Starline brass 44 special loading

[Skipper]

I'm getting ready to load a bunch of 44 Specials for a Ruger flat top bisley that I just bought. Does anyone here reduce the load when using Starline brass? I've measured the capacity of their rifle brass, but never their handgun brass.

[winelover]

I'm using their brass in a light weight CA Bulldog......so I'm not loading to the full potential (Skeeter Loads) of the 44 Special, due to recoil. However, I also use their brass for 357 Mag, 44 Mag & 45 LC (Ruger Only Loads). Never found a reason to download their brass.

Winelover

[Texas by God]

I 've used their nickel plated brass for full charge .41 mag from the start. I used regular brass for .41 special level loads. I had no problems.

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[Thumbcocker]

Not an issue.

[ulav8r]

Go ahead and start with maximum loads, working up safely from recommended starting loads is only a waste of powder and time.

Why ignore safe procedures based on a recommendation from someone you don't know, who won't be supplying the gun, components, and the trigger finger to pull the trigger. ALWAYS back off your usual loads when changing ANY component and follow safety precautions. If your gun is not powerful enough to suit you, get a bigger gun instead of trying to get hotter loads than anyone else on earth. Ruger level 44 Mag loads should not be attempted in 44 Special brass and guns. If you come up with a heavy load that still has tight primer pockets after 10 reloads, use it. If the primer pockets are loose after 1-4 reloads, back off.

[Skipper]

Go ahead and start with maximum loads, working up safely from recommended starting loads is only a waste of powder and time.

Why ignore safe procedures based on a recommendation from someone you don't know, who won't be supplying the gun, components, and the trigger finger to pull the trigger. ALWAYS back off your usual loads when changing ANY component and follow safety precautions. If your gun is not powerful enough to suit you, get a bigger gun instead of trying to get hotter loads than anyone else on earth. Ruger level 44 Mag loads should not be attempted in 44 Special brass and guns. If you come up with a heavy load that still has tight primer pockets after 10 reloads, use it. If the primer pockets are loose after 1-4 reloads, back off.

Who was talking about maximum?

[ulav8r]

Just trying to emphasize that you should always work up from a starting load when changing components. Depending on the load and the component, might not have to back all the way down. I have a load for .380 ACP that I would not reduce with any change other than a heavier bullet. It is just enough to cycle my only 380 reliably. Much lighter and I would be afraid of sticking a bullet.

It would be very easy to compare the capacity of Starline brass to what you are currently using, fill one full and transfer to the other. You can quickly determine if there is a difference.

[Texas by God]

I'm sure my statement caused this. It was my way of saying don't worry about Starline brass.

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[18Bravo]

I use Starline brass exclusively when loading 44 Special. It has shot well out of a S&W 629 and Rossi M92 lever action. However, I have found that when pushed to near max loads, it like some powders much better than others. Red Dot, Bullseye and Trail Boss all work very well while Titegroup show high pressure issues. Work up a load from minimum and see which powder gives you the best results.

[ddixie884]

Gtg.......................

[rintinglen]

I almost never load to maximum. When I do I work up to maximum using the components I have. These loads are generally used solely for hunting or perhaps defense. For everything else, I usually stop in the middle of the suggested range in a published source. Consequently, I am using loads that allow a little bit of wiggle room so that a heavier than usual case is likely to be safe.

I once weighed a bunch of 38 specials of different head stamps. The S&W head-stamped cases were the heaviest, and IIRC correctly, the R-P cases were the lightest. The S&W cases were so thick they were squeezing my cast boolits. I pitched them and just used the rest of my casings. For match use, I had some federal wadcutter brass that was kept separate, but the rest just went into a bucket to be cleaned and refilled as occasion required. I never encountered a problem in loading many, many thousands of those.

One thing I should mention is that even when the same manufacturer is used, different lots of brass may be different. If you are one of those who live to ride the edge, You may need to take that into consideration when buying new brass and consider buying in quantity from the same lot.

However, getting back to the original question, which concerned Starline 44 Special brass. I have used hundreds of them with complete satisfaction. In fact, this is one area where I do use Max loads, because factory and SAAMI loads are awfully weak. A few years back, I tested some Remington factory loads from my then new 21-4 and found that i was getting less than 700 fps with the 246 RN lead bullets. I use the Skeeter load, which is well over pubished Max, but my Ruger flat top eats them like candy.