Need some load data for DE WC 44 spl

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

These are 185 gr. Penn DE wadcutters. The COAL would be about 1.275"
Looking for some data with BE or Unique.
Thanks in advance!

[Thin Man]

I have been working to develop accurate loads for my Taurus model 431 revolver - medium frame 44 Special, 5-shot, blue, 3 inch barrel, fixed sights. All of my early testing involved the heavier 240-260 weight boolits. All test loads were going high and left of the target center. I credited the higher impact to slower boolit speed, and the left cant to perhaps (?) the front sight not being aligned with the rear notch. Just on a whim I then turned to testing lighter boolits. These were all loaded with Unique powder.

The boolits I tested were the Lyman 429348 (180 grain wadcutter) and RCBS 44-200-CM Cowboy Bullet (200 grain round-flat). I loaded both bullets over 6 grains of Unique, then again over 9 grain of Unique. The lighter loading is in line with the "starting" loads for the caliber and boolits, and the heavier charge is near maximum for both (per the Lyman #45 handloading manual).

First I test fired the loads of the 6 grain charges. Both boolits hit about 2" high at 15 yards (the 200 gr. boolit hit slightly higher than the 180 gr. boolit) and were straight above the target spot. Both groups were about baseball size. This makes both of them suitable for recreational use. It also showed me that the "left hits" from heavier boolits were the result of recoil creating torque to move the firearm's barrel to the left when fired.

Next I tested the 9 grain loads. The 200 gr. boolits hit about 1 inch high and straight above the target center. The group was the size of a golf ball, the tightest to date. Then came the 180 gr. wadcutters. All of these shots created a single, ragged hole in the true center of the target. This was the tightest group this revolver has ever fired and is absolutely true to the sight picture. Game OVER, I have found a winner. Along with this, all cases ejected easily and none had any indication of high pressure.

I have used the Lyman #45 manual many times to find loading data that has gone absent from the more recent manuals. It is one of my favorite resources at the bench and would assist your load data search. These are easily found on the various auction sites and are not expensive. Good luck to you in your load development.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Thanks. Any idea what your OAL were. I don't have much case space for powder as I'm talking about a full WC that only stick out about 1/16". I'm thinking about going wiht 5.0 gr of Unique.