44 mag and h110 question

[Tripplebeards]

No the lee factory crimp “collet” die is designed not to squish your boolits.

[Bo3]

I can't get the picture to upload. My oal is 1.711

[Bo3]

All I'm wanting is to push it fast enough to hit a pig running away and reach the vitals. I scare a few up walking fences. Figured 1000fps would do anything more is a bonus. H110 would get me there 800x is just under.

[megasupermagnum]

All I'm wanting is to push it fast enough to hit a pig running away and reach the vitals. I scare a few up walking fences. Figured 1000fps would do anything more is a bonus. H110 would get me there 800x is just under.

I'd give bluedot a good consideration then. It will make 1000 fps with most barrel lengths, although I've never tried through an 3.75" barrel. Bluedot performs at it's best with heavy bullets like this, and often produces the best groups. There is load data in either the Lyman or Lee manuals, possibly both.

As for H110, you are in the ballpark. Using the Lee 310 grain in the second crimp groove, I believe max was 22.5 or 23 grains. If yours are seated deeper, I seem to recall around 20.5 grains max. H110 generally burns reasonably clean, none of the magnum powders are ever spotless. A kernel or three of unburned powder is nothing to worry about. Soot is normal. That's H110, it barks and shoots fire.

Bluedot is a little better. It's still a magnum powder, and still has more soot than many target powders. It usually has far less flash and blast than H110, but in your short barrel I'm guessing they all bark.


I'll go with the others, and say that if you want to try to better your loads, try a heavier crimp, and more importantly make sure you have a good strong neck tension. You don't want brass sizing your bullets, but you don't want to be able to push your bullets in easily either. It's worth loading a cylinder, shooting 5, and making sure the 6th isn't pulling out of the case too.

[Bo3]

I didn't know that was normal. I was under the impression that once you got to pressure it would clean up. I was under the impression that it meant something was wrong with the load. 21 gr. felt good. Ill revisit it.

[bmortell]

honestly I cant remember how much stuff H110 leaves in the barrel, but some powders are definitely just like that, like when I use imr4227 even with max loads heavy crimp and rifle barrel the bore still looks like I poured powder down it, but everything is working fine so I just ignore it

[Tripplebeards]

My barrel stays pretty darn clean with my cast loads and H110.

[bluejay75]

At your barrel length there are much better powders in both economy and efficiency. HS6, AA9 or 2400 would perform better.

[megasupermagnum]

honestly I cant remember how much stuff H110 leaves in the barrel, but some powders are definitely just like that, like when I use imr4227 even with max loads heavy crimp and rifle barrel the bore still looks like I poured powder down it, but everything is working fine so I just ignore it

4227 definitely leaves unburned powder, and this is normal. H110 is usually not too bad for unburned powder, but they all leave soot.

[cowboy4evr]

My recipe for using H-110 / W296 is simple . I fill the case till the powder charge just touches the base of the bullet or very slightly compressed . This has always given me best performance and consistency . I repeat , that is " MY Recipe " that an " old sage " yrs ago told me . I"m not saying that this is what you all should use , it's just my recipe that varies with each different bullet design , no matter if using the same caliber revolver . Regards, Paul

[osteodoc08]

You need a heavy crimp and longer barrel. The 296/H110 will be nowhere close to having burnt completely in such a short barrel. I bet at night there’s is a heck of a fireball. Check your cylinder gap as well. If excessive, can cause some of this.

I would change to a fast powder personally. AA#9 specifically

[DHDeal]

I have a kind of love affair with HS6 in 357M, 44M, and 45 Colt. When you get it up to pressure, it's clean and accurate. I can't see where it won't work great for your application. It lives perfectly as my medium level accuracy powder though I use more H110 as a rule.

H110 is another cat for sure. I've always found it clean when it's pushed, but you'll pay for it in a short barrel. As long as you're close enough, you could always set fire to what you're shooting with a stout load of H110 and that 3.75" SBH.

I've never felt the need to branch out much from 3 powders in all of my revolvers. Universal for low power, HS6 for mediums, and H110 for the pedal to the metal. I've got 5 pounds +/- of 4227, but the dirt drives me crazy and my Freedom Arms 83's don't like anything else in the chambers.

[Alcast]

I'm trying to work up a load with h110 and a 300 gr Missouri bullet. I have worked up to 22 grains with a cci magnum primer. I'm still getting unburned powder and sooting on the case. Any suggestions? Am I too hot or not hot enough? It's in a 3.75" Ruger bisly.

