New S&W model 29

[white eagle]

I just got a S&W model 29 with a 4" barrel
wondering what powders to use in a shorter barrel
have used some of my loads that I made for a 44 with a way longer barrel
and I got a rather impressive fireball with them
I have tried unique so far but was curious what others to try
195678195677

[Drm50]

I have used H-2400 for years. Recently decided to try H-110 but haven't got any loaded yet. I
only use Unique for LV target loads in 44mgs.195676

[9.3X62AL]

I don't vary powders due to barrel length. My heavier loads have gotten WW-296, H-110, and A-2400 over the years. Mostly 2400 for the past decade. Moderate loads use Herco. Lyman #429421 atop 8.5-9.0 grains of Herco gives a very good imitation of the old Skeeter's Load/"44 Special +P". I shoot LOTS of these through a 4" Mtn Gun, and they are all-day-long loads that won't beat you up. Gotta say, though--WW-296 or H-110 in full-bore loadings through a 4" barrel DO light up adjacent hillsides at dusk rightly & properly.

[white eagle]

forgot to mention that I will be using 240-250 gr boolits exclusively
that is nothing heavier
I have w296,2400,4227,unique, some dots and hs-6 on hand
my last load of 10 gr unique was pleasure to shoot but may increase
depending on accuracy

[9.3X62AL]

Just a guideline for the 44 Magnum/S&W M-29 mixture......with the 240 grain bullets, they stay comfy for me until about the time they go hyper-sonic (1100-1125 FPS). Redhawks and Super Redhawks are kitty-cats well through and past 1300 FPS. But that's me.

[454PB]

Bluedot.

[Rainier]

Beautiful Gun!! Mad love for those grips - good work finding that!
FWIW I was gifted a Ruger Alaskan with the two something inch barrel and wondered what to shoot in such a short thing. I discovered Winchester has a published load for 240gr boolits of W231 up to 11 grains for the wild side of life or you can start at 5.5 grains for a nice mild load. Its seems to work in the 4.2" and the 2" barrels equally well.
2400 and IMR 4227 also work well in my 4.2" RedHawk.
Good luck and have fun with it!

[bigboredad]

Beautiful gun I've always had a soft spot for 4 inch 29's. You didn't say what the load was for but personally if you just want to shoot your gun 8gr if unique will let you shoot all day with no pain and has been reasonably accurate out of the 44's I have had in the past. For hunting loads in a Smith I always preferred 2400 , enforcer would be another good choice I've really grown to like enforcer over the past years. Have fun dude nice grab on a very cool gun. I wouldn't try a 600 yard shot with it but you and Elmer can out shoot me by a long ways

Sent from my QMV7B using Tapatalk

[Wialco]

My aging eyes are playing tricks on me. The right side of this frame seems to show a 5 screw pattern of a pre-29 Smith while the left appears to have an altered internal lock. Tell me what I'm seeing.

[Petrol & Powder]

I don't vary powders due to barrel length. My heavier loads have gotten WW-296, H-110, and A-2400 over the years. Mostly 2400 for the past decade. Moderate loads use Herco. Lyman #429421 atop 8.5-9.0 grains of Herco gives a very good imitation of the old Skeeter's Load/"44 Special +P". I shoot LOTS of these through a 4" Mtn Gun, and they are all-day-long loads that won't beat you up. Gotta say, though--WW-296 or H-110 in full-bore loadings through a 4" barrel DO light up adjacent hillsides at dusk rightly & properly.

/\ I can't add to this.

H110 (ww296) is my go-to magnum powder for both .357 & 44. I don't shoot a lot of magnum loads but H110 does the trick.

The vast majority of my 44 loads are duplicates of the "Skeeter" load. I use Unique instead of Herco but the goal is the same; a warm 44 Special load [44 Special +P as Al labeled it].
In a magnum case, that works out to about 8.1 to 8.3 grains of Unique behind a 250gr SWC cast fairly soft (10 BHn). I shoot a lot of those in a 4" Mountain Gun and it just doesn't get much better.

[telebasher]

'Bet Elmer and Skeeter are grinnin' from ear to ear ! LOL !

[Drm50]

I don't vary powders due to barrel length. My heavier loads have gotten WW-296, H-110, and A-2400 over the years. Mostly 2400 for the past decade. Moderate loads use Herco. Lyman #429421 atop 8.5-9.0 grains of Herco gives a very good imitation of the old Skeeter's Load/"44 Special +P". I shoot LOTS of these through a 4" Mtn Gun, and they are all-day-long loads that won't beat you up. Gotta say, though--WW-296 or H-110 in full-bore loadings through a 4" barrel DO light up adjacent hillsides at dusk rightly & properly.

