.44 Special load??

[leadhead]

What would be a good "clean" load for a .44 special using a NOE 432 dia. 225 grain cast bullet?
I've been shooting unique loads of 7.5 grs. with this bullet and it is very dirty.
I'm getting a little leading about a half inch ahead of the forcing cone. I think the
unique load might be a little stiff, and I'm tired of the black oily mess this powder makes.
Any info would be great. Thanks.
leadhead.

[W.R.Buchanan]

6.0 gr of W231 is my go to Special load using a 240 gr Keith boolit. Also Powder Coating them which gets rid of any possibility of leading.

Randy

[44MAG#1]

I like 8.0 grains PowerPistol with a 250 "Keith" bullet. You may want to move up a couple or three tenths of a grain.
I use that load in 44 Special cases and in 44 Magnum cases with the OAL in both set at 1.560 inches. I also use that load with a 255 grain cast RNFP with a .300 inch meplat in both cases seated to the 44 Special OAL.
Shoots better than I can and recoil is fairly mild.
4.8 grains of Titegroup is nice and mild.

[Targa]

As long as I am getting consistent burn (no unburnt powder) I consider my dirty revolvers a good range day. I use Universal powder, it supposedly burns cleaner than Unique but I don’t know and really don’t care. If I find Unique available like I did when I got my Universal powder, I will use it without a second thought.

[gwpercle]

With your 225 grain NOE cast boolit try :
5.0 grains of any of the following powders: not knowing what you have or what's available to you .
Bullseye
Accurate #2
HP-38
W231
700X

Accurate #2 seems to be fairly clean burning (I'm still testing this one ) ... but any of the powders on the faster side of the burn rate should help .

My load choice with a 225 gr. cast & Unique would be 6.3 grs. @ 750 fps .
Gary

[riddleofsteel]

If you can find it...try N32c (Tinstar). Start with 6.5 grains and work up watching the chrono. When you get to 1050 or 1100 fps with a 240 grain cast bullet at around 9 to 15 Brinell stop.
For me it was 8 grains of N32c under a .431 Laser Cast RNFP. It almost completely fills the 44 Special case and produces just under 1100 fps out of a 5 inch barrel. Accuracy is fantastic and the best thing of all...no black soot, no smoke, and EASY clean up. I have almost stopped using Unique altogether.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[leadhead]

I've never heard of N32c..... Sounds like great powder but where do you find it?
What area are you from to find this? Thanks for all the info guys. I will try some
of the loads.
leadhead

[Dvdmacdaddy]

I use mostly Universal for 44sp.
245gr SWC
5.5gr Universal
730fps

Or

245gr SWC
6.8gr Universal
838fps

Titegroup is a good mild plinking load.
245 gr SWC
4.4gr TG
690FPS

Test gun S&W Model 69.

[Larry Gibson]

I've never heard of N32c..... Sounds like great powder but where do you find it?
What area are you from to find this? Thanks for all the info guys. I will try some
of the loads.
leadhead

It is VV N32C aka Tin Star.

Also a lot of the "very dirty" with cast bullets is from the lube used and not always from the powder.

[JoeJames]

A brief confession. After shooting several rounds of my lee non quenched tumble lubed cast bullets - Lee .430" 240 mold on top of 6.8 grains in my TC Contender 10" 44 Mag barrel, I happened to look down the barrel yesterday. Lord a'mercy, it looked like 8 miles of bad gravel road. I did not have a runaway, but I bided my time until I got to the office and got out the 44 Caliber bore snake. I will admit that until then my mind did idly consider maybe using the .431" 240 grain Oregon laser cast and factory lubed bullets, or perhaps re-tumble lubing my Lee cast again with additional Lee Liquid Alox.

Anyhow, three passes with the bore snake and all is moonlight and Magnolias once more ...whew! Like Larry said, maybe part from the LLA and part due to Unique. But I reckon I will stick with it anyhow. No actual leading, but was plumb dirty.

[racepres]

My Special loves Unique... Dirty Is as Dirty Does
but, I have had very good luck with Red Dot as well... Probably about 4 grains with that Boolit... as a Guess...YMMV

[Soundguy]

I shoot a home cast and pan lubed lrnfp over titegroup and love it.

[BC17A]

I really like Sport Pistol in 44 Spl, extremely accurate and clean. Last range trip I fired 60 or so rounds and was absolutely amazed at how clean my revolver was compared to every other powder I've run through it.

[TimD]

I've never heard of N32c..... Sounds like great powder but where do you find it?
What area are you from to find this? Thanks for all the info guys. I will try some
of the loads.
leadhead

Larry provided more information on Tin Star in this thread: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?387749-Pro-amp-Con-of-VIHTAVUORI-N32C-TIN-STAR-Powder

[white eagle]

I shoot alot of unique loads from my special
never have had a problem with black oily mess
however I also powder coat my boolit as well
try some 2400 as well a bit more horse power

[Pavia]

I’m currently limited to Auto Comp and IMR 4227. I’d like to develop a 44 Special brass load at 1000fps with a 240gr Hard Cast SWC (Keith style) for use in a S&W Model 29-3.

I’m trying to replicate the Skeeter load, but Unique is unobtainable right now. Any suggestions?

[44MAG#1]

Hodgdon has Auto Comp powder listed in their on line data on their website. For both 240 grain jacketed and 240 grain lead SWC for 44 Magnum. Also for 44 Special within SAAMI SPECS. data for 240 grain lead.
You have internet access.

[leadhead]

I have to use the 225 gr .432 dia NOE mold as that's what my cylinder measures. I tried the 240 gr Keith
bullets at .230 dia with terrible leading. When I went to the .232 bullet, the leading went away.
I think the unique load of 7.5 grains is pushing the 225 gr a bit to fast. I may try to back the unique load
down a notch or two.
leadhead

[Soundguy]

I’m currently limited to Auto Comp and IMR 4227. I’d like to develop a 44 Special brass load at 1000fps with a 240gr Hard Cast SWC (Keith style) for use in a S&W Model 29-3.

I’m trying to replicate the Skeeter load, but Unique is unobtainable right now. Any suggestions?

I love imr 4227.. just can't get any extra right now, and it's not a practical powder vs price for large case loads... titegroup goes a lot longer due to smaller charge weights.. on the other hand.. not real easy to double charge on imr 4227 either.. ;)

[Pavia]

Thanks. Yes, those loads top off at well below the 950 to 1000fps goal, due to the data being low pressure for older 44 Special firearms. The 4227 loadings published are especially anemic. Being a Model 29, higher velocities in the same case are no issue. I usually just go with the hotter loads using 7.5 or 8.0gr Unique, but I’m tapped out of that at the moment.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I shoot alot of unique loads from my special
never have had a problem with black oily mess
however I also powder coat my boolit as well
try some 2400 as well a bit more horse power

I'm with you on this. All of my shooting in my pre 29 S&W Nickel plated 44mag is with Unique powder. I shoot mostly 44 Special loads. I have several molds, Lyman 250 gr and 225 gr gc. and Lee 224 gr and 240 gr. They all like Unique. I don't mind the dirty and absolutely not greasey. Those of you that don't like Unique, just leaves more for me.