300 gr 44mag GB loads?

[NSP64]

I have received a sample of some Boolits that were from a GB to try. They are 296 gr sized, lubed w/GC in place. They were from a .434 290gr GB, GC design RF with 2 crimp grooves. Has anyone shot these in a SRH 44 mag yet? What would be a good load for it using Bluedot,2400,or H110? don't want to destoy mountains with it, kind of middle of the road. I like accuracy over noise:Fire: any coments?

[Dale53]

Using the Lee C430-310-RF GC bullet mould, I have had excellent results using 296 or H110 in the amount of 20.0 grs. It is a FULL load but while it has not been pressure tested should be just fine. The bullet was sized .430 and the alloy was WW/Lino 5/1. I used Hornady gas checks.

NOTE: This bullet has two crimp grooves. This load was worked up with the bullet seated LONG. Do NOT use this load with the bullet seated in the top crimp groove, it MUST be used with the bullet seated using the crimp groove nearest the base. Otherwise, pressures can be more than what you anticipated.

I would reduce load 5% and work up for YOUR gun and bullet.

[felix]

Use BlueDot only with nominal weight or lighter boolits for the caliber to obtain the best results for that powder speed. We are talking the straight walled pistol cases here. For example, circas: 14.5/250/44mag; 10.0/150/357mag; 12.5/220/41mag. ... felix

[44man]

Each gun needs loads worked. Start at no less then 19 gr's of 296 or H110 and work up in 1/2 gr amounts.
Dale my most accurate load with the Lee and the 320 gr LBT WLNGC is 21.5 gr's. Lee is seated long. BUT, I use standard primers.
In my SBH I did not start to get slightly sticky brass until I got to 23 gr's.
With 21.5 gr's the velocity averages 1316 fps.
As I worked up groups started large and closed with each addition of powder then reached the tightest groups at 21.5. After that groups slowly opened again. No drastic changes across the whole range.
Each gun is different so great care needs to be used, never just grab a load.
The reason I put my load here is that I am curious what your velocity is with 20 gr's. I would like to see how much difference there is between our guns.
Remember magnum primers can change this but I do not get accuracy with them at all from the .44 or .45.

[454PB]

If they are truely .434" diameter, I doubt the loaded round will chamber. I'd suggest you check that before loading any large quantity.

[NSP64]

If they are truely .434" diameter, I doubt the loaded round will chamber. I'd suggest you check that before loading any large quantity.

I ran them through a .430 sizer.

[Dale53]

44man;
My .44 mags (8 3/8" S&W Model 29 and Ruger Red Hawk 7.5") are right at 1300 fps with 21.0 grs of H110. That load is just fine in my Red Hawk but I was afraid that it might eventually shake my Smith to death. That's why the reduction to 20.0 grs of H110.

I killed the first head of "big game" with that bullet (Frank Siefer and I developed this bullet design and I had the first ones out of the moulds). It was a decent 10 point White tail. Not a record or anything but a nice, full grown, corn and bean fed white tail that was real tasty!

We actually designed that bullet so that "Joe everyman" could afford to shoot a premium bullet. At first, John Lee was not impressed but suddenly :mrgreen: it became a stock bullet (just about the time I figure one of his people got to shoot it). Frank has sold a goodly number of those moulds over the years. It is the single most accurate bullet out of my S&W and Rugers. It shoots EXTREMELY well at 100 yards. I have not shot it any further than that as my home range is limited to 100 yards.

Dale53

[44man]

OK, I didn't know you were using a S&W.

[racepres]

Went a few years back in my "notes".. different boolit perhaps... we used the lee fp checked and lubed it weighed 298, sized it at .431. .. Loaded it for lots of arms at lots of pressures.. the best for a revolver [we used an Anaconda, but must have done some w/ the SRH as I have some notes to that effect. My friend w/ the Anaconda still uses the Blue Dot loading [w/ 150 pri] for business.. [1200fps from a 6" bbl] for pleasure [like lots of folks] he is shooting a pb 250 swc over 10.0 gr of Unique...MV
I didn't list the gr wt of chg. cause I don't know your boolit!!!

[454PB]

I've been experimenting with Hodgdon Lil'Gun behind the Lee 310 GC. I got some surprising velocities and very good accuracy. Even more so "not for wimps" than H-110!

[NSP64]

I loaded some boolits and went to the range (intermittant downpours). They were 296gr w/ GC and lube. started 19.0,19.5,20.0,20.5 measured H110. Stout. velocities in the 1145-1275 range. didn't get any good groups, will try some heavier boolits next:-D

[leftiye]

Blue Dot is eskellant for low pressure loads, or reduced loads in magnums. Gives 1250 fps in .45 long Colt with 250 grainer Lee boolits (16 grains). That used to be a hot load in the 45 colt, but not any more. The point is, that the pressures are quite low by today's ideas about hot loads in 45 Colt. Blue dot may be erratic in hot loads at high and low pressures, but not at 18000 psi.

