UNiversal in .44 Mag

[crabo]

Veral Smith says he really likes Hodgen Universal in the midrange loads for the 44 mag. Anyone use it? I want to try it in the 10 grains of Unquie or HS6 range of loads.

Thanks,

[Bass Ackward]

They all work once you learn how to ladder them. Midrange? I like anything from Herco on down to HS7 / BlueDot.

How much do you need? Just the amount it takes to obturate your bullet and seal before you blow the lube off your slug. That is just about your accuracy point with "that" load.

Once you have found that point, remember, each design will need a certain velocity and RPM to stabilize. The trick is to find a hardness that will hold the rifling upon bullet impact and use a powder where the design you are using stabilizes at the velocity that that load that just obdurated produced.

That's your peak accuracy load unless you change your lube or hardness, size, primer, etc, etc, etc. Then you have to start all over.

[targetshootr]

I like 8 or 9 gr with a 250K. It works like a champ in other calibers too.

[bobthenailer]

ive had excellent luck with tightgroup in 357, 44 and 454 in loads from 800 to 1250 fps

[Potsy]

I use it in a .45 colt with excellent results. 9.0 grains gives 1000 fps under a 260 grain Lyman Keith.

Seems like I read long ago that Jim Wilson liked 8.0 grains of it in a .44 magnum under a 250 grain .44 keith type bullet but I don't remember the make of it. I'd guess that should give around 900-1000 fps in the .44 mag case.

Don't confuse Universal Clays with the faster Clays or International clays.

[Lloyd Smale]

never had much luck with it when it came to accuracy. Seems i can allways find a load with unique that does better. two other powders that I like ALOT more then universal are herco and power pistol.

[crabo]

Well, I shot some 9, 9.3, 9.7 grain loads behind a 250K and was not impressed. 9.7 of Unique gave me better groups. I guess I will try some Herco next time.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive allways tended to have a tad better luck with unique in the 44 mag and herco in the 45 colt.

[targetshootr]

It's funny how some people swear by a powder and others don't when the burn rates are identical. I would guess something else is factoring in.