Opinions re hardcast 300 gr bullets in 1894 .44 magnum

[Jacko]

Gidday Fella's , I'm would like to work out a load for both my .357 and my .44 using to same powder to keep my reloading bench simple and uncluttered - yeh I know  doomed to fail .

My new 1894 .44 mag - ballard rifling is proving fussy . I am in the process of developing loads for it , tried over a dozen loads through it . I worked out some good hunting loads using 23gr of W296 and .430 265gr JSP Hornady Interlocks but these proj are too expensive [$65 per 100 ] so I plan to practice and hunt with .430 FP Westcast Gold supreme cast bullets which have a teflon type coating hardcast projectile and rated not to foul up to 1700 fps . These bullets in the .357 are great , no fouling , no leading just need to wipe out the powder residue from time to time .

W296 is a little to peaky and pushes the cast bullets a little quick in the .44 mag and I have zero interest in scraping  lead out of my bore so I checked my reloading manual and decided ADI AR2205 [ Hodgdon H4227 ] was a good candidate for both calibres . I bought Remington cases and 5000 CCI 350 primers very cheap . 2400 was second choice I am starting to wonder if I should have bought a pound of it .


Most accurate load is 22 gr of AR2205 = 3" group at 50 yards with the cast bullets but a load of 22.5 gr of AR2205 / 265 gr Hornady JFP's into a nice little 1 1/2 " group at 50 yards using a Williams foolproof . Really like those bullets but $ ?

The .44 mag loves this load - .430 240 gr FP / 10 gr of ADI AP70N [ Hodgedon Universal ] and gives me 1 1/2" groups . Sure it will mess up anything I hunt but AP70N gives too low a velocity for hunting load in the .357 . I will be using up the AP70N for target loads . One powder for both appearing shaky ?

I suspect that this .44 mag rifle likes Westcast bullets driven around 1350 to 1450 fps and a 300 gr bullet under a stiff load of AR2205 will give me that . Trouble is I have read a million times that the 1: 38 twist will not stabilize a 300 gr pill and a million times it will . I also read that stabilizing 300 gr pills in ballard 1:38 twist barrels is no problem when they are driven hard but problematic when not ??

Any thoughts folks .

regards Jacko

[Graybeard]

Other than W296/H110 I mostly use 2400 in the .44 Magnum but Unique is another good option.

[phaessler]

I am shooting a Lee .430-310 with a gas check and tumble lubed in my ballard rifle Marlin 44.  Shoot em' as cast between 0.431" and 0.432",  using A2400, 16-18grains, holds under an inch at 50 yds, 1 1/2"-2" at 100yds.


Pete

[Jacko]

Thanks for the advice fella's  , I am squirreling away all info for future referance . Only way to find out for sure if the 300 grainer will shoot in my rifle is too buy a packet and try em . I have looked at the data for Unique powder unfortunatly it does not develop the velocity for the .357 but looks good in the 44 mag . I'll give AR2205 a fair go and next Alliant 2400 if I am not happy with the AR2205 .

regards Jacko

[dpe.ahoy]

Give a serious look at Hodgdon LilGun if you can get it.  Magic powder in the 357 and works good all the way up to the 460 S&W.  DP

[Jacko]

Mate I looked for months for LILGUN , seems like no one imports it downunder . It looks the goods in the .357 . It would really annoy me if like many Hodgdon Powders , ADI made it and exported it and Aussies could not get it .

Going hunting in a couple of weeks so I'm saving my pennies just now for that trip but first payday after I will buy a packet of 300 gr bullets and give them a go

Over the weekend I reveiwed my load notes and decided to load up whats left of the Hornady .430 - 265 gr JSP  projectiles over a load of 22.5 gr of AR2205  which printed nice 1 1/2" groups at 50 yards , should make a fair load for pigs and decided to load up a a few more rounds of 22 gr of AR2205 / 240 gr Westcasts as this load did shoot nice round groups and see if it was my crook shooting and not the load that give me 3" groups .

regards Jacko

[Mikey]

Jacko:  You have a great little rifle in a great caliber but Ballard rifling or Micro-groove rifling doesn't matter - you have a Marlin and there are a couple of things you need to know about Marlin barrels.

They are oversize for the caliber.  The bore on your 44 may turn out to be a .431 or even a .432 diameter and although the rifling, of either style, should stabalize .429 or .430 jacketed bullets up to 300 gns, they may not give you the best accuracy and may not shoot cast bullets well at all. 

Marlin barrels need bore lapping - it is a controlled wear process that removes minor imperfections and obstructions from the bore and when completed and used with cast bullets of the proper diameter you should be able to shrink your group by 1/2 at twice the distance. 

Drop on down to Veral Smith's forum further down Graybeards here and read what he posts about bore lapping your barrel, then go to the Beartooth Bullet site (www and .com) and read Marshall Stanton's writings on bore lapping and Marlin rifles.

[Jacko]

Thanks for the info Mikey , was aware of the possibility of the oversize bore and have had a good look through Verals site - intriguing !

regards Jacko