44 mag loads, H110 powder, 200 gr XPT

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

Hi all, anybody have a good formula for a load with this powder & bullet? ill be using Winchester WLP primers. not looking for a crazy cannon here, more of just a practice round, get to know my gun better. its a Ruger New Super Blackhawk 7.5" barrel.

[NSB]

You need to get a loading manual and read it. If you don't have a hard copy of one, go to Hodgdon's website and use theirs. You've already named the powder and bullet you're going to use so it leaves little room for "formulas". This powder is the same as WW296 and doesn't leave much room to play with. It specifically states that it shouldn't be used for reduced loads. If you don't want a "cannon", get a different powder. Asking a question like this on the internet will get you a lot of answers, some good and some bad. Without a loading manual you have no way to sort them out. If you don't have a loading manual and/or don't want to go to a manufacturer's website for the info, you really shouldn't be reloading. That's a "formula" for disaster. For lighter, less recoiling practice rounds 110 isn't your best powder choice. Get some Unique, 2400, some other powder that allows a lot of latitude in charge variation without creating pressure problems. Load only combinations of powder and bullet found in reputable loading manuals or on manufacturers websites.

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

alright, ill check out the website & see what it says, then ill buy a better powder for my needs, a friend had this powder for some reason & just gave it to me so i figured id see what it can do, sounds like ill be using it for my bear defense loads though. thanks

[osteodoc08]

I would shy away from light for caliber bullets and ball powders.

[Outpost75]

FWIW, the Hornady 200-grain XTP is my bullet of choice for reduced recoil, "Medium Velocity" hunting loads in my .44 Magnums and also in the .44-40. Expansion is reliable down to 1000 fps and penetration is enhanced if you don't "overdrive" it.

A charge of 8.4 grains of Bullseye or 9 grains of HP38 or 231 gives 1080 fps in a 5-1/2" revolver and 1270 fps in a 20" carbine. Approximates .44-40 ballistics in the .44 Magnum.

[MT Chambers]

Most any other pistol powder would be a better choice for reduced loads and 200gr. bullets in the .44 Mag.

[44man]

Too light of a bullet, the .44 just starts at 240 gr for accuracy.
The guys are right about the powders.

[Hickory]

H110, AA9, 296, 2400 and 4227 are powders that do best with a full loads and heavy boolits with a heavy crimp.
For light or medium loads, use a faster powder with lighter boolits.

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

yea, ill make my bear loads with the H110, & buy something like 280 to put on top, & use these bullets with another powder, i have yet to find.

[NSB]

H110, AA9, 296, 2400 and 4227 are powders that do best with a full loads and heavy boolits with a heavy crimp.
For light or medium loads, use a faster powder with lighter boolits.
You might want to take another look at your reloading manual also. On the low end 2400 is a full 500fps slower than the low end of either 296 or 110. IMR4227 is 400fps slower also. Neither requires a crimp tighter than enough to hold the bullet in place during recoil. Another option is to use 44spl loads in the 44mag case except when using 296 which in not listed for 44spl loads. You can easily load this gun down to around 600fps if you choose the right powders. Get a Lyman reloading manual and look through it. Money well spent.

[Hickory]

You might want to take another look at your reloading manual also. On the low end 2400 is a full 500fps slower than the low end of either 296 or 110. IMR4227 is 400fps slower also. Neither requires a crimp tighter than enough to hold the bullet in place during recoil. Another option is to use 44spl loads in the 44mag case except when using 296 which in not listed for 44spl loads. You can easily load this gun down to around 600fps if you choose the right powders. Get a Lyman reloading manual and look through it. Money well spent.

2400 & 4227 are still good powders for heavy boolits no matter how fast they go.

[Deep Six]

Hodgdon book load is 28 gr I think. Something ridiculous like 1600 fps out of a Redhawk. I loaded some. They do a wild job of blowing up milk jugs. I fired six and quit to do concerns about throat erosion.

Like others said, H110 is not a good powder for this bullet unless your only goal is velocity and you aren't concerned about your guns longevity. Anything from Bullseye to HS-6 would be a much better choice.

[NSB]

2400 & 4227 are still good powders for heavy boolits no matter how fast they go.
Yes they are good powders. Some of my favorites.

[Blackwater]

You've been given good advice about H110/296 not doing well with less than max to near max loads. You won't like it at all for any sort of reduced or "middle of the road" loads. It's also not the best powder for lighter bullets, usually, BUT, having said that, I do have a buddy who is using that combo in his Marlin carbine, and he's been getting excellent results on deer with it. It usually exits from a broadside to near broadside shot, and really puts the game down with good finality when placed properly, which is the key with any bullet, of course.

He got his best accuracy, which has been really good, with a slightly less than max load. Can't recall the exact charge wt., but it was about 1-1.5 gr. less than the max listed. That he's shooting a carbine CAN make a difference, though, and I don't know anyone who's used that load in a handgun. He only uses it in his carbine, and that barrel length can make a significant difference in what loads work, and which don't work nearly as well.

If you want some "plinking and target" type mild loads in .44, you're going to have to go to another powder - something faster burning like Unique or something in that burning rate range. A powder that bulks up good usually tends to give more uniform ignition since the .44 has a good bit of powder space. Hope some of this helps, at least a little?

[44man]

4227 in the revolver is VERY heat sensitive. Shot from a cold gun it is accurate but I dumped it right fast when I shot IHMSA. I never seen any powder act up so fast. 296 cured all problems.

