750 fps .44 mag load?

[Zander]

My grandpa has made a "suggestion" for me to load him up some .44 mag ammo as a Christmas gift for him to use out of his old model vaquero. It was one of his favorite handguns to shoot years ago but his failing health has left him unable to enjoy this firearm for the past few years.

Earlier this year I made him some rounds loaded with 7.3 gr of unique and a 248 gr boolit (the lightest boolit I can cast) and he said those rounds were a bit to much for him. This is the lightest load that I have found data for out of a magnum case. I will reset my dies for .44 special if need be but would rather not if it can be avoided.

The powders I currently have that I feel could work are win. 231, HP-38, HS-6 and unique. Again the lightest boolit I can cast comes out PCed at 248 gr and I'm looking for a target velocity around 750 fps. The 7.3 gr unique load chronoed at 825 out of his firearm.

I'm not looking for specific loads but a source of load data that I don't have. None of my books offer any data on 231or HP-38 in that weight boolit in the mag case but I can find it in the special case.

Thanks in advance for any advice or source of data provided

[tazman]

You can use the data for the 44 special in the 44 mag case. Due to the extra volume of the 44 mag case, the velocities will be slightly slower but it should not create any safety issues with the powders you mentioned.

[Walks]

Try 5.2 - 5.5grs of WW231/HP-38 with a 240gr Bullet

From the HODGDON Cowboy Action Handout , Jan '03

[crankycalico]

ever consider a round ball? Don't think that a round ball pushed through a sizing die and pushed with starting data would be an issue.

Depending on his condition he might just be happier that way,,,,

[BNE]

I have made some really light loads with fast pistol powders for both .38s and the 44 mag.

I don’t have specific load data for the powders mentioned, but you can do the following:

Take your fastest powder and make samples with less and less powder. When shooting them, make sure you try them by pointing the gun down, then slowly raising it to level, then shoot. This tests what happens when the small powder charge is not up against the primer. I have measured over 100fps difference in the same load doing this!

Also make sure the bullet exits the barrel each time! This is critical!

And yes, you can get a bullet that does not exit the barrel. Take a brass rod and hammer to the range!

Once you find the “low” charge weight, I would add ~0.5 grains and use that as your lowest amount.

Probably will not find this type of load in a book as they want loads that work in every length barrel.

It takes a little work, but you will end up with a fun load that can be used for training and or the young and old.

BNE.

[tsubaki]

Speer #11

[tsubaki]

[tsubaki]

Hodgdon 2018 Annual Manual 44 magnum 8.275” barrel

[tsubaki]

44 Special 8” barrel

[44MAG#1]

Really glad your Grandpa is still wanting to shoot. Even 8.5 gr Unique in an L frame five shot Smith 44 Mag is pretty light. 8.0 gr would probably do in a revolver such as the one you mention.

Again I mean no hurt, harm, anguish or turmoil by my post I have posted on this posted subject. I am not baiting, trolling or calling out anyone. I am making a post based on my experience, knowledge and/or belief or opinion. That is all.

[Rich/WIS]

Checked my old Lyman 45th edition, lists a start load of 7.0 grs Unique at 819 out of a S&W M29. Has a Bullseye load of 4.0 and 6.0 grs, vel 646-858. Not sure how 231 compares to BE as to burn rate. These loads were with the 250 gr 429244 w/GC.

[Thumbcocker]

5.5 of bullseye or 6.0 of 231 were reccomend as learning loads by Mike Ventrino in an old article. I have shot many of them and they are pretty mild. 250 grain boolits. If you go with round balls deep seating is good to take up airspace. Well below the case mouth. Be careful with round balls on a hard backstop, they can bounce back a bit.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Not sure how 231 compares to BE as to burn rate.

231 is slower by a decent margin than BE.

[Outpost75]

For low recoil, low velocity loads in the .44 Magnum you can use .44 Special data, but you will get better results with bulkier powders which take up some of the excess free airspace in the case. I use 5.5 grains of Bullseye with a 230-grain bullet, but if you have Red Dot, Green Dot, WST, 452AA I would use those.

[dbosman]

Check this article out. http://castpics.net/dpl/index.php/re...und-ball-loads

[osteodoc08]

This sounds like a good excuse to buy a new 200gr RNFP cowboy mold and use some of the 231 you have.

[Zander]

44mag#1: It's all good, no offense was taken towards your comment. This is the man who taught me to shoot as a kid, every weekend we would go to the range together and blow through about 1k rounds of .357 Mag (loaded somewhere between. 38 spl and .357 mag spec's) several hundred 45 ACP as well as about 100 or so low level 44 mag ammo. It pains me to see him not able to enjoy his prized vaquero anymore nor even get to the range more then a couple times a year but he is stubborn and will not entirely give up something he loves.

It looks like I'm going to start with a 44 special load of unique and take it from there.

I have thought about a new mold but it will have to be a future investment as I don't see having enough time to get the mold, cast som boolits and get em loaded before Christmas.

[smkummer]

This sounds like a good excuse to buy a new 200gr RNFP cowboy mold and use some of the 231 you have.

I use this 200 grain bullet and bulky 700X for both 44 special and 44 mag. cowboy loads. I would use 231 over unique for reduced loads. When you reduce unique too much, your cases get sooty from not enough pressure to expand. With bullseye, 700X, red dot or 231, that doesn’t happen. If you get the 248 grain bullet down around to 750 FPS, that will be factory specs. for the mild 44 special load. If needed, you can drop that to as low as about 650 and still get consistent performance but you will need a fast powder. OR as suggested, the 200 grain bullet drops the recoil even further.

[44MAG#1]

I use this 200 grain bullet and bulky 700X for both 44 special and 44 mag. cowboy loads. I would use 231 over unique for reduced loads. When you reduce unique too much, your cases get sooty from not enough pressure to expand. With bullseye, 700X, red dot or 231, that doesn’t happen. If you get the 248 grain bullet down around to 750 FPS, that will be factory specs. for the mild 44 special load. If needed, you can drop that to as low as about 650 and still get consistent performance but you will need a fast powder. OR as suggested, the 200 grain bullet drops the recoil even further.

Dont let the sooty cases bother you. If you dont have a case cleaner get one. It seems sooty cases mess with many people. If any of mine get sooty I put them in the cases cleaner. Hey, guess what i do that anyway when i shoot as a matter of cleanliness of my cases.

Again I mean no hurt, harm, anguish or turmoil by my post I have posted on this posted subject. I am not baiting, trolling or calling out anyone. I am making a post based on my experience, knowledge and/or belief or opinion. That is all.

[JoeJames]

By my figuring 7 grains of Unique in a 44 magnum case is right about equal to 6.5 grains of Unique in a 44 Special case. Around 900 fps in my 4 1/2" Ruger Blackhawk 44 Special in a 44 Special. But this load is using a .431 Oregon Trail laser cast bullet. This was about 80 fps faster than the same load with a .430" Speer soft lead SWC.