44spcl slow thumper load advice

[bmortell]

hello everyone I am trying to get a 44 special load down around 600fps for quiet plinking and maybe short range pesky squirrels I want to use 240 swc and I have titegroup, bullseye, 2400 and imr 4227 powders. has anyone made similar loads or have advice? thanks

[Hickory]

Shotshells may serve you better.
Look into what Speer has to offer.
http://www.speer-bullets.com/products/components/default.aspx

Welcome, and hang onto your wallet.

[Edubya]

4 grai s of titegroup will get yo about 700 fps. You can get it slower but I've only done that a few times with AA#2. Look at some "cowboy" loads in your manuals or the site for the specific powder. i.e. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp and http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WP_LoadSpec_7-2-13.pdf

EW

[bmortell]

thanks, and also assuming light low volume charge burns consistently round to round and all else being equal, is there an unspoken minimum velocity for revolvers, for example under so and so fps runs the risk of bullet lodged in barrel

[Lonegun1894]

May I ask what weapon this will be fired in? Like many here, I use various loads but the thing is that the same load that is quiet in my H&R .44 Handi-rifle for back yard use would wake all the neighbors if fired in my Ruger SBH.

[rintinglen]

4.2 grains of BE is as light as I've gone in the 44 spl. with 240 grain Boolits. That was in a 3 inch revolver, so it might not work in a long barrel.

I was looking for a softer practice load for a Charter Arms Bulldog. I used store bought 240 grainers (didn't cast for the 44 then) and can't recall one way or the other if it was good, bad, or indifferent. I'm guessing "indifferent" cause if it had been really great, or really bad, I might have remembered it. I sold the Charter and haven't gone back that way again. These days, I use a 230 grain NOE WC over 4.5 grains of reddot for soft plinking, but out of an N-frame S&W or a Ruger BH.

[richhodg66]

I got a .430 round ball mold somewhere I got for a muzzle loader but I was thinking of casting some up for a light load in my Bulldog and Taurus. Another project I need to get after.

My dad cast me up a bunch of the Lyman 180 grain wadcutter for the .44 once to use in that Bulldog. It does get the recoil down, but the point of impact was a lot lower, I guess the sights are regulated for a 240 grain bullet.

[dubber123]

Whether it is of help or not, I just firelapped a 7-1/2" Ruger BH in .45 Colt. 250 gr. boolits embedded with 320 grit lapping compound. 2.0 grains of Bullseye got all 36 out of the gun without issues, and shot under 1" at 30 feet. Kinda fun actually.

Being the .44 has less capacity, that should give you a bottom end of the scale to work from.

[John Allen]

I use a light load of bullseye and soft lead bullets. They are fun to shoot and light recoiling.

[TCLouis]

Be careful what you shoot with such low powered loads.

Inelastic collisions send the missile right back from where they were launched depending on the angle of the surface being impacted.

Do not ask how I know!

IF you want to test the theory, shoot a flat steel surface with a steel BB.

Full face shield recommended . . . REQUIRED . . . for this experiment.

[Skipper]

Here's some 231 data:

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/44sw240_dat.htm

[rintinglen]

Hey Skipper, any idea what barrel length produced those results?

[badguybuster]

You should try 7 grains of unique. Superb

[lathesmith]

I've used 2.8-3.0 grains of Bullseye for very light, quiet loads in 44, and 45, even 38/55 and 375 Winchester, topped by a 240 grain + slug, with excellent results. 2 things you need to pay attention to though: for these light loads, you need your lead slugs as soft as you can cast them, and also use a 50/50 alox-type soft lube. This is VERY important! Harder slugs stick much more readily in your bore, and the hard, waxy lubes will only make this worse.

The above-mentioned loads give 500-600 fps velocity, depending on your firearm, and although they can be a little dirty they are usually quite accurate. Good luck with your project!

lathesmith

[bmortell]

thanks for input I ended up seating 240swcbb backwards far enough in for light crimp on beveled base 3gr tite group in 6.5 barrel 5 shots were between 501 fps and 520 fps. I check bore every time I don't see it impact, otherwise there fun save powder and quiet
and as tclouis said about inelastic collisions ive had a 45 projectile get returned to sender turns out thick leather belts stop ricochets well although still quite terrifying, so I take extra precautions now

[firefly1957]

I have some 232 gr cast bullet i loaded over 1 grain of bullseye for quiet loads the bullet is seated deep so the nose is barely out of the case i have never timed them but they can be seen on a sunny day in flight. They will go though a possum rabbit and a 1/2 pine board but can also bounce back at you leaving a nose imprint in the wood.

[Bret4207]

A little late to the conversation, but another thing to watch with those slow movers is they ricochet real easy, like a baseball. If I still owned my 83 Chevy step side I could show you how I know....

[firefly1957]

And they do hurt don't they Bret!
Glad to see you back again .

[smkummer]

Once I loaded unique instead of bullseye in either 38 special or 44 special. One could actually see the bullets going to the 25 yard target on a sunny day with the sun at your back. They all made it out but the cases were really sooty. I would agree with the round ball load for light use. Speer has data for it. Barrel length also is a factor if you load really light so as to clear the barrel.

[ironhead7544]

I would say load down Unique until you are satisfied and then make sure they all get out of the barrel.