44 Mag Load Check

[brasshog]

Looking at the Lyman 48th I worked up a useable load for my 245.7gr cast hollow point using the H110 data. Accuracy is outstanding at 25yds making four rounds into 1 9/16" four shot group and all five shots within a four inch group at 50 yds with my current load of 24.2gr of W296 in my S&W Model 69. For reference all 25 yard groups had the first shot as a low right flier from shooter error hence the four shot groups.

The issue is that I went to log the load into my GRT program and it throw flags saying that 24.0gr is over pressure. I had initially developed this load before starting to use the GRT program. I have had no issues with the primers, case extraction, etc even at the top tested load of 24.5gr (I always stay below printed max at first). I've learned to trust the GRT program so it has me wondering what's up. Any ideas ?

Projectile from MP mold 432-256 plain base
Alloy-94-3-3
BHN of 10-11
Lube-Bens Red
Bullet Sized To .430
Seated to maximum length of 1.710 (corrected)
Solid crimp
Powder-W296
Charge-24.2gr
Case-Remington
Primer initial seating Depth-.014"
Current primer depth after firing-.016"
Primer-CCI Large Pistol Magnum
314848

25 yards
314849

314850

314855

314854

[mehavey]

1. Is extraction sticky ?
2. How long is the bullet ?

[Bazoo]

https://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/36225/mag-keith-250-h110-w296 There is some information here that I find useful when working up keith bullets with 296.

[brasshog]

@mehavey-Extraction is not sticky and the projectile is .7710 long

@Bazoo-Ty

I thought that since perhaps the time frame from when the lyman 48th came out in 2002 and the 2020 GRT powder update that perhaps a change in powder had happened and might be the cause of the irregular information so I just wanted to check with others before proceeding.

[mehavey]

Matching parameters and with default powder/volume specs.
Quickload does return ~38ksi (roughly 2,000 over max)

But if not sticky -- not over-stressing the cylinder.
(Lawyerspeak: YMMV)


.

[justindad]

GRT is not very reliable. I’ve seen pressures and velocities off by a factor of 2X for some book loads, but then correct for other book loads.

[405grain]

Double check the bullet seating depth on your load on GRT. Measure from the base of your bullet to the crimping groove and see if the numbers on GRT match up with reality. If there's a difference don't just adjust the loading depth on the reloading data page, but edit that depth on the bullets specifications page too. If the seating depth is wrong it will have a big effect on pressure. I shoot a 4" barrel S&W model 629 and 24.0 grains of H110 is my maximum load with an RCBS 44-245-SWC, but I don't shoot full on magnum loads very often.

[brasshog]

@405grain-Good call man. My GRT default setting was at .4462 and the actual crimp groove is at .365. Here are the results from GRT now.
314856

[Thumbcocker]

296/h110 is good stuff. I found my happy place with 22 grains and a standard primer with a similar weight boolit.

[mehavey]

BrassHog

with...
- Bullet length of 0.770",
- Stated OAL of 1.610"
- Nominal empty case length of 1.275" . . .

Your shank seating depth inside the case is 0.435"

[brasshog]

@mehavey-I just got back from the range today and didn't get a chance to update the above information before I left.

I seated the boolit at the max seating depth (top of crimp groove) this morning. The COAL is longer than the normal 1.610" for jwords and is 1.6870" when seated fully with this boolit. That was an error that I have now corrected (was a default setting). It is still well below the rim of the cylinder. The Lyman 48th lists the max coal for this style of projectile at 1.710. I fired five rounds with great accuracy and had zero signs of overpressure. I have no desire to push this boolit any faster even though I did not have any issues at 24.5gr when I initially fired the test string last month. There was no excessive leading noted either from today or the earlier string of fifty rounds (ten five shot groups in increments).

314888

[mehavey]

With that new/longer OAL, QL says you don't even break 30,000psi.
(a good thing, given they apparently shoot well)
:bigsmyl2:

[brasshog]

@mehavey- Thanks for checking for me. I don't have QL atm.

I was able to make a five shot 3 3/8" group today at fifty yards using 240gr XTP's for my jword load. Now that I have both a cast and jword loads for the pistol I feel much better about it. I didn't post the jword data on the site since it's a cast forum but here's a pic.
314907

[44MAG#1]

I have shot both versions of the H&G 503's and the Lyman 429421 with 25 Gr H110 quite a bit and no problems.
CCI 350 Mag primers and Also standard primers too.

[Bazoo]

Has anyone shot H110/W296 and the Keith bullet, but using a bullet of 260 grains? My RCBS 44-250-K weighs 262, and I'm wondering if 25.0 grains of W296 is still a good max, or if I should consider 24.0 or 24.5 the max because of the increased weight.

[44MAG#1]

Has anyone shot H110/W296 and the Keith bullet, but using a bullet of 260 grains? My RCBS 44-250-K weighs 262, and I'm wondering if 25.0 grains of W296 is still a good max, or if I should consider 24.0 or 24.5 the max because of the increased weight.

I wouldn't be afraid to use 25.0 grains of H110/W296. If you are afraid couldn't you start at 24 and work up? Shouldn't be hard to do.