falootin
02-26-2013, 04:53 PM
Hello my friends. I've been using this site as a guest for several years now. Figured it was time to register and say hello. Some background on me... I've been handloading for quite a few years. The handguns I load for are: .38 special, .357 mag, .44 special, .44 mag and .40 S&W.
With that out of the way, I have a handful of questions.
I have several bullets a friend of mine cast for me... I need a little direction working up some loads for .44 mag and special using appropriate powders. The ultimate goal being to avoid leading the barrel as much as possible.
What I have:
"air cooled soft" 275 grain 0.429" mold # NEI - 256
"water dropped hard" 275 gr 0.429" (0.32" as cast") mold # NEI - 256
"water dropped hard" 255 gr #429421 0.431"
I've loaded a bunch of the air cooled soft over Blue Dot in .44 mag cases with excellent results. I've also loaded a few of the water dropped hard 255 grainers over 2400 with mixed results.
I'd like your input for loading some .44 special rounds. Which one of the 3 bullets I listed would you use? And which powder?
The powders I have on hand are:
2400
Blue Dot
Unique
True Blue
AA#5
Power Pistol
H110
HP38
Clays
I'm also interested in hearing any other suggested mag load combinations using the cast bullets and powders I listed.
And on to .38 spcl/ .357 mag.. I have some hard cast Missouri Bullet Company .357 158 grain "action", the hard Brinell 18 bullets. I've loaded plenty of these in mag cases with god results using Blue Dot and 2400. I haven't found the perfect combination yet though. I'd also like to load some of these in .38 special cases for some mild plinking rounds but I don't want to lead my bbl so this may not be the right bullet for that. Being as hard as it is (Brinell 18) can I load it down in .38 special and avoid some bad leading problems? I was thinking Unique powder.
Thanks for any help.
Here's a pic for fun:
62484
With that out of the way, I have a handful of questions.
I have several bullets a friend of mine cast for me... I need a little direction working up some loads for .44 mag and special using appropriate powders. The ultimate goal being to avoid leading the barrel as much as possible.
What I have:
"air cooled soft" 275 grain 0.429" mold # NEI - 256
"water dropped hard" 275 gr 0.429" (0.32" as cast") mold # NEI - 256
"water dropped hard" 255 gr #429421 0.431"
I've loaded a bunch of the air cooled soft over Blue Dot in .44 mag cases with excellent results. I've also loaded a few of the water dropped hard 255 grainers over 2400 with mixed results.
I'd like your input for loading some .44 special rounds. Which one of the 3 bullets I listed would you use? And which powder?
The powders I have on hand are:
2400
Blue Dot
Unique
True Blue
AA#5
Power Pistol
H110
HP38
Clays
I'm also interested in hearing any other suggested mag load combinations using the cast bullets and powders I listed.
And on to .38 spcl/ .357 mag.. I have some hard cast Missouri Bullet Company .357 158 grain "action", the hard Brinell 18 bullets. I've loaded plenty of these in mag cases with god results using Blue Dot and 2400. I haven't found the perfect combination yet though. I'd also like to load some of these in .38 special cases for some mild plinking rounds but I don't want to lead my bbl so this may not be the right bullet for that. Being as hard as it is (Brinell 18) can I load it down in .38 special and avoid some bad leading problems? I was thinking Unique powder.
Thanks for any help.
Here's a pic for fun:
62484