Revolver suggestion?

[cpt dan blodgett]

If you have 44 Spec brass you can try your bullets with dummy rounds in your rifle.  If not you can wear out your fingers turning a few pieces of 44 mag into 44 spec with your case trimmer.  I found on my rossi with 245 grain semi wads out of 44 spec case they would feed if I put a good roll crimp on them.  The front edge of the brass scraping on chambers is not real conducive to feeding.  200 grain round nose flat points fed really well out of 44 mag brass.  When I seated that bullet to the crimp groove in a 44 spec case they would fly out the top of the action when the elevator popped up in the Rossi.  I suppose one could set the bullet an extra .100 out of a 44 special case and have them feed ok.  The longer overall cartridge might not fit in a 44 spec cylinder and have the bullet stick out the front of the cylinder locking up the mechanism. 

If that was true you would be stuck loading what amounts to two different rounds in the same case and would be just as well off making rifle bullets in 44 mag cases and pistol in 44 spec cases.  I have been doing this for a while now.  Once I shoot up all my 245 grain semi wads will probably standardize on 200 RNFP from 44 mag cases.

[texaswoodworker]

Thanks for the tip. I don't have any 44 special brass on hand, so I might just covert a few 44 mag cases for testing. I have a trimmer that attaches to a drill, so my fingers will be fine.

My standard load is a 240gr LRN. Specifically this one.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/373417/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-429-240-2r-44-special-44-remington-magnum-44-40-wcf-429-diameter-240-grain-2-ogive-radius

[Tall Dark Slim]

Since you're invested in .44 I'd look at light bullet molds for it. You'll be shooting a bunch up close and lighter is cheaper. I shoot .45 and I started with a 250 and worked down to a 160 and now a 150. I found that at point shooting distances the light stuff shoots POA/POI best also. I'm not fooling with my sights when the same guns can be used to hunt with at real distance.

Buy once. Cry once. Cody Conagher aka Don Jones IIRC is a real stand up guy. I met him once when he did my rifle up for me aftermarket. Good work. The advice to have the guns sent to him first is solid and worth the money. Quick turnaround too. Have the work done before you ever see the guns. Save the headache of wondering why they're so hard to cock.

I love eagle gunfighter grips. Sweet Jesus they are expensive, but slowly all my revolvers have come to wear them. The flat sides on the lower portion of the grips really assist in pointing the gun straight. They don't give me anything to say this.

Final advice is to load sufficient powder in your shells to ensure a loud clang. Some spotters are prone to long blinks it would seem and hearing the clang over their conversation helps them....help you.