Hard Cast for My 44 mag

[DGrig]

I have been reloading for my 44 mag SRH and SBH for a few years w/jacketed and plated bullets.  I am now getting into purchased hard cast bullets.  My first load is with a Cast Performance 300gr that is for my first hog hunt in GA at the end of Oct.  Before this I hunted only deer with a 240gr XTP.  I am interested in working up an economical and accurate cast load for practice out to 50 yds but mostly 25 yds and under.  I am shooting a 9 1/2" and 7 1/2" Rugers.  For 240 gr practice loads up to this point I have used 10 gr of Unique powder.  I am looking for recommendations for cast practice bullets.  Thoughts?

[45-70.gov]

280 GRAIN


WFN  LBT
plain base


i got that and one with gas check 25 years ago

[DGrig]

May be exposing my ignorance, but who makes them?

[topper88]

I just came back from a pig hunt this week.  I used a .30-30 handi-rifle, 155 gr. gc flat point cast bullet.  One shot, one kill.  My cousin used a .44 hand gun with the Nosler 200 gr. jacketed hollow point bullet loaded to max at 1,800 fps.  It took 5 shots on a three hundred pound pig as three fully mushroomed and stopped after hitting fat and bone.  So with that experience I would use a flat point loaded to the max with either Lil Gun or H110/Winchester 296.  They say H4227 comes close in velocity as well and is used for cast bullets.  Analyze the foot pounds difference between 240 grain and 300 grain.  Some times it's not worth it to use the heavier bullet for close in work.

[anachronism]

May be exposing my ignorance, but who makes them?

If you don't make your own, Cast Performance offers them, as does Beartooth. Beartooth has a rather lengthy waiting list, the last I knew. Don't buy the cheapest thing you can find however, there are a lot of details to quality cast bullets. Bullet hardness is a secondary consideration compared to bullet sizing, bullet lube, and overall quality.

[woods]

For practice.
Oegon trail bullet  44 cal 240 is my practice lead bullet that seems to fit my needs the best. I use this bullet at around 1000 fps,8 gr of universal clays seems to be acurate and clean burning in my handgun, very little leading seems to ocur at this velocity and its low recoil for a 44 magnum.
Now for hunting
I'm useing true shot bullets in my 41 smith hunter (41 Cal. 265g WNFP GC .411)  and in my 44 super redhawk (44 Cal. 310g WNFP GC .430) Both of these are real hard kicking bullets pushed to their max on the hodgden load data off line. I'm useing lilgun powder for both bullets accuracy at 50yards is in the 2"goup size. These are excellent big game bullets, I've never shot a pig with one but these are both designed to penetrate deep and exit. I live on a farm and have buchered many cows as is commonly known you remove the head of the animal after skinning. Cow heads are large and tough so I did some penitration tests on the cow head with both of these bullets. At 20 paces both bullets fully penitrated the head from both side and front. To add a little more I placed a lower leg joint on top the skull, at probably 15 feet the 41 bullet penitrated the cow hoof and the skull. In all I shot 2 shells from the 44 and 3 shells from the 41 and all penitrated completly.
       To say the least these two bullets are show stoppers for anything in there way They are a little expensive to practice with but no more than jacketed 300's are, and they don't come apart in heavy bone. So far I have shot 2 white tail doe's with the 44's both bullets exited one broadside though the ribs (easy) the second was trotting down hill at me bullet went in the sternum and came out the left hind quarter. Needless to say I like my heavy cast bullets. One last note oddly enough both these loads both practice and heavy hunting hit almost the same point of impact.

     woods

[hillbill]

cast bullets have a huge learning curve.if yu buy them yu really dont know what they are made of.if you make them it takes awhile to get your alloy right.straight wheel wheights work well in revolvers..any big heavy cast bullet shud punch thru a deer or hog if its hard.if its soft lead it may mushroom and not punch a hole.

[bfrshooter]

Be careful with Lil'gun. The stuff burns extremely hot and can erode the forcing cone.
Six shots with it from a .357 turned the barrel into a soldering iron.

