Loading an oddball 240 gr 44 bullet

Those look like homemade, probably with a swaging die for a reloading press. People forget that RCBS stands for Rock Chuck Bullet Swage, and the Rock Chucker press got its name for being a tool to help you make bullets for shooting Rock Chucks.

The base separation doesn't seem any more likely than gas checks falling off cast bullets, but if the lead is loose in the cups, they can be pulled and a drop of Loctite put into the half-jacket before putting it back in.
 
Unclenick said:
The base separation doesn't seem any more likely than gas checks falling off cast bullets, but if the lead is loose in the cups, they can be pulled and a drop of Loctite put into the half-jacket before putting it back in.
Click to expand...
They are not loose by any stretch. They look like one continuous body with different materials. Very uniform and smooth. Cups/checks are not coming off at all! If someone made these in their home shop, they’re bass a$$!
No, I think these are factory, 100%
I’m just gonna load them in 44 mag brass to a mid to upper level.
 
I’m just gonna load them in 44 mag brass to a mid to upper level.
Click to expand...

That ought to work fine. LOW speed is the risk with those kind of bullets. Anything in the 1000fps range or more should be fine.

Do pay attention to each shot and if there is anything unusual about report, recoil or impact on the target, STOP and make sure the bore is clear. SHOULD work ok, isn't a guarantee, just a likelihood. Be safe, not sorry.

Good Luck, have fun!
 
This is a picture showing why I thought this idea would work. The case volume in both cases appears to be the same. In theory, one could load the spl case up to any normal magnum level, with the bullet out to magnum coal. But like I said, not gonna happen at this point.
 

Attachments

  • 3C7B0923-DDCC-415C-B6AF-8F429B735C3F.jpeg
    3C7B0923-DDCC-415C-B6AF-8F429B735C3F.jpeg
    294.4 KB · Views: 11
In theory, one could load the spl case up to any normal magnum level, with the bullet out to magnum coal.
Click to expand...

Your "theory" is correct, it is a fact that with both cases the space under the bullet is the same. The commonly held idea that magnum cases are longer so they provide "more room for more powder" is not, and never was correct.

The longer magnum case is longer to prevent chambering is the shorter Special chamber, thus keeping the high pressure magnum load out of Special guns that might not handle the higher pressure safely.

As a handloader, and loading only for your personal guns, you certainly could load Special brass the way you mentioned. I don't see any point to doing so, and as your pic clearly shows, the shorter case mouth will not be in the right place on the bullet for crimping when loaded to magnum COL.
 
pics

Just looked at your pics. I have never seen a slug quite like that, they certainly are not the old Speer bullets. The Speer half jackets, 146 & 160 gr in .357, and 240 gr in .44 were my favorites and I much lamented when Speer discontinued them.
 
CeaPea,

From your photo, it looks like if you loaded them a little short, you could use a taper crimp that just folds over that slight taper at the top end of the bearing surface. Assuming it holds onto them well enough, it would give you better brass life than a roll crimp does. You will need a little less powder, but otherwise, no real difference.

The bullets could be factory-made, too, just not Speer. You could send a photo to Hornady (or a link to one) and say the bullets were in a Hornady box with damaged label, and you wanted to know if they ever made a bullet like that? I am not aware of it, but I'm not a Hornady historian. They could also have been made by some smaller outfit that has disappeared.
 
Based on all the comments about having never seen these bullets...my title did say oddball...lol
Unclenick, I originally loaded them way back when, when I first started loading anything at all. I should have used one of the pulled bullets in that picture, the one showing oal, with the caliper. I loaded them to max length of 1.610”. However, I did just the other day, experiment with loading them long in the magnum case just to see how far out it was to engage the rifling on my Henry rifle. So yeah, they can be loaded longer, to a point if needed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top