.44 Mag Shotshells

[Bambistew]

Interesting... Have you looked at 44 super mag brass? Seems like it's exactly the right size already? Not sure on availability though. A friend of mine had one a long time ago not sure if they even make it any more. I want to say the case length was the same as the cartridge length of a 44 mag. He also has a 44 auto mag before the desert eagles were a thing. He made cases from 308s.

 

[44hunter45]

We could start here. 4 left in stock before they backorder.

416 Cal. Pilot Hole Die Blank 7/8"-14 Thread - Pacific Tool and Gauge

.416 Cal. Pilot Hole Die Blank 7/8"-14 Thread at Pacific Tool and Gauge

pacifictoolandgauge.com

Then we either get sizing reamers made for each of our weapons or we cast all our chambers and have one made for the smallest result. PTG or Manson would do that.
Send the die blanks and reamer to @p_ham for cutting and threading . I would keep it simple and use my universal decapper. You may or may not want an expander ball.

 

[Jbotto]

Interesting... Have you looked at 44 super mag brass? Seems like it's exactly the right size already? Not sure on availability though. A friend of mine had one a long time ago not sure if they even make it any more. I want to say the case length was the same as the cartridge length of a 44 mag. He also has a 44 auto mag before the desert eagles were a thing. He made cases from 308s.

This is a round i didn’t know about. Seems like Starline even produces them.

 

[buffybr]

I get it.

I love the idea because I don't have to waste a bunch of time scrubbing carbon rings.

I don't shoot 38 SPL and 44 SPL in my magnums for the same reason. Too lazy too clean up after.

I go to our range once a week, when I'm home, all year long. On a typical range day, I start at a 25 yard berm and shoot offhand at my 9" steel gong with 2 cylilnders of .38 spl, 2 cylinders of .44 spl, then 2 magazines of .45 acp and maybe 2 magazines of 9mm.

I then go to our main rifle range and shoot ten shots prone with my .223 and .308 Vanguards, 3 shots with each at the 10" steel plates at 200 and 300 yards, then 4 shots with each at the 15" steel at 430 yards.

Then I go to the Skeet range and shoot 3 or 4 lines of Skeet.

Back to your comment, I clean my pistols 2 or 3 times a year, and I have never had any problems with carbon rings in the cylinders. I'm shooting Universal powder, which is very clean burning, in all of my pistols. I can load magnum .357 or .44 shells anytime without any problems.

 

[44hunter45]

This is a round i didn’t know about. Seems like Starline even produces them.

I think these would be too short. .444 Marlin is based on 303 Brit, so it would fit.

 

[44hunter45]

I go to our range once a week, when I'm home, all year long. On a typical range day, I start at a 25 yard berm and shoot offhand at my 9" steel gong with 2 cylilnders of .38 spl, 2 cylinders of .44 spl, then 2 magazines of .45 acp and maybe 2 magazines of 9mm.

I then go to our main rifle range and shoot ten shots prone with my .223 and .308 Vanguards, 3 shots with each at the 10" steel plates at 200 and 300 yards, then 4 shots with each at the 15" steel at 430 yards.

Then I go to the Skeet range and shoot 3 or 4 lines of Skeet.

Back to your comment, I clean my pistols 2 or 3 times a year, and I have never had any problems with carbon rings in the cylinders. I'm shooting Universal powder, which is very clean burning, in all of my pistols. I can load magnum .357 or .44 shells anytime without any problems.

I mentioned it because you said your shot load was 6.0 grains of Unique. Which BTW - is my goto 45 acp practice load.

I like Universal, but I do find Unique pretty dirty. I've never had an issue from a carbon ring, nor do I clean every range session. When I do clean I'm OCD about it. Ironically that is probably why I don't clean more often.

 

[buffybr]

I’ve seen some manufacturers make a .45 case that can be cut down to whatever black powder round you want it for, is there any that make a similar one that would work for the .44mag? Or is the .303Brit or .30-40 brass easy enough to find?

