Bud's Bullets II

Last week I talked about my friend, Bud, who is sponsoring and coaching a high-school muzzleloader team. I took him those bullets and found him in his range shack, cleaning a muzzleloader. I pulled up a chair, got a bottle of water, and enjoyed the air conditioning while we talked.

One subject turned to another and we talked about the bullets, and I asked if he'd tried .45 caliber bullets in the rifles, and whether or not .44 caliber bullets might serve the team better. He opined that he didn't know. That .44 caliber bullets might work better in some rifles than others, and that having each kid tune his rifle for his load is part of the process.

So, this morning while the temps were cool enough to stand over a lead pot, I cast Bud some .44 caliber bullets. That is the only .44 caliber mold I own. It's a tumble-lube 240 grain semi-wadcutter (Lee TL430-240SWC) It's the only bullet I use in my Ruger Super Blackhawk, normally casting them from wheelweights for both the Special and Magnum loads I use in that pistol.

These I cast from pure muzzleloader lead. Bud's shooting them with sabots, so leading shouldn't be a problem and in a muzzleloader, pure lead is the ticket anyway. I'll take them out to him this morning.