A sweet 44 Special +P load

[curioushooter]

This load is above SAAMI spec; it would be considered a Level II load (under 22kPSI). It is safe in a Blackhawk or a N-Frame S&W.

8.0 Grains of Unique pushing a 429421 cast of COWWs+2% Sn lubed with Carnuba Blue sized .431 (revolver throats measure .432).

No lead fouling...only a dusting of carbon fouling. I am using "new" Alliant Unique.

Absolutely stunning accuracy. I sat back against a tree and shot with my hands between my legs as depicted by Ted Keith in Sixguns. Put a cylinder full through the bull of a NRA 50-yard smallbore target at 50 paces, the group measuring about 2-3". This is the first time I've ever tried this position and it is a winner.

The load has already proven itself...it's basically the Skeeter load with a half grain more Unique (with improve the accuracy slightly for me). It chronos 1075 +/- 10 FPS from my 6.5" 624. It is not abusive in terms of recoil, but it is not a target load either. This is a real working load that I would think would be plenty for deer or anything smaller.

[ddixie884]

A lot of people used to shoot 8gr with 250gr bullets, back when there weren't as many powder choices.

[Thumbcocker]

A good load, a good gun, and that backrest position spells trouble for gallon jugs at 200.

[onelight]

I bet there are several here that saw that shooting position the first time in Six Guns . I got that book in the 70s and learned so much from it . I was on my own for the most part I knew no one that cast or reloaded or even shot handguns often. Six Guns should be in all our library's it's entertaining and full of great information . Its an opportunity to sit listen and learn from one of the pioneers of modern hand gunning .

[JoeJames]

I bet there are several here that saw that shooting position the first time in Six Guns . I got that book in the 70s and learned so much from it . I was on my own for the most part I knew no one that cast or reloaded or even shot handguns often. Six Guns should be in all our library's it's entertaining and full of great information . Its an opportunity to sit listen and learn from one of the pioneers of modern hand gunning .Excellent book. I really liked the penetration tests he did with the 44 Special, the 45-70, 30-40 Krag, and 30-06. Eye opener to me.

[Loudenboomer]

Been using that exact load in my 629 Smith. Accurate. A little sooty in the Magnum case though.

[bluejay75]

Been using that exact load in my 629 Smith. Accurate. A little sooty in the Magnum case though.

Go a little deeper with the boolit and the sooting goes away. Crimp ON the first driving band.

[Petrol & Powder]

The +P 44 Special - :smile:
In an appropriate gun it is a wonderful thing !

[winelover]

Been using that improvised rest since I started using handguns for deer, in the 80's. Took my first, seated in one of those short legged beach chairs, where your butt is about one inch off the ground. Never read the book Sixguns.

Winelover

[curioushooter]

So everyone knows what we're talking about if a tree or something like it is available, the first position is about as good as it gets for deer hunting at shorter ranges with revolver. I've long used shooting sticks with my contender but this is almost as good really.

258800

And if no tree is available, this position works, but is far less stable.

258801

These two pictures really have all you need to know about pratical handgun hunting shooting positions. I've tried many that use trees in a standing position. These are useful for stalk-type hunting, which I sometimes employ. But usually I still hunt, sitting on the ground as the public lands where I live make it big hassle to use stands. When deer hunting this way it is almost natural to recline against the tree...and a big rifle or shotgun can be pretty awkward.

[curioushooter]

Regarding the excellence of the heavy 44 special load, I began to think that it isn't magic or something. It is a large bore with a generous case at moderate pressure that makes this work so well. The reason why Keith used 44 Special instead of 45 Long Colt is one of expedience. No revolver in his era was built heavily/large enough to handle heavy 45 colt loads while the N-frame Smiths, with their thicker chamber walls in a smaller calibers (.357 & .429), could handle higher pressure loads. I'd imagine that if the Ruger Blackhawk had existed in the 1920s that Keith would have ushered into existence heavy 45 Colt loads instead. One of the objections I have to the 45 Colt is the wimpy rim it has...I think a consequence of it being designed around a revolver using a plunger type ejector rather than a star type (the 44 special/russian was designed around a star-ejecting revolver so it has a nice beefy rim). It's sort of odd but my experience with the 44 Special has turned me onto the 45 Blackhawk (years ago I sold my 44 mag super blackhawk due to the ridiculous recoil), and the blackhawk doesn't have the rim problem, and I have since recovered from magnimitus realizing that there is no need to push things as fast as possible.

[curioushooter]

Been using that exact load in my 629 Smith. Accurate. A little sooty in the Magnum case though.

This is one of the reasons I opted for the 624. It is also lighter and cheaper (since the typical non-reloader person wants the more common 44 mag). I also don't like crud rings. And being a 624 I will not experience a flare up of magnumits.

One very consistent obersvation I've made is that ideally powder should fill up as much of the space as possible. Some powders will manage without this...Tightgroup for example...but almost every other is optimal at 90%+ case fill. Unique is about the only powder bulky/slow enough to work in a revolver case that isn't in the very-slow "magnum" class powders.

