Loading 'down' a 44Mag

[kelbro]

I would like to load some plinking/target loads and use the 44Mag brass that I have laying around. I have the 240 gr Lee TL cast with 50/50 WW-Pb. I have BlueDot, H110, and 2400. Any suggestions?

[bradh]

Kelbo I have always loaded 21.5 gr H110/W296 with WLP primer...or a mag primer..a little stout but comfortable.

[mag44uk]

You should try something like Bullseye or W231 etc.
Here in the UK we mainly load target loads for use in Marlins.
The 44 is popular due to the larger,gamey,hole!
The idea is to get something that has minimal recoil but is accurate out to 50 metres.
When I say accurate I am talking 10 shot groups of 1.5 inches at 50 metres.
I use a Vectan powder called BA10 and it is very similar to Bullseye in terms of burn rate.
I use around 5 grains which gives me 1000 fps out of my 1894 Marlin.
Icidentally,these loads are very accurate out to 100 yards as well.
One can lasts a long time.
HTH
Tony

[James C. Snodgrass]

I shoot about 8 to 10 grs of hs-6 , or unique for a lite load .

[higgins]

I've used that bullet with Unique, 231, and Titegroup at moderate levels with good results. The slow burners you mention may not work as well.

[deltaenterprizes]

Use any 44 Special loads.

[fredj338]

The only powder you have that will load down a bit is the BD & that not much. I would go to a med. burner like Unique, Universal or WSF for 1900fps-000fps loads.

[kelbro]

Thanks. I was worried that the powders that I have on hand were not really suited to loading down.

44Mag with the 7.5" Hunter barrel is far from unpleasant with full-house loads. I just wanted something that maybe the wife could shoot too.

[Larry Gibson]

I use that bullet for my own plinking/lite/target .44 loads. In the magnum case I've found 6 gr of Bullseye to be a very good .44 Special load.

The powders you list are for top end magnum loads. While they may be used for mid range loads under that and they don't work well.

Larry Gibson

[Le Loup Solitaire]

My light to medium load behind a 250 grain bullet is 9 grains of IMR 4756. Burns clean, is dead-on accurate at 50 yards, no leading and very tolerable recoil. There are probably lots of other powders to play around with that will do the job, but a good one for the 44 is Unique...very flexible. Start down around 5 grains and work up to what you want/need. Good shooting. LLS

[Irascible]

11gr Blue Dot or 15gr of 2400

[weakhand luke]

I really like Universal.

[oldhickory]

I'm looking for a plinker load for that same boolit myself...6gr. of Bullseye looks like it might be just the ticket!:Fire:

[303Guy]

44Mag with the 7.5" Hunter barrel is far from unpleasant with full-house loads. I just wanted something that maybe the wife could shoot too.One doesn't have to reduce the loads that much to make it lady friendly. I used 44 special loads (using Unique equivalent), the only down side is reduced range. My particular gun burned 4227 equivalent well but too little and I got unburned powder, but it still worked. Reduced loads are very nice to shoot with.

[anachronism]

I would like to load some plinking/target loads and use the 44Mag brass that I have laying around. I have the 240 gr Lee TL cast with 50/50 WW-Pb. I have BlueDot, H110, and 2400. Any suggestions?

Do not try to reduce H110 loads!!! It is unsafe below a certain loading density. Do you have an idea of the velocities you'd like to reach?

[vernm]

One doesn't have to reduce the loads that much to make it lady friendly. I used 44 special loads (using Unique equivalent), the only down side is reduced range. My particular gun burned 4227 equivalent well but too little and I got unburned powder, but it still worked. Reduced loads are very nice to shoot with.

I think it depends on the lady. I 've had ladies complain about 38sp factory loads, but they thought my wadcutters with 2.7gr Bullseye were fine. Fast burning powders are difinitely the way to go. I have had good luck with 5.0 -5.5gr Bullseye, Clays and Solo 1000 with RCBS 250KT. W231 works great too. Look for Cowboy loads (800fps) in various load data.

[JIMinPHX]

I know from experience that Bluedot gets spooky when you try to reduce the charge. I have been told that H-110 is the same way, but I never felt the need to confirm that with my own actions. 2400 is not really all that fast of a powder & I have never seen powder puff loading data for it. I don't think that any of those powders are a good choice (or even safe) for reduced loading. I'm on board with the others that recommended fast powders like W-231, Bullseye, Tight Group, HP-38, or Unique. Any of them should be able to give you reliable lite loads & data for them should be available in many reloading manuals.

