Anyone reload 44 mag with AA 11fs?

[44Blam]

I went ahead and ordered #1 on my last powder shipment...

BUT, I load a lot of 44 mag with W296 (my accurate load is 23.5 grain under an Accurate 43-240AG boolit). I powder coat and gas check.

These are boomers I shot about 100 the other day and my hands had a workout. But they are accurate and deliver a lot of power down range.

I have chrono'd these at around 1400 fps. BUT I found the AA11fs and the load data indicates that I might be able to squeak out 1500 fps in my revolver... Anyone try it? I'll post up when I get it and have had a chance to load and shoot some boolits.

[Mal Paso]

What barrel length and type of gun? I was looking at the 11fs too but a lot depends on barrel length with slower powders.

[44Blam]

I've got a Ruger Redhawk with the 7.5" barrel.
I know with W296, you can see the flash when shooting indoors. So it'll be interesting to see if I can get about 100 fps. I've also got a Henry big boy in 44 mag with the 18" barrel. They tend to like the same loads...

[Mal Paso]

I have 4 and 6 inch revolvers and found 296 a little too slow for my needs and settled on 2400 which felt a little softer than AA9 at the same velocity. Be interesting to give 11fs a try.

I've recovered boolits from full house loads with impressions of the individual powder grains on the base. How you apply that power is important.

[44Blam]

I haven't ever recovered a boolit, but I did get a gas check from last time. These guys were HAMMERING my steel plate, but the gas check looks pretty good overall...

The load is 23.5 grain W296 running around 1400-1450 fps and the boolit is the Accurate 43-240-AG.
Gas check bottom with a sample boolit:
240824

Inside GC:
240825

OH Also, the PC is Smoke's Signal Blue. I'd say it held up pretty good. This guy was shot through my Ruger Redhawk - I like how you can see the rifling marks in the GC... When those boolits hit the steel they splattered like water balloons.

[lar45]

I read the Handloader article on AA 11FS that suggested that AA 11FS was slower burning than H110. To me that would mean that it might do better with heavier bullets. However, if it is slower than H110, you should be able to put more powder in and get more velocity while operating at the same pressures, if it will burn cleanly and properly.

Has anyone done any pressure tests with AA 11FS to see how it's pressure curve is with increasingly hotter loads?
I was talking with John Linebaugh about his development of 475 Linebaugh loads with 296/H110. He said that they had their loads pressuretested by Hornady I believe, I could be wrong on who did the test, and the pressure tests showed that 296 had a fairly linear pressure rise, more powder gives more velocity and more pressure predictably up past 60kpsi.
I know we're not talking about LilGun here, but I've read a couple of different places that LilGun gives great velocities up to a point, and where ever that point is, then if you add more powder, then the pressure spikes way high instead of continuing on a predictable path.

The next time I'm at the gun store, I intend to pick up a couple pounds of AA 11FS. I'd like to try it in the 450 Bushmaster for hunting Hogs at night. It might be nice to not have a huge fireball. The FS stands for Flash Suppressant.

Sorry if I had a little thread drift there.

[lar45]

I just got an email back from Western Powders on A#11FS .
Western Powders has always been really great to work with.

"We have not yet tested A#11FS in the 450 Bushmaster yet. So in the mean time you can use the load data using Winchester 296 as a guideline. Start at the start charge and slowly move up as needed or required. Yes A#11FS and Win 296 have a very similar linear pressure curve."

Don W.

CSR

[44Blam]

So, wife is out of town and I do need to go to the range to re-up my membership... I think I'll take a few pre-made boolits to the range with loads I *think* will work and take the powder and some primed shells with me to dial in my load - at least with the Ruger Redhawk. I am curious to see if I can get into the 1500 fps range...

I am also going to take some Tokarev rounds with AA#7 which I am sure are going to be in the 1500+ fps range...

[lar45]

I tried loading at the range one time, but the wind kept messing up my scale.
A#11FS is sounding more like a powder that I want to try. I checked 2 gun shops yesterday and neither had it.
Your Redhawk is a very strong gun and you should be able to get to 1500fps. In my younger days, I used to load 330gn hard cast to around 1500fps with W296 in a Super Redhawk. I'm sure that the loads were way over pressure, but the gun never complained. I'm not sure that I would try them in your Henry levergun. I haven't read about the strength of them.
Do you know how similar the powder density is compared to W296? If you wouldn't mind, could you fill a case with 296, weigh the powder charge, then fill the same case with #11FS?