I've tried 2400 in the heavy 44 special, but not the full powdered 17 grain load that Keith called for. I have so far been unimpressed by both accuracy and power. It gets 100-150 FPS more than Unique with a whole lot more blast and recoil as well. It will get you to the target 1200 FPS (actually I was able to do this with only 16 grains), but does it really make a difference?

Out to 75 yards, about the practical limit for deer with an iron sighted revolver under typical deer hunting conditions, I think it will make little difference.

The BC of the 429421 is ~.2. Starting at 1200FPS will result in it going around 1040 by 100 yards. Start at 1100 FPS and you are going about 970 FPS. The drop is about one inch and half difference at that range, and fractions of an inch at 75 yards. In both cases the bullet will not expand and will probably penetrate through a whitetail...even if Texas Heart Shot. The extra 100 FPS comes at the price of twice the powder charge and more blast and recoil and in my case noticeably less accuracy.

The full powered Keith load (17 gr 2400 push 429421)

258804

The improved Skeeter load (8 grains Unique push 429421)

258805

[Walks]

Always used 7.5grs Unique, going to 8.0 or 8.5grs opened up groups in both My M624 & New Frontier.
But going to .44Mag loads I found 9.5grs gave Very Good Accuracy.
Bullet didn't seem to matter. Either the RCBS 44-250-K or the Lyman #429421 worked just fine.

[curioushooter]

It's funny like that. I tried the 7.5, 8, and 8.5 loading. The accuracy seemed better at 8 in my 624, but hardly. It was about 50 FPS faster.

[softpoint]

I own and like my 2 .44 Specials, I use the 429421 bullet and 8 grains of power pistol powder in both. I have other calibers if I want to go hotter. Regarding the .45 caliber guns, I like the ACP or AR case loaded with a 255 grain SWC to around 1000 fps is also about as good as it gets, and it's very efficient with the short brass. The 625 usually gets the AR brass, and the Blackhawk can use the acp or the ar brass as I have had it modified to handle the Auto Rim. I don't normally like to mess with the moon clips in a "woods" gun, so I always use the AR brass in the Smith

[gunstockmaker]

Used 8 gr. Unique for ever in my Specials. Kills deer like a 44 mag with 10 gr Unique. I shoot a Ruger Bisley 4 5/8 and 8 gr. with a 240 hard cast.

[GSSP]

A twist on the Skeeter 8 gr Unique load. In my 4-5/8" Flattop Bisley I run a 255 gr LBT WFN PB over 8.5 gr of Alliant 20/28 in Starline cases capped with CCI 300 primers. I get 1056 fps, 29 ES and 13 SD with 1.25" 25 yd 5-shot groups. I'm sure they would be tighter if my 61 yr old eyes worked better. The AL 20/28 powder can use Unique data.
260186

[DanLee]

The AL 20/28 powder can use Unique data.
260186

The burning rates are identical, but 20/28 is more dense and occupies less space. Alliant developed it because the new Winchester 28-gauge HS hull was initially shorter than the CF hull and crimping was a problem with the normal 13 grains of Unique under 3/4 oz of shot. I have thought about using 20/28 in the .44 Special, but my normal shot charge in the 28 gauge is 5/8 oz so I never had to resort to a more dense powder.

[Rodfac]

I sat back against a tree and shot with my hands between my legs as depicted by Ted Keith in Sixguns. Yep that's the ticket. I've used that position since '62 when I first read Keith's Sixguns. Over the years, it's how I evaluate loads I'm working up. It's tough on the insides of your jeans, but I shoot better from that position than I do off sandbags on a bench. One benefit, at least for me, is that any zero I've established using the back rest and knees position holds true for my two-handed Weaver Stance position...ie. it gives me a dead on zero for hunting or general woods loafing. YMMv, Rod

[RJM52]

Another backrest shooter here... One of the items I found that is real handy when there is nothing to lean against is one of the ground chairs... CRAZY CREEK made the first ones but a lot of companies now make them.

This one is from Wiggy's...I have one and it is excellent...

https://www.wiggys.com/accessories/camp-and-stadium-chair/



The Original...

https://www.crazycreek.com/


Bob

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Just loaded 25 of of those 8 gr. under a 250k boolit. Hardball alloy. Will report.

[Shuz]

Some 25 years ago I used that back rest position under a fir tree to shoot 5 shots at a decent buck that turned out to be 124 steps away. The wind was in my favor and I was somewhat concealed by the low hanging branches of the tree so the buck had no idea where that noise was coming from! I was aiming for his neck, which is not a large target, but on the fifth shot I finally connected.

[MT Gianni]

Try taking a bungee cord around your knees and resting the bbl on that from a back rest.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Say, that is a sweet load. Tried 18 rounds of it today out of my 5.5" Flat top bisley. Got about 1030 fps. and pleasing off hand accuracy. Not at all punishing to shoot either. I may make it my go to load for that gun.