44 mag loads?

[FromTheWoods]

Do any of you have a good load for 200 grain Oregon Trail Laser-Cast for 44 mag?

The powder I have here at home:
Titegroup
H4227
HS-6
AA-7
AA-1680

[rmb721]

I use IMR-4227 in my .44 mag loads with cast bullets. Try the H-4227 first.

[Scrounger]

From the powders you have, I'd try AA7. Should be loads for it in their loading manual or their website. The burning rate is very near Blue Dot, so you could find loads for that powder.

[danski26]

Lyman 47th list #429303 wich looks like a PB 200Gr TC. The only powder that they list in your collection is HS-6.

HS-6 #429303 200gr
Starting 14.2gr 1020 fps 22,000 C.U.P.
Max 17.3 1295fps 36,900 C.U.P.

Check it out for yourself before trying it. Page 414 of lyman 47th.

[FromTheWoods]

Thank you, Fellows.

We loaded tomorrow's rounds with HS-6 14.2 grains.

I would like to know more about using Titegroup for this gun. It is a great performer in my .38-40/10mm loads.

For the AA7, the data I have found lists a 215 grain slug as their lightest one. Starting load=16.5 grains. Maximum=18.3. It appears that a load of 17 grains might be a safe place to begin for the 200 grain bullet?????

Should I have bought the 240 grain slugs instead of the 200s?

[44man]

I never found light boolits accurate in the .44. The Ruger's shoot best from 240 to 330 gr's. If this is for a S&W, the best stability and accuracy starts at 250 gr's with 265 gr's very good. Although the 240 gr bullets shoot very good from the Smith, you can see them corkscrew around the flight path through a spotting scope when shooting long range. That gives a different point of impact at different ranges even though very accurate at each range. It goes away when a heavier bullet is used.
I don't like any of the powders you have in the .44. Unique, HS-7, 2400, 296 and H110 would all serve you better.
If you work at it, you can get some good accuracy from that boolit though.

[danski26]

I would agree that the 200's are on the light side for the mag. I played around with down to 180's but soon abandoned it. I stick with 240 and over. It seems i have had the best accuracy with 250 kieths.

[FromTheWoods]

It is a S&W 629.

We have 500! of the 200 grains. --I mentioned to my son when we looked at them, that I'd surely like to buy a smaller test batch--Oh well.

He can have a great time blazing through these, then we'll move to the heavier slugs.

[bobthenailer]

i have a saeco # 420 - 200 gr tc bullet ive been useing for years in varoius 44 mags and 5.5 of BE for about 750 fps 7.0 to 8.0 of bullesey and 7.0 to 8.0 of tight group for about 950/1000 fps and 13.0 of hs6 for 1150 fps shoot well in my guns . bob

[Bass Ackward]

It is a S&W 629.

We have 500! of the 200 grains. --I mentioned to my son when we looked at them, that I'd surely like to buy a smaller test batch--Oh well.

He can have a great time blazing through these, then we'll move to the heavier slugs.


Woodsie,

The biggest problem that people have with light for caliber bullets is getting the volume of that case filled up to get good ignition. You have a short baring area, so it is hard to get enough neck tension to help with ignition. So they tend to have to run them right on the top to get accuracy. Or to seat very deeply like a wadcutter. One trick, is to use a felt wad for black powder and let the bullet seat them to take up some space.

Try 14 grains of AA7 but seat the bullet down deep to where you can crimp over the olgive. That's about 1050 fps @ 20k psi if you don't want to run wide open.