Which Meetplat design/profile for a clean cut hole in deer hide

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  • Last Post 26 April 2020
Michael S posted this 23 March 2020

Which Meetplat design/profile for a clean cut hole in deer hide in these two RCBS bullets for my 44-40WCF Henry Origional Henry rifle;  44-200-FN .428" dia verses 44-200-CM .428"/.430" dia

 

  I do know that when hunting if you can put a exit hole that will not close up right away by the skinn/hide touching back up that the deer will bleed out faster and leave a nice blood trail should it make it past eye sight after being shot. 

  For my birthday next month I am trying to decide on getting  the CM which I can use for 44-40WCF and 44spl/44MAG.  I would be using it for deer hunting . I currently own the Lyman 427666 200gr and it shoots nice out of my 44-40WCF but I can't load it in 44SPL/44MAG (I use the Lyyman 429421 245gr for my 44SPL/44MAG loads)

  It would be nice to have a cast bullet that would work for all three but not if it does not punch a hole in the hide. 

GOD, United States of America, US Marine Corps, Family, Self

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Ed Harris posted this 23 March 2020

You will want the .430" bullet in your modern Henry, but RCBS mold diameters are generally based on linotype and they will cast about 0.002" smaller in wheelweights or softer metal. Unless you KNOW that your particular mold really does drop .430" in appropriate softer alloy of 10-12 BHN, I would get a mold from NOE or Accurate instead.  If your #427666 casts large, as some do, it would be a good choice and it will work in .44 Special and .44 Mag too.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Bryan Austin posted this 24 March 2020

Only problem is there is no load data for a 240gr cast bullet in category 1 in my Lyman cast manual 4th edition.

 

 

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 23 March 2020

... just a note that when i had my rem 788 in 44 Mag, i tried about 8 molds ... and strangely enough my lowly Lee 300 gr. flat nose shot consistently the best ... even at heavy loads that were all i wanted to endure ... ( H110 ) .   a baby 45-70 ! ...

ken

 

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Bryan Austin posted this 24 March 2020

One thing to consider for the Henry is weak action pressures. One can use 23.4gr of Reloder 7 with a 240gr bullet and get 10% to 20% more "power" and remain inside SAAMI max pressures @ about 1,200fps.

Using a 240gr Hornady lead SWC HP, I was able to achieve 1,400fps @ an estmated 14,000psi with 25gr of Reloder 7. Slightly higher pressures than Max and is used only in my Marlin. However, for an example, I was able to harvest an ole swamp deer a few years ago at about 65-70 yards.

"As soon as the full shoulder was in view, I squeezed off the shot. The buck was hit just above mid shoulder and dropped straight down...he never took a step.
  By now it is dark. It was time to drag him out and get him to the processor. Over the next few days the processor gave up looking for the bullet. It was obvious that it did not pass through but it could not be found. Finally, while processing the hind quarters, it was found lodged in one of them. The bullet had penetrated the shoulder, turned 90 degrees (from a broadside shot) and traveled down the spinal cord to lodge in the hind quarters....travailing about 24"...obliterating everything in it's path.  

 

Everything fell into place and the bullet did it's job. I am very pleased at the performance of this load and the ole 44-40 Marlin 1894CB. Can't wait till next year."  

   

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Michael S posted this 24 March 2020

  The weak action problem is one answer I can't get a answer about from Henry, so I am just assuming that this rifle has a weak action and I am only doing group 1 loads. 

 When I called Henry and asked the question on what factory ammunition I can shoot out of it, (you can't tell them you plan to shoot home loaded ammunition) I was told as long as it does not say " +P " on the box it is ok to shoot.  So I took that to mean no category 2 loads. (Off the record >The tech did say i could possible load 240 gr cast bullets in it > . Only problem is there is no load data for a 240gr cast bullet in category 1 in my Lyman cast manual 4th edition. And I have no knowledge on how to extrapolate a load for my Lyman 429421 that run 248gr when cast of #2 alloy. 

  All of our fire arms are valuable,  but this rifle means the most to me since my boys gave it to me for Father's Day. 

  I would definitely try that RCBS Sil bullet for 2 reasons. It is a gas check bullet and i have a custom seat stem for my RCBS seat die for that bullet for if I ever found one.

GOD, United States of America, US Marine Corps, Family, Self

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BigMan54 posted this 24 March 2020

The New Hornady 2020 Catalog shows only 4 .38cal and one .45cal Swager Lead Bullets.

No .44cal are listed.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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Michael S posted this 24 March 2020

 I do know that Hornady 44cal 240gr swaged bullet is death to cayoties when shot out of my T/C inline using the Hornady green sabots over 70gr FFF and #11 primer . Who knew I would be needing them years later.

GOD, United States of America, US Marine Corps, Family, Self

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Michael S posted this 24 March 2020

Thank you SawyJack for that load data.

GOD, United States of America, US Marine Corps, Family, Self

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Michael S posted this 04 April 2020

  I am going to load some of my 429421 248 gr in #2 alloy sized from .430 dia (the die I size for my 44 cal ) down to .429 dia for my 44-40 WCF > and I am going to load same bullet that I am keeping at .430 dia with 2400 12.0 gr @1130 fps seated to the 1.580" now that I can think.

  Once the Sil bullet mould comes in I/we will be casting it for the 44-40 WCF and next time my i/we cast the 429241 240 gr I plan to cast it in the WW allow. 

  After talking to David Reiss last week ish I decided I do need a 3rd type of allow mix. WW with some tin (for fuller filled cast bullets) mixed in a the foundry. And while I am contemplating spreading my wings more I think I might ask about other soft alloy options like 1:20 . Mainly a soft but harder then lead allow for the hollow points, but could also be handy for my 44-40 WCF and my 38-55 WCF rifle loads. And possibly a Smith and Wesson 586 in 32cal that my gun Smith says one of his customers wants to trade for one of my custom holsters. 

  Once I get a chance to shot the 429421 > I assume the 240L in the load data means Lyman but I am going to chance that any 240gr profile will work . Start slow so things don't blow < in my Henry 44-40  WCF I will post results in this thread. Thank you for the answers in this thread. 

GOD, United States of America, US Marine Corps, Family, Self

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BigMan54 posted this 05 April 2020

In the old days, 1960's My Dad mixed a lot of our own alloy. Or bought it from a small foundry. 

I've had very good luck buying from RotoMetals.com, nice folks and very good clean alloy. A bit expensive if your used to practically free WW's.  

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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Wheel Weights posted this 26 April 2020

Wadcutters cut the cleanest hole sooo ----- it follows that a Keith style SWC would punch a clean whole.

Try various bullets on photo printer paper, you'll get your answer.

IMHO, the smaller the diameter of the pointed section compared to the bullet diameter, the cleaner the hole. The harder the bullet the cleaner the hole. A 44 caliber hole thru the lungs will leave a blood trail.

Privi makes a jacketed bullet with a "shoulder" that gives up a bit in SD but punches perfect holes.

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45 2.1 posted this 26 April 2020

 A 44 caliber hole thru the lungs will leave a blood trail.

 

I tried the Keith semi wad cutters (44 & 45 calibers) thru the heart/lungs on two deer. Never again! Lost both.....this happened a day apart. Weather warmed up and a week later I found both by smell. Both had the entrance and exit holes plugged with fat.... neither had a blood trail and both traveled over 350 yards in dry oak leaves from where they were shot. I now use my own cast hollow points without any traveling over 40 yards.........................

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