.44 Mag data?

[Matt N.]

I can't seem to find my load book and need some data for 255 grain gas checked Keith style bullets with a BHN of 22 and using Winchester 296 shot out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk. A beginning and max load would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
Matt

[LUCKYDAWG13]

296 22.5 / 23.5
H110 21.3 / 22.8
lyman 49th

[454PB]

23 grs. of H-110/296 was always the "magic" load for me.

[curt48mauser]

Does anybody have any favorite loads using W-296 with a 220 grain cast bullet? I am leaning to a range of 15.5 to 17.3, but I would like to get some input from anyone who has been here before. Thanks.

[44man]

Does anybody have any favorite loads using W-296 with a 220 grain cast bullet? I am leaning to a range of 15.5 to 17.3, but I would like to get some input from anyone who has been here before. Thanks.
You confuse me??? Is that for the .44 mag?
A starting load will be 23 gr at least for a 220 gr.
If you use those light loads you will get dangerous failures.

[curt48mauser]

44man,
THANK YOU
I have been looking for a starting load and planned on working it up, but that is apparently not where I should be looking. Thanks again for keeping me from paying a stoopid tax.
Curt

[Mal Paso]

44man,
THANK YOU
I have been looking for a starting load and planned on working it up, but that is apparently not where I should be looking. Thanks again for keeping me from paying a stoopid tax.
Curt

296 has a Very short range. 23 was the start load. 25g Max says Hodgdon.

[mdi]

I been running about 20.0 gr. of 2400 in my .44 Magnums with a 250-255 gaschecked bullet (19.4-23.4 as per my book). I personally don't use W296/H110 mainly because of it's narrow charge tolerance and problems with low charges. I use the old standbys; Unique, Bluedot, 2400, AA9, and WC820.

[454PB]

AA#9 and WC820 have those same problems.

[paul h]

You might want to try a slightly faster powder like 2400 with the lighter bullets. H110/W296 are outstanding with heavy for caliber bullets in magnum revolvers, but those powders really seem to do their best with a heavy well crimped bullet to get the powder going before the bullet starts moving.

[zxcvbob]

Does anybody have any favorite loads using W-296 with a 220 grain cast bullet? I am leaning to a range of 15.5 to 17.3, but I would like to get some input from anyone who has been here before. Thanks.

That looks more like the data for Blue Dot powder. :confused:

[Char-Gar]

In that range of bullet weight in the 44 Magnum round in a sixgun, I like

1. 10/Unique
2. 21/2400

I am not fond of 296/H110. Can be hard to light off and can be a real problem downloading the round with this powder. I can see no reason to use it when 2400 is available and doesn't present the potential issues.

[zxcvbob]

Also try about 7.5 grains of Red Dot.
Max is about 8.5, but you'll want to switch to a slower powder (Unique) before you get to the top of Red Dot.

[curt48mauser]

My apologies to Matt N, unintentional post hijacking. I hope that you are getting your question answered. I was unaware of W-296 having such a narrow range. I had just started working with it and working up some loads in .357 mag and it was doing a fantastic job for me at 13.5 grains under a 150 grain cast swc. I was hoping for as good a result in the 44 mag, but you guys have given me some good starting points with 2400, Unique and Red Dot. The W-296 will get put to other good uses.
Thanks again guys,

Curt

[MtGun44]

You should have 3 or 4 load books, actually, so you can cross reference. The best reference
there is for data on H110/W296 is always Hodgdon's online data.

A small point - if the boolit has a gas check it is not a Keith. Probably a Thompson design.
Elmer was dead set against GCs.

Bill

[KCcactus]

+1 for Hodgdon's on-line data.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

Tell it the load type and cartridge and click get data. Then you can narrow it down.

Most, if not all, of the powder manufacturers have load data on their websites.

[runfiverun]

every one of my manuals has load data in it.
the last time i bought h-110 there was data right on front of the bottle.
don't they do that anymore?

[Char-Gar]

I have used AA9 in both the .357 and 44 Magnum rounds with very good results. I have noticed that that powder goes along with good velocity and reasonable pressure until you hit a certain point and then the pressure heads for the sky. The charge weight difference between no pressure problems and pressure problems is smaller than I like. I like more warning bells and signs. It is very good powder, but not anything you want to move toward the red line.

In the end, I went back to 2400 because it is more friendly and forgiving.

[flipajig]

I use two powders for my pistols(9mm,38 , 357 mag ,and 44mag) I don't use mag primers and I have had good secess with HP 38 and 2400

[Wally]

Using a Lee 255 SWC in a Ruger Blackhawk...

8.0 red Dot 1,000 FPS MV

8.0 W-231 1,050 FPS MV

11.0 Unique 1,200 FPS MV

[44man]

296 and H110 are easier to light then many think and I use nothing but standard primers. They can't be downloaded with too much airspace because the powders need to be close to the heat source and a standard primer is actually better in the .44 so primer pressure does not move a boolit out, increasing air space.
But on the other side, it does not "spike" if you go to far with a load. I have seen gross overloads show no pressure signs.
Some powders will jump pressure to unsafe levels with a few tenths of a gr too much. I have not seen that with 296, progression to pressure seems to be more even.
Yet, I will never tell you to go over book and NEVER go under. The worst I have seen is a boolit and the powder blown into the barrel without ignition so the guy shoots another behind it.
2400 is a good powder but go a little too far and it will "spike."
I have always felt safer with 296. Testing has lead me a little over max and the only thing I found was an increase in group size, a sign to back off.
No matter, the very worst thing to do is to look for just as much velocity you can get from a gun and to find that with faster powders can get you in trouble.
Never would I look for 1100 fps from a .44 with a fast powder when 2400 will do it better. I will not use 2400 if I want even faster when 296 is there.