44 mag with 2400 under a 240 gr swc

[Fisherboo1]

I've been loading my 44 nag with 20gr 2400 with a 240 grain cast swc. it seem like a hot load. I cut it down to 17gr and the cases were stuck in the cylinder of my ruger super Blackhawk. tapped out with wooden dowel... loaded my 20 gr that I have been shooting and they are sticking in cylinder too. any suggestions. The 17gr ones also seemed like more recoil too! shot the 12 and was done. 2 in my 1894 also stuck...
I only loaded 2

[Dusty Bannister]

Are you using Hornady brass?

[stubshaft]

I've shot 22.0 grs. 2400 under a 240 grain bullet in my Ruger SBH since 1978 with no problems, and 24.0 under the same bullet for my 94 Trapper. I can't imagine what is causing your problems. Maybe the brass is too soft?

[Castaway]

When’s the last time you cleaned the cylinder? 20 grains is at the upper end but not excessive What do your primers look like?

[Three44s]

Dirty chamber?

Three44s

[racepres]

Been to 21 gr without any problem... tho my notes indicate 19.5 was much more accurate..

[Fisherboo1]

Dirty chamber?

Three44s
no sir, just cleaned

[Fisherboo1]

that's what I was thinking too...how dies it go soft on 2 reloads

[racepres]

Sittin here thinkin... what are the throats measuring? or, how do the boolits pass thru them..
Reason??
I have a Pork Chop Dan Wesson, that will Not tolerate Boolits even a Bit larger than Throat diameter... maybe because the Chambers are apparrently "matched" to the smaller Throats... ie too large projectile chambers with some little Effort (plunk test preferred here) and extraction is out of proportion difficult... .001 less boolit diameter= everything is the Berries..
Might be worth a Try...Just because...

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Rough finish on the chambers?

[Fisherboo1]

no sir, I'll scrub the cylinder really well...have shot a bunch of 20 gainers with no issues. funny how they are now sticking/swelling in cylinder.

[racepres]

no sir, I'll scrub the cylinder really well...have shot a bunch of 20 gainers with no issues. funny how they are now sticking/swelling in cylinder.

Easy enough to "try" a cylinder full of a touch smaller size boolit!!!
Brought that Particular Dan Wesson from Frustrating, to Barrels of Fun!!!

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

That's not too hot of a load. Was the brass "squeaky clean"? Like cleaned with something that removed all sizing lube and/or dry polishing media? Brass cleaned in a wet tumbler with SS pins needs lubed before resizing in a carbide sizing die. Brass cleaned in dry media does not. That tad bit of "dust" makes a difference. Same can happen with a loaded round. I cleaned some that had bullet lube on the cases with gasoline once. That brass as more difficult to extract. Might be, you never know. BTW, after cleaning my revolver cylinders (and barrel), I always leave a film of gun oil followed by a dry patch. Just another idea.

[agcannon]

I just started using 2400 in my sbh, low on unique, about 15 lbs of 2400. 9 grains unique was my go to, 429421 sized at .4315. no problems switching to 18 grains 2400 and magnum primers. 18 grains is what I use in most of my milsurp rifles, and I have a lot of lp mag primers. no issues with the 2400, my boolits weigh 250 + Hotter than the 9 grains unique, but it works.

I dropped my unique charge down to 8.5 when I got my birdshead vaquero. lp mag primers 1075 fps in my 7.5" sbh.
1275 fps with 18 grains 2400. 1520 fps in my winchester trapper, 16" no issues with that either. Been using the same 300 winchester brass for 15 years or so. sounds like probably a brass issue

[derek45]

22gr doesn't stick in my SBH

https://i.imgur.com/zuzwgAP.jpg

[fredj338]

I’ve gone down to 18gr, shoot great, cases almost fall out. If i want lower vel, than that, its Unique.

[Sasquatch-1]

Have you shot a lot of 44 spl loads through the gun? You may have cut a ring in the cylinder that the brass is sticking to. I have a SBH I have had since 1974. I have fired many rounds of 21 grains of 2400 under a 240 grain bullet and never a problem.

If you have a dental pick, try lightly dragging it along the walls of the cylinder and see if it catches.

[Fisherboo1]

no I havent...maybe 20 rds 44 special. dud run the pick and nothing. I'm thinking bad brass

[jim 44-40]

Not using magnum primers right?

[Fisherboo1]

nope

[Chena]

I had a Super Blackhawk with two sticky chambers. If I recall correctly a light polishing of the affected chambers by a local gunsmith cleared up the problem. I love Ruger handguns but they are a little rough on the inside and can have teething problems.

[Ia.redneck]

Have you verified your powder scale with check weights?

[Larry Gibson]

Have you verified your powder scale with check weights?

That would be my suggestion. Sticking in two different firearms is a strong indicator the problem is with the ammunition.

[nvbirdman]

Do the cases with the lighter load come out dirty? That would mean you are getting crap between the case and the cylinder wall and that is causing the cases to stick.