My Speer #13 manual gives a starting load of 6.5 grains of Unique under a 240-grain LSWC that should give about 720fps. That's where I would start. It also gives starting loads of 5.5-gr for Bullseye & 6-grains for 231 that should keep you in the low 800's.

[MtGun44]

7 to 8 gr Unique is nice and usually very accurate. Clays works well at the very lowest
velocity levels, but pressures climb very rapidly if you up the charge. W231 at about 8 gr
has also worked fine for me and is usually accurate.

Bill

[zxcvbob]

You can safely load down the 2400 but you won't like it.

Try some Red Dot or Promo. Start at 7 grains and go up or down from there. Max is about 8.5, but trust me you won't like Red Dot loaded that hot. (Bullseye or Unique or Herco are better at the upper end, but you have that covered already with Blue Dot and 2400, and H110 for the barn burners)

[Newtire]

I've used BlueDot in a 12 grain charge with the Lyman 240ish SWC gas check. I download that stuff alot in .444 marlin and never had a hint of trouble. This is with cast bullets mind you. One of the big time troubles with that stuff was that it got weird in cold temperatures if I remember.

[303Guy]

You can safely load down the 2400 but you won't like it.
Now that you mention it, I have used 4227/2400 equivalents for reduced loads in rifles but not the 44mag. The problem with a handgun is the barrel length. I had no problems with that powder class in a 357mag with light loads. Not too light, mind you. In a rifle, no problem as long as the pressures are not high. That means 2400/4227 powders burn fine at low pressures if the barrel is long enough. I have had H4227 igniting just fine with the barrel straight down - I'm talking really small charges - 10grs or so in a 303 Brit and for subsonic loads in a hornet. Same thing with Lil'Gun. Now there's a powder!

[warf73]

Red Dot is great powder to use for plinking loads.

[jimkim]

You can get around 1000fps by loading 10.0gr of BD under a 240gr SWC.

[archmaker]

My standard load for my Ruger 7.5" is 16gr of AA#9.

My dad has introduced a lot of young women to the joy of shooting using this load. They do not slap as hard as WW296, but give a hard push.

We found that regardless of 15yr old 90# girl to a 35yr Old Swedish woman shooting for the first time they all liked the load. They shoot a 22 pistol before but did not find that they enjoyed that as much as shooting the 44mag.

I am guessing I am saying if you go with a plinker load take some more stepped up loads, you might be surprised.

[Rick N Bama]

Here's another vote for Unique, I'm using it more & more these days.

Rick

[MoldyJoe]

What would happen if you used a lighter boolet? I picked up a bunch of 180 grain "J word" and am trying to build a light load for my niece's lever action 44 Mag. I used unique and am still working to reduce recoil as she is only 10 right now. Joe

[44man]

I like 7 gr of Unique with a 245 gr boolit just for fun. 6.5 of 231 is also nice for popping cans.
But I have a question. I never used AA no. 9. Isn't it a ball powder like H110 and 296? Although faster, how much would you download it? Is there any ignition problems with loads too light?
Not that I will buy any, just something I think about. I never had great results with AA powders in the rifles I had, nothing better then other powders and it was hard to find anyway. I always had to order it.

[44man]

What would happen if you used a lighter boolet? I picked up a bunch of 180 grain "J word" and am trying to build a light load for my niece's lever action 44 Mag. I used unique and am still working to reduce recoil as she is only 10 right now. Joe
I had two girls and worked with many women, teaching them to shoot. They learn fast and don't get the flinches like a boy. I think you worry too much about recoil with her. As long as the gun fits and she holds it right so it doesn't hurt, you will be surprised at how much they can ignore. The key is gun fit.
My wife never knew the difference between a light load and a full magnum except one "Made more noise." :Fire:
I don't know why but girls tend to listen to instruction. A tough little boy thinks he knows it all before even starting. :mrgreen:

[jleneave]

I also would have to agree with the other posts and say Unique, but I would also suggest TrailBoss. TrailBoss is designed for use with cowboy loads and most all cowboy loads are light loads. The powder flakes are large and help to fill all the empty space in the case to get a more consistant ignition.

If I am off base here other posters feel free to correct me.