Here's the load data for A#11FS in the 44mag:
44 REMINGTON MAGNUM
Barrel: 8.275” ¦ Twist: 1-20” ¦ Primer: CCI 350 ¦ Bullet Diameter: 0.429”
Case: REM ¦ Max Case Length: 1.285” ¦ Trim Length: 1.275”
ACCURATE NO. 11FS
180 HDY XTP 25.4 1,632 29.9 1,909 34,869 1.600
200 BARNES XPB 18.6 1,351 21.8 1,593 35,286 1.600
200 NOSLER HP 23.2 1,479 27.3 1,777 34,967 1.595
220 LHG XP 19.3 1,255 22.7 1,502 34,794 1.600
225 BARNES XPB 16.4 1,207 19.2 1,411 34,997 1.600
240 SIERRA JHC 19.2 1,321 22.6 1,554 35,728 1.590
265 HDY FP 18.7 1,263 21.9 1,475 34,659 1.625
275 (L) CP WFNPB 19.4 1,284 22.8 1,502 35,329 1.650
300 (L) LC TC 15.4 1,125 18.1 1,306 35,419 1.605
320 (L) CP WLNGC 17.1 1,170 20.2 1,349 35,948 1.695

[44Blam]

Well everything was going great until this happened:
241093

Hopefully, I can get a new one...

My boolit is the Accurate 43-240-AG. Gas Checked and powder coated.

Anyway, before the carnage, I tested my W296 load 23.5 grn(3 rounds):
1439, 1436, 1443 - not bad.

With AA11FS I had the following loads:
19.5 - 1408, 1411, 1410, 1411, 1416
20.0 - 1412, 1421, 1424, 1425, 1432
20.5 - 1439, 1443, 1439, 1445, 1447
21.0 - 1451, (POW went the chrono)
21.5 -
22.0 -
22.5 -

I had no pressure signs even at 22.5 grain and that pretty much filled the volume of the case under the boolit. The cases were very sooty until 20.5 grain and then it appears that I was getting a little cleaner burn. Also, the 22.5 grain ones seemed to have pulled the groups in a little tighter and were burning a little cleaner.

So, it will send my 240 grain boolit down the line a little faster than w296. How much? Meh.

[murf205]

Well everything was going great until this happened:
241093

Hopefully, I can get a new one...

My boolit is the Accurate 43-240-AG. Gas Checked and powder coated.

Anyway, before the carnage, I tested my W296 load 23.5 grn(3 rounds):
1439, 1436, 1443 - not bad.

With AA11FS I had the following loads:
19.5 - 1408, 1411, 1410, 1411, 1416
20.0 - 1412, 1421, 1424, 1425, 1432
20.5 - 1439, 1443, 1439, 1445, 1447
21.0 - 1451, (POW went the chrono)
21.5 -
22.0 -
22.5 -

I had no pressure signs even at 22.5 grain and that pretty much filled the volume of the case under the boolit. The cases were very sooty until 20.5 grain and then it appears that I was getting a little cleaner burn. Also, the 22.5 grain ones seemed to have pulled the groups in a little tighter and were burning a little cleaner.

So, it will send my 240 grain boolit down the line a little faster than w296. How much? Meh.

Chronograph heaven is getting crowded. I've sent a couple of them there myself so don't feel bad. They live in a very bad neighborhood. What a bummer, just when you were getting to the faster loads.

[Bookworm]

If nothing else, those 11FS loads certainly show velocity consistency.

I may need to get a pound of that.....

[lar45]

Oh, big bummer on the chronograph.
The velocity consistency looks great.

[44Blam]

Whelp, it looks like it was a $25 boolit. I bought a new ground screen for $25 and should get it soon. Once I get it, I'll continue the experiment - and will be a little more careful.

[Walks]

I guess I'm past changing Powders. In my 20's & 30's, I experimented with every new powder introduced for both Cast & New Jacketed. Heavy Loads & Light Loads with either Cast & Jacketed. I've just got so much of my old Powders that I can't see buying any New Powders. What I've got will last the rest of My Life.

