From: weed@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov (daniel weed 283-4162)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: .44 Magnum Load Summary
Date: 12 Jan 93 18:27:27 GMT



OK.  Here is the summary of .44 Magnum handloading wisdom I promised.
I have reproduced the responses verbatim, although I removed any names
to protect the innocent.  :-) In this summary you will find a variety of
recommendations and comments about bullets, powders, loads and guns for the
44 Magnum. 

As usual, your mileage will vary.  Do not go out and try unfamilar loads
without first consulting your loading manuals, etc, etc...

Thanks to everyone who responded.

--- Dan

                           ORIGINAL POST

#I need recommendations on powders and bullet weights for higher power loads,
#such as Blue Dot vs. H110 vs. 2400.  Which powders are cleaner burning?
#Which have the most muzzle flash, or the least etc - the important info
#that doesn't show up in reloading manuals.  Also sources for good lead and
#jacked bullets would be appreciated.  


                  ********************************

  I use 2400 in heavy .357 Magnum loads, and find that it doesn't seem 
to burn completely - there are always a few little sandy particles
left, which seem to be the gunpowder with the coating burned off.  This
is easy to clean off, so it isn't as annoying as sooty burning.  I
don't know about muzzle flash, but the Scott Solo powders are 
reportedly low flash.  Both H110 and 296 also have very good
reputations for use with full power loads.  I've been happy with the
lead bullets from Bull-X.

---

Three pet loads that are accurate in my machines:

.44 specials 240 SWC over 6.4 gr Green Dot  (940+/- f/s)
.44 mags 240 JHP over 18.0 gr 2400  (1180 +/- f/s)
.44 mags 240 JHP over 24.5 gr 296  (1550 +/- f/s)  This is my
hunting and silhouette load.

For H110, 2400 & 296 powders use magnum primers for best results.

bang - bang !

---
Well, here's all I have accessible on-line.  Blue Dot is the cleanest burning
powder I've tried with jacketed but muzzle fash is pretty heavy I'm getting
ready to test some loads using AA5, 7, and 9. I've had really good results with
Bull-X cast lead. Penn is also good and a little harder but slightly more
expensive (with shipping added; Bull-X includes shipping). I've had dismal
results with Unique. Green Dot and Red dot perform the best with 190-215g
lead.

BULLET                   CASE PRIMER  POWDER   CHARGE(g)  GUN  BBL  FPS   STD.  SIZE                                                                      DEV.
Bull-X .429 180 JHP      Win  WLP     Blue Dot 13.4g      629  6.5  1098  52
                                               14.2                 1259  75
                                               16.8                 1417  48
                                      WW296    27.1                 1387  24
                                      2400     20.5                 1435  22
                                      Unique   12.3                 1362  45
Bull-X .430 190 SWC      Win  WLP     Unique    6.6                  873  31
                                                7.1                  943  27
                                      Green Dot 5.5                  834  25
                                                6.0                  908  19
                                      WW231     6.2                  845  24
                                                6.5                  896  13
Bull-X .430 215 SWC      Win  WLP     Green Dot 6.2                  863   8
Bull-X .430 240 SWC      Win  WLP     Green Dot 6.7                  872  13
                                      Unique    6.6                  822  30
                                      WW231     6.5                  842  18

None of the loads are compressed.  The hotter loads with Blue Dot, 2400, and
296 come pretty close to being compressed.

IMO, one reason Red and Green Dot do so well in the lighter loads is because
they arn't as dense as other powders like WW231 and Bullseye. In other words,
they fill the case better.  I just wish they were cleaner but I can live
with it with 1.25" group sizes @ 50 yards!

Also, 2400 seems to leave a lot of "birdseed" - I prefer 296.  Both give
better accuracy than Blue Dot in my gun.

Oh, BTW, Bull-X has a special going on now - buy two boxes of 500 cast
bullets and get a 3rd box 1/2 price (mix-n-match ok).

---

Me too, I started reloading 44 magnum a couple of weeks ago,
for my 10" T/C contender. I have loaded 200 rounds 
with 8.5g of Unique, W-W large pistol primer and
240g lead RN bullets. I timed them on a chronograph
and I got an average of 1050 fps muzzle velocity. The
accuracy was excellent (about 2.5" at 50 yards). I took
it to a local NRA silhouette match and was able to knock
down some chickens, some pigs and 1 ram ( I missed the
rest :-) ). 

---

  I use 6.0 gr. of Bullseye, standard (CCI 300) primers and a 245 gr. semi-
wadcutter for target loads. Velocity is about 900 fps with good accuracy. My
revolver is a S&W 629 Classic. I'm also working up a max. load for Horniday
240 gr. XPD slugs, using 2400 and Federal brass. I expect to end up using
about 20 gr. and getting around 1200 fps. The target load (245 lead slug) is
well below max (7.2 gr.) and should be safe. The full house load would be
near max, so work your way up carefully.

                                   Have fun


---
The most consistently accurate load that I've come up with so far, for my
S&W 629, is 23gr of H110 and Sierra 220gr FPJ. The H110 is pretty dirty
but my experience has been that larger powder charges chronograph much
more consistently than faster powders and smaller charges.

---
I prefer to use 2400, AA7, and AA9 in my hot .44 loads, but I have a 
friend who swears up and down that blue dot is the best.  Neither
of us has tried H110.  
Typically, using 24gr of 2400 behind a 240gr SWC, I can get around 2200 fps.

I complement you on your choice of revolvers. I have two super BH's in 
different barrel lengths and love them.  The super Redhawks are nice
as well, but they weigh so damn much, it can be a real challenge to
hold them steady on target. I've got some other brands as well, but
I like the Ruger's the best.

---


Congratulations!  You're going to enjoy
this purchase a lot.

You will hear all kinds of loading information, and
not all of it will agree with my experiences, but try this.

Add another dimension to your loading (and cut costs 
dramatically) by casting your own bullets for _most_
of your shooting applications.  The Lyman #429244
bullet is a particularly good choice for the following
reasons:

1) It can be cast soft, loaded without gas check, and
used in mild loads (I'm using 9.0 grains of Unique,
which _is_ a bit dirty, but it shoots so accurately that 
I hate to change.  Recoil is very pleasant in a big Ruger.

2) It can be cast hard, loaded with gas check, and used
in loads with energy most people won't believe, with
no appreciable leading (at least, not using RCBS rifle
bullet lube), and very reasonable pressures, using H110.
In addition, this load shoots tothe same place as the 
#1 target load listed above.  The world has always known
that cast bullets can be pushed faster than jacketed with
the same powder charge, but _usually_ leading negates
any advantages.  Not on this load, with CCI Magnum primers
and 23.0 grains of H110.  Hodgdon lists this load at
about 1600 fps, as I recall.

The big, hard semi-wadcutter makes a good hunting bullet
for good-sized game like deer, bear, and pig, where you
need some penetration.

If you want _serious_ people-stopping the Hodgdon 
manual shows (again, with H110) a 180-grain hollowpoint
at ~1800 fps, a velocity at which most hollowpoints 
perform _wonderfully_. 

At any rate, put on Pachmayr grips, buy a Hodgdon manual
(H110 is head-and-shoulder above the other powders for
high-powered loads at safe pressures), spend a lot of
time plinking and target shooting with whatever light
load you choose, and enjoy.  This is a fun gun, and
experimentation will keep on revealing new fun for
years and years. It has for me.

Hope this helps.

---
	
		Our club is using a 240 grain SWC lead bullet with  
10.6 grains of Accurate Arms No. 5 powder...
		We are using Winchester brass...
		
		That's our recommendation...

---

I just got a 6" .44 mag Colt Anaconda myself, and have only 
realoaded a few rounds for it, but I'll tell you what I've 
found:
24 grains of W296 for a 240gr Hornady XTP bullet seems
to be around the same power as the various types of full
power factory loads I've tried in it.  (Not scientific,
just 'feels' about the same).  The W296 gives a hell
of a lot of flash though, by far more than any of the factory
loads.  Fires pretty clean, tough.  
This is all I've tried so far (only had the thing a week).
Hope it helps


---
Presently, I'm using 24.0 grains of WW-296 under 240 grain jacketed
bullets.  I've tried 25.0 grains of the same powder under 240 grain
Bull-X SWC hard cast lead bullets, and while the accuracy is good for
the first couple of cylinders, leading builds up terribly at these
velocities.  This latter load is my "bear load," and not recommended
for everyday shooting (because of the leading problem described).
 
I've had good luck with 2400, Blue Dot, and a couple other powders
described in my loading manual at home, but have switched almost
exclusively to H110 and WW-296 for "hot" loads for my magnums
(.357, .41, .44, and .45 LC) because this powder nearly fills
the available case (preventing double charging), has good accuracy,
and appears to be the powder that Federal, Remington, and Winchester
use in their magnums (at least, the few cartridges I've reverse-
engineered).
 
Looking forward to your "summary" report.  Happy holidays!

---

Don't waste your money loading jacketed bullets in the .44
special just for target. Go pick up a box of 500 240gr lead
bullets either from Speer or American and a can of Bullseye
with some cci300 primers. It makes and excellent target load
that will shoot in almost anyting. The 500 lead bullets should
cost around $25.00.

---


I reload .45 ACP using W-231, so I have been using a fairly light
.44 mag load using the same powder.  I use 10.0 grains of 231 behind a
Sierra 240 gr jacketed SWC.  This should reach about 1100 fps.  The Speer
#11 manual says I can use up to _about_ 11.5 grains of 231.  The recoil
is stiff, but not uncomfortable, and it appears to be accurate.  Also,
using 231 is about 1/2 the cost of using, say, 20 some odd grains of W-296 
(per bullet).  I plan on using the 231 load for practice (although I`ll 
switch to cast bullets), and save the 296 loads for silouette.


                     ********************************


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Weed                                       weed@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov
McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. - Houston
              "My comments are my own, not my employer's"