[NSP64]

I had some 250gr .430 RN cast boolits with me as plinker loads(10 gr Bdot-980 fps) which seems to have shot better.:-D

[mike in co]

if this is a super red hawk , i'd try 432...at least 431 for size.
i only shoot slow but i do shoot this boolit.( ww h2o quenched ww)
i use aa9 and wc820.
i shoot the 290's in a 7.5"srh at around 1050-1100 fps std primers excellent accuracy.
i shoot the same boolit in a 20" marlin at 1266fps mag primer and even better accuracy.
felix lube, ohhh and no gas checks on either!

mike

[Lloyd Smale]

mike has got my majic load. Ive found nothing better the aa9/820 in the 44 mags with 250-300s at around 1100 fps. Only thing id change is ive had better luck with fed mag primers in about every gun. I dont care for bluedot at all and will never buy another can of it. It is just to pressure sensitive when trying for higher velocitys and goes from mild to wild just to fast for me. Lilguns another powder i tend to stay away from to for about the same reasons. Its just to pressure sensitive. 110 is a great powder for TOP end loads but aa9 will get you within a hair of the same velocity and will allow a little more downloading safely and you use less of it to get the same velocity and wc820 can be bought for 80 bucks a jug instead of the 120 your going to pay for 110 and thats a big savings when you shoot as much as i do. I cant see paying 40 percent more for something that doesnt work as well.

[Dale53]

Lloyd;
I originally worked up all of my top loads in the .44 magnum with H110. I found 296 to be just as good, but it cost more (at the time when it first came out), so I settled on H110. I then discovered WC 820. I was an early user of WC 820 as I got in on the first of it available. I met Pat MacDonald at the Ohio Gun Collectors, arranged for a buy of two 150 lb bottles (yeah, the powder came in a VERY large plastic bottle with 150 lbs of powder in a crate) for a total of 300#. It cost $3.50 per lb (Boy, those days are gone forever!).

That lot of powder (I later arranged for another buy of the same lot - all of this was a club group buy) was a SLOW lot. by chronograph, it was within ½ grain of H110. I, personally, ended up with 50# of this powder. Alas, it is rapidly diminishing...

Now, I do not like to quote loads with WC 820 ass there are several different burning rates of this powder on the market. Some is as fast as #9 and some is like mine, more nearly like H110. If you have a chronograph, it is realitively easy to work up safe loads by comparing with a canister grade of Win 296 or H110. However, there is always the "risk taker" that knows better or just assumes something that isn't so. If I quote safe loads (in my guns) of a canister grade powder that I HAVE PROVEN, then I believe that I have given good advice and hopefully, the user of the info will do as you have suggested many times to WORK THE LOAD UP.

The problem with WORKING LOADS UP in a revolver without a comparison cannister grade powder AND a chronograph is that you can get WaY OVER YOUR HEAD without a single "Pressure Sign" showing up. I have done this, so this is NOT speculative or creative imagining.

So, it concerns me to the point that I am extremely reluctant to give loads of Non-Canister powders.

Just some thoughts...

Dale53

[mike in co]

dale, and others,
i started loading for 44 with aa9...a powder advertised as built for 44 rem mag.
i bought wc820 based on comments here.( heck i started casting based on comments from you guys...that would be back on shooters original site)

i worked up loads for 245's thru 300 WITH A CHRONGRAPH.

i then tried the wc820 and discovered MY LOT was slower than some other lots. to match aa9 i need almost 2 more grs of wc820 powder. this add flexibility to my 44 rem mag loading. i like filling cases .......when i went from 1330/1340fps with 255's to 1000-1100 with 280/300 my 9aa load was not filling the case well. by going to the wc820 the case was much fuller...much happier.

i do not understand those that "reload" and do not check thier results with a chronograph. very few "reloaders" have the same gun that the loading book used, seldom see primers listed, nor the same lot of powder, nor the exact same bullet. oal. crimp ...all of these make a difference.
and then throw in non-canister powders, and nothing to comapre to.....playing with fire in my view.

mike

[Lloyd Smale]

mike and dale make a good point. Anymore i just buy powder in 8lb jugs as i dont like the fact that burning rates can change for lot to lot on even comercial powder enough to efect load work up. I allways do a couple spot checks over a chrono when i swith jugs of even comercial powder. I sure wish i could find 150 lb tubs for 350 a lb. Hell id love to find it for twice that much.