44 Spl. Load Needed

[mtgrs737]

I am looking for a good load using the Lyman 429421 bullet in 44 spl. I am sure that some of you here have worked up some good loads in this caliber. I will be shooting them in a Smith 44 magnum but would like a load in the 800 to 900 FPS area. I don't think that SAMI pressures will allow 900 FPS in a standard 44 spl. load according to the loading manuals that I have looked at. I would like these loads to be safe in a 44 spl. gun just in case I am not around when they get fired. Any help or ideas here will be appreciated. :castmine:

[Larry Gibson]

mtgrs737

I'll assume you meant 429421(?). The classic .44 Special load you are looking for is 7.5 gr Unique. In .44 Special case fired in .44 magnums that load runs around 780-790 fps out of 4" barrels and around 810-820 fps out of 6-6.5" barrels. That load is safe in .44 specials also.

Larry Gibson

[Glen]

The standard load for the .44 Special in the 900 fps ballpark is Skeeter Skelton's old load of 7.5 grains of Unique underneath the 429421. This will give you about 900 fps out of a 4" and about 950 from a 6".

[mtgrs737]

Yes I did mean 429421, Unique is one of my favorite powders for this very reason. Thanks guys for your imputs, I will put that load on the top of my list!

[targetshootr]

For 44 spl plinking I like the 250K with 6.5 gr of Universal (not Clays) which some people call "clean Unique". In 44 mag I use 8 gr.

[mtgrs737]

targetshooter,

I agree that Unique is a dirty powder, I have some old stock that is at least 30 years old and I think it is even dirtier than the newer stuff. I have been told that the reason it is dirty is that the cellulose comes from wood instead of the cleaner burning cotton cellulose that other powders use. But maybe it just has too much graphite on it to begin with, I don't really know, maybe their are others that have the scoop on this. :confused:

[EDK]

Titegroup has been my choice in 44s for the last several years. I've used 4.0 to 6.5 grains (in magnum brass) with 429667, 427666, 429244 and the 200 grain 44 wadcutter. It has burned clean, better accuracy than I can achieve, clean casings and long case life....and CHEAP! You get a lot of loads per pound. Get the Hodgdon freebie booklet or their Cowboy Action Shooting booklet for their data and suggested loads.

I buy it in 8 pound kegs at GRAFS in Mexico Missouri. It does well in 38 or 357 also.

:cbpour: :redneck: :Fire:

[Ghugly]

My favorite load for the 429421 is 13.5grs of 2400. It takes a firm crimp to burn clean, but it works better, for me, than Unique or Universal.

[Tom Herman]

Hi mtgrs7373, Glen, and the rest of Y'all,

I tried the Skeeter Skelton loading with my 6" Smith 624. Recoil was severe, so I dropped it down to 6.5 grains Unique. I think that loading runs about 750-800 fps, and it's much more pleasant and manageable.
I'm using commercial hard cast lead (not happy with the leading), and have the 429421 on my wish list for when my economic incentive check arrives.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom



The standard load for the .44 Special in the 900 fps ballpark is Skeeter Skelton's old load of 7.5 grains of Unique underneath the 429421. This will give you about 900 fps out of a 4" and about 950 from a 6".

[mtgrs737]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Keep'em comming. I will be loading once I get all the boolits cast and sized.

[Ricochet]

Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook shows 880 FPS out of a Super Blackhawk with 7.0 gr. Unique behind a #429421 in .44 Special. I've shot quite a few of those in my SBH and in the Bulldog, where it gives a healthy jump. Older Lyman manuals went up to 8.0 gr. Unique at I think 1000 FPS, but IMO that's too hot for the Bulldog. (I shot a few of those without injury or apparent harm to the Bulldog, though.)

[HeavyMetal]

I had issues with recoil in my Bulldog "target" 44. This is the one with adjustable sights and 4 inch barrel.

To get a managable recoil level I switched to Lymans 429348 full wadcutter. This weighs in at 180 grains and I can get in the 800 to 900 FPS range and it cuts a great clean hole in the paper.

Often people will be at the range and wonder who's got that big a hole punch when they see the "litter" behind my target.

The Lyman cast bullet manual list's a bunch of loads for this boolit and I think you'll find that 7.5 grains of Unique a lot easier to shoot with the lighter boolit.

[Glen]

6.5 grains of Unique with the 429421 in the .44 Special is a VERY accurate load, and will generally give you about 750 fps (a little less out of a .44 Magnum). The request was for a 900 fps load, so that's why I quoted the Skeeter load. If you want something in the 750 fps range, you might want to give 5.0 grains of W231 a try.

Commercial hardcast doesn't always do very well at mid-range velocities. What kind of lube do they have on them?

[Ghugly]

Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook shows 880 FPS out of a Super Blackhawk with 7.0 gr. Unique behind a #429421 in .44 Special. I've shot quite a few of those in my SBH and in the Bulldog, where it gives a healthy jump. Older Lyman manuals went up to 8.0 gr. Unique at I think 1000 FPS, but IMO that's too hot for the Bulldog. (I shot a few of those without injury or apparent harm to the Bulldog, though.)

I win!! 9.2 gr. of Unique behind a 250 gr. 429421 in a Bulldog. 50 of them with no apparent harm, other than a few more white hairs (on me.......the Bulldog's fine). Clearly a case of the Bulldog being a lot stronger than it looks, strong enough to save me from paying for my stupidity. [smilie=1:

It is probably a false perception, that could easily be checked if I could manage to pry enough cash out of my wallet for a chronograph, but the recoil seems less sharp with 2400 than it does with Unique or Universal for, what is suppose to be similar loads.

