Suggestions for 44 Mag rifle bullet

I use hard cast 230gr DRG boolits. They're .430 i think and do really well out of my rossi 92 for metallic silhouette. I push them with Unique for plinking or competition, 4227 or 2400 for more speed.
 
Which rifle? Some won't feed long, or semi-wadcutter bullets(such as win94AE). Marlin microgroove sometimes likes hard, oversize cast bullets.
 
It depends on what you want to use it for and ultimately what feeds and is accurate in your rifle. I use the Lee 200-RF for light plinking, Ranch Dog 240 plain base for heavier plinking and Ranch Dog 265 for hunting. I have a Rossi 92 and a H&R Handi-Rifle. I've never tried heavier than the 265gr in the Rossi but the Handi wouldn't shoot the 310 Lee at all. Keyholes with all loads tried both light and heavy.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

I am ordering a RFN GC 240 gr 44 mag mold from accurate molds. The Ranch Dog 265 gr was tempting if it didn't have straight cut lube grooves.
 
jethunter said:
Thanks for the suggestions.

I am ordering a RFN GC 240 gr 44 mag mold from accurate molds. The Ranch Dog 265 gr was tempting if it didn't have straight cut lube grooves.
Click to expand...

Even with square lube grooves, my NOE SC432-265-RF drops boolits extremely well. It's never a mistake to order a mold from NOE!
 
sawzall said:
Even with square lube grooves, my NOE SC432-265-RF drops boolits extremely well. It's never a mistake to order a mold from NOE!
Click to expand...

I have a bunch of Mr. Nelson's molds. :)

NOE makes excellent molds in terms of detail and machining accuracy, but I don't automatically love a bullet design just because it's in an NOE mold. I've had some stinkers, even with NOE.

The problem with straight cut lube grooves is when the groove walls are not perfectly 100% parallel. This happens a lot because of manufacturing tolerances. It is very easy for a straight cut lube groove to be .0002" or more wider at the base of the mold groove and then it's a bee-itch to get the bullets to drop. Unfortunately with this design you can buy 2 identical looking molds made consecutively on the same machinery and one will drop bullets nicely and the other will need to be beat like a rented mule to get the bullets out. You can fix that with a couple hours of judicious and careful work with jeweller's files and emery cloth, but it's just easier to choose a design that isn't prone to those issues.

Accurate Molds won't make straight cut lube grooves just for those reasons.
 
Last edited:
A 240-260 gr. WFN or SWC for hunting would be good, as long as it will feed. Straight-cut lube grooves or no, the Ranch Dog bullets seem to get good reviews.

Here's some info from leverguns.com, regarding bullets for the Marlin 1894:

"As an all-round working load for this gun, my first choice would probably be to go with the 285 grain Lyman 429640 GC-FP over 22.0 grains of W296 for (1617 fps), with a close runner-up being the 265 grain Lyman 429244 GC-SWC over 23.5 grains of W296 (1724 fps). My "hands down" first choice specifically for deer-sized game would be the 253 grain Lyman 429244 HP over 23.5 grains W296 (1748 fps). This combination is superbly accurate and hits like a sledgehammer...
Click to expand...

Beartooth Bullets has a 250 gr. WFN (also a 240 gr. WFN)

BTB-44-250gWFNGC2.jpg


which, according to their blurb-
An extemely accurate bullet of traditional weight, but with all the advantages of a wide meplat design,
and the nose somewhat shortened over our other WFN profile bullets for flawless feeding in .44 Mag Carbines.
This bullet has excellent terminal performance with the huge .340" meplat.
Click to expand...

Not sure how it feeds in the Marlin 1894, though.

LBT moulds seem to be popular as well. Brian Pearce wrote favourably of bullets from Montana Bullet Works (up for sale, alas) who uses some LBT designs
 
kman300 said:
NOE Ranch dog 432-265 gc. 1700fps from a marlin 1894 and 1.5" groups at 100m.
Click to expand...

My 44 Marlin (its a JM not a Remlin) is one that has one of the 'oversized' barrels

It shotguns with any 429 bullet - but I started casting with the Ranch Dog 432-265 same as kman300 and one of Ranch Dogs special order sizers and the gun now shoots beautifully !!


Cheers
 
Harricook said:
My 44 Marlin (its a JM not a Remlin) is one that has one of the 'oversized' barrels ...
Click to expand...

I haven't had my Microgroove 1894 (JM, circa 1990) Marlin out to the range for some time but a test bullet I fired using a powderpuff load under a Bullet Barn .430, 240 gr. RNFP, mics .423 - .427" depending on how it lies between the jaws of the calipers.

Jethunter- that mold looks like a winner. The big meplat looks like it would be better on black bear than the RNFP. When do you reckon you'll be able to start cranking some out?

:) Stuart
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom