Gallery Load Data for .44 Mag?

[John C]

I'm looking for a gallery load for use in .44 magnum brass. I checked out Matt's Bullets (http://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70) and he's got a bunch. I am especially interested in the 135 gr Lyman 429105 bullet, and also the 150 gr wadcutter. The one thing I can't find is load data for these lightweight bullets in .44 magnum cases. Anyone have any ideas? I have Bullseye and Unique/Universal on hand.

Also, how do these bullets shoot out to 25 yards? Would I be better off with some of the heavier options, like the 215 gr wadcutter, or 240 gr HBWC?

Thanks,

-John

[RoyEllis]

Use 44 special data, my 44 mag lite loads are Lee 200gr RNFP over 4.5gr Bullseye, about 800fps & rather accurate out to 40-50yds.

[telebasher]

5 gr Bullseye under 429421 out my Ruger SBH is my go to "girlie" load. Women love to say that they shot a 44 magnum and lived to tell about it.LOL. You can cover five shots with a fifty cent piece @ 25 yds off a good rest. Clay pidgeons scattered on the berms out to 100 yds are not too much trouble offhand if I've been a regular at the range. Funny how familiarity raises ones confidence and competence!

[Nobade]

They don't print to the sights, but a .433" Hornady round ball, tumbled in Lee alox, loaded in unsized cases over a couple grains of fast powder usually shoots quite well to 25 yards, and no recoil. I just drop the ball into the case and press it in until it stops with a pencil. Fine tune the powder charge to give you the speed and groups you want.

-Nobade

[Mal Paso]

200g RNFP in front of 5g of Clays does 738 fps from a 4" Redhawk. A couple tenths of a grain more for 260g Boolits. As I remember this load ran Slower out of a 6" Barrel.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

For gallery loads in the 44 Mag, I use the following; With H&G 250 grain SWC, 9 grains of 4756 = light recoil and muzzle blast. With a 200 grain WC (H&G #107, 5.5 grains of Unique. Both loads group well at 25 yards, no leading and easy on the shooter. Alloy is straight WW metal, no quenching. Lube is old NRA 50/50 Alox-beeswax. Minimal crimp. LLS

[Poppaclutch]

I was thinking about 5grs. of bullseye and a 240gr. swc and wondering if I needed a filler / wadding?

[singleshot]

I was thinking about 5grs. of bullseye and a 240gr. swc and wondering if I needed a filler / wadding?

No. Just load and shoot. Don't use fillers or wadding with fast pistol or shotgun powders.

[longbow]

I got myself an Accurate Molds #43-165B TC at 165 grs. so pretty light. It is a terrific little mould and the boolits shoot very well from my Marlin.

I tried 19 grs. of 700X and found it was pretty zippy and loud! No pressure signs and I used some .44-40 data as a start point. For a light gallery load I would cut it down to 5 grs. and try that.

Cheap on lead, cheap on powder and no recoil but you still get big holes!

I haven't played much with powders so far as it took a while to use up my 700X. A little zippier than I planned but fun to shoot and nice flat trajectory out to 50 yards anyway. I did try some IMR4227 based on a 180 gr. load but did not get good ignition and lots of unburned powder left in the bore. Maybe a little more powder would have built enough pressure for a clean burn but I think a faster powder is more suitable at least for light to moderate loads.

If you want a lightweight boolit along with light powder charge I would look to Accurate molds, Mihec (.44 collar button if he has any left) or NOE for their pointy boolit which was 145 grs. I think in .44.

As for load data I found some on the Hodgdon website:

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

and here:

http://castpics.net/project2/CastDatalist.php?start=1

Lightest weight I see is 165 gr. though.

I hope that helps some.

Longbow

[John C]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your replies.

I currently load 160 gr. LSWC in .45 ACP for Bullseye using 3.5 grains of Bullseye. I will start above that to account for the larger case capacity of the .44 magnum. I'll shoot for a load that produces 700 to 750 fps.

[mdi]

I have 4, .44 Mag handguns and have used my "gallery" loads in all. I use a 432" round ball, lubed in alox, seated just below center, a light roll crimp, over about 4.0 gr. Bullseye. I got 2" and under groups at 15-18 yards from a Dan Wesson and Ruger SBH, slightly smaller in my T/C w/10" bbl., but haven't tried it in my 629...

[TMenezes]

Hmm, those are lighter than I have loaded. Right now I use the Lee 200gr FPRN mold and use 4.5gr 700X in 44 Special, and 5gr 700X in 44 mag and 45 Colt. So, for your Wadcutter mold I would try about 5gr of fast burning powder, such as 700X, Clays, Bullseye, etc. For your 135gr I would try maybe the same or a bit more. I would also stick to the fast burning powders for such a light bullet, at least at first. Slower powders with such a light slug will probably leave a lot of carbon on your gun and cases. Maybe that wouldn't bother you, and there are plenty of folks that don't mind a dirty load as long as its accurate. But for me, I prefer a clean shooting AND accurate load.

[Digital Dan]

They don't print to the sights, but a .433" Hornady round ball, tumbled in Lee alox, loaded in unsized cases over a couple grains of fast powder usually shoots quite well to 25 yards, and no recoil. I just drop the ball into the case and press it in until it stops with a pencil. Fine tune the powder charge to give you the speed and groups you want.

-Nobade

That...and it shoots close to POA from a 77/44 at 25 yds.

[Qc pistolero]

I have a 180wc old Ideal 2 banger mould.It casts bullets right at .430.I only lube them with LLA(no sizing) and seat them on top of 5gr.Bullseye.Shoot them outta my SBH.Very accurate at 25 yds.

Have also used it topped with a Lee 215gr swc:almost as accurate as the wc load.

Qc Pistolero

[Qc pistolero]

Sorry for the mispelling;should have been '' Boolit''.

Sorry guys!

Qc Pistolero

[Poppaclutch]

Tried 4.7grs. (.5cc Lee dipper) of bullseye with CCI 300 and a 240 -.430 lswc. Nice. Casual plinking group was slightly larger than my fist at 51 paces. Burns pretty dirty (3" M29-4) so I've applied a tad more crimp. Will test tomorrow after grandsons football game.

[Ohio Rusty]

You can also size a .433 round ball to .430 and load that in a .44 mag shell. For the light loads you are wanting, you don't need a heavy boolit.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[TMenezes]

A tighter crimp might help, also if you want to stick to 4.7 grains you could try a magnum primer. They help my gallery loads burn a bit cleaner. If that doesn't help then try bumping up the powder charge. I am betting about 5gr will clean up your carbon problem and will still have minimal recoil.

[oldfart1956]

John C, don't know if you're interested in going this lightweight but...I have a n.i.b. Lee 2 cavity 90430 mold available. I believe this is the .429 dia ball but would probably reach .430 or so with anything other than pure lead. This should be a thumb-seat in sized brass. (?) Maybe someone here would have better insight if this might work. If you're interested send me a p.m. when time permits. Audie...the Oldfart..

[John C]

OF;

Thanks for the offer, but I think I want to go for actual gallery boolits. If these Matt's boolits work out, I'll then look to pick up a mold with a similar profile.

-John

[Ohio Rusty]

I bet if you took a .44 mag shell, put about 10 grains of 3F blackpowder or a substitute BP, and pushed a .429 round ball down on the powder ...... I bet you would have a nice little pet load shooter. BP doesn't build up the pressure like smokeless does, so it would be easy to adjust loads until you found a fun shooter. I bet that round would give off a quiet 'pop' instead of a bang.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[kevmc]

wax/paraffin boolits with just a primer to push em.
Might need to open the flash holes some......(don't reload cases with enlarged flash holes with reg. loads!)
They'll surprise you!!!

[Newtire]

200g RNFP in front of 5g of Clays does 738 fps from a 4" Redhawk. A couple tenths of a grain more for 260g Boolits. As I remember this load ran Slower out of a 6" Barrel.
Thanks Mal Paso,
I just loaded up a bunch of light Clays loads at 4.4 grains (what the Lee Dipper threw) using the 200 gr. Lee RNFP, Some 215 grainer SWC's from an NOE mould and some 240's from an old Lee mould. The lighter boolits shot the best at 25 yards. I just was loading up all the .44 boolits I had on hand but didn't know if I should try those 260 grain Lymans in there. I'll give em a try tomorrow morning. Been carrying around that pound of Clays for years-bought it at Markley's. If you go in there, tell Joe that Calvin says Hi! Much more suited to my liking here than it was up in Boulder Creek. Outdoor range here never closes.

[smkummer]

My 44 mag. cowboy loads are 4.5 grs. 700X and Lee's 200 FP bullet, I am guessing close to 900 FPS out of the rifle. I have to bump it to about 5.0 grains 700X with Lee's 200 FP bullet for the 45 Colt to get good case expansion. Another nice cowboy load of which I have shot in my revolvers at maybe 700 FPS.