Looking for accurate 44 Mag loads.

[hylander]

Got a new Super Blackhawk coming.
Looking for accurate light to medium loads with 240 - 260 cast in 44 Mag brass.
I know, what's accurate in yours might not be accurate in mine. But just looking for a place to start instead of randomly picking something out if a reloading book.
Thanks

[farmbif]

I know there are lots of 296/h110 fans out there but just in general ive found 4227 to do pretty good in the accuracy dept even though it isn't the cleanest burning powder. but accuracy has a lot to do with your particular gun, bullet design and cast bullet sizing to the barrel and working up loads with different powders to see what works best for you. these days most of my 44 mag and special gets loaded with 300mp and BE86 just because ive got lots of it and I really like that BE86 for all sorts of handgun rounds.
but there are probably dozens of powders that will work perfectly well. ive probably got and tried most of them and why to use one over another? who knows? maybe the colors on the packaging or what someone else has said or written. if I run out of one ive got plenty of something else

[black mamba]

Using a commercial coated 240 SWC I've had great accuracy with the following loads, all well below maximum for the 44 mag:
8.5 gr of Herco @ 975 fps
8.5 gr of N330 @ 1,000 fps
9.5 gr of N340 @ 1,050 fps
10.4 gr of Longshot @ 1,125 fps

[Tatume]

My most accurate 44 Magnum load uses an Accurate Molds 43-240K bullet and the max load of 2400 in the Alliant online load manual.

https://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-240K

https://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/default.aspx

[cowboy4evr]

Light to medium accurate loads ? Light examples ---- 5.0 bullseye , 700x , Red dot , titegroup . Medium ---- 8,5 grs of Unique , Universal , Hodgdon lists 5.5 --11 grs of W231 / HP38 (they are the same ) I feel 7.5-8.5 would suffice well , 9.0 grs of Winchester super field is another .
I will add one more medium load . Hodgdon lists 5.0-10.0 grs of titegroup using a 240-250 gr bullet . I found 8.0 made an ideal " medium shoot all day load " probably about 950 fps using a 250 gr swc . If 8.0 is more than you like , drop back to 7.0 grs . I hope this helps , good luck Paul

[marshall623]

I'm really just getting started on the 44Mag journey with / was my Dad's Redhawk . I'm using the Accurate 43-240H sized .430 . I've gotten good results with AA9 around 16 to 16.5 grslit with a Fed LP and I've tried H110 around 22.4grs lit with a CCI350 and good accuracy with that load as well . The AA9 load was noticeably easier on the shooter than the H110 but still wasn't bad . It was only after 20 or so shots my 54 year old wrist were starting to feel it . My loads are from Speer 13 book using the RCBS 250K bullet .


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[RJM52]

If you have UNIQUE
From a 4 5/8" SBH

8.0 930 fps+- depending on the bullet

10.0 1150 fps depending on the bullet

[fordwannabe]

LIGHT TO MEDIUM-7.5 to 8.0 unique with a Keith style bullet. Be sure to check your throats as my SBH had throats much smaller than my barrel and that AIN"T ever gonna help accuracy.

[rintinglen]

In my own experience with the 429-421 and the RCBS 44-250Kt, 8.5 grains of Herco, 8.0 grains of Unique or 7.5 grains of WW-231 all gave good to excellent groups without beating me up. For really light loads, 5.0-5.5 grains of Red Dot was also a very good load, but shot to a much different point of aim, being more of a 44 Special load.

All that said, my best groups were with 2400 and were warm to hot. Although now considered over the top, I shot up hundreds of Elmer Keith's recommended load and was very happy with it in my old Ruger Redhawk. The new one doesn't seem to shoot as well as the older one.

[Shopdog]

700X or 231 for light target/plinking.

Unique for midrange around 1000fps is hard to beat.

Blue Dot for light magnum... it's a touch peaky so want to be careful getting to aggressive. But can have some VG accuracy around 1100 or a touch higher.

2400 for magnum,accuracy can be astounding.

[MT Gianni]

6.5 gr of Red Dot and a 240-260 gr bullet works great in 44 mag or 45 Colt Blackhawks. You might get close to 1000 fps with a 7"+ barrel.

[Bazoo]

I've had good success with 9 grains of Unique under several bullets.

[FAAFO6]

In one of my .44's ( a 6" Smith M629 no dash ) using 6.5 grains of W231 with 240-250 grain Keith type semi-wadcutters consistently makes just one big hole at 25 yards. An easy on the gun and old guy wrists load. Have not shot it across a chrono but believe it to be about 800 fps.

