S&W 629 target loads...

[ROCKET]

What powder/lead boolits would you recommend for mild target loads? I want the combo to be as accurate as possible...

[crabo]

H&G 503 with 12 grains of HS6

[ROCKET]

H&G 503 with 12 grains of HS6

Thanks. Need to use gas checks with the above? Where can I find the H&G 503 ?

[bobthenailer]

After many years of shooting perhaps 10 different 44 mags , for the past 30 years my go to bullet is a Saeco # 420 200 gr tc bullet. loaded @800 to 1300 fps for accurate loads from every handgun ive used them in. I have 3 other heaver 44 mag moulds but hardly use them.
My loads are loaded in 44 mag cases trimmed & loaded in brand lots , fed lp primer .
BE - bullseye ----------------------- TG - tightgroup
5.5 BE @800 fps
5.5 TG @ 800 fps

7.0 BE @950 fps
7.0 TG @950 fps

13.0 HS6 @1300 fps
I have sized bullets at .430 for all but 2 and those i had to size at .433 because chamber throats
were that size.

Also from my experince from a few cas ck moulds and a few handguns, a gas check is not needed for target loads without sacraficing any accuracy.

[ROCKET]

After many years of shooting perhaps 10 different 44 mags , for the past 30 years my go to bullet is a Saeco # 420 200 gr tc bullet. loaded @800 to 1300 fps for accurate loads from every handgun ive used them in. I have 3 other heaver 44 mag moulds but hardly use them.
My loads are loaded in 44 mag cases trimmed & loaded in brand lots , fed lp primer .
BE - bullseye ----------------------- TG - tightgroup
5.5 BE @800 fps
5.5 TG @ 800 fps

7.0 BE @950 fps
7.0 TG @950 fps

13.0 HS6 @1300 fps
I have sized bullets at .430 for all but 2 and those i had to size at .433 because chamber throats
were that size.

Also from my experince from a few cas ck moulds and a few handguns, a gas check is not needed for target loads without sacraficing any accuracy.

Great information. Any need to use a magnum primer or a lp would suffice? Also any need for tight crimps ? Thanks

[Shuz]

8.5g of Green Dot and Lyman's 429421 or RCBS 44-250K or H&G 503 (or a clone), Rem 2-1/2 primer,any .44 mag case. Velocity is in the 950 to 1050 fps range depending on bbl length.

[bobthenailer]

I use a fed 155 magnum with the 13.0 gr of HS6 load . with a med roll crimp.
And a taper crimp on the BE & TG loads but a light roll crimp can be used !
Im one of those guys that have 2 to 4 bullet seaters for almost every caliber handgun i load for and 2 To 3 different crimp dies for straight walled revolver cartages , taper , med crimp and heavy crimp , so my crimps are allways consistant with that given load. just another step in making consistantly accurate ammo.
As far as obtaining those dies? ive bought mostley used die sets pretty reasonable over the years .

[crabo]

Thanks. Need to use gas checks with the above? Where can I find the H&G 503 ?

That loads about 1200 fps. It is very nice. The H&G 503 that I use is a Mihec mold from some of the group buys. It is not a gas check mold. It is also available in 6 cavity aluminum, brass with hollowpoints, ect. Check the group buy section. Mihec may have some extras in stock.

Do a search, you'll find out a lot of people love it.

[rockrat]

Shot thousands of 7.5 WW 231/lyman 429421 thru my 29 Smith

[GUSTAVOAR]

Hello: Unique in the 7 / 7,5 Gr range with 240 lead bullets is a good load and usually prints very close to the full loads at 25 meters.

SALUDOS

[DragoonDrake]

I don't have a Smith, but out of 3 SBH and a SRH I have found that the lyman 429421 over 5 grs of Clays shoots very well and soft. I have no idea of the velocity.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Using H&G #503 or something similar weightwise/shapewise and 9 grains of IMR 4756 will get you one hole performance or close to it at 25 yards. It is not a hot rod load or anything near it. It is a soft recoiling target load that is accurate and won't wear you out. Burns clean and no leading. LLS

[MtGun44]

IME you never actually need GCs in any .44 pistol. They are bandaids for even the
magnum .44 loads. Pretty easy to drive ordinary air cooled wwts to full magnum
velocities with no leading and fine accuracy. Look left, the warthog was shot once
at 75 yds with an AC WWT RCBS 44-250-K over 20 gr of 2400, a high end mag load,
maybe just a hair under max. Complete passthru, of course, dead run for 20 yds
and dead as a hammer when we got to him.

I have enjoyed very much a load of about 4 grains of Clays with one of the Keiths
like the H&G 503, RCBS 44-250-K, Lym 429421, etc.. SUPER clean burning and
very light and a nice plinker at 10-15 yds just for fun.

Bill

[freedom475]

Unique is my go to powder for all my mag pistols from the 357 throught the 500 s&W... it is real accrurate and mild shooting.

I only use one boolit in my 44's, a 265 GC keith and use H110 for the hot stuff and Unique for most of my shooting. In my 4" 29 I drive my 265LymanGC with 9gr unique.

With a chronograph you can find the perfect load with a very low ES... and as you keep adding grains you will watch your chrono tell you that Unique is getting unhappy cause the fps will jump from 50fps per grain added to over 200fps with the next grain.

[MakeMineA10mm]

First off, you're asking good questions.

Second, you're getting fantastic answers. To re-cap/summarize:


For a "light-target" load, there's no need for magnum primers.
For this load, there's no need for a gas check.
For the level of load you're wanting, you want to stick with something in the 700-1000 fps load level.
For this load-level, you want a fast- to medium-burning-speed powder. (Green Dot, Unique, W231, and Clays are all perfect fits here.)
As far as boolits go, I'd stick with something medium to medium-light. For your desires, I'd look for a 210gr-250gr boolit. I've loaded "light" loads with a bullet as heavy as 275grs, but that's about the upper limit, as recoil starts going up with heavier boolits, even with lighter powder charges.


I wouldn't call crabo's HS-6 load a "light - target" load as you asked about. I'd call it a medium-load (heavier than a light load, but lighter than a full-power max load). But, one man's medium load is another man's light load, which is another way of saying that for someone who is not recoil-sensitive, that load probably feels "light."

The REALLY short answer to your question, though, is to just say: Load any 44 Special Load in your 44 Magnum brass, and PRESTO! You have a "light-target" load in the 44 Magnum.

Happy shooting. I've got three 44 Magnum revolvers and three 44 Magnum carbines, and I can't get enough of that round. They're accurate, powerful, and relatively easy to shoot. Nice choice!

[crabo]

First off, you're asking good questions.


I wouldn't call crabo's HS-6 load a "light - target" load as you asked about. I'd call it a medium-load (heavier than a light load, but lighter than a full-power max load). But, one man's medium load is another man's light load, which is another way of saying that for someone who is not recoil-sensitive, that load probably feels "light."



He's got a good point. I am shooting this load in a Performance Center pistol with a heavy 7 1/2 barrel with a red dot on top. In a 4" gun with iron sights, it would feel much different.

The distance you will be shooting at makes a lot of difference also. I know that with this load, I can consistently hit a 12" plate at 150 yards sitting down in a chair. In my 357 I shoot a Lee 125 rnfp with 3.5 of Bullseye, in a special case, that is very accurate at 25 yards. Once I get past that, it falls apart.

What will work well up close, may fall apart at longer distances... or maybe not.