Loads for Taurus Judge

[wendyj]

I had been loading for my Super Blackhawk and Henry rifle in 45 colt. Got an NOE mold that casts out about 260 grains with my alloy. I’m not shooting either gun as I’ve traded them off. My Father in Law owns the Taurus Judge and has been shooting cheap plinking ammo through it. He’s 81 but loves the indoor range but can’t afford the colt bullets. I had good luck with a magnum primer and HS6 and also standard primer with 8.5 grains of Unique for plinking loads. I cast up a few hundred for him Sunday using air cooled clip on ww lead. Don’t want to hurt his hands but also don’t want a squib on him either. He doesn’t want me to slug his bore so I sized these from .454 to .452. Leading is on him and really don’t like to load for anyone else but would like for him to enjoy his range time. According to him he’s shooting at 7 yards indoors. I used some 45-45-10 lube on some and lubed some with carnuba blue. I don’t know a thing about the Judge other than it shoots 410 shotgun shells and 45 colt. He’s claiming that he’s getting decent accuracy with Magtec 200 grain cowboy loads and a little better with American Eagle 225 grain sp. 260 grain is best I can do for him. Anyone got any experience reloading for the Judge.

[stinjie]

Hello wendyj, the Judge is a handful of fun to shoot,but a challenge to keep leading the shallow rifling.The best defense I've found so far a double coat of BLL then lube with Bens Red.After 1st coat of BLL dries,they get run thru lee 452 sizer,another coat of BLL then thru a lyman 450 sizer to lube with bens red .I use a 454 die in the lyman lube/sizer to keep from rubbing off the BLL lube.

[jcren]

I load for a friends judge. Basically keep it a bit mild, mostly 45acp class 200 grains with unique and red dot. Have loaded several 255 lee rf's with unique and blue dot but i don't pust it after seeing so many pics of blown cylinders. I did slug his and it slugged .451 on the nose so I just kept with my powder coated .452 slugs.

Sorry, but i lost my load notes when my last phone crashed, but started at medium 45 acp loads.

[crankycalico]

The Judge is nothing more then a stretched out 38 special j frame. When they put 45 colt on the barrel, they meant "45 colt just like the colt peace maker back in 1875"

[crankycalico]

and that's why I think you see photos of blown out judge cylinders, people loading it like it was a ruger.

[wendyj]

I’ve no intentions of loading it hot at all. As stated he’s 81 and can barely hold his guns up to shoot. I won’t blow him up but a squib is biggest concern. I think I’ll stick with the 8-8.5 grains of Unique.

[Dusty Bannister]

You may not consider 8.5 grains of Unique hot, but the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th edition and the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1 say it is at or above max loads for a 255 grain bullet.

[dondiego]

I’ve no intentions of loading it hot at all. As stated he’s 81 and can barely hold his guns up to shoot. I won’t blow him up but a squib is biggest concern. I think I’ll stick with the 8-8.5 grains of Unique.

That's a great load!

[Texas by God]

Try 6 hrs Unique. I used that charge under 240gr swc in the 44-40. Mild and accurate. I hope it works in your Judge. Your bullets should be hard enough for the shallow rifling.

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[spfd1903]

I have the 3" barrel model. Tried both Lee 452-200 and 452-255 boolits with HP 38 and True Blue giving the smallest groups at 10 yards, only for the 200 grain. Of all the 410 handgun ammo, the Hornady round with a .41 caliber FTX bullet and a hand full of BB,s put the bullet an inch below the bullseye at 25 yards for five rounds anyway. Thought the first one was a fluke.