[Thumbcocker]

6.5 gr of Red Dot and a 240-260 gr bullet works great in 44 mag or 45 Colt Blackhawks. You might get close to 1000 fps with a 7"+ barrel.

+1 good load.

[Indiana shooter]

My pet load in my 7.5" SBH is 12.5gr of HS-6 under a 265gr boolit, or 13gr of HS-6 under a 250gr boolit. Both with a standard LPP. Good load giving me about 1200fps. Enough power to know I'm shooting a magnum, but soft enough I can shoot 150-200 rounds in a session.

If I wanted to drop down around 900-1000 fps, my load was around 10gr of Unique. I don't remember for sure, I don't have my notes in front of me, and it's been a long time since I loaded any of those. I have much smaller calibers if I wanted to water down the .44 that much. That's just me though. Idid run a lot of that load back when I just had a .45ACP, 30/06, and .44mag. Now when I shoot .44 mag it's either full tilt H110/296 load at 1500fps, or at minimum close to factory level 1200-1300 fps loads.

[hylander]

Thanks for all the input :smile:
Has anyone used BE-86

[Arkansas Paul]

I've never used BE-86 in anything.
My favorite plinking load in my 4 5/8" Blackhawk is Skeeter's .44 special loads, 7.5 grains of Unique and a Lyman 429421 bullet. That or 7 grains of 700X (I think that's right on the 700X).

For magnum cases, 8.5 grains of Unique does the trick just fine.

Unfortunately, I've found the most accurate loads with full throttle magnums and with the short barrel and plowhandle grip, it is punishing. Shooting magnums out of that thing makes me shake my head at guys who shoot really big stuff like .454s and the big Linebaugh rounds. Full throttle .44 magnums are a threshold round for me. It's about as much as I want. It stinks that full throttle loads with 296/H110 are the most accurate in mine.

[Bazoo]

I've never used BE-86 in anything.
My favorite plinking load in my 4 5/8" Blackhawk is Skeeter's .44 special loads, 7.5 grains of Unique and a Lyman 429421 bullet. That or 7 grains of 700X (I think that's right on the 700X).

For magnum cases, 8.5 grains of Unique does the trick just fine.

Unfortunately, I've found the most accurate loads with full throttle magnums and with the short barrel and plowhandle grip, it is punishing. Shooting magnums out of that thing makes me shake my head at guys who shoot really big stuff like .454s and the big Linebaugh rounds. Full throttle .44 magnums are a threshold round for me. It's about as much as I want. It stinks that full throttle loads with 296/H110 are the most accurate in mine.

That's certainly interesting. Is the accuracy difference substantial between mid loads and full power?

[GhostHawk]

6.5 gr of Red Dot and a 240-260 gr bullet works great in 44 mag or 45 Colt Blackhawks. You might get close to 1000 fps with a 7"+ barrel.

That is the load I settled on for my pair of single shot Handi rifles in .44mag.

I did drop bullet weight down to 200 gr, as I was just punching paper. No need to use more lead than needed.

[racepres]

6.5 gr of Red Dot and a 240-260 gr bullet works great in 44 mag or 45 Colt Blackhawks. You might get close to 1000 fps with a 7"+ barrel.
Me Too.. Like you and Ghosthawk! But, I rounded up to 7.0 gr for 970fps in my SBH44. Now that Red Dot is about unobtainium around me...I am Working with BE-86, and Nitro-100-NF!! (Unique is MIA also)

[Slugster]

I have a 9.5 inch SRH that loves the 429421 (#2 alloy) and 10.5 grains of Unique for an estimated 975 fps. This is a very accurate load for me, YMMV. Unique is kind of unobtanium for the moment, but if you have any you are good to go. Accurate #9 at 18.0 grains is a mild load and is also very accurate. Good luck.

