New Member - Hello. Also have questions

[Eb1]

Greetings. I am new to the lead boolit scene. I have loaded many match rounds in .223 and hunting rounds in 30-30, .303 British.

I have recently bought a Ruger SS SBH. I have not shot any factory out of the gun, and have been shooting 240 grain Speer HP with 10.0 grains Unique, and I have just loaded some 270 Speer SP under 15.5 grains 2400.
Some guys over at THR have mentioned I should give the old 44 Magnum a diet of Lead instead of Jacketed. Both for cost, and for accuracy. Well I want the .44 Magnum to be my pig gun, and I also want to shoot it for fun. I also plan to take a deer with it.
Being a novice to lead, I purchased 500 Missouri 18 BHN Keith boolits. What I am looking to do is push these at 1300 or there abouts.
I have asked for the Lyman reloading book for fathers day to go along with the other manuals I have now.

Could you all give me somethings to look for when/while loading these. When using 2400 what will get me to my desired velocity? Will a .430 boolit work for me. Etc.

Thank you. I hope to have some success to share, and look forward to learning from you all.

[454PB]

2400 is not my powder of choice, but I used to use it in .44 magnum. Start around 19 grs. with that boolit and work up if desired. 19 to 20 grs. should produce about 1300 fps., depending on barrel length.

And welcome to castboolits!

[Eb1]

Thank you, sir.

Forgot to mention the Revolver is a Ruger Stainless Steel Super Blackhawk 5 1/2" barrel. Beautiful gun. Just need to shoot it more to get the feel for it.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Shouldn't be hard to get 1300fps with a 240gr, as my go to load with a 5.5" Redhawk is a cast 310gr LBT boolit at a tad over 1300fps.

This is with AA #9

Think you will find that many favor H110, Winchester 296 and the AA #9 for the heavy loads.

Get a good boolit, and there won't be any hogs or deer wanting more then one good hit.

Other then on the hog, most of you hits will probably be a complete pass through.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Eb1]

Could not find any #9. So I had to settle for 2400. I hope that gets me a good load. It is used a lot in 44 Magnum is it not?

[Moonie]

When I shot 44 mag I used win296 and AA #9 exclusively.

[Eb1]

So 2400 isn't used in 44 Magnum? I should use #9 exclusively?

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Eb1,

Lots and lots of 2400 used in 44 mag loads, Still a good powder.

It is just that some can be a bit better, depending on the load, gun and boolit in use.

H110 and 296 are probably the ones which find the most favor, but some years back I was testing a SBH "Hunter" with a 2X Leupold, and it just seemed like AA #9, for me and my situation, had the edge over the H110 and 296.

So, I bought 8lbs and have been using it ever since.

The H110 verse Winchester 296 gets hashed back and forth with many people saying it is the same powder.

In truth, I don't know the facts on that issue, only that they both get good reviews.

In my #12 Speer book, H110 and 296 are the leaders in velocity with 2400 usually back 2 or more positions in the velocity figures.

If your gun shoots the 2400 well, and you have it on hand, shoot and enjoy.

If your just buying powder and don't already have a favored load, the others are worth looking at.

Personally, when I run out of the AA #9, if it isn't readily available, and looking at the current "book" velocity figures, H110 will probably get the nod.

The load I worked up to, and have shot for a number of years using the AA #9 is a bit higher then current published information.

Currently, 2400 and AA #9 seem to switch back and forth in the Speer info, both trailing #1 - H110 (in most cases) and #2 - 296.

It seems to be a common thought, that a cast boolit will give higher velocity and less pressure then the "J" bullets. Providing of course good Boolits/lube/alloy etc.

My old lot of AA #9 is giving me a touch over 1300fps with a 310gr LBT Boolit cast of WW, and that from a 5.5" barrel.

Be aware that lot to lot verations in powders, can cause one powder to shine one time and be second best the next.

This points out the wisdom of buying components in as large of amounts as you can. Powder pounds or more of the same lot #, primers by the thousands or more of the same lot # etc.

Just switching lot #s of powder can potentially increase the pressure of a tested into the danger zone, or as I have seen, markedly decrease the velocity of a favored load.

Hand loading is a fun game with lots to learn, even for us Ol'Coots.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Eb1]

I love to handload. Do tons of rifle loading, and buy H4895 by the 8lbs., and large/small rifle primers by the 5000s.

I have loaded mainly 9mm and them "J" bullets, but something happened to me recently, and I am just turned off from the autoloaders. No disrespect to the guns or owners, but I love to shoot pistols, and I grew up shooting single action since I was 4 years old. I am 35 years old now. So it was natural for me to go out and buy a Heritage .22LR/.22WMR. I shoot the this revolver all the time. I love it, and I am very good with it. I now carry a .32 H&R Magnum with Georgia Arms 100 grain HP XTP type bullets.

