Author Topic: Acceptable weight variation, 200 gr 44-40 bullet (Read 698 times)

The Shrink · « **on:** June 09, 2003, 02:37:02 AM »

Esteemed Board

This is the first light bullet I've cast, the rest being .40 and .45 BPCR bullets. What is the acceptable weight variation for non-serious shooting - i.e. plinking rather than competition?

I'm recovering from a broken collar bone, so my casting time is limited in any one session, but last Saturday I cast 90 of them, and 64 were within 1 grain, and most of those were within .5 grain. I tossed the rest back to re-cast. Am I being overly picky for my purposes?

I'm sizing the cast to .427, lubing with liquid alox, casting from a Lee double cavity mold.

Billy Marr · « **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2003, 02:28:37 AM »

honestly for plaing around just shoot them as is dont worry. most people say 10% well ten percent of 200gr is 20gr and unless you have completly (censored word) hands and plain just cant cast you will have no problems staying under that ten percent. Heck I rarely wiegh mine un less I suspect some type of contamination. I worry about lot to lot hardness more than anything.

The Shrink · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2003, 03:06:51 AM »

Billy

All of mine were no more than four or five grains out! 10% seems like a lot of variation to me. I don't like more than a couple of grains difference on my BPCR bullets that go 420 gr. to more than 500 grains. I'd think 2-3% may be a more appropriate target.

jhalcott · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2003, 08:58:28 AM »

seems to me you are being way too picky for plinking ammo!I do not bother to weigh plinkers. IF THEY LOOK GOOD ,they usually are. Target/hunting bullets get the full treatment though. jh

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2003, 12:34:12 PM »

do what I did quit weithting them and then you dont have to worry about it

hubbard · « **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2003, 02:23:57 PM »

lloyd's right. if the base looks good, shoot it.

The Shrink · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2003, 01:45:11 AM »

Gentlemen

I guess my thinking has been overly influenced by all those OCD (me too!) BPCR Silouette shooters on Shooters.com! If I can get about 5 grains variation over 90 bullets at 200 gr, and that without a lead thermometer, it seems that 10% variation should be easily within reach for anybody. Suddenly this seems a whole lot easier than I had been thinking about it.

With a 20 grain difference in a 200 gr. bullet that means acceptable bullets run 190-210 gr. How much higher will a 210 gr bullet print than a 190 gr bullet if all else remains the same out of a 5.5" barreled revolver? At a standard range, say 25 yds, or maybe 50 feet.

If wieght doesn't matter, at least according to my standards, what about diameter? Can I shoot these as cast at .429 out of a 44-40? The 44-40 should be .427, but I don't have it yet to measure. If the bullet passes through the mouth of the cylinder, the forcing cone will swage it, right? How much difference will .002 make?

As you can tell from my questions I have much more in common with Rdnck, Gunny, and Coydog than with those of you who shoot anything with a pretty base. This even though I don't shoot competitively. OCD and proud of it!

HWooldridge · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2003, 06:27:42 AM »

Shrink,

I also read the Shiloh page and have seen your posts. The 44-40 is one of my favorite cartridges so I have fired a lot of rounds thru several long and short guns. I cast my own slugs and never weigh for sorting for pistol bullets, but do look for complete and unblemished bullets. Although I'd always advocate care in loading, long range target shooting with a Sharps is much more particular than what a 44-40 is capable of delivering. From a pistol, you may need a machine rest to detect a grouping difference with 20gr weight variation. I guess it depends on what you find acceptable for accuracy and time spent to acquire it. Even a smoothbore shoots pretty good at 25 yds.

.429 bullets won't allow chambering in my old Colt - .427 is minimum and .425 is better when some fouling is present and although I have seen and shot hot loads of 2400 in this cartridge, case life is short due to the thin walls, so reduced loads are better.

T W · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2003, 07:34:29 AM »

You will be able to cast more consistent bullet weights if you keep the melt level in your pot close to the same level while casting. I do this by having ingots on the top of the pot, warming, and put in an ingot after casting about a dozen or so bullets. This keeps the weight on the valve near the same for every pour and one ingot doesn't drop the temperature of the melt enough to worry about. My 44-40's come out at 215grs from an old Lyman mould so close together I don't weigh them anymore.

Just a thought.

txpete · « **Reply #9 on:** July 31, 2003, 08:31:49 AM »

in my ruger vaq. 44-40 .428 works just fine and very accurate in starline brass.if I try loading them in rem brass they are hard to chamber.the point being alot depends on the brass that you are using.I now only load jacketed bullets in rem brass.I believe that the rem brass is thicker than win/starline.
pete