44 mag, 240 flat base, 9 grains Bullseye to hot?

[clearwater]

Just loaded 50 rounds with bullseye using starting data from Lee manual.

Now I see all other data is much less - 6 or 7 grains max for 240 grain cast.

Is this an okay load, or should I pull them and go with a lighter charge?

[KYCaster]

Weeellllllllllllll...The Alliant site says 6 gr. (max load?) for 894 fps. I have an old (1990) Herculese book that shows a substantially heavier charge of BE for 1175 fps.

Wonder why the difference?

FWIW...I use the faster powders for lighter 44Spl loads and use slower powders for Mag loads. Seems to work much better that way. For instance you can get the same velocities with Unique or Herco at much lower pressure and with much less felt recoil.

Jerry

[vanilla_gorilla]

I load no hotter than about 7 grains. I think I was seeing flattened Federal Primers at 8 grains, IIRC. That's with a ~260 grain boolit, though.

[Rocky Raab]

When one manual shows a significantly higher load than all others, FIRST suspect a typo and ignore that high load.

When new data and old data differ greatly, FIRST suspect that the old loads were incorrectly pressure tested - IF they were tested. Today's pressure testing is many times better than the old methods, and many old loads have been shown to be dangerous.

Nine grains of Bullseye seems VERY hot to me. I wouldn't risk it. Nor would I have loaded 50 rounds of something before testing.

[clearwater]

I note a similar pattern with loads of Unique.

Alliant says max 7 grains, Lyman starting load 10 grains.

And yet in another thread everyone says up to 10 or 11 grains is fine in their
guns.

[Franklin Zeman]

Lyman's cast bullet handbook does not even list a load with Bull. I use 3 1/2 grains with the 429348 light weight for the ONLY load with that powder in that caliber.

[Blammer]

Here is what I would do.

take the same components as the 50 loaded rounds, and load 3 rnds with 6gr's BE, then 3 rnds with 7gr, then 3 rnds with 8gr.

shoot them from lightest charge up, examining each shell carefully and noting recoil, ejection, look of primers and brass. If they start to look bad, stop and that will tell you you'll have to take apart that 50rnds. If you do get up to the 8gr charge, try 3 of the 9gr charge and look at them.

Setting the brass next to each other is a very good way to compare them.

Let us know what you do.

Darrell

[sniper58]

I'm using 7.2 grains of BE behind a 240 gr. SWC in a Marlin 1894 carbine.
Chronographs at 1225 fps average and no outward signs of excess pressure. I worked up to this load slowly, starting at 4.5 grains. I stopped at 7.2 because it put me on the center of the target at 50 yds and scope was set up for jacketed bullets @ 100 yds.
Using Winchester brass and CCI primers.

[felix]

Lyman typically uses a fixed lead type and their loads are supposedly made up using that type. Air cooled WW is softer; heat treated WW is harder and would be OK at the heavier BE loadings. ... felix

[Outpost75]

I've shot alot of Saeco #441 (260-grain Keith) with 7.5 grains of Bullseye, which gives 1000 fps from my 5-1/2" Ruger and 1200 fps from the H&R Handi Rifle. It is accurate and satisfactory, but should NOT be exceeded. A charge of 8 grains of Bullseye with the Remington 240-gr. SJHP gives 1025 fps. from the revolver and 1225 fps from the H&R, is accurate, but is also a full charge load with Bullseye in the. 44 Magnum, which should not beexceeded.

[bobthenailer]

Ive shot thousands of cast bullets 44 mag reduced loads with 7.0 gr of Bullseye and currently with Tightgroup powder @ 950 fps with excellent accuracy from at least 10, 44 mag handguns.
In the 454 casull, Tightgroup is my go to powder for reduced loads in the 1,000 to 1,100 fps range with cast bullets, my usual loads are between 8 to 9 grs of TG, shot from 3 handguns ,accuracy is excellent.

[ValorsMinion]

My second edition Lee manual starts at 5.3gr and maxes out at 6.0gr bullseye for a 240 gr lead bullet. Hornady's 9th maxes out at 7.1 gr. I would load up a ladder like Blammer suggested.