44 Magnum Load Question

[mtnman31]

I've had my .44 magnum for a few years now and haven't done much with it. I'm shooting a Taurus Raging Bull with 6" barrel. I finally started some serious load development to try and find my "go to" load for this revolver. I did a marathon shooting session this afternoon and tried a number of different load combos. My bullets were a 230gr lead semi-wadcutter. My question concerns the powder. One of my combos used IMR-4227, which I've never used for anything other than M1 Carbine loads. I had a fair amount of unburnt and partially burnt powder. Is this common with IMR-4227? Using the same 22.9gr charge, I tried both standard primers and magnum primers and had about the same results with each. Velocity was averaging 1190fps. My crimp was probably in the "medium" range, not light but definitely not heavy. Groups were decent with the IMR-4227 but the hands-down winner for the day was a load with Unique. The Unique recipe ran about 1300fps and had some great groups. If I continue to work with the IMR-4227, can I expect the unburnt powder or do I need to change something?

[Outpost75]

If you don't require full-charge .44 Magnum loads, you might try something in the range of 7-8 grains of Bullseye in your .44 Mag. which approximates .44-40 velocity and is more pleasant to shoot, about 1000 fps.

[lawdog941]

Try loading closer to max and heavier crimp. It leaves a little less. Doesn't hurt anything. I use it for heavy 45, shoots the most accurate of the powders I've tried. Just doesn't have top end speed for heavier bullets. The only down side would be leading above 1200.

[bmortell]

imr 4227 leaves lots of junk in the barrel. even in my 44 rifle with max charge the barrel is coated, but its sort of little "tubes" or a "shell" left from the burning. id check the remains closely if you haven't. but you should be able to get the same speed or better with 4227 than unique as its more a magnum pistol powder than unique. and also safer at max speed because its slower and you cant double charge. id recommend using 4227 at max or very close book charge with heavy crimp as your high end load. and then unique for medium or low power.

[Cast_outlaw]

I’m using the lee c429-240 sac and 429-240-2r with 14g bluedot makes a nice crisp and accurate load in my SBH I’m going to work it down to a more gentle load but at 1400 it’s got some punch

[Walks]

Standard Load of 240-250gr SWC over 22grs of 2400.
Has always worked well for Me. From 4" to 8 3/8" bbl.

Outpost's medium load is very comfortable to shoot.
With Unique I like 9.5 -11grs.

Good Luck

[bmortell]

Standard Load of 240-250gr SWC over 22grs of 2400. has always worked well for me

not for me, I worked up to 21.5 in a SRH and that was the most pressure signs ive ever tested
current alliant max data
Minimum OAL(inches) 1.71
Bbl Length 7.5
Primer CCI 300
Powder 2400
Charge Weight grains) 20
Velocity fps 1,390

[Walks]

Remington Primers for Me.
I have a goodly supply of the old 2400 formula.

Used an old Ruger BH made prior to the SBH frame.
SBH, RH, SRH & M29 Revolvers and Desert Eagle .44Mag. Old Vaquero's and for a short time a Viginian Dragoon.

NEVER had a problem.

Each gun is a law unto it self.

Had a Weatherby Vanguard in .25-06 for about 43yrs or so. It shows pressure signs at 2grs below book max.

[Bill P.]

1300 fps 6" barrel with unique is getting pretty close to max if not a little over I'm guessing around 12-13 grains was your load. You should get better accuracy and higher velocity and less pressure with the 4227. My most accurate loads for the .44 magnum with a 240-250 gr SWC has been between 18-20 gr range with 2400. Lawdog941 is right you will get cleaner burn when pressure increases as you get closer to max charge.

[Todd N.]

4227 will work in the .44 Magnum but by no means is it a star performer. I'm willing to bet that your 22.9gr powder charge was just about a starting load, right? 4227 is a Magnum powder- it needs to be loaded to Magnum levels, not lightly. Undoubtedly your ES and SD was pretty large too. Hard to get good accuracy that way. If you're looking for a soft-shooting load, this powder will not get you there without issues.

