Snub Nose 44 Spec Loads

[Ewald]

I don't know if the place to ask, but I'll give it a go. I have a Taurus steel frame snub nose I picked up used. The origional owner bought it new about 12 years ago. The gun is in good condition.

I have read that you shouldn't use bullets bigger than 200 grains in these guns due to their smaller stature. I assume this refers to factory loads. How do I find out what maximum pressure is safe to use in this gun for hand loads?

For example, Winchester lists their factory loaded 200 grain Silver Tips in 44 Spec as having a muzzle velocity of 900 fps resulting in a muzzle energy of 360 foot pounds.

If I load a 240 grain LWSC to about 800 fps, the resulting muzzle energy should be a litter under the Silver Tip's. Is this safe, or is my logic flawed?

Furthermore published load data usually uses bigger guns for test platforms. Even if I stuck to 200 grain bullets, would it still be possible to reach unsafe pressures for this gun even if I stay under the max load data?

Ideally I'd like to load 200 grain HPs for whatever, and 240 grain LWSCs for plinking and different whatevers. What say yea?

[EDK]

Short barrels and fixed sights can drive you to drinkin'. Find ONE boolit weight and stick with it...probably one powder charge also. Your FACTORY SILVERTIP 44s are a pretty decent load...it's been around for a lot of years.

I shoot a couple...OK, a bunch!...of 44 magnum Original Size RUGER VAQUEROS and BISLEY VAQUEROS. Most of them 5.5 inch guns and hit close enough to point of aim/point of impact that I haven't had to alter the sights. My last two guns are a 7.5 that someone filed the front sight on...it shoots 4 to 6 inches HIGH with my loads of 240 to 270 grain boolits. SOLUTION: I dusted off a couple of moulds in the 215 to 200 grain range and it's close enough for government work.

The other gun is the other extreme. Some one cut another 44 magnum VAQUERO to 3.5 inches...d*** thing shoots about 9 inches LOW with the 240+ grain boolits..don't even think about the 200 grainers! My heaviest "using mould" is a 429640 solid that goes 280+ and it's barely on the bottom of the target. SOLUTION: Get out a file OR trip to gunsmith and his milling machine OR a 5.5 or 7.5 inch replacement barrel.

I have the moulds you need, but you'll have to find your own. A 200 grain full wadcutter for target and square edged holes in anything you shoot. A 200 grain round nose flat point for use in speed loaders. The meplat does the damage, so you don't need a semi wadcutter AND the RNFP slides into the chamber a lot more smoothly.

PS I had a S&W 696 for about 10 years...and 500 rounds or less. It now lives in the Carolinas with someone who loves it dearly.

:redneck::cbpour::2gunsfiring_v1:

[Lloyd Smale]

I think the 200 grain advice is more to do with heavier bullets jumping crimp in a light gun then hurting the gun.

[Bret4207]

I shoot 429421s that weight about 250 grs in my Charter BD. Never had a problem.

[Larry Gibson]

A Speer LSWC swaged bullet over 7.5 gr Unique and HP'd with a Forster 1/8" HP tool gave good performance in the CA Bulldog I had. Most often used a Lee TL 240 gr cast sot over 5 gr Bullseye for a standard 44 SPL load.

Larry Gibson


The factory Federal SWCHP 225gr lead is an excellent load BTW.

[Ewald]

Thanks for the replies. I did a little more research, including calling Taurus. Yes, I'm a geek. The lady at Taurus was able to run the serial number and give me the model #445. Other than that I got the company line of only using major manufacture ammunition.

The warnings about bullet weight seem to refer to lightweight revolvers made of titanium or other high tech alloys. Personally I'm not sure why anyone would want to shoot a lightweight big bore snubby, but to each his own. The only 44 snubnose listed in the current Taurus Revolver manual is model 445UL. UL for Ultralight. The factory specs list it weighing in at 21.7 oz. Mine is a steel frame. I weighed it on the food scale and it came in at 29.5 ounces.

Midframe 44s seem to fall into the 32-34 oz category. Other research supports Llyod's comment about crimp jump. I'm going with it. I think I'll be fine as long as I stay within published data. I will step up some loads with 240grn to test this weekend. I'll take some calipers with me and check for crimp jump. I will report back if the weather holds.

Eventually I will get a couple 200 grain molds as EDK suggested. Right now I'm concentrating on 240. A buddy casts them for me and that is the mold he has. I'm hoping I can talk him into teaching me some more casting secretes.

Honestly with this gun I am more concerned about four legged beasties that might try to eat me. An easy to carry, simple, stupid gun that throws a big bullet with large metplat is what I'm looking for. Yes I know for that I ideally need a larger gun. Then again, if I was really concerned about it, I'd carry a long gun in the woods. This is the project of the moment.

Thanks for your replies. Keep them coming. I am honored that the famous Lloyd Small replied to my first post on Cast Boolits.

[foxtrotter]

Speer Reloading manual #14 Has loads for some calibers in both a long and short bbl. Their data seems to say that the powder of choice in a short bbl is Unique....

[Frank V]

I think one of the reasons might be there is a growing trend to sight in the .44 Special for 200 grain bullets at the factory.
Even the newer S&W mod. 21 Thunder Ranch Special is zeroed for the 200gr Bullet.
I too have used the 240 jacketed SP & the Lyman 429421 with satisfaction in a Bulldog. The Bulldog isn't meant for heavy loads & works quite well with factory 200 gr ammo. I kind of like the Speer 200gr Gold Dot, & the Winchester 200gr Silvertip.
Frank

[blue45colt]

Glen Fryxell talks about the use of lighter weight, (180/220 gr.), bullets in the smaller framed .44 Specials...may be of interest.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell44SpecialRevisited.htm
http://www.lasc.us/FryxellExperiments44Special.htm