[farmbif]

Thanks for all the input :smile:
Has anyone used BE-86


for 240 grain bullet start out with 11 grains be86 for 260 grain slug 10 grains. for me thats my mild load in 44mag brass for top velocity magnum stuff ive been using 300mp mostly. In past ive used many different powders 2400, no9 and 4227 worked pretty good too. I have not used blue dot in a very long time but it worked pretty well for me in the past. I'm not a big fan of h110/296 even though I probably have at least 8 or 9 pounds left it has a very small load window and cant be downloaded and needs magnum primers.
but like I wrote before there are dozens of powders that will work well in 44 mag and all the other people that shared their loads is proof of that. the accuracy part will be tweaked in your particular gun and figuring out what bullet to use and what you size it at and the powders you work loads up with

[racepres]

Thanks for all the input :smile:
Has anyone used BE-86

Today...
I have done some 200gr Lee RF, with Nitro-100NF...Very mild loadings ..255 gr SWC's are Next...Then on to BE-86

Edit; There were some few primed cases handy (Winchester Large Pistol primers)
so I loaded a very few up with 9.0 gr of BE-86 under 240gr GC SWC's
That combination, excepting 8.6gr of Unique, Out of my 10" Contender, gave 1060 FPS.
the BE-86 loading gave 1147 avg FPS that seemed plenty stout, out of the Contender, which is Unpleasant with Magnum loadings!!
I will be dropping to 8.6 Grains of BE-86, just like I did with Unique.
Edit Again;
Looking at the Data...I am beginning to suspect that either my old Chronograph is Acting up, or perhaps I need to be more careful with Placement.. Don't seem correct when I look at true Side by Side examples...I will now be scrutinizing my Data Banks!!!

[Rapier]

If you want an accurate light load that can be changed to a magnum load, I have had good luck with Unique and the 240 grain SWCs. It loads light and heavy both, with excellent accuracy.

[racepres]

If you want an accurate light load that can be changed to a magnum load, I have had good luck with Unique and the 240 grain SWCs. It loads light and heavy both, with excellent accuracy.

Absolutely Correct.. but getting Unique just now is Challenging in some locale's!!
reason for trying out BE-86, as a replacement, and even Nitro-100NF for light loads
Heck, I'm pretty sure I could easily get by with Blue Dot, for all of my 44 Mag loadings, light to gitty-up!
Availability again is Problematic!! I started out, years ago, using a plenty of Blue Dot..

[hylander]

Thanks for the input.
I loaded up some 200gr. Rnfp. I casted from an old Saco mold last week.
Only bullet I have at the moment.
10gr. Unique
9, 9.5 and 10gr. BE-86
I hope to try them in my brand new Super Blackhawk this week.

[Arthur Roy]

I like HS6 in all my large bore hanguns. I have been messing around with a 7.5” Super Blackhawk and it really likes 12 grains of HS6 under a RCBS 44-250-K bullet. Been getting 1” groups @ 25 yards. I have a 260 grain LFN style mold I am going to try next. I think I have a 270 grain SWC NEI mold I want to try also.

I have always had excellent results with HS6 in my 45 Colt and 475 Linebaugh revolvers. It has been no different in the 44 Magnum so far.

[Thom_44]

Accuracy will depend upon the gun itself.. some of the loads listed here, when fired in MY 44 magnum... I am happy to keep them in a 4 1/2" circle at 25 yards.

But my gun really loves 6.0 grains of red dot with a 240 grain swc. Rather mild but i can normally cover 2 cylinders at 25 yards with a 2" target paster. I think that qualifies as decent. Have not had time to go past 25 yards as for some reason I have not had the time to make a new shooting spot.

[Arkansas Paul]

That's certainly interesting. Is the accuracy difference substantial between mid loads and full power?

I can definitely tell the groups are tighter.
That is, until I shoot several groups and start flinching. lol

[Thom_44]

I can definitely tell the groups are tighter.
That is, until I shoot several groups and start flinching. lol

But if two cylinders of 44 arent enough for a real world event, even elmer mentioned something about having a large bore rifle.

[racepres]

Accuracy will depend upon the gun itself.. some of the loads listed here, when fired in MY 44 magnum... I am happy to keep them in a 4 1/2" circle at 25 yards.

But my gun really loves 6.0 grains of red dot with a 240 grain swc. Rather mild but i can normally cover 2 cylinders at 25 yards with a 2" target paster. I think that qualifies as decent. Have not had time to go past 25 yards as for some reason I have not had the time to make a new shooting spot.

My Favored 44 Special Load

[Three44s]

I like HS6 in all my large bore hanguns. I have been messing around with a 7.5” Super Blackhawk and it really likes 12 grains of HS6 under a RCBS 44-250-K bullet. Been getting 1” groups @ 25 yards. I have a 260 grain LFN style mold I am going to try next. I think I have a 270 grain SWC NEI mold I want to try also.

I have always had excellent results with HS6 in my 45 Colt and 475 Linebaugh revolvers. It has been no different in the 44 Magnum so far.

HS6 in three 44s and my 480 Ruger is a very good upper medium load propellant!

Three44s