RotoMetals2Lee PrecisionRepackboxWideners
Load DataTitan ReloadingReloading EverythingInline Fabrication
MidSouth Shooters Supply
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 58

Thread: Mid-level .44 mag powder?

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    27

    Mid-level .44 mag powder?

    Well since whatever problems I may have with leading may be the result from a relatively fast powder (AA#5), I am in search of a mid-level powder for my .44 magnum.

    My goal is 1,100FPS (What I am currently getting now with 11.6 grains of AA#5) since it has good power and yet easy-shooting enough from a wood-stocked redhawk to make shooting pleasant for long periods.

    The upper end magnum powders, 2400, 4227, H110 and AA#9 all run a bit faster than I want, and get dirty (or unsafe) if downloaded to the levels I want.

    Likewise, the pop-load powders, bullseye, Unique,etc. don't quite go high enough, 900-950FPS or so.

    What has anyone had good luck in that power range? By looking at load tables AA#7 looks promising, along with Bluedot and HS7, the latter two of which are almost as hard to find as 2400.

    Any help would be appreciated I'm buying a few 1 pounders to try stuff out, but I've found a few loads I like and am planning on purchasing a few 8 pounders so I can sit back and get some savings, along with ease of not running out of powder.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    4,946
    Grant, I can easily achieve 1,100fps with either Unique or Blue Dot with either Lyman #429421 or the RCBS version of it in my SBH, but it has a 10.5" bbl. No signs of excess pressure with either powder, btw.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    over the hill, out in the woods and far away
    Posts
    10,158
    Side-by-Side comparisons fired same day with .44 Magnum “Medium Velocity” loads with Bullseye Powder
    fired in two Vaqueros using the same .44 Magnum cylinder, 20" Marlin 1894S for comparison:

    Ammunition all assembled in Remington New Factory Primed brass with Remington 2-1/2 primers.

    Load Description_________Ruger 5-1/2"______Ruger 7-1/2"____Marlin 20”__Remarks

    -----------------------------------Cyl.Gap 0.008"---------Cyl.Gap 0.008"------Solid barrel


    43-230G 1:30Sn/Pb 7.2BE_____978, 18Sd__________1044, 21Sd_______1178, 7Sd___1.59” OAL crimped top groove
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master


    nagantguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    MI
    Posts
    2,704
    Outpost75 that is a very real apples to apples spot on piece of research there thank.you for sharing that, direct to the heart of the question!

  5. #5
    Vendor Sponsor

    DougGuy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    just above Raleigh North Carolina
    Posts
    7,395
    I use 2400 and LilGun for slightly more than mid level but less than full magnum loads. Either of these powders is not as finicky when download as say W296/H110. The Lee C430-310-RF runs right at 1200fps with 17.0gr H2400, I could safely go to 16.0gr which would drop velocity to subsonic. However at 16.0gr H2400, velocity slows enough that there isn't enough spin on the big RF boolit and groups opened considerably.

    You must also consider the boolit itself, heavier wide meplat boolits may not gather enough spin from a 1:20 twist barrel to stabilize below 1150 ~ 1200 fps. It's very likely that a Keith type LSWC would be more accurate at 1000fps.

    I personally will not use Unique for hot loads in a large straight walled case because it can be spiky and unpredictable even though there are published loads that exceed 10.0gr. You may never have an issue and then for no good reason you have an over pressure event.

    What boolit weight are you using? This alone makes a big difference. There are a lot of good mid range loads up to 10.0gr Unique, but most posts I have read about this subject say that 9.5gr Unique and a Keith boolit makes a decent load. There is also Herco which is similar to Unique in burn rate but it will get another 100fps with about the same pressure as 1 grain less than Unique. Usually you can substitute 1gr more Herco in the same load data for Unique and be okay.

    Another thread with basically the same questions as you are asking here:

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...4-Magnum-loads
    Last edited by DougGuy; 01-22-2016 at 01:58 PM.
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    over the hill, out in the woods and far away
    Posts
    10,158
    Quote Originally Posted by nagantguy View Post
    Outpost75 that is a very real apples to apples spot on piece of research there thank.you for sharing that, direct to the heart of the question!
    I probably shoot 100 of the "medium velocity" Bullseye loads for each "full charge" in the .44s. Something about getting almost 1000 rounds from a pound of powder appeals to my Scots blood.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
    bangerjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    out of here, wandering somewhere in the SW.
    Posts
    10,163
    I use any standard medium fast pistol powder from the charts, depending on load data I have in the books I own. You do own load data books, right?

    I have and excellent luck with ETR7 and Titegroup in 44mags for medium loads. Again, rely on the published books, not a forum, for exact load weights.

    I use H110 for full house 44mag loads.

    Good luck.

    bangerjim

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy

    wcp4570's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Central Texas
    Posts
    498
    Quote Originally Posted by Maven View Post
    Grant, I can easily achieve 1,100fps with either Unique or Blue Dot with either Lyman #429421 or the RCBS version of it in my SBH, but it has a 10.5" bbl. No signs of excess pressure with either powder, btw.
    I totally agree with Maven. My standard load for the 44mag using 429421 is 10.0 gr. Unique, get around 1000fps with no sign of high pressure.

    wcp
    Last edited by wcp4570; 01-22-2016 at 11:19 PM.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    5,283
    Herco

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    boatswainsmate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    530
    I like the 12.0 Gr of HS-6 with a Keith bullet in my 5 inch Smith & Wesson 629.
    http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt44mag.htm

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy .429's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    317
    I like 10.0gr of Unique with a 247gr gc boolit. I shoot lots of em in pistol and rifle both.