[Drilling Man]

I cast 429421 HP's for my custom S&W "K" frame 44 spl... 12.2 grains of 2400 clocks 956 fps out of it's 4" bbl... using 44 spl. brass...

7.5 grains of Unique with a Speer 240 grain swaged lead, clocked 900 fps out of the same gun but shot poorly.

DM

[paul edward]

Four grains of Bullseye. This load produces accurate results without excessive recoil in my CA Bulldog. Works well in 7.5" Blackhawk but shoots to a different point of aim than my usual 44 Mag loads.

Paul

[Tom Herman]

Hi Glen!

I'm not sure what kind of lubes the two companies used, but the Lazer Cast stuff had a light green lube, while the Silver State Bullet Co. material had a deep blue lube.
I was absolutely furious when I loaded up the Lazer Cast stuff! I've had dead soft lead factory loads for my .45 LC that were horrendous that left less lead than this crap.
I collected on their money back guarantee, much to their credit.
As an aside, I made a soft cast alloy of about 40:1 for my .455 Webleys lubed with SPG, shot them, and there was ZERO leading! That's the kind of performance I'm looking for!
Can't wait to get set up for .44 SPL.... Hopefully, the softer bullets with the SPG will finally produce results in the 624.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom


6.5 grains of Unique with the 429421 in the .44 Special is a VERY accurate load, and will generally give you about 750 fps (a little less out of a .44 Magnum). The request was for a 900 fps load, so that's why I quoted the Skeeter load. If you want something in the 750 fps range, you might want to give 5.0 grains of W231 a try.

Commercial hardcast doesn't always do very well at mid-range velocities. What kind of lube do they have on them?

[Dale53]

I have shot the "Skeeter load" (7.5 grs of Unique behind the 250 Keith, cast moderately hard) by the "bushel" (several thousand loads) lubed with NRA Alox 50/50 out of my Model 24 (6.5" barrel), 624 (4") and 642 6.5" with SUPER results. Accuracy has been uniformly good (3/4" at 25 yards off the Ransom Rest). I have used a variey of primers (prefer Fed 150's) and the bullets were sized at .430".

Dale53

[runfiverun]

lazer cast and silver state use the same lube just different colors.
i use that same lube only mine is red, it also comes in clear.

[Tom Herman]

What is the lube theses folks use? I wonder why if it's one type of lube, that they have all the different colors?

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

QUOTE=runfiverun;341114]lazer cast and silver state use the same lube just different colors.
i use that same lube only mine is red, it also comes in clear.[/QUOTE]

[azrednek]

Four grains of Bullseye. This load produces accurate results without excessive recoil in my CA Bulldog. Works well in 7.5" Blackhawk but shoots to a different point of aim than my usual 44 Mag loads.

Paul

Couldn't have said it better myself!! I was loading 4.5 Bullseye in my Bulldog shooting both cast and jacketed boolits. I parted company with the Bulldog a few years ago and recently finished off my 44 special loads and they shot surprisingly well in my Blackhawk and Rossi lever action rifle.

[Mavrick]

FWIW-Since you're using a .44Mag to shoot the lighter loads, why not just buy a different brand of case for the softer load? Not only Win/Rem cases are out there. There are Starlite, Midway, and several others, with the added advantage that you never get that nasty ring of lead at the end of the chamber. If one of the guns around the house is a .44Spl, then the hotter load won't fit, and you can keep the load you're now seeking for Special cases.
The hard cast commercial bullets won't obturate with the softer loads, so the lube won't squeeze out to the barrel, so will "lead up" by "skipping" as it starts down stream. Try a softer boolit(my favorite is WW+2%tin) with a softer lube, and your light loads should be quite satisfactory.
Have fun, Gene

[Ricochet]

I like to use a different shaped boolit, like a round nose or wadcutter, for the mild loads in the Magnum to make them instantly obviously not the hot loads.

[mtgrs737]

I only have one bullet style for the 44 right now and that is the 429421. I am sizing them in a .431" lyman die and using Lar's BAC. I am thinking of using 7 grs. of Unique but would like to use 231 as it is cleaner. I got a deal on this forum on 300 44 spl. cases so that is why I am using them for a mid range load. Thanks guys for all your favorite loads! I will be trying some of them!

[Tom Herman]

Just curious, what size are the .44's coming out of the molds?

Happy Shootin'! -Tom



I am sizing them in a .431" lyman die and using Lar's BAC.

[mtgrs737]

Tom,

I am getting right at .431 out of the mould using WW's plus about 20% linotype. I would like to be throwing another .001" larger but don't want to lap the mould or use a better alloy. I will cast some higher hardness boolits for the magnum version later though and hope to get .432" as my throats measure .4335" to .434". I am not sure what the bore measures as I have a five land rifled bore and haven't figured out how to get an accurate measurement. I will have to work on that.

[Bad Karma]

Remember that when you're loading this bullet to these velocities you need to use a softer alloy or you might lead your barrel. My personal favorite is 8.4gr Unique in my S&W 629 Mountain gun. The alloy is wheel weights. I've also used chilled shot as my metal and it worked well too.

[jimxv700]

I like 10.0 gr of Herco in 44 Mag cases.Most accurate 44 Mag load I use.Recoil is moderate out a 4" 629.
8 gr of Herco in 44 Spec cases is a good load also.
5.0 gr of Bullseye in 44 Mag cases is an accurate target load.
4.0 gr of Bullseye in 44 Spec cases is another accurate target load.

[REDTAIL]

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