[GH1]

 If you want to save some money don't buy GC bullets. You don't need a GC with the velocities you'll most likely be shooting, even with full power rounds. I've used Dardas bulles in my .357 successfully, but I've also had good luck with Missouri Bullet, Moyer's, Friendswood, and one or two others I can't recall at the moment.
 The key thing to remember about shooting cast bullets is they need to be .001"-.002" larger than bore size to avoid leading and maintain accuracy. A typical commercially made cast bullet is going to have a hardness of around 16-18 Brinnell , and this is plenty for the speed of a 44. The Dardas bullets I use in my 357 levegun are rated at 16 and I shoot them at around 1700 FPS or so with no leading. My .45-70 bullets run around 1300 FPS, about the same as a 44. They don't lead either. 
 Since I don't load for the 44 I can't really recommend a load, but most powder manufacturers have data available on line, or you can always shoot them an e-mail with your questions. I've done this several times, and have always gotten the info I need.
 Best of luck on your Hog hunt.
GH1    
 

[bfrshooter]

I have been reloading for my 44 mag SRH and SBH for a few years w/jacketed and plated bullets.  I am now getting into purchased hard cast bullets.  My first load is with a Cast Performance 300gr that is for my first hog hunt in GA at the end of Oct.  Before this I hunted only deer with a 240gr XTP.  I am interested in working up an economical and accurate cast load for practice out to 50 yds but mostly 25 yds and under.  I am shooting a 9 1/2" and 7 1/2" Rugers.  For 240 gr practice loads up to this point I have used 10 gr of Unique powder.  I am looking for recommendations for cast practice bullets.  Thoughts?

For hunting I shoot a variety of cast from the .44. For accuracy I make them hard by water dropping WW metal. There is no need for expansion with the .44 and I can't count the deer I have taken with my SBH and SRH.
I like the RD 265 gr, the Lee 310 gr, the LBT 320 gr WLNGC and I made a 330 gr WLN.
The heavy bullets do not like to be shot too slow because of the twist rate. Neither do they want to be loaded too hot.
These are my loads for the RUGERS.
265 gr--22 gr of 296
310 and 320 gr--21.5 gr 296
and the 330 gr uses 21 gr of 296. ALL OF MY LOADS USE A FED 150 primer.
You can use a 240, 250 or the 265 cast for light practice loads. I do suggest using full hunting loads to practice though. Once sighted in nothing changes and it keeps you up with recoil and also keeps you from always moving the sights.
The 300 gr LBT should be nice and accurate with 21.5 gr of 296 too. The cast can shoot very small groups at 100 yards. My SBH can usually hold around 1-1/4" at 100 from a rest, the SRH has done better. Either way, a pop can at 100 is in real danger.
Don't buy cheap bulk bullets and stay away from bevel base stuff. A Keith style bullet can give you accuracy fits.
The way to really save money is to cast your own, you can get the cost to a primer and powder only.
All you need is a Lee pot, a Lyman ladle, a Lee mold and a Lee push through size die. You can make the lube cheap. You need to find free or cheap wheel weights.

[Larry Gibson]

I just came back from a pig hunt this week.  I used a .30-30 handi-rifle, 155 gr. gc flat point cast bullet.  One shot, one kill.  My cousin used a .44 hand gun with the Nosler 200 gr. jacketed hollow point bullet loaded to max at 1,800 fps.  It took 5 shots on a three hundred pound pig as three fully mushroomed and stopped after hitting fat and bone.  So with that experience I would use a flat point loaded to the max with either Lil Gun or H110/Winchester 296.  They say H4227 comes close in velocity as well and is used for cast bullets.  Analyze the foot pounds difference between 240 grain and 300 grain.  Some times it's not worth it to use the heavier bullet for close in work.

That is not the fault of the bullet but the fault of your cousin.  That bullet was designed to expand at handgun velocities of up to 1400 fps, not rifle velocities of 1800 fps. A proper HP bullet used at the correct velocities works very well.  The HP, when used properly will kill quicker on a heart/lung shot than a hard cast bullet.  Misuse of one to justify the use of the other is not correct logic.  BTW; I also use hard cast but prefer the HP or soft cast that expand because they do kill quicker.
 
Larry Gibson

[bfrshooter]

Larry, we know it is the VELOCITY hype without regard to bullet performance.
Just why would anyone use a 200 gr jacketed at 1800 fps??
Notice the comment "LOADED TO THE MAX"! How sad!

[Lloyd Smale]

im not up on what cast performance charges for a box of bullets these days but id bet even buy 5 boxes would pay for enough equiptment to get you started making your own.