Powder for 44 Special and Mag Cast Boolits

[Scrumbag]

Hi folks,

I'm looking for an easy metering powder for 44 Special and 44 mag with 200gr and 240gr RNFP cast boolits.

I have had some good luck with Unique but I'd like a powder that goes through a thrower better so I'm guessing a ball powder.

I'm looking for something nice and soft shooting.

Best wishes,

Scrummy

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

titegroup

[Thumbcocker]

Power pistol

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[clintsfolly]

HS-6 works great!

[Mal Paso]

What barrel length, type of gun?

I shoot a lot of Alliant 2400 in 4-6 inch revolvers close to max load and N350 where I get complaints about tearing up metal targets.

[mdi]

I have never allowed "hard metering" to stop me from using a powder that has a good performance factor in any of my handgun handloads. I have been reloading for my 5, 44 Magnums since '88 and have used;
Bullseye*
W231*
Unique*
Universal*
BR-5
800X
Blue Dot*
AA #9
2400*
H110/W296
WC 820*
(There are probably a few more but I don't have my log here)

Offhand, I don't remember which powders are "easier" to measure, but I do know which powders work well in my cast 44 Special and 44 Magnum loads, indicated by *. I am in no hurry and if a powder works well I don't mind if it takes me 30 seconds "longer" to charge the round...

[robg]

2400 and true blue .both meter well .

[buckwheatpaul]

I'm an old guy....and Unique and 2400 has served me well for 50+ years!

[parson48]

In lighter loads my vote goes for 231. I shoot 6 grains of in in my .44 mag Rossi lever gun. A joy to shoot and fairly accurate.

[Scrumbag]

I have never allowed "hard metering" to stop me from using a powder that has a good performance factor in any of my handgun handloads. I have been reloading for my 5, 44 Magnums since '88 and have used;
Bullseye*
W231*
Unique*
Universal*
BR-5
800X
Blue Dot*
AA #9
2400*
H110/W296
WC 820*
(There are probably a few more but I don't have my log here)

Offhand, I don't remember which powders are "easier" to measure, but I do know which powders work well in my cast 44 Special and 44 Magnum loads, indicated by *. I am in no hurry and if a powder works well I don't mind if it takes me 30 seconds "longer" to charge the round...

I hear you there, it's just I've been rather spoiled with Ramshot TAC and H110 which I found have done very well for me with a powder thrower

(For my bottle neck cartridges I tend to reload N150,N160 and RS70 and they do not throw conistently at all)

Scrummy

[Scrumbag]

I'm an old guy....and Unique and 2400 has served me well for 50+ years!

I get it. I quite like unique but I might have to face the fact I might need to buy more powder soon and if so, Unique might not be available and if so I want to find something that works and is easy to throw ;)

(I'm lazy like that ;) )

[Scrumbag]

What barrel length, type of gun?

I shoot a lot of Alliant 2400 in 4-6 inch revolvers close to max load and N350 where I get complaints about tearing up metal targets.

This is for a 20" bbl 44 mag lever action on indoor ranges.

Hence wanting "something nice and soft shooting" (Think 2400, H110 / W296, N110, Enforcer etc are not really what I am looking for).

Scrummy

[Jim22]

Be a little careful with spherical powders. Because of the coatings the powder factory applies to control burn rate they tend to be more difficult to ignite. In your pistol cases this may not be an issue but if you start to notice bullet holes in targets that are strung vertically rather than being roughly circular you might try a hotter primer. I have had that happen in a .357 MAX rifle and fixed it with small rifle magnum primers.

[Scrumbag]

Be a little careful with spherical powders. Because of the coatings the powder factory applies to control burn rate they tend to be more difficult to ignite. In your pistol cases this may not be an issue but if you start to notice bullet holes in targets that are strung vertically rather than being roughly circular you might try a hotter primer. I have had that happen in a .357 MAX rifle and fixed it with small rifle magnum primers.

Thanks Jim,

Fortunately I have some Large Pistol and Magnum Large Pistol primers to hand so can try both.

[mehavey]

If you have access to it....
"Soft" shooting
Easy to measure
Extremely efficient/consistent internal ballistics

Cartridge : .44 Rem. Mag. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .432, 240, FN_PB AccurateMolds(30:1)
Useable Case Capaci: 27.250 grain H2O = 1.769 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 1.610 inch = 40.89 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm


Type Wt (gr) fill (%) vel (fps) Pmax (psi) Burn (%)
Vihtavuori N110 21.0 99 1,673 25,000 95

Your mileage may vary, so start lower.
V-N110 ignites w/ regulars primers, and doesn't mind reasonable underloading

[44magLeo]

In my 44 lever gun Special cases give me trouble. Unless I use boolits that have a longer nose or seat the boolits out more they end up too short and jam. Such as most 200 gr RNFP's. Even in a mag case they give me trouble. They allow thenext caryridge in the tibe to protrude enough so the lifter hits the hext cartridge, this is what causes the jams.
The longer boolits like the Lyman 429421 works well. as does NOE's version of Ranch Dogs 265 gr RNFP.
Your rifle my work fine with them.
On powders I have fou Unique to work well. Any variation in powder charges don't effect accuracy enough to worry about.
7.5 grs in a special case behind the 429421 is a nice load. Same boolit in the mag case 8.5 grs works well.
I've just started plying around with tight group but not enough to say much about it. Mostly target loads with wadcutters in my 357 revolver.
Leo

[Iwsbull]

I like many of the powders listed but I run a lot of True Blue, HS6 and Longshot. Look up Brian Pearce’s articles on the .44 special and he gives a slew of choices.