Is there a velocity level you're trying to reach? Or are you just looking for accuracy regardless of speed? Unique, Herco, 2400, #9 and W296/H110 are all powders which are known for accuracy. With each of those you will be able to find accuracy AND the velocity you are looking for.

If you give us an idea of what type of load you're trying to develop then we can help you get there faster.

[44Blam]

Go with w296 or 2400 full or close to full power.

[oldsalt444]

4227 is a slow burner that can work well in the 44, BUT you need a hefty crimp and a magnum primer. It seems to be a normal condition to find some granules left in the barrel. It was originally designed for rifles like 30 M1, 22 Hornet, etc. Other posters here recommend some good loads. If your looking for full power try 296 or H110. They are the exact same powder.

[Tatume]

Nobody has mentioned the light bullets the OP uses. IMR 4227, W296 & H110 work best with heavier bullets, in my experience. Unique and 2400 are better for lighter weight bullets. My best 44 Rem Mag load with the Accurate Molds 43- 240K is a max charge of 2400. This load shoots a little over two MOA at 100 yards from my S&W PC 629.

[mtnman31]

The Unique load was 11.9 gr with 230gr bullet. The IMR 4227 load of 22.9 was closer to starting load. I had good Standard Deviation for the IMR load - it was under 10 across ten shots, but the grouping was still not nearly as good as with the Unique. I have already tried W-296 and got pretty poor groups with it. I use 296 exclusively for my 480 Ruger and get great performance. I have 2400 on hand and will try it next. I've got a half dozen molds for 44, so I can change it up if I can't get what I want out of this 230gr bullet. Thank you for the replys and help so far.

[mtnman31]

To answer Todd N, accuracy is always King for me. I want to keep velocities in the magnum range but don't necessarily need to have max velocity. Just want good accuracy and respectable velocity.

[Larry Gibson]

IMR and H4227 work well in the 44 magnum with 250+ gr cast bullets. Shot a lot of H4227 at 23 gr under a Lyman 429421. I used CCI LP magnum (CCI 350s) and that load burned pretty clean, cleaner than Hercules 2400 back then. I found 4227 to be to slow burning for lighter weight bullets.

[Todd N.]

To answer Todd N, accuracy is always King for me. I want to keep velocities in the magnum range but don't necessarily need to have max velocity. Just want good accuracy and respectable velocity.

The most accurate loads I have for my .41 and .44 Magnums as well as my 2 .454 Casulls all use top-end loads of H110 behind heavy-for-caliber bullets. Yes, they do produce noticeable recoil but after all, they are Magnums! LOL

If you do not prefer a heavy-recoiling load, I would recommend using your reloading books to get you into the 180-225 grain loads and a faster powder. Again, it comes down to the ultimate use of a given load- hunting, target practice, teaching, long-range shooting? A buddy of mine shoots the same gun. His "all-around" load uses .44 Special brass, 2400 powder, and a 290 gr LFN-GC. He calls it "The Planet Killer". Comfortable recoil, excellent accuracy, and on the 3 deer I've seen shot with it, Hammer Of Thor performance.

[rintinglen]

For over thirty years I used Elmer’s load of 22 grains of 2400 under a 429-421. In a Ruger Redhawk, I would still use that load. Nowadays, I use 20.5 grains. My Taurus and S&W M-29 are not as strong. (And my own abilities have declined as well).
I have used 4227, but I found no benefit to doing so. 4227 works better in 30 Carbine.

[Shuz]

One of my favorite. 44mag loads is 8.6g of Green Dot behind a Lyman 429421hp seated to an OAL of 1.710 and primed with a Rem.2-1/2.Accuracy is excellent. 5 shot groups of less than 1" from a Smith 629 Classic DX with a 4x Leupold EER scope. Velocity is 1000fps +-

[boatbum101]

If you're going with 4227 , a firm crimp , mag primer & within 1.0 to 0.5grs below max . 4227 will not give top velocities but when in it's preferred pressure range is quite accurate . In my 41 mag Henry a good crimp , Fed 155 primer & 0.5grs below max is very very good . RS Enforcer / Acc 4100 just a tad better with more velocity & 10 round group @ 100yds about a 1/2" smaller . As stated above tell us what you want to do & we'll help you get there . Personally I prefer heavier boolits , but everyone has their own ideas .

