44-444 JSP bullets

[Old Time Hunter]

Ok everyone....need your assistance.

Speer no longer makes the 240 gr #4457 JSP's. Down to my last hundred or so...need a replacement. Also need suggestions.

After years of experimenting, have finally figured out how to handle the cannelure placement on the Speer bullet. Speer recommends a shorter COL than what my rifles like, but I compensated by allowing the brass to grow (a combination of arbor press and having a special sizing cutter allows for an added .015"). So my 444's were now a full 2.550 and my 44's 1.605"

Load the 444's with 47.5 grains of H4198 and the 44's with 24.2 gr of H110...

20" '94 Big Bore...yields an average of 2420 fps w/chrono @ 10'
18" '94 Timber Carbine....2335 fps ave (100 rounds w/+/- 21 deviation) same distance w/chrono
16" '94 Trapper, 44 Mag....1785 fps...thousands of rounds.

But now I need a new bullet...need suggestions. Must be JSP's...no HP's as they disintegrate on contact with the 444's...also accuracy suffers in both calibers.

Would be willing to go back to standard brass length with right cannelure placement.

Hey...why is cannelure not considered the proper spelling????

[Pisgah]

Hey...why is cannelure not considered the proper spelling????

Probably because Spell Check is dumb -- the reason our local newspaper is crammed with scores of misspelled words every week (and things like "there" for "their" or "they're", "your" for "you're", etc., etc, etc.). Of course, dumb writers and a dumb editor contribute, too...

[Bronco]

I know they are not JSP but have you looked at the 250 gr Sierra FPJ? Will leave a 44 cal. hole clean on through and busts big bones real good. Pretty much like shooting a big hard cast bullet.

John

[Old Savage]

Does Hornady still make thew heavily constructed 265?

[TedH]

Does Hornady still make thew heavily constructed 265?

Yes they do. And they shoot like a varmint rifle in my 444. Waaaaaay more accurate than a levergun is 'sposed to be. Not sure how they'd perform at 44 mag handgun velocities, but it would be worth some testing.

[Old Time Hunter]

I know they are not JSP but have you looked at the 250 gr Sierra FPJ? Will leave a 44 cal. hole clean on through and busts big bones real good. Pretty much like shooting a big hard cast bullet.

John

Use the Ranch Dog 265's w/GC...but can not get the accuracy out of them over 1400fps or so for some reason. Great at 1250-1300 though, not so good out of the .444's.

Nothing wrong with the Hornady 265's...work great at 2200 from my .444...and ok out of my .44's at 1300 or so, can not get enough powder in them though to go much faster.

[6pt-sika]

I know they are not JSP but have you looked at the 250 gr Sierra FPJ? Will leave a 44 cal. hole clean on through and busts big bones real good. Pretty much like shooting a big hard cast bullet.

John

Use the Ranch Dog 265's w/GC...but can not get the accuracy out of them over 1400fps or so for some reason. Great at 1250-1300 though, not so good out of the .444's.

Nothing wrong with the Hornady 265's...work great at 2200 from my .444...and ok out of my .44's at 1300 or so, can not get enough powder in them though to go much faster.

Try the RD 265's cast from WW's and aircooled , also size at .432 or .433 then push them hard . They shot well in all the 444's I've owned . Well atleast in the Micro Groove ones , not sure if I ever tried them in a ballard rifled 444 or not .

[cas]

You could always buy a cannalure tool and put them wherever you want.

[Old Time Hunter]

You could always buy a cannalure tool and put them wherever you want.

Unfortunately Speer does not make the bullet any more, do having a cannalure tool would not help. Plenty of JHP's out there, but do not work so good in my .444...they pretty much explode on impact when hitting game at higher velocities. Need a stout JSP for +2200 fps loads I have found out.

[Bronco]

That's why I mentioned the Sierra 250 gr FPJ. You can drive them as hard as you want, varmint accuracy and they don't open up, they just punch through like a good performing hard cast . Velocity would be almost the same as a 240 gr sp

John

[wvfarrier]

Have you thought about casting your own and then powder coating them? I purchased a bunch of different 44 projectiles from a fella in PA (Burnham bill on gunbroker). Cheap prices but great projectiles. I then did a shake n bake powder coating on them. Works really well

[6pt-sika]

You could always buy a cannalure tool and put them wherever you want.

Unfortunately Speer does not make the bullet any more, do having a cannalure tool would not help. Plenty of JHP's out there, but do not work so good in my .444...they pretty much explode on impact when hitting game at higher velocities. Need a stout JSP for +2200 fps loads I have found out.

Not meaning to pour salt on the wound so to speak but this is a prime example of why you lay in a goodly supply of whatever works in a gun once you decide on what you like . Otherwise in a year or two they may not make it anymore . I wish I had bought 6-10 boxes of the Nosler Partition Gold 44-250 HP bullet , that one shot well in 44 MAG rifles , 444's and in sabots in my Knight 50 cal Disc Rifle .

[2X22]

Not sure how you feel about Magtech, but I've killed a couple bull elk over the past few years with the Magtech 240gr JSP out of my 444 Marlin @ about 2300fps. It did a pretty good job, kilt 'em dead. Never read anything about pro's or con's of Magtech so can only go by how they've done for me.

I've liked them well enough I have laid in a few thousand for most of my .44 jacketed bullet needs.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/165722 ... soft-point

[Canuck Bob]

Swift makes 2 weights on A-frame partition bullet, 280 and 300. Offers reasonable expansion for 44 Mag and integrity in 444.

They are not available in Canada but they look interesting.

[6pt-sika]

Swift makes 2 weights on A-frame partition bullet, 280 and 300. Offers reasonable expansion for 44 Mag and integrity in 444.

They are not available in Canada but they look interesting.

I have a full box of the Swift 280's . My mother gave them to me for Xmas about three months before she passed . While they look like very good bullets that box will never be loaded while I'm alive .