44 mag combo load

[sigshooter]

I have a S&W 96 with a 6 in bbl, also, just picked up a Ruger M77/44 Bolt action carbine.

I do not have a mold or sizer for these boolits, but I have a couple hundred 230g gas checked semi wad cutters that I have made some test rounds using 10g of IMR SR7625.

This load seems to be moving pretty good (no chrono) but shoots about 6in low.

My ideal load would be one that will shoot to POA from with the iron sights (slightly adjustable) , while also shooting to POA with the Smith which also has stock S&W adjustable sights.

My initial thoughts are that I will need to load a lighter boolit, with a hotter charge, I think that I would like to stay with a gas checked boolit, so that I have the option to speed things up.

Any insight into a common mould would be appreciated.

[Larry Gibson]

Staying within published handgun data for the .44 Magnum using your cast bullet of choice, especially if a PB'd bullet, load for accuracy in the rifle. Then just use that load in the .44 S&W, it will do surprisingly well that way.

Larry Gibson

[EDK]

I'd recommend some sort of round nose flat point boolit. Light weight shoots low...seems counter intuitive, but... I'd also go with a plain base and save the $ on gas checks. A BRINNELL HARDNESS of 12+and good fit will eliminate the need for the gas checks...they ain't giving them away.

I'd run a LYMAN 429667(or similar LEE) and use BEN'S LIQUID LUBE, size to .430+ in a LEE push through and re-lube. While I have a STAR sizer in most calibers, I don't have a die for 9mm so I'm using the LEE set up for now in my GLOCKS.

[Outpost75]

FWIW, in my .44-40 and .44 Magnum rifles and revolvers, I have pretty much standardized on the Accurate 43-230G bullet, which is a bevel-based, double-crimp groove design which permits seating within SAAMI overall length in the .44 Magnum and .44-40 rifles which require a shorter cartridge OAL, or you may seat longer in .44 Special brass or in single-shot rifles or Ruger revolvers to exploit their added cylinder length, or to increase powder capacity. The rear crimp groove is a bit larger and deeper than the front one, so that when it is not used, it carries more lube to function as a grease groove.

I cast these from 1:30 tin/lead alloy and load a compressed nominal caseful of RL7 or 4198 in both calibers, using them in both rifles and revolvers with complete satisfaction. They are accurate and satisfactory hunting loads of adequate power and economical to shoot because no gaschecks are required.

Ammunition all assembled in Remington New Factory Primed brass with Remington 2-1/2 primers.

Load Description_________Ruger 5-1/2"______Ruger 7-1/2"____Marlin 20”__Remarks

-----------------------------------Cyl.Gap 0.008"------Cyl.Gap 0.008"---Solid barrel

43-230G 1:30Sn/Pb 24.5RL7__1022, 18Sd_______1151, 21Sd_____1432, 26Sd__1.59”OAL

150124

The same volumetric powder measure setting, substituting either H4198 or IMR4198 gives substantially identical results.

[Outpost75]

Revolvers in recoil act like a pendulum, so that rounds having a greater recoil impulse and longer bore time leave at a higher angle of departure than lighter bullets with shorter bore time.

This means that lighter bullets fired in revolvers will shoot LOW and heavier bullets will shoot HIGH, irrespective of velocity.

If your 230-grain bullet is shooting 6 inches low, manipulating the powder charge will have only minimal effect.

Try a heavier bullet!

[W.R.Buchanan]

This means that lighter bullets fired in revolvers will shoot LOW and heavier bullets will shoot HIGH, irrespective of velocity.

Whoa! Relative Velocity is the exact reason a boolit shoots high or low compared to others.

The longer a boolit spends in the barrel the further the revolver gets into the recoil impulse before it leaves the barrel. Thus the barrel is pointed higher and thus the shot goes higher. Not the other way around.

Wherever the muzzle is pointed at the exact moment the boolit exits is where the shot will go,,, period! This is true for ALL Guns! Period.

With my S&W 696 190 gr boolits at 600fps shot nearly a foot higher than 240 gr boolits at 750 fps. However 190 gr boolits at 800 fps would probably shoot lower than the 240 gr load due to less time in the barrel. In that case I might get lucky and see both loads shoot to the same place due to the trade off between Extra Velocity and Lighter Boolit Weight,,, both of which directly influence the recoil of the gun, and thus the POI.

As far as the boolit for your rifle,,, That gun is restricted to a cartridge OAL of 1.610 or less. Anything longer won't go in the magazine. However you can still shoot longer cartridges by single loading directly into the chamber.

This issue will cut down on the number of boolit choices you have for that gun, but since there's a zillion different boolits for the .44's you shouldn't have much problem finding something that works for you.

As stated above find a combination that works well in the rifle and it will probably work well in the revolver too.

Randy

[Digital Dan]

That's curious. Been loading 1.68" COAL for the 77/44 for about 16 years and stuffing the magazine full.