44 practice load for indoor range and point of aim

[ylexot]

I'm pretty new at reloading: still working on my first pound of powder new, but I've been trying to do my share of reading and research but I need a little help here...

I am joining an indoor club that only allows lead (sweet!) and has a max MV of 900fps. (The backstop is made from scrapped WW2 Liberty ships, ergo no jackets and low velocities.) I am mostly interested in ~200gr at moderate 44sp velocities for practice and SD. So far so good. However, I'd like to use ~240gr Magnum loads for hunting so indoor practice is out.

If it is even possible, what I want to figure out is a load for indoor and hunting. The indoor load meets the safety requirements, <900fps, for a target load at 50 feet for frequent practice. The hunting load would be matched so that will hit at approximately the same point of aim at ~50 yards. Working out bullet drop at 2 different velocities and ranges should be a fairly simple though I haven't sketched out a solution yet. However, I've seen some discussion about how bullet weight affects point of aim/impact. I also imagine an issue with recoil and time in the barrel being a major contributor to POA. I haven't been able to put these later parts together.

I have barrel lengths of 5.5, 10 and 14. I'm mostly interested in developing my skills with a 10" Contender, but I could be persuaded to move up or down in bullet length if it makes a solution to pair of loads easier to find.

[Outpost75]

In the. 44 Magnum about 6 to 7 grains of almost any pistol or shogun powder you have lying around should do the job. In my Ruger Blackhawk with 5-1/2" barrel a charge of 6 grains of Bullseye with 260-grain Saeco #441 gives 842 fps and shoots well. 5 grains of Bullseye gives 774 fps and 7 grains of Bullseye 1017 fps.

[fecmech]

It will be much easier to move your sight than chase a 1500 fps 240 gr trajectory and a 900 fps 200 gr trajectory so they meet at 50 yds. You might get lucky and have it work out but it is no big deal to move sights or scope settings up and down. I do it all the time shooting silhouette.

[KYCaster]

Yeah, what fecmech said.

Or, you can just ignore the difference in trajectory and POI. Regulate your sight for your hunting load at the desired distance then let your practice load fall where it may. A good group is a good group even if it's not exactly at POA.

Mind over matter................if you don't mind, it don't matter. ;)

Jerry

[ylexot]

Thanks for the thoughts... As soon as I made my post, I started to wonder if I was making things more complicated than necessary. A consistent group is a consistent group on the practice paper. Adjusting the sights up or down a notch or two depending on the range and load seems just simple enough to work! It's almost like they made adjustable sights just for such a purpose. :groner:

Now to find a pair of good shooting loads: target and thumper. (To hijack my own thread here.) My first lb of powder is HP38. I load 38s too and it seemed to offer a wide range of velocities for both 38 and 44 according to the Lee book. Not quite the cooker for magnums though. I've been planning to buy a 4 lb of Unique as it seems like it can be used in everything I've got: 38, 357, 44sp, 44mag, and 30-06 target loads. I've seen some calls for Bullseye. Accurate 9 has been proposed as well. Any definitive reason I should reconsider on the Unique? Thanks!

[bobthenailer]

5.5 gr of Bullseye or Tightgroup @800 fps
6.0 gr of ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' @850 fps
7.0 gr of ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' @950 fps
loaded in 44 mag cases

As a general rule, using the same sight setting POI can be lowered with a lighter bullet.
POI can be raised with a heavyer bullet.

[375RUGER]

I think you should consider the most accurate loading instead of searching for "cooker magunum" loads. If you want cookers then go to H110 or W296 and don't look back. You will be able to get very accurate full velocity loads with them. The unique will not achieve those velocities but you may have an easier time finding an accurate load still with plenty of velocity to "thump sumpin"+it is universal across the cartridges you list and then some. A well placed shot at 1200fps trumps a miss at 1600fps everytime.
I personally have loadings using Unique, 700X, H110, and Longshot.

[ylexot]

Yes, absolutely for accurate load over squeezing out every foot per second possible. So if POI drops with both weight and velocity. So is it possible to have 2 loads shoot with the same accuracy side to side and only adjust the elevation to match up POA with POI? It seems like an accurate load will, with no cross wind, exit the barrel and start on a coaxial path and begin a losing fight with gravity until it hits the ground or something in its path, like a target. Another question I should ask myself is can I be satisfied hunting elk and deer in the brush with a 100 yard long shot with a 240 to 300 grain bullet cruising at or below 900fps bullet that can also be my practice load at the indoor range. Simplicity is nice. The next most simple is the same bullet at both practice and hunting velocities... I guess my quandary fundamentally comes down yo not understanding what causes one load to be more or accurate than another...

[gray wolf]

If it were me I would work up an indoor load that met the requirement for the indoor range your shooting at. As for the game you mentioned at a 100 yards ?
I would get some 2400 or H110 and find a place outdoors to shoot outdoors.
50 foot paper targets are one thing, an Elk at 100 yards is another thing