I don't vary for barrel length either. Have been using 2400 with 240g gcs since 60s. My Ruger SBH, I load heavy with 240JHPs for deer. I am trying the H-110 for use in Marlin 1894, no bullet
picked yet. Probably lightest JHP I can push fastest and still have accuracy. For deer hunting only
and any 44 slug will kill a deer. My S&W load is 240 cast/ 11.0g Unique/ 1050fps.

[white eagle]

I guess that I should not worry about barrel length
well that makes things a bit easier

[Mackay Sagebrush]

10 grains Unique with a 240/250 grain cast SWC is a match made in heaven for 4" M29s.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/IV_Troop/Handguns/Taffin44project030.jpg (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/IV_Troop/media/Handguns/Taffin44project030.jpg.html)





For fun/low recoil/small game type stuff, try 10 grains Unique and a 185 grain full profile wadcutter.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/IV_Troop/Handguns/P1010895_zpsm1bdpkvx.jpg (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/IV_Troop/media/Handguns/P1010895_zpsm1bdpkvx.jpg.html)


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/IV_Troop/Jackrabbits/P1010880_zpswnczfoj6.jpg (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/IV_Troop/media/Jackrabbits/P1010880_zpswnczfoj6.jpg.html)

[white eagle]

nice :lovebooli

[Drm50]

Been looking for a good WC mold for 44mg & 44sp. I bought some cast 200g WCs with button
done top. They were extremely accurate. Have similar 45 cal WC that is tackdriver in m25s. I
got a m24 itching for some WCs.195746

[Shuz]

Like Al, I don't vary powder with bbl length in my .44's and that goes from 4" revolvers to 18" rifles. If I want real mild loads I use Trail Boss, medium re-coiling loads get Green Dot, and magnum loads either 2400, H-110 or WC 820. In my 4" 629 that is similar to your 29, I prefer 8.6g of Green Dot and a 429421HP at 235g for a velocity of 1023 fps. This load is similar in velocity to 9.3g of Unique, but is less expensive.

What is the "dash number" of your Mdl 29?

[shooter2]

[QUOTE=9.3X62AL;4047794]I don't vary powders due to barrel length.

This gentleman is right. Most of the powders you will be using will burn before the bullet leaves the case. Yes, there will be unburned powder. There always is, but it has nothing to do with barrel length.

[white eagle]

the dash # is 10 its a brand new 29

[osteodoc08]

Powder suggestion will depend on purpose. What is your goal?

[adcoch1]

H110 for the full house mag loads, and unique for my special loads. Out of a 5" blackhawk the unique load feels like a cap gun, but man oh man are the fireballs fun with the h110 loads!

[white eagle]

Powder suggestion will depend on purpose. What is your goal?

at first good accuracy on paper then hunting

[Ramjet-SS]

I really like the 270 Grain WFN GC over 8.7 grains of Unique in my Ruger snubby. Unique is one of my favorite powders for cast bullet loads.

[osteodoc08]

at first good accuracy on paper then hunting

long list for that.

I personally like 2400 and 296.

2400 can be loaded up or down, 296 not so much.

[Rainier]

195906

You can always use 22gr of 2400 under a 429421 for a very accurate load BUT... fair warning, its got a bit of pop to it and is kinda "bright" out of a 4" during low light conditions.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

195907
Here's from the NRA museum.

[Texas by God]

I vote Unique.

[54bore]

I vote H-110, Its a Magnum, shoot that bad boy like it was intended

[Drm50]

If you want to shoot full power magnum loads buy a Ruger SA. They are strongest 44 made. A
S&W is more of a precision target gun. There is no point of wrecking a fine revolver with hot
loads. What is the point? Why burn powder and beat up the gun to target shoot. Factory mags
would be as hot as I would put in my S&Ws. The split frames of DA revolvers just aren't as strong
as solid SA frames. I've got about 60 S&Ws and have been shooting 29s since 1964, you cant
by better but you have to use your head.195915

[Artful]

Bluedot.

+1

I was going to suggest Bluedot as well if you have it.

[dbarry1]

Nice. Bullseye works burns well in short barrel. You can stuff almost 10gr under a 240gr boolit. Pretty stout recoil.