[Castaway]

Again, what do the primers look like?

[AlaskaMike]

Definitely agree on verifying your scale with check weights. If you don't have them, you can get them MidwayUSA and others fairly cheaply. Definitely a required item for handloading.

Also agree on checking the appearance of the primers. Are they still rounded at the edge, or are they ironed flat? Does the firing pin dimple have a raised edge and look like a crater?

One other important thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet, does commercial ammo have the same problem with the cases sticking?

[racepres]

^^^ a Dime has always been ~35 gr...
good enough for detecting wayyy outta wack...which this would have to be...

[Fisherboo1]

OK guys, Thanks for all your help. It came down to my powder dispenser, and digital scale. It was reading 17gr when in actuallity it was 26.2. We fixed the issue! Using a new Digital and a. beam to verifyI know why cases were sticking....LOL

[Sasquatch-1]

That could have been disastrous. I have never used a digital scale for powder. Only a beam scale and check weights. Glad you are OK.

[racepres]

That could have been disastrous. I have never used a digital scale for powder. Only a beam scale and check weights. Glad you are OK.

I keep a dime by the Scale!!!

[JoeJames]

That would be my suggestion. Sticking in two different firearms is a strong indicator the problem is with the ammunition.

Not 44's, but 38 Specials here. I loaded up some Lee 356 158 grain rounds in an assortment of cases. I noticed they were sticking a bit when chambered, and after firing were more difficult to extract than normal in my S&W Model 67. I went back and used a heavier crimp on the remaining rounds, and then tried a "plunk" test with the rounds I had re-crimped. Further, those that passed were not hard to extract either. A few 38 Special cases head stamped WCC still would not pass the "plunk test".

I'd suggest you try and re-crimp a few rounds and see if they then passed the "plunk" test.

[gwpercle]

OK guys, Thanks for all your help. It came down to my powder dispenser, and digital scale. It was reading 17gr when in actuallity it was 26.2. We fixed the issue! Using a new Digital and a. beam to verifyI know why cases were sticking....LOL

26.2 grs . of 2400 ...:holysheep .
some call that hot ... I recently bought a digital scale but after playing with it for awhile I'm not going to use it ... I just don't trust it 100% like my RCBS 5-0-5 .
The thing acts squirrely at times .
Gary

[JoeJames]

OK guys, Thanks for all your help. It came down to my powder dispenser, and digital scale. It was reading 17gr when in actuallity it was 26.2. We fixed the issue! Using a new Digital and a. beam to verifyI know why cases were sticking....LOLElmer Keith would say 17 grains was kindly hot, but 26.2 is way on up there.

[lead4me]

Elmer Keith would say 17 grains was kindly hot, but 26.2 is way on up there.

If his scale was reading over 26gn for a 17gn load. He stated that his loads were 21gn's that would mean he was running over 30gn of 2400 under that 240gn keith. Just measured up 30gn of 2400 and it fills the case up level to the top. Even 26.5gn's would be hard to seat that bullet to depth.

[Larry Gibson]

Very dangerous indeed is 26.2 gr of 2400 under a 240 gr bullet. Good thing you were shooting a Ruger BH and not a S&W.

In the 44 magnum 22 gr of 2400 will give a psi just under the SAAMI MAP of 36,000 psi with a 240 gr cast bullet. Very close to that MAP with a 255 gr cast. I suspect a load of 26.2 gr would be at or above proof level psi's.

If you weighed those bullets on that digital scale are you sure they weighed 240 gr?

[fredj338]

OK guys, Thanks for all your help. It came down to my powder dispenser, and digital scale. It was reading 17gr when in actuallity it was 26.2. We fixed the issue! Using a new Digital and a. beam to verifyI know why cases were sticking....LOL
I periodically check my dillon dig scale with check wts. Its your first place to look when your load seems off.

[derek45]

OK guys, Thanks for all your help. It came down to my powder dispenser, and digital scale. It was reading 17gr when in actuallity it was 26.2. We fixed the issue! Using a new Digital and a. beam to verifyI know why cases were sticking....LOL


WOW

I always knew my Ruger SBH was tough, but Damn.

[racepres]

I keep a dime by the Scale!!!
Keep it simple....

[justindad]

My Lyman beam scale acted up on me one time. I can’t remember why… might have been the damping magnet moved out of position. I use check weights every time I load, even with beam scales.

[derek45]

I keep a hornady 55gr rifle bullet next to my scale

[Sasquatch-1]

I load pistol cals. only. I use the RCBS check weights to set the scale every time I use it. I don't use the marking on the scale at all anymore.

[jdgabbard]

Dang, 26grs is a huge difference! And a red hot load at that!!! Glad you still have all of your digits. Sounds like you owe the QC guy that check that gun a beer!!!

[ROCKET]

Be glad that Blackhawk help up otherwise you might be missing some digits.

Like others have said, verify your loads using a mechanical scale like the 505..


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