Author Topic: Anyone used rubber bullets or roundball in your 44mag or 444marlin? (Read 875 times)

Libraryhound · « **on:** May 16, 2013, 01:33:14 PM »

I am trying to make a low recoil plinking load for a 444marlin or 44mag H&R rifles. I was reading about .433 roundball loads for plinking in the 444marlin lever action and the 44cal rubber bullets in a Ruger 44mag. Has anyone tried rubber bullets or roundball in your H&R?
With 22lr hard to get or price gouged, I wanted something to teach my son with. I have 2 444marlins on the way and could dedicate one for just him. He is 8 and only 55lbs am I going the wrong way on this project for him? I have a 223rem ultra barrel but reloading components are harder to get for 22cals at the moment. I reload 444s for my wife's NEF .410 thus I have a good amount of primers for them and 410 and red dot powder. The nearest gun shot has lots of .433 round ball and its cheap and can get 44cal rubber bullets for the moment.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks
Libraryhound

geezerbiker · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2013, 02:36:33 PM »

I don't have my .44 mag anymore but I used to cast .433 round balls from wheel weights and load them with 4 grains of red dot. I didn't get a chance to work on the load but I wanted to go lighter to get the sound down but not so light as to stick one in the bore.

My first load was 6 grains of unique and it would shoot through a 4x4 at point blank range and was way louder than I wanted...

Now I'm working on something similar for my .45-70.

Tony

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2013, 03:06:10 PM »

We used some 3/8 diameter rubber balls launched out of a homemade air rifle that were very accurate out to 50 yards or so.(until a truck lost two side windows with one shot ). Always wanted to find some that would work in a 38 cal barrel. Oh the pleasures of a misspent youth....

HWB13 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2013, 03:17:00 PM »

Don't have a 444 or 44, but always wanted something similar to what Tony said for my 45-70. A friend and I talked years back about a couple of round ball in the 45-70. My thought was for that rabbit that sits 10 feet away when your elk hunting and would look real good for dinner. Would think low report not to scare anything near by. got to where I would pack my 22 revolver with CB caps, but never gave up thought of the round balls.

geezerbiker · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2013, 04:41:20 PM »

When I was a kid my brother wanted to shoot his muzzle loader in the back yard on Independence Day but couldn't figure out how to make it go bang. I suggested wine bottle corks. So we rushed off to what stores were still open (it was still early afternoon) and we managed to find a couple dozen somewhere... We had to patch them with some fabric cut from and old pair of jeans but we got some bangs and fireballs shooting them. We also managed to smash up and old coffee can but it wasn't what I would call accurate. We just wanted to make noise and fire.

Tony

Libraryhound · « **Reply #5 on:** May 16, 2013, 04:45:51 PM »

Well it tells me that I'm not the only one thinking about something like this. I'm getting both the roundball and rubber bullets this weekend, work on some load data and give it a go-a-round. I'll post my findings.
Thanks
Libraryhound

Lonegun1894 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 16, 2013, 07:35:28 PM »

For what it's worth, as this is similar to your project but I used 240gr cast SWCs in my .44 Mag pushed bu 2.7grs of Unique and it is about as loud as my pelletgun. I use this load in my backyard for garden pest control and the neighbors have never complained but instead asked once what kind of pelletgun that was cause they need a good one too for their garden pests and mine seems to have plenty of power but is still fairly quiet. I have not played with RB loads or any kind of rubber projectiles, so can't help, but my project seems like it may have relevance to yours at least where the lack of noise and recoil is concerned. Just be careful cause these go clean through a possum or armadillo from any angle so be careful of backstop as always.

bikerbeans · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2013, 07:47:15 PM »

I had a box of Speer .433" RBs laying around a couple of years ago so I shot them out of a 444M Handi. I tried loads with 1 ball, 2 balls and 3 balls. This was mostly done for my amusement with no real intent to work up an accurate load. My barrel slugged at just under .430" and the RBs didn't lead up the rifling.

BB

petemi · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2013, 10:21:17 PM »

I have shot .310 round balls in my .32-20 Handi. I forget what the light load I used was and just pressed the ball into the case neck with my thumb. It was very quiet.