[white eagle]

I have run the gamut of single actions but have found and not sure why
but seem to shoot double actions better I do however like the Ruger Redhawks
but between that and a Smith...well

[murf205]

White Eagle, your powder selection is wide open with the 44 mag. I, personally, have had good results with Blue Dot and Unique, but the best load I've fount for my 4" 629 is 16.5grs of 2400 with a 429421 sized to .430( I opened the cyl throats) and a std primer. It clocks 1016fps for a 5 shot ave from my gun. It's my favorite load for my Super Redhawk too, but its a lot faster out of it's 9" barrel as you can see in the pic. In the Smith, I got good results with 12.5 grs of Blue Dot for 1052 fps ave and 10.5 grs of Unique gave 1063fps with 25 yd groups averaging 1 to 1 1/2 inches.
When I go to the Kenai fishing, I carry mine with 275 gr Cast Performance boolits and 17.5 grs of 2400 for 1225 fps in case a bear wont let me back away and give it my fishing spot, which thankfully I've not had happen! I might get a bit more speed out of H110/296 but I can control the gun for follow up shots with these loads and it doesn't count if you don't hit 'em and the 275 gr load will shoot through a T-rex. The way I cast my 429421 boolits, they are 250 grs, and I' never recovered one form any deer I ever shot. You are gonna love that gun.

[murf205]

196001196002196002

[Three44s]

White Eagle,

I have favored the powders H110 and 2400 for my upper end work with my Smith MG, Srh and Rh and Unique for medium loads. I use Clays for plinkers.

But far and away I like HS-6 the most for a packing load especially in a 4 in Smith.

The source of data stems from the Hodgdon's #26 manual.

My load consists of 11.8 gr of hs6, the fed 155 primer and RCBS's 250 k boolit.

A lot of folks just turn up the screws on unique for an upper mid range field load, but I prefer my unique loads like the master, Skeeter Skelton did: 8.5 gr

For my upper mid range I turn to Hs6 because I can keep my pressure in the eye of the curve at the lower 20K range but still get performance AND precision.

If you just turn unique up, you will hit WW alloy harder than that in my opinion.

Enjoy

Three44s

[9.3X62AL]

I did get one surprise from this thread, courtesy of Mackay Sagebrush--44 caliber rounds retained in a Bianchi Speed Strip. A bit of Google-fu showed that Speed Strips are now available from Safariland in both 38/357 and 44/45 sizes. I made much use of these in my shop's 38 Special revolver days. Primary refills were carried in the HKS loaders in their webgear "baskets", and 12 more rounds were snapped into Speed Strips and carried in the old cartridge "dump boxes". In the Strips, those dump boxes found new life and useful practicality. They fit nicely on the belt 180* opposite of the front buckle.

Blue Dot......dunno about that stuff in magnum revolvers. A couple things come to mind in this context.......along about 1975 I recall a Guns & Ammo article written by Bob Milek concerning the 357 Magnum, then-new Blue Dot powder, and very cold weather (-30* to -35* F). His text stated that when temps got very cold, Blue Dot showed "squirrelly pressure excursions" (his words, IIRC). Years later, Hercules/Alliant issued warnings about Blue Dot's use in 357 Magnum with 125 grain jacketed bullets. More recently, Alliant flatly stated to not use Blue Dot in 41 Magnum with any bullet, irrespective of bullet weights or temperatures. Those caveats in mind, my flasks of Blue Dot sat for a while on the shelf. I have slowly begun using the stuff in 10mm Auto, and so far there have been no surprises (like earthquakes, mushroom clouds, etc.). 2400 as so darn useful in so many ways for me, it has largely shouldered aside other magnum revolver powders at my house.

[white eagle]

A bunch of experimenting today out of the Smith
from 25 to 100 yds
I used Unique,w296 and 2400
unique load was 10 gr and I used 250 and 210 gr boolits I (429-244,and wadcutters)
found it pleasant and accurate out to 50 with the Keith's wadcutters were good to 25 yds
with 296 and 2400 I was bangin the gong at 50 regularly and at 100 occasionally 10"plate I couldn't
quite get dialed in on the 8"er
2400 was loaded to 20.5 gr.and 296 was 22.5 gr and I found the 296 load has less felt recoil and for me a
touch more accurate
both these loads were with a 429-244 or Miha's copy of a plain base Keith (503?) the weight was about 250 or 255 gr
cylinder throats are .430 so I sized the boolits to .429 and were made of Isotope and ww lead

[Rainier]

Excellent report! Sure sounds like you have a keeper! Now to fine tune for that blasted 8" plate sorted :) (kidding) Sounds like 296 and Unique were the better powders today - if you have some available give 4227 a try it feels to me like a lot less crack and more of a hard push with a LOT less flash. Great work for your first time out with the new Smith!