Question for you 44spl shooters:

[tsubaki]

I've been reloading a 180gr XTP for almost 24 years at 1.500" and Hornady's 9th Edition lists the same.
A few weeks ago I cast some 240gr Lee bullets to try something completely different. I looked at the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th Edition and the COAL is listed as 1.615". Figured this was a simple misprint as the usual 44mag COAL is 1.610".
Well not only does Lyman's 4th Edition list the COAL as 1.615" so does Sierra's 2nd Edition, Lyman's 46th Edition, Modern Reloading by Richard Lee, and Sierra's 5th Edition.

What do your reloading books list as the COAL for the 44 Special?

 

[Jim Puke]

All of mine say 1.615...but, I just seat to the crimp groove on all bullets...don't really worry about COL.

 

[tsubaki]

I just seat to the crimp groove on all bullets

This is what I've usually done also with most cannelure groove bullets.
The Lee tumble lube bullets will allow almost any oal, this was how I found the discrepancies.

 

[tsubaki]

I just measured my Rossi, the cylinder is 1.560".
Add the .060" rim thickness of the case we end up with 1.620".
So it is doable if you are comfortable a .005" clearance.
Man, I'm all fine seating to the groove with rifle stuff but I ain't going to set the bullet that close to the forcing cone!

 

[mikld]

All of mine say 1.615...but, I just seat to the crimp groove on all bullets...don't really worry about COL.

Me too. All my revolver bullets get seated to the cannalure/crimp groove for about the last 30 years...

 

[mhblaw]

What Jim Luke says...

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

I don't load many .44 Spls, but when I do, with cannelured bullets, I, too, follow Jim's method of just loading to the cannelure. With my cast bullets, I normally load to the top groove for handgun calibers. There are many OAL numbers available, though, and here are the ones I found without digging too deep:

Per SAAMI, Speer 13, Lee Modern Reloading 1st Ed, Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd Ed: (All provide a complete diagram of cartridge dimensions) Max 1.615"

Per Hornady 8: (No diagram provided) Max 1.500" (Assume this must be valid ONLY with Hornady bullets?)

Per RCBS Cast Bullet Manual, Number 1 (Out of print): (No diagram or Min/Max OAL given) Using bullets from RCBS molds, top groove appears to be the preferred crimp groove.

Per Hodgdon's website: (No diagram or max. OAL given) 200-240 gr bullets of several styles, all loaded to OALs from 1.450" to 1.460" (Assume these are minimums?)

Per Alliant's website: (No diagram or max. OAL given) 200-250 gr bullets of several styles, MINIMUM OALs range from 1.465" to 1.580".

Rick C

 

[Jim Puke]

Man, I'm all fine seating to the groove with rifle stuff but I ain't going to set the bullet that close to the forcing cone!

Why?

That forcing cone is nothing but a funnel.

There is no difference in the bullet being up against it or further back in the cylinder...it exits the cylinder the same from either position.

 

[tsubaki]

My main concern would be the bullet backing out of the case from recoil and locking up the cylinder.
I guess I worry too much!

 

[Jim Puke]

My main concern would be the bullet backing out of the case from recoil and locking up the cylinder.
I guess I worry too much!

With a good crimp...this is really not an issue with 44 special.

 

[Rick Courtright]

My main concern would be the bullet backing out of the case from recoil and locking up the cylinder.
I guess I worry too much!

Hi,

Why worry: buy a dedicated crimping tool like the Lee Factory Crimp Die or the Redding Profile Die and learn to use it to your advantage!

People will argue they don't need to crimp, or they crimp with the seating/crimp die at the same time. Both approaches work under certain circumstances, but have also been known to be deficient at times. So, I try to learn from the folks who really know a few things about making good (as in safe and reliable) ammo. In this case they would be the ammo factories. They crimp everything I've ever seen, the machines I've seen at work do it in multiple stages, and I've yet to see a factory bullet "back out" like I've seen (AND experienced) with handloads...

Experiences and opinions will vary, but since most ammo companies can produce more rounds in a single shift than most of us are likely to make in a lifetime, I'm comfortable following their lead...

Rick C

 

[smorin2]

All of mine say 1.615...but, I just seat to the crimp groove on all bullets...don't really worry about COL.

yup,that's how I do it also

 

[smorin2]

My main concern would be the bullet backing out of the case from recoil and locking up the cylinder.
I guess I worry too much!

Hi,

Why worry: buy a dedicated crimping tool like the Lee Factory Crimp Die or the Redding Profile Die and learn to use it to your advantage!

People will argue they don't need to crimp, or they crimp with the seating/crimp die at the same time. Both approaches work under certain circumstances, but have also been known to be deficient at times. So, I try to learn from the folks who really know a few things about making good (as in safe and reliable) ammo. In this case they would be the ammo factories. They crimp everything I've ever seen, the machines I've seen at work do it in multiple stages, and I've yet to see a factory bullet "back out" like I've seen (AND experienced) with handloads...

Experiences and opinions will vary, but since most ammo companies can produce more rounds in a single shift than most of us are likely to make in a lifetime, I'm comfortable following their lead...

Rick C

I use separate dies for the seating and crimping stages,no problems that way.

 

[Rclark]

I just seat to the crimp groove on all bullets...don't really worry about COL.

+1 . In fact I've never worried about it in any of the revolver cartridges I shoot until I started to load .45 ACP. Then I finally got a calipers for that cartridge. As said above you don't have to worry about bullet jump in the .44 Special. No heavy crimp needed unless you load up some Keith loads (240-250g SWC at 1200fps loads) and even then, just crimp into the groove is plenty. I seat and crimp at the same time. Works fine.

 

[mikewriter]

What I see in my manuals with diagrams are 1.615, which I am assuming as a maximum. Actual loading data varies with bullet weight, but I see OAL's from 1.45 (240r lead) to 1.58 (250r lead). The heaviest bullet I see is in the Lee manual, a 267 gr lead with an OAL of 1.539. I normally load cast bullets, and crimp in the "top" groove. Checking my last batches, I am measuring an average of 1.485 with a 240 gr SWC1.479 with a 255 WFN crimped in the top groove. This were loaded with Titegroup, crimped with a Lee Factory Crimp die.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

If it bothers you, you could always trim your brass back a little. With a low pressure round like the 44special it isn't going to make a lot of difference unless you are pushing them very hard.