I told myself at a younger age that if I ever have a son. I was buying a .44 Magnum the day he was born. Well I did have a son, and I bought the revolver the day my wife went into labor.

I have not shot any factory loads from this revolver. I have shot 240 grain Speer HP with 10.0 grains Unique. The Unique was left over from loading 9mm, and from loading light 30-30 rounds for my wife to shoot. I like these, but they get to 1120 fps average from my 5.5" barrel. I want closer to 1250-1300 with a nice flat nose/large meplate for when I get to clean up on hogs at the chicken houses. I usually take a 30-30 with 125 grain HP over N120 for about 2150 fps. This load in the 30-30 doesn't have any recoil, and I can take several shots without the hogs being gone to far. It also drops then in their tracks. I sometimes take the 25-06 if I don't want to be on foot, and sit in a stand. The 25-06 takes them down easy, buy isn't as fun as being on the ground with a lever gun.
Here is where the 44 Magnum comes in. I want a LSWC moving 1250-1300 fps that is accurate, and will be my cross draw hog gun, but also allow my to get way back in the woods where the big deer roam. I have a couple places that carrying a rifle just is to noisy, and hard to get to. You know what I mean.

Also the 44 magnum is fun to shoot as I have found out. It can be an "Oh Yeah" or an "Oh $41+" gun. I looked everywhere for AA#9, but could not find any, and the only other thing that I felt that came close in my books without going over 1400 fps was 2400.
At the current I have some 270 grain Speer SP loaded with 15.5 grains of 2400. Should be an eye opener to bust them off, but hey. It is a 44 Magnum right.
When my order of MO boolits get here I will try 18.0 grains of 2400 to see where that gets me. Although for Father's day I have asked for the Lyman manual. Maybe that will have some good info for me.

I am not new to loading, and take precautions, and I am not a wild child when it comes to the rules. I just like to discuss the things that are new to me with people who are more knowledgeable. Don't have any mentors in my life, and no family around except wife, 5 year old daughter, 1 month old son, a boxer, and a cat.

Thanks for the chat.

[82nd airborne]

my 1980 lyman manual calls for a starting load of :
19.4gr of 2400 with a 245gr boolit @1232fps
starting load of 20 gr with the 215gr boolit@ 1310
starting load of 19 gr with the 200gr boolit@ 1314

[DIRT Farmer]

My Ruger Red Hawk likes Blue Dot for the Lyman 240 grn PB boolit and the Lyman Davastator boolit (mine weighs in at 260 with WW). the Contender had a slight edge with IMR4227. Your barrel may vary. The fun is in the testing. I have some guns that are boreing acrerate so I don't shoot them much.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well Eb1, sounds like you are anything but a newbi. Sorry for assuming!

Doubt any critter will know the difference between 2400, H110, 296 or AA #9!

They are probably go'in ta have a leakage problem after a hit with any of the above.:smile:

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Eb1]

They are probably go'in ta have a leakage problem after a hit with any of the above.

OH YEAH!

Shoot, I am a novice to this 44 Magnum. I just can't wait to get me those lead heads, and get to shooting.
I saw tonight where Weaver makes a #301 for mounting a scope. I have a Bushnell Red Dot mounted on that quick draw 30-30 shooting them 125 grain Sierra HPs. I might take it off there, and see how it goes with the SBH. Although I really like it on that 30-30. Another 30-30 I have is all dressed up in custom leather with initials as a gift from my daughter. It has Skinner bronze sights on it. Man, what a beautiful gun. I like to sling the full power loads from it.

Well. I will let you all know how it goes when I get some testing completed. I will post up the targets and numbers if ya'll don't mind. Maybe you all can give me some more tips after I get a little further into it.

[missionary5155]

Greetings and WELCOME Eb1...
Good to have another Victim to the Hot Pot and Flying Lead Brigade.
When you receive that 44 The first thing to do is see if those boolits are fat enough for the cylinder throats. If they will just drop through the throats The Boolits could benefit from a Bump Up to Diameter job. If they are snug..OK If they are TIGHT all the better. It will be GREAT if the chamber throats are also greater in diameter than the barrel.
So again take a boolit or chunk of soft lead that is a tight fit in the chamber throat and find out if it is a tight fit in the barrel. If it is GREAT... But if not well welcome to the world of Ruger Reaming.
But it is not all bad. With just a little work the offending holes are normalised and the Revolver really shoots well.
This is my routine with every Revolver that passes through my hands. I have reamed Rugers, Smiths, and Colts. Everyone of them went from a Crummy Cast shooter to a much improved Lead Launcher.
So before you start a loading program, do the Pre-opperation Maintanance and save yourself from some possible agravation. I have some old Colts that would never shoot anything half accurate EXCEPT hollow base wad cutters. But after they got the correct reamer size applied to the narrow throats they shoot all Cast Boolits far better.

