBS 44-250-K. That's kind of where my mind goes. It has such a following, I am thinking, is there anything better?

I'm looking at the Accurate 43-240A, and thinking it might make a good all around bullet. Not that I don't like the 44-250-K, but that I want something a bit lighter, and something that chambers easier in my Blackhawk. My 44-250-K drops at round 262 grains with WW allow.

 

[Winelover]

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

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Would be a good choice but should consider, at least, one cavity cut for a GC (43-24AG)! Just in case you want to use a soft alloy in a carbine/rifle.