Description

Functional Identity

The Gold Country Badger is a heavy, flat-nose .44-caliber bullet built for straight-line authority in lever-action rifles and revolvers where predictable penetration and structural integrity matter more than spectacle.

This is not an expanding showpiece.
It is a work bullet.

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Why This Bullet Exists

Many .44-caliber bullets chase expansion at the expense of control. Others prioritize hardness and give up usable deformation entirely.

The Badger exists to sit between those extremes.

It is designed to:

• drive straight

• stay intact

• crush tissue predictably

• remain effective across realistic velocity windows

• perform consistently from handgun to short-barrel lever guns

This is the bullet you choose when you want certainty, not surprises.

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Design Logic

The Badger’s behavior is driven by geometry first, not marketing claims.

Broad Flat Lead Meplat

The wide, exposed lead nose initiates immediate tissue displacement on impact. Rather than relying on jacket peel-back, the Badger begins working the moment it meets resistance.

Serrated Copper Jacket

The jacket is mechanically serrated to:

• resist uncontrolled sloughing

• maintain symmetry

• allow measured deformation without collapse

The jacket petals intentionally stand slightly above the lead meplat. This promotes early engagement while preserving the bullet’s structural spine.

Cannelure

A properly placed cannelure ensures:

• secure crimping

• consistent ignition

• reliable feeding in tube magazines

This matters more in real rifles than on paper.

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Ballistic Behavior (Observed & Intended)

The Badger is optimized for:

• Straight-line penetration

• Predictable crush cavity, not dramatic expansion

• Structural integrity at impact

• Consistency across handgun and carbine velocities

It does not depend on velocity thresholds to “work.”
It behaves the same way every time — within the limits of physics.

That is the point.

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Where It Fits in the Gold Country System

The Badger sits alongside:

• Rhino — flat nose dominance with maximum structural bias

• Razorback — serrated jacket with controlled expansion intent

• Viper — open-tip, precision-biased behavior

Badger is the balanced penetrator — blunt, honest, and reliable.

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Referenced In:

• The Gold Country Rhino Bullet System

• The Model 1894 Shooter’s Lever-Action Journal Issue No. 1

• Vertical Banding Observed Across Charge Weights in .44 Caliber Lever Gun

• Gold Country Bullet Systems

• .44 Remington Magnum — Lever-Gun Bullet Selection & Platform Guide

• Platform-Tuned Load Development — Marlin 1894 SBL (.44 Magnum, 16.1″ Barrel)

 

Related Chapters & Technical Notes:

Chapter 7 — Accuracy & Precision Expectations

TN-17 — Rifle vs. Revolver Loads: Mechanical Realities

Lever-Gun Bullet Geometry — Technical Note

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No profile found for this bullet.

Cartridge	Powder	Charge	Velocity	COAL	Source
44 Magnum	Win 296	21.0-22.0 gr	1250-1350 fps	1.600"	Hornady Manual

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Specifications

• Caliber / Diameter: .429

• Weight: 240 grains

• Construction: Lead core, copper jacket

• Nose Profile: Broad flat nose with exposed lead meplat

• Jacket: Serrated, petals extend slightly above meplat

• Cannelure: Yes

• Base: Flat base

• Intended Platforms: Revolvers, lever-action rifles

• Primary Design Focus: Straight-line penetration, predictable tissue crush