I lathe bore my molds - I spend the majority of my life running a lathe so it's my preference - this depends on the week of course    This mold started as a double cavity 38 and 40 PP mold, I didn't like how the 38 turned out so I set it back up and cut the 38 for a 44.
No, I taught a couple of machining classes about 20 years ago, this isn't what I'm teaching now.  My gunbuilding classes - they either need to know how to machine or they have to catch on real quick - my next class has pulled a few out of the woodwork that have lathes and mills at home so it should be interesting.   I explain and show how to build reamers, molds, sights, dies, etc. so that they can do this in their own place and time, but the class is intense on the action build.   
I have a couple returning for the next semester I teach - to finish the rifle - barrel and wood, but they are more/less on their own.
Greg

  I'd welcome a little input from folks here.   I (mostly) finished this rifle with hopes of it liking and shooting PP and BP for use at a couple of mid-range matches I show up for...    It's giving me fits and I'm about done wasting time with this force feeding.  I have two loads now that it's really liking, "smokeless and greasers" - the groups I'm getting out of it are worth a little more time.  The PP bullets though just don't seem to work - they do in another rifle, but not this one!  This rifle doesn't care for black with anything beyond a couple hundred yards - never had one this finicky either.   
Today I ran the loads past the LabRadar and the findings were interesting- thought I share.  In the attached photo, are the current bullets I've been using.  From left to right, my PP core, the BC as cast (bore size), in my samples calculated to be .185 with a smokeless load, with black the BC was .280.  I bumped it up a couple thousandths in a bumping die as a trial and then down a couple with a sizing die with no significant change in groups or BC.  I've shot both below and well above trans-sonic also not much change in BC's or groups.  Group size at 100 yards appeared to be very impressive (as shown earlier) but went to minute of hillside at 400.  (I have a Ballard in 44-77 with a Krieger barrel that really likes this bullet, as cast and diapered, with black so I thought it'd be easy  )   Now what's really throwing me off, a Lyman mold that drops a 350 gr. .4469" shoots well to 200 with smokeless, a BC of .356 -  dislikes everything black...   I got a couple molds from BACO, one's a 480 gr. Money and one's a 525 gr. Money both throw a 20:1 alloy as described, both at .4465" dia.   Shot with smokeless today produced calculated BC's of .425 and .489 respectively and at a 100 have had groups of 1-1/2" with smokeless.  I have shot the 480 gr with the same load at 400 yds. with impressive results last week, I have loads put together to go give these two bullets a try out to 600 tomorrow if time permits.  I'm thinking I'll stay with my smokeless load in this rifle unless someone has a brilliant idea I haven't tried... 
Greg

Your paper patch bullet has a very skinny nose.   I'm wondering if the spike from the bullet bumping up with black powder isn't causing some of the bullets to slump off center.  Try harder lead, maybe sixteen to one and use it with the black powder to see if that makes an improvement.  Back in 2008 Laurie Kerr from New Zealand shot his 44-85 in the last World Matches held in the United States and did very well with it.  I think he won mid-range and placed very high in the long range.  He had one case separation which caused him to have a miss and that hurt his score.

Greg in my Green Mountain 44 barrel, grease groove bullets at .448 and patched at .435 wrapped in 7 lb paper work very well.
16-1 alloy will be your friend.

Wiping between shots with the BACO bore wiper set up. Felts soaked in napa water soluble oil and water 1part oil 7 parts water. With the bore pig pushed thru with a 2 1/4 in flannel patch on the tip of the rod. Same set up with greasers, only just using 1 felt on the bore pig.
If you've seen this before , my apologies. 3 different loads at 600, 
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Greg it's old timers desease.
You can also get by fairly well with pushing a wet patch or two down the bore on a nylon brush followed up with a dry one.
That target was shot with less than 100 rounds down the tube, I still don't have 500 rounds thru it, but it's shot some very good groups out to 1000. Needless to say it's sure showing some promise. Going to run it at Alliance in a couple of weeks and am planning to use it at Worland.

Looks pretty nice.