[Scrumbag]

If you have access to it....
"Soft" shooting
Easy to measure
Extremely efficient/consistent internal ballistics

Cartridge : .44 Rem. Mag. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .432, 240, FN_PB AccurateMolds(30:1)
Useable Case Capaci: 27.250 grain H2O = 1.769 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 1.610 inch = 40.89 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm


Type Wt (gr) fill (%) vel (fps) Pmax (psi) Burn (%)
Vihtavuori N110 21.0 99 1,673 25,000 95

Your mileage may vary, so start lower.
V-N110 ignites w/ regulars primers, and doesn't mind reasonable underloading

Interesting stuff, thanks

[onelight]

Alliant BE-86 flows well in PM . It has been described as a flash suppressed power pistol.
Close to Unique on the burn rate charts.

[Scrumbag]

In my 44 lever gun Special cases give me trouble. Unless I use boolits that have a longer nose or seat the boolits out more they end up too short and jam. Such as most 200 gr RNFP's. Even in a mag case they give me trouble. They allow thenext caryridge in the tibe to protrude enough so the lifter hits the hext cartridge, this is what causes the jams.
The longer boolits like the Lyman 429421 works well. as does NOE's version of Ranch Dogs 265 gr RNFP.
Your rifle my work fine with them.
On powders I have fou Unique to work well. Any variation in powder charges don't effect accuracy enough to worry about.
7.5 grs in a special case behind the 429421 is a nice load. Same boolit in the mag case 8.5 grs works well.
I've just started plying around with tight group but not enough to say much about it. Mostly target loads with wadcutters in my 357 revolver.
Leo


In my 44 lever gun Special cases give me trouble. Unless I use boolits that have a longer nose or seat the boolits out more they end up too short and jam. Such as most 200 gr RNFP's. Even in a mag case they give me trouble. They allow thenext caryridge in the tibe to protrude enough so the lifter hits the hext cartridge, this is what causes the jams.
The longer boolits like the Lyman 429421 works well. as does NOE's version of Ranch Dogs 265 gr RNFP.
Your rifle my work fine with them.
On powders I have fou Unique to work well. Any variation in powder charges don't effect accuracy enough to worry about.
7.5 grs in a special case behind the 429421 is a nice load. Same boolit in the mag case 8.5 grs works well.
I've just started plying around with tight group but not enough to say much about it. Mostly target loads with wadcutters in my 357 revolver.
Leo


Thanks Leo. I have run some 200 gr RNFP factory magtech “cowboy” loads through the rifle with no problems.

Unique does seem to work well, just a bugger to throw consistently

Scrummy

[Scrumbag]

Alliant BE-86 flows well in PM . It has been described as a flash suppressed power pistol.
Close to Unique on the burn rate charts.

Thanks, I shall have a look

[Forrest r]

Hard to beat 6gr to 6.5gr of clays with 200gr to 250gr bullets in the 44mag cases.

Same with 6gr to 7 gr of bullseye

[Kosh75287]

BE-86, Accurate #5.

[JoeJames]

In my 44 lever gun Special cases give me trouble. Unless I use boolits that have a longer nose or seat the boolits out more they end up too short and jam. Such as most 200 gr RNFP's. Even in a mag case they give me trouble. They allow thenext caryridge in the tibe to protrude enough so the lifter hits the hext cartridge, this is what causes the jams.
The longer boolits like the Lyman 429421 works well. as does NOE's version of Ranch Dogs 265 gr RNFP.
Your rifle my work fine with them.
On powders I have fou Unique to work well. Any variation in powder charges don't effect accuracy enough to worry about.
7.5 grs in a special case behind the 429421 is a nice load. Same boolit in the mag case 8.5 grs works well.
I've just started plying around with tight group but not enough to say much about it. Mostly target loads with wadcutters in my 357 revolver.
LeoI had the same feeding trouble with my Rossi R92. Just gave up and loaded 44 Magnums. But I may try 429421 boolits in Special cases. Thanks.

[WALLNUTT]

I also vote HS6.

[ubetcha]

Be a little careful with spherical powders. Because of the coatings the powder factory applies to control burn rate they tend to be more difficult to ignite. In your pistol cases this may not be an issue but if you start to notice bullet holes in targets that are strung vertically rather than being roughly circular you might try a hotter primer. I have had that happen in a .357 MAX rifle and fixed it with small rifle magnum primers.

The primers that are recommended for the 357Max is small magnum rifle primers due to the high pressures

[Scrumbag]

Lots of great suggestions folks, thank you for this.

I will see what local stockists usually carry.

Scrummy

[Old School Big Bore]

Scrummy - Universal is not far off from Unique (see what they did with the name?) in terms of burning rate, hodgdon sez 6.5-10 gr under a 240 in .44 Mag, and is a more compact grain size. It's worked pretty well for me in Skeeter-ish loads in .44 Spl/Mag, .41 Mag and .45 ACP/AR/LC and I'm about to experiment with it in heavy boolit/subsonic AR9. It meters a lot more smoothly than Unique; you might wanna try it.
Ed <><

[Scrumbag]

Scrummy - Universal is not far off from Unique (see what they did with the name?) in terms of burning rate, hodgdon sez 6.5-10 gr under a 240 in .44 Mag, and is a more compact grain size. It's worked pretty well for me in Skeeter-ish loads in .44 Spl/Mag, .41 Mag and .45 ACP/AR/LC and I'm about to experiment with it in heavy boolit/subsonic AR9. It meters a lot more smoothly than Unique; you might wanna try it.
Ed <><

That's good to know, thanks!