[Ramjet-SS]

Longshot has worked well with lighter bullets in my model 29 classic.

[snowwolfe]

Blue dot is also good with lighter loads. I ended up with three boxes of Hornady 180's due to rebates from buying Hornady dies and used Blue dot to send them all down the range with decent accuracy.

[Leadmelter]

H110 and WW 296 require a 90% loading density. Best used with CCI-350 mag primers.
Great powder in the 44 Automag.
Leadmelter
MI

[44man]

Load density---YES, mag primers NO, I have used nothing but a Fed 150 since about 1979 with 296.

[montanamike]

With a Lee 200gr cast boolit I found that 8gr titegroup was extremely accurate and had very little recoil. Idk how it'd work with xtp's. Start at the bottom and work your way up.

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

so what about reloading 44 special cases with H110 & my 200 gr xtps, i know it may not be the best thing out there, but thats all i have right now & dont have much money to go buy a bunch of brand new stuff, what is a powder load that would work safely? iv been reading up and around 17gr seems to be popular

[Blackwater]

If it was me, which it's not, I'd load the absolute top load I could find of H110 with that 200 gr. bullet. Hodgdon's Annual Manual for 2015 lists 28.5 gr. of H110 with the 200 gr. Nosler. Again, if it was me, I wouldn't load less than 28 gr. I had some experience with 296 and 125 gr. bullets. I loaded the max listed load from one manual, and it wasn't enough. The muzzle blast seemed to wrap around the gun and whack me right in the face with each shot. NOT a pleasant experience. The load combo I was using just didn't produce enough pressure for the powder to burn in the barrel, and when it hit the air, it seemed to ignite, with about the same effect as holding a cherry bomb at arm's length and letting it go off. I was told to use more powder and try again, but I just switched powders instead.

If it's all you've got, this is how I'd go about trying it. There's a reason that H110/296 are said to work "best" with heavier bullets and maximum charges, and why we're advised NOT to try reducing loads with it. Some have reported good results, though, so .... ya' never know 'till ya' try. I'd only load up 6 or so at first, though. No point in pushing the envelope, and winding up with loads you can't or don't want to shoot. Good luck.

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

i think ill do just that, 28.5 gr. load a few & see how it goes, then ill buy some heavy bullets & finish off the powder & then go to something like unique. i have a 7.5" barrel, its a new super blackhawk. I'm not yet very experienced with all this stuff obviously, why is it that a lighter load acts like that with this powder?

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

& did you mean 28.5 gr. for .44 mag or special? cause I'm loading specials & 28.5 looks like it docent leave room for the bullet to seat all the way

[Blackwater]

That was for the .44 mag.

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

what would you load in a special? 19 gr.?

[Blackwater]

I have no idea. I've no data for the Special, and suspect you can't really get enough of that slow burner into a Special case to get decent results. H110/296 really need more "back pressure" from heavy loads and heavy bullets to be at its peak, and it really doesn't like to work at much less than max pressures, so I'd wait and get some other powder, like Unique, 231, Red Dot, Green Dot, or any number of more appropriate and faster burners for the Special. I love my Ruger Flat Top .44 Spec., but I'll NEVER try H110 in it. It's just not prudent, and with powders, you need to realize that each one is DESIGNED to perform within certain perameters, and to use them outside those limits is asking for either trouble, or even worse, bad performance. Keep your powder use within its natural confines, and you'll be a happy camper. Go outside them, and you CAN get into trouble, or at least get very unwanted performance. That's my advice, anyway.

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

yea, I'm starting to get the idea here, ill take your advice on getting another powder, maybe get some heavier bullets for this powder as not to completely waste it, ill use it in mag reloads as defensive rounds, make as many as i can with that box & just have them around, I'm liking what i hear about titegroup, seems like a fairly versatile powder with many weights of bullets. whats your opinion on titegroup? i like what i hear about unique also

[roberts1]

I like unique for several cartridges. You may have luck finding it at bass pro. For the 200 gr xtp you have there is load data for the 44 special. Starting load of 6.8 and max load of 7.9 should be around 900fps so real easy on the wrist and you can at least use some of what you have with safe published load data. That is the main thing people are getting at here.

[Lefty Red]

Good luck! I couldn't get a 200 grain bullet to group well out of my Redhawk or Scout.

Like others said, get a good load manual or at least go online to the site of the powder maker. All have good and tested info.

For a milder load, I have had success with 700x and Unique. WW231 is iffy, usually likes a near max load in my weapons to get good groups.

I followed some advice and used 44/40 loading when I was trying to find a 200 grain loading. Got better results than using 44 special loads.

The XTP is a good bullet. I was using casted and Xtreme plated.

Jerry

[DrCaveman]

Ill just throw in the comment that proper h110 loads in your 7.5" SBH should be pretty managable to shoot. Yeah, they will kick serious azzz on the muzzle end, but not too bad on the shooter's side. That powder is awesome, dont think for a second that you are in a bad spot for your friend giving it to you. It is still a bit like hen's teeth around here, and ive considered paying $30 a pound for it.

Sure, it is best with heavy bullets loaded to the hilt. But lighter bullets like your 200 grain will also do well, when loaded to book levels. No need to scrap that great powder.

Hey: you should get a casting furnace and some moulds! Then you can make any size you want, and become one of us!

[7.65,1891mooseeater]

i do want to get a casting furnace & molds for my .44 & 7.65 argentine mauser, plus i have numerous muzzleloaders, .50, .45, & .44. iv always wanted too start casting, just never really did it