Best dies for oversize 44 boolits?

Up

0

Down

::

Using 432 dia boolits for a 44 Marlin lever-action with Ballard-style rifling, as bore is wide and sizing to 432 has reported by many to work magic.

Struggling a bit with Lee’s standard 44-Mag carbide dies.  Does any manufacturer make a die set, or individual dies that would make seating, crimping tasks better with the wider cast boolits? Sort of like RCBS do with their ‘Cowboy’ dies for the 45-70 and other cals (but not 44-Mag far as I am aware).

Appreciate if anyone ‘been there’ and solved this.

Topic

[richardbrinkman]

Up

0

Down

::

Buy a RCBS 44 Special seater die it will work just fine for the 44 mag too just run the die up in your press works just fine!

RB

[richardbrinkman]

Up

0

Down

::

That should be RCBS Cowboy 44 Special die.

I tried to modify the post but was not able too.

RB

[lwatsonParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

Thanks RB, didn’t know they still made those. 

Can’t find anybody with any in stock and who ship overseas, so wrote to RCBS to see if’n they can help.

[jasonfancherParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

i use a 45 colt seating die for my 44 mag. bullets are sized to 433

[patrickharringtonParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

You can easily lap the floating sleeve to any size you need on the Hornady dies.

[lwatsonParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

Thanks, both great sounding fixes.  Never knew Hornady dies used floating sleeves like that, thanks.

That die shown a looks like a Seating-Die, does a seperate die do the crimp for OS boolits?  If crimping is also done with the Seating-Die, when a sleeve is lapped out to size, does it still achieve a strong crimp if needed? – Reason I ask, I have a pal who shoots with a Lever and of course with a magazine tube, is paranoid about needing a very strong crimp.

Edit – And what are those dies? I see Hornady sell Series II and Series III dies…

[richardbrinkman]

Up

0

Down

::

I didn’t know that Hornady had a floating sleeve either pretty neat! Just a thought maybe you could get a small cylinder hone and polish out a few thousands on your existing die? There is a guy in the States that will do die honing and is very reasonable but if you are over seas I have no idea what shipping and crossing borders would involve. If you like I could look up his email I believe that he is on the West coast Washing or Oregon.

RB

[patrickharringtonParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

Dies are Series II Part #546548. I seat and crimp in separate steps with cast. Take care to not modify the small shoulder that applies the crimp and it is all good!

[daveridenourParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

I think I have 14 or more sets of Hornady dies. Some of those are at least 12 years old. They all have the floating type seating sleeves. They all make for very concentric loads, assuming use put the bullets in straight.

Dave

[lwatsonParticipant]

Up

0

Down

::

Excellent gents, I know how to proceed now, many thanks.

[Author]

Replies