44 Magnum SAAMI specs

[JimT]

My refernce material is limited ... but here are the SAAMI specs I have:

44 Magnum rifle: (microgroove barrel)


44 Magnum pistol:


Bore diameter is slightly larger on the rifle and the depth of the grooves on the rifle is shallower than the handgun.

The reason for the difference has nothing to do with "quality control" .. "lawyers" ... etc. In fact, it is fairly obvious if you think on it ... especially if you are revolver shooter who has experience with cast bullets.

Some of you boys worry 'way too much about bullet diameters. I have a sixgun that I ran extensive testing on (125 5-shot groups with bullets of various diameters) ... and it will shoot better than I can hold it with bullets of .450" ... .452" .. and .454" diameters. It averaged just over 2" at 25 yards for ALL shots of all the various sizes figured together.

There is more to it than just getting a bullet the same size as your barrel.

[Lefty Dude]

That is specs. for a microgroove Marlin barrels in 44.

Believe me my 44 lever guns know the difference in size of lead bullets and the groups they shoot.

[Idiot]

Thanks JimT.

I agree that when it comes to accuracy we've all gotten a bit carried away with exact bullet diameter (fit) along with prefectly polished and lapped bores. In addition, when it comes to terminal effect, we've become equally smitten with big meplats and really heavy chunks of lead. I guess those bullet details can work marginally better, to some extent, I guess. But I've seen lots of ill fitting bullets with too narrow a nose in front of a sissy's portion of lead knock down the animal that managed to be unfortunate enough to be there at the wrong time. And I've also seen many a happy hunter, shooting the above load, being completely oblivious to all his bullets details, while stupidly enjoying that piece of wonderfully grilled backstrap.

Get close, hit it right, and it will probably fall down, or at least slow it down long enough for you to put another hole into it. We can make it rocket science, but it's still no more than punching a hole through the right spot. Have fun.

[JimT]

Part of what I meant when I said "There is more to it than just getting a bullet the same size as your barrel." is this:

If you are using .431" diameter cast bullets, but you are using a normal diameter expander die, you are many times simply sizing your larger bullet back down to .429" or less when you seat it into the cartridge.

Also, the leade or throat in your particular firearm (rifle or handgun) can be part of the problem. If your barrel has tight spots in it accuracy will be affected. Worn or damaged muzzles enter into the equation as do a host of things. In handguns the chamber throat diameter seriously affects things.

In rifles I prefer to run my bullets .002" to .003" larger than bore diameter. This is what the oldtimers did and it worked. It still does. In my .308" or .309" barrels I run my cast bullets .311".

I am no expert at this. Like Elmer Keith said - every dog has got to scratch his own fleas.

[Lefty Dude]

Part of what I meant when I said "There is more to it than just getting a bullet the same size as your barrel." is this:

If you are using .431" diameter cast bullets, but you are using a normal diameter expander die, you are many times simply sizing your larger bullet back down to .429" or less when you seat it into the cartridge.

Also, the leade or throat in your particular firearm (rifle or handgun) can be part of the problem. If your barrel has tight spots in it accuracy will be affected. Worn or damaged muzzles enter into the equation as do a host of things. In handguns the chamber throat diameter seriously affects things.

In rifles I prefer to run my bullets .002" to .003" larger than bore diameter. This is what the oldtimers did and it worked. It still does. In my .308" or .309" barrels I run my cast bullets .311".

I am no expert at this. Like Elmer Keith said - every dog has got to scratch his own fleas.

Yep;

I agree 100 % and you are right on the money.