choosing 44 mag jacketed bullet diameter

[oley55]

TimSR,

Certainly not max magnum loads. Depending on data source. I may be below minimum, or near minimum for the 180gr which I did not shoot for accuracy. I am at mid to near max for the 240gr, again depending on data source. (Sierra, Lyman, Hodgen).

180gr JHP- 26.7 gr H110
240gr JSP- 23.7 gr H110
Federal brass and magnum primers.

For what it's worth, I think you just hurt my last feeling with; "the bigger picture and narrowly focused"?

The first post was a question about .431" jacketed bullets not over stuffing a .433" barrel. As often happens, the discussion soon morphed a bit and in this case into cast bullets for a .433" barrel. So yes I am narrowly focused on bullet diameter for cast bullets.

Not surprisingly some of my other weapons do better at less than max loads. So I doubt I will expend great funds/time to find the best Mad-Max magnum load for a .429" bullet when .430" and .431" jacketed bullets are available and more likely to be accurate at more than one load.

In the mean time while waiting for my bullet casting ship to come in, I will be ordering some .430" Hornady's, and probably some who knows what brand .431" from Everglades ammo (when they are back in stock).

 

[oley55]

guide rails too narrow for large groove fitting bullets

sharing this as a lessons learned.

I have been pursuing .434" cast bullets or paper patching .427" bullets up to .434". I worked up a dummy round of each (cast/PP) and found that although they will chamber, they will not cycle. As it turns out the guide rails in this Rossi R92 are .454" wide and a loaded case will not pass between the guides. My test cases measured .4578" (unsized fire formed case with ,4338" paper patch) and .4570" (sized case with .4338 cast bullet).

Going through this exercise I never once gave a thought to the guide rails not accommodating the larger diameter loaded ammo. Good thing I didn't start buying too many components before learning this.

I'm sure removing metal from the guides is an option, but I do not have great experience with these lever guns and I don't want to make it totally unserviceable.

edit added 3/27/16: having just read "The Paper Jacket" bullet, I realize for patched bullets there is no need for the finished patched bullet to be as large as the groove. Rather the finished patched bullet needs only be slightly larger than the bore diameter. That means my .454" wide guide rails should easily accommodate a completed patched round, but not a completed cast round.