powders for the mighty .44 MAGNUM

[Oklahoma Rebel]

when I get my 44 I intend on using h-110 or 296, but I wanted to ask if anyone has any experience with power pistol 300mp by alliant with the .44mag. I will be using 265 grain keith style noe boolits, and later I might try 300 grainers and also the lyman devastator. if anyone has info I would appreciate it. thank you, Travis

[Thumbcocker]

9.0 of Power Pistol is an excellent middle of the road (1000 fps or so) load with the boolits you mention.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

if you can find some 2400 & blue dot give that a try too no need to run full house loads

[MarkP]

300MP will be similar to H110 / 296; I easily matched the listed velocities in the Alliant publication (7-1/2" revolver)

[Petrol & Powder]

I don't shoot a lot of magnums but H110/WW296 is hard to beat when loading magnum cartridges. Sometimes we should settle down and just use what works.
For loads below magnum levels I like bulky powders to take up some of the volume of that big casing. Again, using what has been proven, I like Unique for mid-power loads in the "hot 44 Special category".

[Ithaca Gunner]

I've used 2400 with those boolits for years with very good success.

[RogerDat]

2400 can be downloaded better than H110, and Unique can be used to make a mild round. Not many people enjoy pounding a whole lot of full throttle 44 mag loads down range. A good milder load that you can get lots of practice with is most useful. Much as folks use 38 specials in a 357 mag for lots of trigger time, followed by some magnum loads to keep in touch with the feel of full power.

I can't recall the powder but one of them is noted for putting a fireball at the end of your barrel. That can be a fun change of pace.

[bluelund79]

I have yet to try the little bit of Power Pistol that I have for 44mag since I have 3 go to powders already. W296 for rifle loads, Unique for pistol hunting loads, and Trailboss for range fodder. Maybe I'll load some this weekend with power pistol and see how it compares to Unique.

[Four-Sixty]

I use 2400 to create the "fireball". I don't bring it out anymore for myself, but will for "show and tell". While wasteful, it does have entertainment value.

[wl620]

I'll second Thumbcocker's suggestion of 9 grains power pistol 9.5 has been a good one for me also, with that boolit, you should get good accuracy somewhere between 9 & 10 grs. I mostly use cci 300's and starline brass and that load will kill anything big enough to die in Oklahoma within pistol range of course.

[ioon44]

I have had good results using Accurate #9 with 250 gr to 300 gr Boolits.

[Bulliwig]

I always use VV N110.
It is only usable for powerful Magnum rounds, if you load less than 18grs (240 grs bullet) you will not have enough pressure in your case. They will be black so as your whole gun will be. But in the range of 20 grs to 22grs there are only few powders as good as VV N110!
Powerful, accurate and cool burning.

[tygar]

H110 for Mag loads, 2400 for tweener, Unique for light to tweener.

[tdoyka]

i used to have a ruger srh(7.5" 44 mag) and the 240gr j-words with a load of win296 that i could have shot all day. since i'm one-handed(stroke) i'd use unique and a 230gr wc and 250gr mihek hp. i tried trail boss, but it never shot good for srh. it is a good powder, i've shot the 444 marlin, 45-70 and 30-40 krag and they all gave good accuracy. i'm gong to try tb again when my ruger sbh shows up.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

alright, thanks for the opinions/suggestions! I will probably use 2400, seems like it is well proven, but I have heard it burns dirty,dunno, I think 296 would be my 2nd choice. thanks again! Travis

[Oklahoma Rebel]

oh and the boolit isn't really a keith style, it is a rnfp with a nice size square lube groove and a good crimp groove as well, so it kinda reminds me of a keith without the shoulder. should perform well on the hogs and deer.

[Ithaca Gunner]

2400 needs a heavy crimp on the boolit to fully burn and achieve happiness. What barrel length?

[paraord]

I am in love with AA#9. 17.9 grains under a 265 grain 429421 or 244. She's cooking right along north of 1300fps. Very easy to shoot, not uncomfortable and you can't double load it. Oh uea, and you can actually find it! Unlike 2400.
I started loading at 17 grains and went up to here, got good groups and stayed. And picked up about 5 more lbs after my 1st lb was shot and gone.

[williamwaco]

HERCO is my favorite. I give up 100 fps over 2400 but get better accuracy and less blast.

[Ithaca Gunner]

There's several sources for short barreled magnum loads, Lyman manual #49 lists it uses a 4" barrel on a universal receiver for their data which should give you a better idea of real world ballistics in short barreled magnums. Speer has separate data for short barreled magnums, and Shooting Times, (years ago) did an article on loading for short barreled .44 magnums.

Both Speer and Shooting Times tailor the loads using faster burning powders to optimize ballistics vs muzzle blast and flash. Lyman lists all powders suitable for .44 magnum for all barrel lengths. Since I shoot a 4" .44 myself I should be able to lay my hands on the Shooting Times article without too much trouble.

[cuzinbruce]

I use 2400 for full strength load, Herco for a bit less and Bullseye for target type loads.

