Powders for 228 to 310 Grain cast in 44 Mag

[DonMountain]

I have six different batches of sample cast projectiles ranging in weight from 228 to 310 grains and would like to put together some low to mid-level loads for these. Some of them are gas checked and the rest are plain based, including the 228 grain and 310 grain bullets. Mostly I have been shooting heavy 320 grain gas checked castings for deer hunting with heavy loads of H110 and W296, and don't seem to have listings for lesser loads with these other, lighter bullets. So, does anybody have any suggestions for powders and amounts?

[Maven]

DM, With CB's between 240gr. - 270gr., I've been using 8gr. Unique as my standard load with either a taper- or roll crimp. In fact, I just got back from the range shooting Ly. #429421 and a 270gr. B & M wadcutter with that load and was very pleased with its performance. 7.5gr. Unique is just as accurate + recoil is a bit less, if you'd like to minimize the pounding of an extended range session with the .44mag.

[fredj338]

I'm a 2400 guy myself. Yes H110/W296 or LilGun will get you a bit more vel, 2400 is more versatile, as it will down load quite a bit. Use 300gr lead data for your 310gr cast bullet loads, 240gr data for the 228gr. AA#9 is a likely good choice too, just haven't run any tests with it. If you want below midrange, then Unique, PP, BE86 will all work.

[Outpost75]

In a rifle 4198 or RL7.

[AZ Pete]

2400


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I have been using Unique and 2400

[ioon44]

I use AA#7 & AA#9 in my .44 Mag for cast bullets in this weight range.

[bobthenailer]

For the 44 mag with light loads & cast bullets I use 7.0 grs of Bullseye or Tightgroup powder @800 to 900 fps and excellent accuracy with several cast bullets and guns.

[DonMountain]

I appreciate all the suggestions on these light for 44 Mag loads. I have about 40 or 50 bullets of each size to try, so it will be just for some target shooting. And lucky for me, I have most all of the powders suggested. Maybe I will start with Unique because that old container of Hercules Unique in the cardboard tube might be getting pretty old and time to use it up. But wait! There is a cardboard tube of 2400 in the powder locker too?

[AZ Pete]

I appreciate all the suggestions on these light for 44 Mag loads. I have about 40 or 50 bullets of each size to try, so it will be just for some target shooting. And lucky for me, I have most all of the powders suggested. Maybe I will start with Unique because that old container of Hercules Unique in the cardboard tube might be getting pretty old and time to use it up. But wait! There is a cardboard tube of 2400 in the powder locker too?

I think you are on the right track, 2400 and Unique are great powders for a lot of applications.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Shuz]

A great powder for light loads in the .44mag that gives good accurate results whether the boolit is plain base, gas checked or shot sans gas check is Trail Boss. 7g is what I use for 190 to 260g boolits. Velocity is in the 750 to 925 fps area depending on weight of boolit and bbl length.

[Blammer]

A man would be hard pressed to beat 2400 in your scenario.

[megasupermagnum]

I don't know what you consider low level, but midrange with heavy bullets is a best case scenario for Blue dot. You can reduce too, but I would guess accuracy will fall off much below starting loads. Bluedot with a 330 grain SSK is a great load.

[44Blam]

I use Unique for "medium" loads, W296 for "hot" loads.

I was on my way of using all my W296 up and going to A2400 when I bought another 8lbs of W296 at a great price... So.. 296 for a while.

But I have a 240 grn cast boolit that I have loaded 16 grn 2400 as a "medium" load (was dirty, but accurate) and 21.5 grn as a load that was just as hot as W296.

And I have a special place in my heart for Trailboss. You can shoot almost any boolit with that - you fill the case just under where the back of your boolit goes and you put your boolit on top (full, NOT compressed). And it makes a 44 mag feel like a 38 special.

[Rainier]

Sounds like you have the powders sorted out BUT... FWIW with the Lee 430-310-RF I've had good success with 18gr of 4227 out of my RedHawk for a moderate load. 6.5 to 8 grains of W231 works for a nice load with 240gr SWC's.