Pete

tacklebury · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2013, 10:50:48 AM »

I load em for my .45-70's with .457 round balls. I use 10 gr unique for the long barreled gun and 6 for the short. I use my Lee Case expander die to set them just lightly into the case mouth at a consistent depth, then use the Lee FCD to put a light roll crimp on them to keep em from popping out or falling in. I don't use or find any fillers necessary with Unique and it works great out to 100 yards. Have taken ground hogs at that range with them.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2013, 01:00:50 PM »

Here's some ideas.

Tim

http://www.mikeswillowlake.com/45-70_fun.htm

Libraryhound · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2013, 03:44:21 PM »

Wow thanks guys for all this info! Looked up all those sabots and darned if they are are mostly 45cal. Now how do I break it to my wife... I need to buy a 45-70gov Handi.
No but really thanks for the info and I hope to get to the gun shop tomorrow and pick up some project starters for my 44cal.
Libraryhound

45-70.gov · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2013, 03:52:23 PM »

433 is what a used years ago with duplex and 9g unique

now have 440 molds works better

in my 38 handi and revolvers
i use OO buck and a t-shirt patched pushed in with a pencil

in the 44 might try OOO buck and a thicker [old bluegenes] patch

that ''patched round ball'' sure keeps the bore clean...consumes less lead to boot

cudatruck · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2013, 10:31:53 PM »

you are patching the 00 buck with t shirt and pressing into the brass case? just partway in and then crimping? down below the neck of the case? would really like more info on the 38 loads. I have a box of speer .457s to try in the .45-70. should be fun.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #14 on:** May 18, 2013, 03:36:59 AM »

in the 38
OO buck...
take peace of t-shirt
lay it over your brass in hand
push ball in flush.....trim cloth flush
use pencil eraser to seat to bottom
these i use with primer only
and use to practice kwik draw and point shooting with my defence guns
these loads are a big step up from a good sling shot...and muck more accurate

in 44
OOO buck
same thing.....double layered patch if i recall
primers backed out and tied up the gun.........failure
next time i tinker with this......and i will
i am thinking 2g bullseye

duplex....did these decades ago
44 9g unique..... .433 speer..10g and they didnt stay together
4 inch pattern out to 100 ft....if i recall....rifle or handgun
new mold .440 inch...6g bulls eye recent....50 ft 2 inch pattern...only made a few
some were even one holers....defeating the purpose

38/ 357..
.don't recall load.....OOO buck.....probly a starting load of unique
2 inch patter @ 50 ft........snub nose 38 revolver....cheap charter back then

when i load the duplex
powder and first ball...push till flush or deeper......smear lube around the mouth
place second ball....seat half way......crimp around the equator

buy yourself a 5 pound box of OOO buck
shoot as is in the 38 or patched in the 44
and some bullseye powder @ 2g that should power 35 hundred rounds

HWB13 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 19, 2013, 03:50:37 PM »

this thread got me thinking and looked at MMP sabots page.

This could be alot of fun. one more thing to spend money on. You guys will be getting me into more trouble than I am aready in.

http://mmpsabots.com/recommended-bullet-list/

45-70.gov · « **Reply #16 on:** May 20, 2013, 03:46:25 AM »

i am cheep and look to save $$

t-dhirt is a great sabot for a round ball

rodman68 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 20, 2013, 07:17:41 AM »

How about gluelets? Hot glue gun squirted in a mold I never tried it but sounds like it would be a fun project.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #18 on:** May 20, 2013, 07:20:14 AM »

Hot Glue Bullets by stimpylu32

thejanitor · « **Reply #19 on:** May 20, 2013, 09:38:45 AM »

I have shot the rubber bullets out of a 44 mag revolver but if you do not open up the flash hole in the primer pocket the primers do back out causing it to lock up and unable to index to the next round. Never shot them in a rifle, but quite effective on a cardboard box in the house for plinking....
Just make sure not to mix up the brass with regular load brass with a non opened flash hole if you are loading normal charges.
thejanitor

geezerbiker · « **Reply #20 on:** May 20, 2013, 05:18:09 PM »

I've had good results wrapping undersized bullets with teflon plumbers tape. I bought a pack of 10 inch wide rolls on line from somewhere I don't recall from where but they were only pennies over a buck a roll. Anyway this is cheap and easy to do. I went with this because I never could make paper patching work...

So far I've only shot them out of my .45-70 but I'm looking to try them with cast .30-30 loads soon.

Tony