[Savvy Jack]

My bullets were a 230gr lead semi-wadcutter.

The 230gr bullet is lighter than the preferred 245gr Kieth bullet. The weight and load makes a big difference in powder burn. For the lighter 230gr and slower velocities.....2400, Unique or 231 may work best if a cleaner bore is desired. The 44 Magnum demands heavy bullets, a heavy crimp and magnum primers for Magnum slower burning powders. IMR-4227 is IMR's Magnum powder...which are actually slower burning rifle powders. Shooting the lighter bullets, maybe a lighter crimp and non magnum primers will leave unburned powder sometimes called "skeletons" in the bore.

Kieth's famous loads was supposed to be the #429421 245gr SWC with 20.6gr of 2400 @ 1,248fps from a 4" Universal Receiver with a 1-20 twist and 37,200cup.

Anything lighter and slower will need a faster burning Pistol Powder rather than a slower burning rifle powder for a cleaner burn.

This has been my argument when folks accuse me of trying to turn the 44-40 into a 44 Magnum without due process. Their ignorance is embarrassing! I get a lot of the unburned "skeletons" with the 44-40 because only 65% of the slower burning rifle powders are burned with only a 200gr-220gr bullet. Pistol powders are more "efficient" but slower burning rifle powders give me the lower pressures at higher velocities that I desire with that cartridge.

In a way, when a 44 Magnum is loaded with a lighter bullet at lower velocities...along with Outpost's reply...it is being loaded to 230gr-240gr 44-40 max loads but at higher pressures.

I think I am done editing now!!!!

[Norske]

Alliant changed 2400 powder a few years ago to make it burn more completely. As stated above, 20 grains of 2400 under a 240-250 grain bullet is the new pressure max.
2400 is the most accurate power in my SBH revolvers, even with a 300 gr cast bullet. It's also the most accurate in my Marlin 1894 with a jacketed bullet.

[megasupermagnum]

It sounds like you already met your goal. 1300 fps with a 230 grain bullet is no slouch. I've never found a correlation to slower powders always shooting better than faster powders, that sounds like an old wives tale. You have to accept some reduction in velocity, but I find great accuracy with Unique, 800x, and Bluedot. Bluedot shoots better than H110 75% of the time for me.

As for IMR 4227, I think you have a double whammy of a light bullet and a light powder charge. You are around the listed starting load. The problem I always find with 4227 is you can't fit enough in a magnum handgun case. Accuracy for me gets better and better as a go up until I can't even fully seat the bullet I'm compressing it so much. To give you an idea, about the ideal cartridge I have found for 4227 is the 357 maximum. That case has just enough room to fit all you need to get the pressure where it wants to be. That said, I have got good accuracy in 44 magnum with 4227, but I used heavier bullets, and a well compressed charge. H110 is a better powder.

[mtnman31]

I took a good look at my molds and have decided I will drop the 230gr bullet and focus my efforts on building a load around a copy of the H&G 503 bullet. I have a mold from one of the early MP runs and it casts perfect bullets. It is plain base and I can cast them in the solid or HP version. I loaded up a few recipes with this bullet (weighs 245gr lubed as hollow point) and I'll hit the range tomorrow. I've got some loads to test out using 2400 and IMR-4227. I also put a little heavier crimp on than I had with the previous loads. I do I have W296 on hand but will wait to try that as some of the load suggestions I've found specified magnum primers.

I've got a number of molds for 44 but realized that this is the only plain base mold in the bunch. All the rest are gas check designs.
Picture is what I'll be shooting.

https://i.postimg.cc/D0h1VNMQ/44-Mag-HPs.jpg (https://postimg.cc/478YVWZn)

[Savvy Jack]

Just loaded this video up on youtube for you. I made this video back around 2012ish


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUJgmQ-hNVY