[DonMountain]

I am shooting these out of a Ruger Redhawk with a 7.5" barrel and I do have a bunch of really old W231 to shoot up also. I have been using it for 9mm Luger and 380 ACP, but those don't use it up very fast. My brother gave me a bunch of these really old powders when he bought a shotshell reloader from the wife of a passed away member of his shooting club.

[Rainier]

Kinda sad circumstance with the powder but way better to use it up then let it go to waste or worse get thrown out. I talked with the good folks at Winchester Powder awhile back and they say you can safely go to 11.0 grains of W231 with 240 grain boolits in the Rugers. I loaded some of the 429421's (and some jwords I was given) with that 11gr load and it gets better velocity then the max load of 4227 in my 4.2 inch barrel version. I will confess I'm not super interested in shooting full snot loads all the time but its always good to have a handful made up.

[44Blam]

I am shooting these out of a Ruger Redhawk with a 7.5" barrel and I do have a bunch of really old W231 to shoot up also. I have been using it for 9mm Luger and 380 ACP, but those don't use it up very fast. My brother gave me a bunch of these really old powders when he bought a shotshell reloader from the wife of a passed away member of his shooting club.

I've got a Redhawk with the 7 1/2" barrel. I love mine. It's my favorite gun. Mine is an older one - not quite sure how old. I picked it up at an estate sale. When I bought it, someone had put a scope on it. I took the scope off and put some nice fiber optic front and rear sights on it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

With 240-260 gr Keith style boolits 8.0 gr of W231 works well. Same boolits in a Special case 6.0 gr of W231

These loads came from articles by Brian Pearce in Handloader Magazine. Look for "Loading the .44 Special" and "Mid Range Loads for .44 Magnum." Both articles have many loads for each boolit.

You can get back issues of that magazine for $5 ea.

Randy

[DonMountain]

With 240-260 gr Keith style boolits 8.0 gr of W231 works well. Same boolits in a Special case 6.0 gr of W231

These loads came from articles by Brian Pearce in Handloader Magazine. Look for "Loading the .44 Special" and "Mid Range Loads for .44 Magnum." Both articles have many loads for each boolit.

You can get back issues of that magazine for $5 ea.

Randy

What issue of Handloader is that article in? I have several years of handloader back before about 1999, but decided that they were heading in a direction that I wasn't interested in (high-pressure magnum rifle and pistol rounds with jacketed bullets), so I stopped getting it. Do they still sell Handloader magazine? And are they still obsessed with all the new magnum rounds becoming available? That I don't have? All of my guns and calibers are from the earlier part of the last century.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Don: OK, here's the month and issue numbers for all the good .44 articles by Brian Pearce.

.44 Special. Aug 2005 Handloader #236 Everything you need to know about that cartridge in all the different power levels.

.44 Magnum Mid Range Loads. Oct 2005 Handloader #237 All kinds of useful Mid-Range Loads.

.44 Magnum +P Loads Apr 2010 Handloader #265 Hot Rod stuff that won't get you killed, done by someone who knows what he's doing.

And if you are interested,,, my personal favorite and my first Issue of this magazine. Aug 2007 Handloader #248 Everything you need to know about Loading the .45-70 for the Marlin 1895 to all the different pressure levels. This is the best source of load data for the .45-70 I have ever seen, and has everything from Trapdoor Loads to real Butt Kickers..

All these are available as back issues for like $5 ea. from Wolfe Publishing. And all are worth having for just that one article.

I tend to separate the issues with stuff I like and want to refer back to, from the issues that are not that interesting. My good pile kept in the Shop has that .45-70 mag on top, then in descending order the .44 Special article, the Midrange article, then the +P article, and then various issues with articles on other calibers I have and use.

The rest live in shopping bags in the garage.

Unfortunately like all magazines you subscribe to there is going to be stuff you're interested in and stuff that you just plain don't care about. I still learn something from every issue, but you actually have to read them all the way thru to get that one little pearl of wisdom we all seek.

So as far as subscribing,,, You pays your money, and you takes your chances.

I consider both Handloader and Rifle to be worth it so I subscribe. YMMV

Randy