  12. #12
    Moderator Emeritus


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    SW Montana
    Posts
    12,450
    6.5 gr Red Dot and a 250 Keith bullet will kiss 1000 fps. Cheap easy and accurate.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  13. #13
    Boolit Master waco's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Springfield, Oregon
    Posts
    3,186
    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    6.5 gr Red Dot and a 250 Keith bullet will kiss 1000 fps. Cheap easy and accurate.
    I can't find Redot or Promo around here to save my life......down to one pound.
    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    Proverbs 1:7

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    1,152
    Hi...


    I vote for 10.0grs of Unique with a 250-255gr LSWC.

    I shoot that load in several .44mag revolvers. Adequately powerful, without the heavy recoil of full-power loads using H110/W296.

    Accuracy is very good in my S&W29 Classic w/8-3/8" barrel, Dan Wesson w/6" barrel, Virginian Dragoon w/8-3/8" barrel and a Ruger SBH w/8-3/8" barrel.

    The S&W shoots that Unique load pretty much exclusively, while the other three .44mag revolvers are mostly shot with full-power loads.

    I probably shoot a thousand Unique 10.0gr loads for every hundred full-power loads in .44Mag. That ratio probably holds true for .41Mag and .357Mag loads as well. In fact, I probably shoot 5000 mid-level loads in .357Mag for every hundred full-power loads.

    I generally start each shooting season out with a few range days of nothing but mid-level loads in the magnum handguns, just to re-acquaint myself with the revolvers. By the third or fourth range trip, I am ready to shoot a couple hundred full-power loads in .357Mag and then step up to the bigger magnums at full-power the next trip to the range.

    I have six .357Mag handguns, 4 .44Mags and two .41Magnums and I like to shoot about 50 full-power loads through each one to feel comfortable with them, so that is quite a few full-power magnum handgun loads every spring on top of all the mid-level loads in those handguns/calibers. By the mid-April mark (depending on weather and work), I am ready to shoot at least 50 rounds of full-power loads through each magnum handgun I take to the range on any given trip.
    Some trips I take all .357s, some trips I take a mix of calibers and guns. I always start a given magnum caliber with mid-level loads on any given range session and then break out the full-power loads and the shooting glove. I find I shoot a lot better if I acclimate myself to the magnum calibers by shooting mid-level loads first.
    I do the same thing when I shoot full-power loads out of my stainless SBH in .45Colt, as well.

    Add in my various .38Spl, .44Spl and .45Colt handguns and I get an awful large number of rounds downrange through my revolvers every spring/summer. That doesn't include the various autoloaders in 9mm, 40S&W and .45ACP and a M1917 .45AutoRim.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Bluegrass State
    Posts
    655
    HS 7 is discontinued. Try HS 6. It shoots great in my 44spl which is not too far from what you're looking for.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

    jonp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    8,281
    Quote Originally Posted by waco View Post
    I can't find Redot or Promo around here to save my life......down to one pound.
    Thats because I have 6 8lb kegs of Promo in my closet
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy Nocturnal Stumblebutt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bloomington, IN
    Posts
    466
    Don't over look 7.0 grains of green dot under a 240ish grain bullet. It is my go to load for 429421 and 429452. Accurate, pleasant, and still quite powerful
    "RCBS, Pacific, Lyman and many others furnish excellent dies and tools, but you must furnish the gray matter to produce perfect hand loads."

    -Elmer Keith, Guns & Ammo, January 1982

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

    jonp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    8,281
    It has been some time since I sold my SBH with a Nikon Scope but I always used Unique to get me where I wanted to go.
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

  19. #19
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    27
    Okay guys, some interesting info. I was told in another threat that AA#5 was probably too-fast burning and melting my lead bullet's base (240 grain)

    Unique seems a common choice, and it's burn rate is actually faster than AA#5, so I'm thinking that AA#5 shouldn't be a problem at all.


    As for a couple of people who asked: Yes, I've looked at load manuals, however their starting loads for 240 grainers run faster than what I'm wanting as my top load, and their "light loads" are slower than what I wanted.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy

    nvreloader's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Western NV
    Posts
    194
    Grant S

    Check out the post, "A different type of powder chart"
    you can find out the info on powder temp, burn rate from the chart etc,
    of all the powders you might want to choose from.

    HTH,

    Tia,
    Don




    Quote Originally Posted by GrantS View Post
    Okay guys, some interesting info. I was told in another threat that AA#5 was probably too-fast burning and melting my lead bullet's base (240 grain)

    Unique seems a common choice, and it's burn rate is actually faster than AA#5, so I'm thinking that AA#5 shouldn't be a problem at all.


    As for a couple of people who asked: Yes, I've looked at load manuals, however their starting loads for 240 grainers run faster than what I'm wanting as my top load, and their "light loads" are slower than what I wanted.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check