.454 or .457

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Wired Wrong

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What is the best sealing bullet for a .44 caliber,I have both but put them in the same bag like a dummy.Thanks
 
Hold on there, it seems 44 caliber should take bullets between .427 to .430 diameters.
45 caliber would be your .454 or .457, and the .457 is usually for cartridge rifle; but each can certainly be sized to fit between .450 and on up to the as-cast diameter. I would double check everything before loading into a 44 firearm tho.
 
edit: my previous statement referred to conical bullets, NOT PRBs.
if you are loading for the 44 cal PRB muzzleloader, it should use a ball between .429 and .433;
loading for the 45 cal PRB muzzleloader, it would usually take a ball between .440 and .445
 
For a BP revolver that is .44 caliber the .454 and .457 balls are proper. Advice is typically to use the one that leaves a shaved ring of lead behind when you seat it into the cylinder. With some cylinders either can be shoved in and both will leave a ring. In others, some cylinders are "tighter" than the others. You need to use the one with the best combination of snug fit in cylinder and load-ability. In other words, use the ones that you can load with the hand ram without standing on it and jumping up and down. If all cylinders load tight and leave a lead ring, you may not need any sealant (over powder wad or over ball lube). If all or some balls load without shaving lead usually you would use an over powder wad and/or lube over the ball to prevent "chain-fire". I have an 1858 clone that will load and shoot either a .454 or a .457 and shoot accurately with either. The .457 requires significant more force to seat in cylinder chambers so I tend not to use them unless that is all I can get at the moment. On the other hand, I have used .440 balls with a over powder wad and a chamber filled to the end with lube and they shot fine too (although really not intended for the revolver). Loose fit lube generously over ball.
 
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