[rugerdude]

2400 is my go to powder. I can easily get 1300-1400 fps out of my 7.5" barrel Bisley and the recoil is much more manageable than with H110/W296. I do use H110 occasionally, but usually only when testing a new gun, bullet, etc. I do like it with the Speer 270 SP for hunting loads. But, my everyday load is 8.0-8.5 grains of Unique under most any 240 grain boolit.

[Three44s]

I greatly prefer HS-6 for mid range field loads in the .44 mag.

Three 44s

[Bookworm]

I greatly prefer HS-6 for mid range field loads in the .44 mag.

Three 44s

^^^^ This.
I think it was Three 44s that first suggested for me to try 10-12gr HS-6 under a 240gr LSWC. I am being converted.
My 7.5" SBH HUNTER is due back from Long Hunter just any day now. I shall continue working with HS-6 when it shows up.
I also acquired some AA#7, and plan to try it out for mid-range loads as well.

[EDK]

I ran a lot of lower end 44 magnum loads in an assortment of ORIGINAL SIZE VAQUEROS. When you run 48 rounds daily, you use an economical powder. TITEGROUP, HP38/231, HERCO among others. Some of the popular powders have a narrow window of charges.

[sixshot]

Started out with Unique & 2400 back in the 60's & I've never strayed too far but there are a lot of good powders that work in the grand old 44 for both midrange & full house loads. I've never tried any of the newer powders because I have about 17 different powders for handguns in the cabinet now, just don't think I need anymore!

Dick

[Lloyd Smale]

my favorite 44 powder is aa9. Followed by 2400, 110/296 for the heavy stuff and unique or power pistol for the light stuff.

[44man]

I have had .44's of all types since 1956. 2400 was my go to powder until 296. Since mine are for long range or hunting unless someone comes over to fun shoot at cans, etc, then Unique or 231 and a lighter boolit fills the bill nicely. HS-6 has been shot in my bigger bores for fun and it is a great powder.
For deer or long range with Ruger's or S&W's, 296 is my favorite.
Fooling with powders for fun can take you to the point that the primer is the most expensive thing you need.
The .44 is just too great and anything from mouse to moose sits in your hand.

[1989toddm]

I use Titewad in my 44 mag, $.014 cents per shot. I use it under both 240 and 211 gr cast. Accurate enough for me with the Lee full wadcutter. But I don't hunt anything but desert rats with it.


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[Mal Paso]

My current cheap load is 19g of AA#9 behind a 260g #503 lit by a Federal 155 I found on sale for $22/1000. 1364 fps from a 6" barrel.

The velocity spread was big with standard primers, mag primers tightened it up, cut SD by 1/3 and added 50 fps. Mag primers are what Accurate used for their load book in spite of 44man's advice.:wink: I was surprised the Sale Mag Primers took the SD from 31 to 19.

[44man]

I switched to the Fed 150 in the early 80's for IHMSA with 240 gr bullets. I made hundreds of tests and tried both it and the 155, WW and CCI primers of both types.
My SD is 11.5 and MAD is 9.5 fps. Every cast was also tested and accuracy was better every time with the 150.
I bought the RD 265 mold and it will hold 3/4" at 50 and 1-1/4" at 100. Started making my own molds and beat that, even had 1/2" at 100 now and then. 1-5/16" at 200 meters.
After a shoot I put up a cardboard chicken at 200 meters and my last two shots in my box were 3/4" apart. Opens from Creedmore, I shot the .44 better then my single shots.
I am NOT going back. All my friends with .44's use the 150. They also come to cast with my molds.

[44man]

There is much more needed for accuracy from a revolver then a primer and even boolit pull from case to case is more important then anything. I can measure seating pressure and sort. Each sorting from light to tight will group but can be 10" apart. Mix them together and all that can be had is a 10" pattern at 50 meters. When you get to 1/2", only then can you say what a primer does.
Not a single revolver EVER beat my SBH and my SRH was even more accurate, not the SBH but how loads were made. My best was 79 out of 80 at the state shoot, missed the last ram due to a shake. I ran 20 straight turkeys and all others before I missed. PRIMER? Fed 150.

[Drm50]

Been using 2400 since about 1964. S&Ws / 240 cast, Ruger SBH / 240JHP. I do not fire heavy
loads out of my 29s. Recently looking for WC molds for 44, to work up bullseye loads for 44mg
& 44spec. Unique is my powder for 45Colt, 242WCs at 800fps, so will probably start with that.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

thannkyou for all the info, what do you all think aboutconverting the lyman 300gr to PB? I was mainly asking with hunting in mind, for regular shooting I bill use unique or I heard either true blue? or blue dot for targets and such

[paraord]

Why turn it into a plain base? I would personally spend the additional 15 bucks for a PB mould instead of alter. One can never have enough moulds! And if you really wanted to push that through a rifle or something the GC might be something you want.

[44man]

I would buy another mold for a PB too. I have been making my own all PB since I found I did not need a GC. My .475 and JRH are shot at max with PB and I have driven them over max in a .454 with sweet accuracy and no problems.
However I WD WW boolits.
Make the boolit tougher to withstand seating so they do not get sized down.
Since metal comes from the asteroid belt for GC's, we are supporting the space exploration.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

no, it wont ever be fired from a rifle, that's what my marlin 1895 45-70 is for, 32grs of imr4198 noe 425gr rnfp pb. works wonderfully