.44 bullets, what do you use ?

[irold]

Between my son and I , we're beginning to burn up a lot of ammo in our 44 mags .  I've been loading with the Horn XTPs , 240 grain.  I really want to stay with a jacketed bullet , any suggestions ??   I just ordered some Nosler 240s from Midway , 36 bucks for 250.  I'll give them a try.   Thanks for your suggestions.   If I go to lead ball , any trouble with leading ?  I really don'twant to change our sights from our hunting load....240 XTP over a healthy charge of 296.   

[jhalcott]

  I've used every thing from 180's thru 265's in jacketed and a whole lot of different CAST bullet designs for plinking ,silly wets and hunting.While the deer I've shot or seen shot with the 200 don't seem to know the difference, I like the 240 grain best. I do buy the "bulk" bullets when I can afford them. This is getting to be a rare thing since I cast my own quicker than the mail man delivers.

[Jim n Iowa]

Ok I am a big 44 fan as I use 6 in various apps.. I reload, so I do 210g sthp for a 2" snubby, ccw. My in field carry hunting or back up is a 4.5" SBH loaded with 240 g swc bullets. The hunting pistol would be a Ruger Red Hawk  topped with a Red Dot using 265g GC fp lead hard cast bullets. The final is a Marlin 1894P that does 265+ g bullets
Jim

[gypsyman]

These are all cast bullets, use very little jacketed. Plinking bullet is a 200gr Lyman, then I cast a 255NEI  and a 280 Lyman for target/silhouette, and for the real serious stuff, I've got a 320gr LBT mold, that the bullets actually come out at 330/331.  'Course the last one is more for my .445.  Figure I've got everything covered from a rabbit smacker to elk or bear.  gypsyman

[LaOtto222]

The Nosler deal is about as good as it gets now days. I just looked and they are out of stock. The Noslers are .429" bullets. I do not know if they will shoot as well or not. It depends on your guns. Try the Remington 240 grain semi-jacketed. I think they are about the cheapest jacketed bullet you can buy in .430" diameter. There is no jacketed bullet that is cheap any more. They are on sale right now at Midway for $80/500 + shipping. That works out to $16/100. The Hornady's are about $21/100+ shipping The Remington's are .430" diameter same as the XTP. I think the jackets are a little thin for deer, but for practice without changing your sights, I think they would work out well for you. I have 300 265 grain Beartooth bullets cast and sized at .4315" with gas checks coming to give a try with. They are not cheap at $18/100 shipping included. 250 grain with gas check are the same price. You can load up the cast with gas checks to the same levels as jacketed bullets. I do not think you can buy cheap bullets any more.  I have 5 guns that shoot 44 bullets so I am always looking for a bargain too. I have been using the Remington's for general shooting (they used to be real cheap), but may switch to the Beartooth, depending on performance. I can not get .429" bullets to shoot very well in most of my guns. BTW the Beartooth bullets have a wide flat point, very good for deer or even bigger.

[irold]

Thanks for the info.....your post , Laotto , was very helpful  .  Where are you buying the Beartooth at ?   Yes , I had to order the 240 gr Noslers from Natachez....the 200 gr and 240 gr 45cal are coming from Midway.  The shipping is killing me .  Where I live , though , I'd have to drive about 40 miles ( one way ) to a big supplier.  Our local gunshops just can't afford to have much inventory.  Have you ever seen the Rem. 240 packed in a smaller amount ?  Maybe next time I'll give them a try.  I still like the XTP for hunting.  Thanks again for the info.

[Questor]

I routinely switch from cast bullets to jacketed. The sight adjustments are minor. It's much cheaper to use cast bullets. If you're using magnum loads of based on 296 powder (i.e., around 21 grains of 296 for a 240 grain bullet) you should not have much trouble with leading.

But leading as a problem is vastly overrated since it is so easy to deal with. The problem is that the products that are sold specifically to remove leading are not very good at it. The best tool for cleaning lead out of a 44 bore is to take a 38 caliber bronze brush and wrap it with fine bronze wool (available at marine hardware stores or through Brownells. One package lasts a LONG time.) Stroke the bore with that for 30 seconds, concentrating on the area nearest the chamber, and the lead comes right out.  Nothing else I've tried is nearly as effective.

[irold]

Thanks , Questor , I didn't know of the 38 X bronze wool trick....I'll give that a try.     At present I use three loads in our .44s , a 200 gr jacketed hp over 11 grains of Unique....thats for my 4" Ruger, very mild, and fairly accurate.  Its great for "fun shooting" .   Also 240 gr jacketed over 18 grains of 2400....also mild, but a little more kick than the Unique.  My son likes that in his Smith 29 , says it doesn't bite his hand as bad as our hunting load.   Then for hunting, these are for the Contender and Encore....240 gr XTP over 24 grains of 296...fairly hot...but this load has worked well for me.  I've used it in my SRH 44 also.   Out of the three, maybe I should try a cast bullet in the Unique load    I'd have to check , I've forgotten what the MVs are for my loads.  Is the magic number 1000 FPS, to keep the leading down ??   Thanks again ...I can use all the help I can get....Its getting to the place, I can't afford to shoot, at least not as much as I want.   IROLD

[myronman3]

at the price of things now i shoot my own cast exclusively.   the price is still right on those

[LaOtto222]

irold - you can buy the Remingtons in 100 bullet lots at about $19/100. It is just cheaper to buy it in 500 lots.

Here is a link to Bearthooth Bullets

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/

[High Brass]

I shoot lead 90% of the time in my 44 mag.  I load a mild practice load to just shoot and I have a hunting load as well.  The lead cast loads are cheaper (bullets are cheaper than jacketed and I use less powder).

240gr Laser Cast LSWC  from Oregon Trail
6.6gr Hodgdon Titegroup
R-P cases
CCI large pistol primers
MV=1050 fps from a 7.5" bbl Ruger SRH

240gr Hornady XTP
23gr W296
W-W cases
Federal 155 primers
MV=1380 fps out of same gun

With the lead cast load, I have not had any leading issues although it's prudent to thoroughly clean your handgun before firing any jacket loads.  Titegroup is a very flexible and forgiving powder and has proven very accurate.  It isn't near as clean burning though as Universal Clays in my experience.   

[Tom W.]

I can't recall if I've ever had jacketed bullets in my .44's and I know not in my current one. I have succumbed to the urge a time or two and bought cheap bulk jacketed bullets from Winchester and Remington for my .357 and 30-06. They work very well, but It's a lot cheaper, more fun and relaxing for me to spend some money on wheelweights and cast my own. I've narrowed my .44 molds to a Lee 240 gr SWC with a gas check, and an RCBS 245gr SWC plain base. I plink with the same load that I hunt with. Leading hasn't been a problem at all.

[irold]

Thanks to all ,  I appreciate the info ........IROLD

[mcwoodduck]

I use Berry's Plated bullets.  I load 180 grain bullets over Blue Dot for about 1050 FPS and it is a great load for steel and target shooting.  Little recoil.  Basically a hot special.  It will not cycle my 99/44 Deer field by Ruger but it is still a great handgun load.  I also load Hornady 180 Jacket hollow points for bowling pins.
The only down side to this load is it is a great round and you tend to shoot more.