Your load is a little hot IMHO.I use 22.3 of same powder but with only a 265gr.My barrels don't have any unburned powder in it.During wintertime,the primers look ok and extraction is easy.But in the summertime when temp reaches the higher '80s,primers start to flatten and extraction gets a little sticky;and this in 3 different guns.
My thinking is since H110/W296 is slow burning and needs some resistance to burn cleanly,your short barrel won't provide for enough barrel time to burn completely the powder.But I might be wrong here since my 44s all have long snouts(6'',7 1/2 and 8 3/8'').

[knifemaker]

The Hodgdon reloading data web site shows a min of 296 or H110 at 18gr, for a 300 gr. Hornady XTP jacketed bullet. Max is 19 gr. What I did notice is the the difference from min to max load was only 1gr. and that 1gr. increased the pressure over 3,000 CUP to 38,000 CUP, which is a big jump in pressure for just one grain of powder. You may want to double check your load data information if you are up around 22 gr. with your cast lead bullet just to be sure you are at a safe load to prevent excessive wear and tear on your Ruger revolver.

[Three44s]

I inside debur all my flash holes for better burns.

By my recollection I was topping out at 21.2 gr of H110 seating to the rear most crimp groove wth the Lee 310 gr. GC but this was loading for a Redhawk and Super Redhawk.

A Super Black Hawk can not be run this hard safely IMO.

Three44s

[bmortell]

just depends where you look.

lyman book shows 19.5 as max for 310gr at 38k CUP.
hodgdon website shows 22.0 max for 325gr at 38k CUP.
with my particular 300gr and 2 rugers I can do 24 with fine pressure, much less pressure signs than approaching keith loads some still recommend.
300gr xtp data is loaded to 1.6" so that's only 19gr

working up yourself is the only way to find your max load

[RJM52]

I don't load .44s much any more but in the .41 Magnum with 300 grain bullets from a Mountain Mold I'm using 19.0 grains of H110. With a 300 grain SSK-TC 18.0.

Best formula I've found for H110, and may sound crazy, is measure from the crimping groove to the base of the bullet and put enough powder in the case so that the bullet base rests right on top of the powder so there is no airspace and just a tiny bit of compression... My loads when using either Winchester LP primers made for Standard or Magnum loads or Federal or CCI LP Magnum primers shoot 99% clean with very little velocity variation and zero pressure signs.

A 255 grain Cast Performance .41 bullet will take 22.0 grains. The same companies 250 grain bullet will only take 20.0 grains because there is more bullet in the case than with the 255. So each bullet sets it's own charge weight not only by the weight of the bullet but by the design...

As to the crimp shown, I would increase it and drop it into the crimping groove some more...

All my magnum rounds are crimped with a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die...have had no problems with accuracy at all...

Bob

ps...after posting this I see that cowboy4evr basically said the same thing...so there are at least two crazies out here...

[bmortell]

I noticed the same thing using H110 based on just powder level to the base of the bullet. my 24gr with 43-300R actually has a little bit of air space left, you can hear it shake up to your ear if the room is quite. I just didn't want to mention that method cause I imagine its not the best advice, or only good in certain circumstances.

but how much boolit is in the case is a huge factor for handgun rounds, saying 300gr by itself isn't worth much, or even with OAL included and 300gr, different boolits will still have different amounts in the case.

but when I was working up loads for my 300gr in a 9.5inch SRH I tried 2400, H110 and imr4227.
2400 i got to 1450fps but with some pressure signs
4227 I think I got to compressed loads before I got the same speed, but performance was definitely lower
H110 I got to 1450fps and didn't see any pressure signs so I was happy there, output is identical to buffalo bore 305gr cast standard pressure.
but for my lever action I use 20.5gr for 1520fps because I don't think deer will walk of a 300gr at that speed so I keep the pressure "relatively" lower

[JT78]

I load my 300 powder coated mbc hammers at 20 gr h110 and a coal of 1.650 and a medium crimp. It is not near the crimp groove but will shoot one hole groups at 25 yards with my Ruger super Blackhawk Hunter 7.5 barrel. I did load hotter as I wasn't above pressure at 20gr but it started leading at about 22gr so I backed it down to 20 where it was most accurate. Hope this helps. Also should note I use cci350 magnum pistol primers with this load to get a better burn of the powder.

[Airman Basic]

^^ It *must* be consistent, it has to have case neck tension, and it has to have resistance against primer jump. Do those 3 things and H110 will behave nicely.

Agree with the neck tension comment. Not mentioned enough in my estimation. Elmer stressed this. He wrote that a slight bulge at the base of the bullet was a good thing. Too much crimp can actually LESSEN neck tension, a bad thing. Crimp is no substitute for neck tension. Reducing diameter of the neck expander die may be necessary. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. Remember, reloading is fun.
BTW, I usually shoot these loads in this SBH. The screws sometimes loosen, but not the bullet!