Jody

[zxcvbob]

You're not off-base at all, but Red Dot does the same thing a lot cheaper. :)

[fredj338]

You're not off-base at all, but Red Dot does the same thing a lot cheaper. :)

RD is a good choice for light loads in magnum cases. It fills the case well, but it is very fast & should be for light 700fps-850fps loads only. I've shot #s of it in 45colt for CAS.

[jleneave]

RD is a good choice for light loads in magnum cases. It fills the case well, but it is very fast & should be for light 700fps-850fps loads only. I've shot #s of it in 45colt for CAS.

zxcvbob and fredj338, thanks for the info on red dot. I have never used it before but I may give some a try.

Jody

[Fugowii]

I use 6.5gr of 231 over a 240gr SWC. You can watch the bullet go downrange,
take a drag of your cigarette (or pipe), still have time to look up and watch the
bullet impact at 100 yards. :mrgreen:

I also shoot 19.0gr of AA#9 over an 240gr HP/XTP which is quite a bit different
than the above load. Cleans out the barrel after I shoot the SWC'x.

[454PB]

44man has a good point when using AA#9 in reduced loads. It responds the same as H-110, WW296, and WC820, and can produce squibs and boolits stuck in the barrel.

[44man]

44man has a good point when using AA#9 in reduced loads. It responds the same as H-110, WW296, and WC820, and can produce squibs and boolits stuck in the barrel.
Thank you for the answer, I had suspicions.

[Rico1950]

From the December 2000 Handloader magazine.

245 lyman 429383 HS-6 9.0 cci 300 786fps/7.5" bbl. 728fps/4" bbl.
w-231 6.5 " 850 771
Red Dot 6.0 " 826 801
Unique 8.5 " 941 902

[303Guy]

I had two girls and worked with many women, teaching them to shoot. They learn fast and don't get the flinches like a boy.Yup. But they don't always listen. They do learn though!:mrgreen: A friends wife took my 44 mag. I explaind to her to hold her elbow straight. "Yeah yeah" she said and kept her elbow bent. It only took one knock on her head and she did it right thereafter!:mrgreen: But don't think they are gun shy or recoil shy. Mind you, my sons were real young when they fired the 44 mag. They just had to be big enough to hold it out straight.

[JIMinPHX]

I made the mistake of resting the back of my hand up against a tree when firing a Redhawk once...just once.

[303Guy]

:mrgreen: I got a bit of my palm between the hand grip and the bench. One of the biggest blood blisters I have ever seen!:???: Funny how we only do that sort of thing once!

[vanilla_gorilla]

My pet load is 7 grains of Bullseye underneath my RCBS 44-250-K boolit. Recoil is about on par with a .45ACP or a little more, maybe.

[kelbro]

Thanks all. Found a couple of really good loads. One near the min and one up close to the max recommended for Trail Boss.

[JesterGrin_1]

A little off topic but close enough and PAINFULL lol. I took out my Marlin 1895GS 45-70 one day to try for groups with new loads that are not mild lol. A 350GR at almost 2100FPS lol. Well at any rate I was at the bench and somehow when I fired it pinched some skin under my arm between the Butt and the table lol. Talk about BLACK and BLUE lol.

[Mavrick]

My biggest concern with what you're doing is the soft alloy. I wouldn't use anything that soft above 800fps.
Most of my shooting is over the chrono, so I have as much information as I can.
My favorite load at 800-1000fps is a straight WW boolit. I THEN load a bunch up with the load I've chosen, with whatever boolit I've chosen.
Trail Boss seems good because it fills the case so well. WW231, Bullseye, and Red (or)Green Dot, do very well, as they cover the bottom of the case, pretty well, and are easy to ignite. AA#2 and #5 do well, but are very compact, not taking up much space. AA#7 can do well, but is starting into the territory of Unique and Herco. If you plan to "move up" before loading many rounds, one of THOSE might be the one to choose, especially if you buy powder by the 8#.
I bought 500 Midway cases, for identification, and loaded them with WW231, for my "plinking" loads. I won't have to load more for a while.
Have fun,
Gene

[Groo]

Groo here
My load is a 44mag case , a 200gr cowboy bullet [ for rifle and pistol]
a max [full case but not compressed] load of Trailboss with a heavy crimp,
and mag primers.
This will shoot about the same as a 44-40 and little cleanup ..
NOTE: the more I work with TB the more I believe you can't crimp it to tight
or light it to hot :coffeecom

[Possum]

For plinking loads I use #5, Unique, or Red Dot.