I started making these .44 mag shotshells in the late '70s or early '80s. I have 55 shotshell cases that I've made. I don't shoot them very often and have not "worn out" a case. I scrounge brass almost every week when I go to the range, but I'm not the only brass scrounger and only very rarely I'll find .303 Britt and .30-40 brass, but that's enough for my needs.

 

[44hunter45]

I started making these .44 mag shotshells in the late '70s or early '80s. I have 55 shotshell cases that I've made. I don't shoot them very often and have not "worn out" a case. I scrounge brass almost every week when I go to the range, but I'm not the only brass scrounger and only very rarely I'll find .303 Britt and .30-40 brass, but that's enough for my needs.

I love taking some old pickup piece of brass with a split neck and making into something new.

I have a buddy in Nevada that shoots a 25 Stevens. The ugliest looking 22 Hornet range pickup makes a great case for him. I just send him my range pickups, he converts them to shoot in his rifle.

 

[Jbotto]

I started making these .44 mag shotshells in the late '70s or early '80s. I have 55 shotshell cases that I've made. I don't shoot them very often and have not "worn out" a case. I scrounge brass almost every week when I go to the range, but I'm not the only brass scrounger and only very rarely I'll find .303 Britt and .30-40 brass, but that's enough for my needs.

Yeah, I don’t plan to need many of these. I scrounge brass too and can’t say I’ve ever found either of these two cases but I’ll have to look back through my oddball bucket.

 

[buffybr]

I mentioned it because you said your shot load was 6.0 grains of Unique. Which BTW - is my goto 45 acp practice load.

I like Universal, but I do find Unique pretty dirty. I've never had an issue from a carbon ring, nor do I clean every range session. When I do clean I'm OCD about it. Ironically that is probably why I don't clean more often.

I originally got Universal for my 28 ga Skeet loads, and my last 8# keg is getting low. I havn't found any Universal for several years, so I will be switching to Unique.

Right now, my .45 acp practice loads burn 5.9 gr of Universal, .44 Spl 6.0 gr, and 9mm and .38 Spl burn 4.9 gr.

 

[buffybr]

Yeah, I don’t plan to need many of these. I scrounge brass too and can’t say I’ve ever found either of these two cases but I’ll have to look back through my oddball bucket.

Years ago when I hunted Caribou and Musk ox in northern Northwest Territories, my Eskimo guide was also some kind of Provincial game warden or something where the Provence issued him a .303 Brittish rifle and ammo. I should have scrounged brass from him, but I was thinking about other things.

 

[44hunter45]

I originally got Universal for my 28 ga Skeet loads, and my last 8# keg is getting low. I havn't found any Universal for several years, so I will be switching to Unique.

Right now, my .45 acp practice loads burn 5.9 gr of Universal, .44 Spl 6.0 gr, and 9mm and .38 Spl burn 4.9 gr.

I may have a pound of Universal in the cabinet.

 

[Jbotto]

We could start here. 4 left in stock before they backorder.

416 Cal. Pilot Hole Die Blank 7/8"-14 Thread - Pacific Tool and Gauge

.416 Cal. Pilot Hole Die Blank 7/8"-14 Thread at Pacific Tool and Gauge

pacifictoolandgauge.com

Then we either get sizing reamers made for each of our weapons or we cast all our chambers and have one made for the smallest result. PTG or Manson would do that.
Send the die blanks and reamer to @p_ham for cutting and threading . I would keep it simple and use my universal decapper. You may or may not want an expander ball.

I think this would be a good path to go down. I wonder if instead of chamber casts, we could get close enough with some sort of spec off a SAAMi chamber?

 

[44hunter45]

I think this would be a good path to go down. I wonder if instead of chamber casts, we could get close enough with some sort of spec off a SAAMi chamber?

That would certainly work for my generously chambered Rugers. Not sure about being universal to S&W and such. I'm not an S&W guy.

 

[Jbotto]

That would certainly work for my generously chambered Rugers. Not sure about being universal to S&W and such. I'm not an S&W guy.

Same here. I imagine my Redhawk wouldn’t mind this path one bit.

If the die was cut shallow enough the bottleneck could always be adjusted by screwing or unscrewing the die enough.