Eventually I settled on certain loads for Silhouette, Cowboy, Hunting and Target.
After all that Fun Work, I ended up with most of the same loads with the older powders that My Dad used. I still have loads with Newer Powders.
And I still am doing some Experiments with .32 H&R Mag. And working on Hotter Lead Rifle Loads and Reduced Jacketed Loads.

So I guess the working up of new loads never really stops.

Didn't quite realize that when I started this Post.

Every New/Used mold brings new challenges, regardless if It's the same weight I've been loading for, for YEARS.


I hate the blasted auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

[44Blam]

I guess I'm past changing Powders. In my 20's & 30's, I experimented with every new powder introduced for both Cast & New Jacketed. Heavy Loads & Light Loads with either Cast & Jacketed. I've just got so much of my old Powders that I can't see buying any New Powders. What I've got will last the rest of My Life.

Eventually I settled on certain loads for Silhouette, Cowboy, Hunting and Target.
After all that Fun Work, I ended up with most of the same loads with the older powders that My Dad used. I still have loads with Newer Powders.
And I still am doing some Experiments with .32 H&R Mag. And working on Hotter Lead Rifle Loads and Reduced Jacketed Loads.

So I guess the working up of new loads never really stops.

Didn't quite realize that when I started this Post.

Every New/Used mold brings new challenges, regardless if It's the same weight I've been loading for, for YEARS.


I hate the blasted auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

Walks, this all started because I was looking for load data in a little gun I have - the CZ52 that shoots a 7.62x25 Tokarev round. I found that someone suggested that AA #7 was pretty much what you want for loading it. About the same time, I started loading for 357 sig and 40 S&W (new gun - different barrels).

Well, AA publishes it's load data in a single PDF. I have my loads for 44 Mag - they all work, do not lead and are accurate. BUT I saw a load for AA #11 that was 1550 fps in an 8 1/2" barrel. Well, I'm getting about 1450 fps with W296 in a 7 1/2" barrel so I threw out $25 to see if I could get 1500 fps...

One of my favorite things is to take my trail boss, unique, and w296 loads and have people unfamiliar with reloading shoot these in order. I figured that it would be cool to add a fourth bigger-badder round...

It turns out that AA11fs at 22.5 is pretty accurate and I believe it will be in the 1500 fps or so range and it feels pretty close to a W296 load.

Funny thing, I've been loading AA7 in 40 S&W and 357 Sig but I have yet to load a Tokarev round... :-/

[44Blam]

Got the new screen today ($25 mistake) and am going to the range Sunday. I'm going to load the rest of the ladder and test. I also think I am going to load up to 23 grain...

[railhunter]

I just got an email back from Western Powders on A#11FS .
Western Powders has always been really great to work with.

"We have not yet tested A#11FS in the 450 Bushmaster yet. So in the mean time you can use the load data using Winchester 296 as a guideline. Start at the start charge and slowly move up as needed or required. Yes A#11FS and Win 296 have a very similar linear pressure curve."

Don W.

CSR

I know this post is over 3 years old and sorry to dig it up but I am too curious to see if you ever got around to trying the AA#11FS in the 450BM?

[OFFSHORE]

I found the #11FS not to appealing in my 44 mags. . .but in the 445 Supermag 30.5 gr. under a 310 gr. Accurate 43-300CC was down right evil !!! I shoot a 13" MGM Encore and 125 yrd. 5-shot groups were 1 1/2". I do not shoot anything over 275 gr. in my 44's, but I do believe that if you shot the heavy weights, 300/335 gr. hammer knockers, #11FS would work well.

[railhunter]

I found the #11FS not to appealing in my 44 mags. . .but in the 445 Supermag 30.5 gr. under a 310 gr. Accurate 43-300CC was down right evil !!! I shoot a 13" MGM Encore and 125 yrd. 5-shot groups were 1 1/2". I do not shoot anything over 275 gr. in my 44's, but I do believe that if you shot the heavy weights, 300/335 gr. hammer knockers, #11FS would work well.

Thank you very much for the insight! I am planning on trying out the 300 gn's so hopefully that concept will stay true! will see.