[baddad457]

The rifle that started this discussion is a Winchester Lever action. My son purchased the rifle late last year and could not find ammonia to try it out. He finally found some cowboy action cast ammo. They leaded the barrel terribly. I had trouble finding bullets to reload his empty brass until I found the 260 grain cast with gaschecks on them hoping that would help with the leading problem. I have a Charter Arms 44 Special and wondered if the rifle would also chamber and fire the 44 Special.

Model 92's will. Model 94's ? I've never had one chambered for 44 mag, but the action is much longer. If the COAL is close to the same as a 44 mag, it will do fine. You should be able to load heavier bullets (longer nosed) in magnum cases and they should have no feeding issues. The heavy bullet rounds I load and shoot in my 92's are loaded in 44 spl cases to allow them to feed from the 92's shorter action.

 

[Captain Tim]

Amazing.Just found out it is a model 92.If the case( brass) is a 44 special, loaded with a 44 special load and the COAL is close to 44 Mag length, we should be able to test and see if the rifle will load and then fire safely?

 

[baddad457]

Amazing.Just found out it is a model 92.If the case( brass) is a 44 special, loaded with a 44 special load and the COAL is close to 44 Mag length, we should be able to test and see if the rifle will load and then fire safely?

44 specials are loaded to a lower pressure than a magnum, so there's nothing to worry about here

 

[twodot]

I have been searching for nearly 2 weeks for a 44 Magnum load for a lever action rifle using 260 grain cast bullets. I have found every conceivable load but none with these 260 grain bullets. Is there a reason for that ? Made me think there was some law of physics against the 260 grain bullet. I purchased some bullets of other weights . Still got this box of 100 260 grain cast bullets.

Why are there no published loads for your particular cast bullet?
probably because there are a gazillion different .44 caliber moulds out there and no one has the time, equipment and funds to test every one.
As stated in previous posts, I would use book starting data for reloads with 265 grain bullets (either cast or jacketed).
..

 

[unclenick]

Page 275 of the 4th edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (that's the current edition) has 44 Magnum cast bullet data for both a 255-grain and a 265-grain bullet. Your seating depth may not be exactly in between, but the starting loads for powders common to both bullets would probably be a good way to go. For 44 Special, this databook goes up to a 255-grain bullet, which is darn close. Weight your bullets to confirm the weight is as advertised.

 

[gwpercle]

You could always make up a dummy round or two , no primer , no powder , to safely test feeding and chambering in the rifle ... Lever guns tend to set their own rules ... seat the bullet in the crimp groove , if it will not feed and chamber a 44 magnum case ...try a 44 special case . Once you determine what will feed and chamber ... start looking at powder charges .
If you have a inertia bullet puller you can pull the bullets and still load the cases of the dummies ... I tend to keep my dummy rounds for testing in other guns and for setting seating and crimp dies .
Gary