Question …. 44 Mag Ammo

[shotgun]

Question …. 44 Mag Ammo

1st …. Let me say . I know its all expensive right now …BUT , is there any " Lower End " 44 Mag ammo out there I can use just for Target Shooting without breaking the bank ??? I don't reload ( maybe I should ) , so I need to buy new . Grandkids are wanting to shoot. THANKS Guys and Gals for you input . Be Nice

Read More

 

[solv3nt]

Even in cheap times, it's expensive. It's much more cost effective to reload, especially when you shoot special velocities using a faster burn powder in smaller quantities. For example, unique vs H110.

 

[titsonritz]

https://www.speer.com/bullets/plastic_training_bullets/19-8520.html

 

[BlindedByScience]

When I was reloading for my .44 Mag, we tried some Unique loads with cast / swaged bullets at lower velocities. Never liked them. Hard cast or jacketed rounds, over H110 or WW296 gets it done, every time. Sadly, from my experience, it's not a cheap caliber to feed and shoot.....but it's a lot of fun....

Edited to add - probably obvious, but check AmmoSeek to get a temperature reading of what's available at what cost.

 

[titsonritz]

The Big Bore does more...















...damage to your wallet.

 

[oremike]

You can shoot 44 Specials to get the less than Magnum experience.

 

[CountryGent]

Lax Ammo used to have bulk .44 Special and .44 Magnum that I'd shoot up a ton of up until recently. It was, imho, reasonably priced by today's standards and that of .44 Magnum. But it dried up months ago. Now I just pick up a box here or there. There is a small outfit that, according to the Quicken entry, is called "Tactics" that I've bought some cheap .44 Magnum from that has worked thus far. So, hit and miss.

This is easily my favorite cartridge, so I too have toyed with reloading, but I just can't justify the time investment at all. YMMV.

 

[arrowshooter]

Ditto Ammoseek.com. Lots listed, just gotta read seller reviews.

 

[WAYNO]

I deal often with Targetsports . They often have ammo and at better prices than other sellers.

Right now, they're selling aluminum-cased .44 Mag ammo for $60/box of 50. That is absurdly expensive. They also have .44 Special for $24/box of 25 rounds. A little better, but still hugely expensive.

Sign of the times. Ammo is expensive, and the sellers and manufacturers are taking advantage of our toxic political and social atmosphere.

 

[Sbarton]

I got a couple boxes of magtec for .50 a round a little while back. I just used them to compare my hand loads to.
I think i found them through ammoseek, or one of those ammo finders.
If you want to shoot .44, it's best to roll you own right now. Components are available.

 

[oremike]

I do make and sell a target load in 44 Mag but I'm waiting for more brass from Starline. It's only been a year now.

 

[Ura-Ki]

You can still find the Federal American Eagle here and there, but it's really gone up in price! Not the best quality, but for plinking, it works, Last few boxes I got were $38.00 per box of 50, not great, but available! From there, I save all the brass and then reload!

 

[WillametteWill]

44, Mag / Special, is one of those cartridges you can save a ton of money on if you reload. For example, even at today's prices, Berrys bullets $10 / 50, primers...varies but let's say $3 / 50. Powder for light loads, about $2 per 50 even at $40 / pound. Total $15 per 50, or the same currently as 9mm factory. All it takes is several hundred dollars of reloading equipment . But seriously, my investment has been going strong for nearly 40 years. Plus you get to create loads for a 44 that are not hand and soul crushing (agree with @oremike on the Special loads).

 

[WAYNO]

The questions always get switched around, 'ya oughta reload!'

Yep, everyone knows that, but not everyone is inclined to do so. I used to reload A LOT, and still have all the dies, presses, and even components to reload everything I shoot regularly. But even I don't reload any more.

So when somebody asks what's a good suggestion for store bought ammo, I would rather answer their question as opposed to telling them to do something differently.

20 guys will tell a poster he should reload, while only a couple will answer the only question he asked. But what do I know? I think the OP should buy a yellow bicycle.

 

[solv3nt]

I think the OP should buy a yellow bicycle.

I prefer blue.

 

[Zoolander]

BiMart in Tigard has 44 Mag right now. I want to say it was around $50 a box. Not cheap but it beats nothing.

 

[TNThomas]

-Reload your ammo
-Cast yout own "boolits" using scrap lead and a few other alloys duch as Tin and Antimony. Big bores and casting lead go hand in hand. The bigger dia the easier. Little high pressure lasers like the .223 are hard to replicate with cast bullets, hence the copper jacket. But big fat slow moving lead goes hand in hand with lead.
- Powder coat your bullets (instead of greasing them), you can skip gas checks by doing this, less danger of leading the bore, and you can do crazy colors that the kids might like.
-Lee makes great bang for your buck molds that cone with handles. Between $20-$35 for most 2 cavity molds.
-Other conpanies that are good are NOE, Accurate, MP molds, lyman, RCBS, and a bunch of other ones. But Lee is hands down the best bang for the buck.
-You could get away with a Lee Classic Hand Loader in 44mag for your primary tools, really cool setup, skip a press/scale/dies. Just takes time and a hamner.
-At that point you just need a melting pot for tge lead. Lee makes those too, but you can get dippers and use a dutch oven and camp fire.

Ill be casting for my 480 Ruger tonight, and including all components (including expensive brass), im sitting around $1.10 per rd. Once I reload the brass for a second go around it will be around 0.35-0.40 for 400gr cast brass cased bullets

 

[Paolung]

You can sometimes find .44 Special at better prices, as others have mentioned. But the big 44 is expensive to shoot, relatively speaking... no two ways about it.

Cowboy Action loads will be the cheapest (and dirtiest) to shoot in terms of new factory ammo. There are some reman 44 out there too, if that's your thing.

 

[TDH]

I pretty much stopped shooting 44 until I started loading for it, 38/357 too. I shoot way more revolvers than I used to, and I enjoy the bubblegum out of it.

 

[Certaindeaf]