[82nd airborne]

warning, once you get on this site, youre loading time allotment maybe reduced, the knowlege on here is addictive!

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

[smilie=w: And just to keep thing interesting, let us talk about "thread choke".

:groner:[smilie=b::rolleyes::bigsmyl2: Just to be mean, If'n ya don't know what it is, I'm gone ta make ya ask how to check for it and take care of the problem.

Oh, this can be a mean and diabolical bunch.

However, the cylinder throat, as mentioned above, is important. IF the cylinder throats are too small, the boolit is swedged down in dia. as it passes from the case mouth and into the forming cone.

This can cause a real leading and/or grouping problem.

Checking cylinder throats, can be done with the same tools an slugs which are used for checking, [smilie=s: thread choke.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Eb1]

Below you will see the results of my 19.0 grains 2400 and the .430 dia MO Company boolit. I think that the flyers were me wobbling the revolver. After I shot a few I settled down, and I circled the last 3 shots which started to group. I am still not use to the revolver's weight and grip. This is only the fourth time I have shot the gun I think. Maybe the fifth time.
I have loaded up a batch of 19.5 and 20.0 grains of 2400. Now that I know what to expect as far as recoil goes I think I will shoot a lot better. You can see two shots in the white. Those were the first two shots, and then you can see how the shots started to to come into the black, and I circled the last three shots.
http://rob-barley.com/44magnum/targets/44targets-1.JPG

On the bright side my revolver did shoot the 270 grain Speer FN with 15.5 grains 2400 into 3/4" inch group for 5 shots after I settled down, and shot the revolver instead of anticipating the shot.

I still have a lot to learn about this revolver it seems. We have not worked out our relationship quite yet, but we are getting closer to seeing eye to eye.

[Three44s]

You'll want to shoot your rimfire revolver till you burn it down. Run it at golf balls ........

Dry fire your big gun, use snap caps if it makes you feel better.

Run a good lube like Tetra gun ..... I refer to it as "trigger job in a can".

Also, I'd change priorities and load from the bottom end of the power range until you get real comfortable with that SBH.

I liken it to climbing a ladder. You don't jump up a ladder, you climb it one rung at a time.

You want to avoid flinching at all costs and running full house or near it right off the bat has sent many a .44 mag to early retirement! (Nearly new revolver sitting in drawer drawing dust!!)

Once I ran plenty of light loads (a little bit over .44 special) I gradually upped the ante!

In these power ranges, I use Clays and Titegroup.

Next is Unique ....... 8 to 8.5 grs worth.

Start real close on those golf balls and keep a high degree of accuracy as your standard. If in jumping up the power, you lose that accuracy edge ...... go back and re-achieve it.

Speed and power can only come when you are ready .... pushing the envelope will serve no purpose.

Another real useful power level for me is with HS-6 and magnum primers. Hodgon's #26 manual lists lead 250 gr. boolits with 10 to 12 grs. I like 11.8 gr. and the RCBS 250K slug.

A real good balanced load and one that works with WW alloy lightly sweetened with 1/2 to 1% tin.


For me, the next step is 2400 ...... and yes, a .44 mag and 2400 are like vanilla ice cream and hot apple pie!

At around 18 gr. I like magnum primers ...... above that ...... use standards ......

AA#9 has worked for me in the .41 mag ...... I have not tried it in the .44 but I can see no possible reason why it would not be a cracker jack propellant.

WW 296 has been a favorite of mine but it's clean ........ H110 always seems to outshoot it ...... but it's dirty.

Do you want accuracy and a gun that needs to be cleaned once in a while .......

............ I did .......... so I use H110 over WW 296 ..... And I ignore the chatter that they are the same powder.

You mentioned the Speer 270 gr. Gold dots ....... they are without a doubt one heck of a development for the grand .44. I think you need to check your charge weights ...... I think you are leaving velocity behind ..... be careful but I think you are being too timid with that slug.

Your MO 18 bhn slugs are kind of hard ....... you'll need to wack'em pretty hard to get a good seal ...... and that may raise cobs with them. The proof will be found in the pudding!

But I will just leave you with one more harpfest on loading levels:

When you drive your vehicle, do you wire the throttle wide open?

Why wire your .44 wide open? Just using what is needed ......... reduces the tendency to flinch and makes your journey with your revolver that much more enjoyable and productive.

Scopes

I don't like them.

The only way I forsee my acceptance of mine is to bolt it on a 22 rim revolver and shoot til the barrel threatens to fall off.

Three 44s

[Eb1]

Thanks for the detailed report. I will take it with a grain of salt, but also utilize part of the post.

I have shot my Heritage .22LR/.22WMR until I can shoot goat grass twigs in half. I can shoot saplings down, and also knock a squacks head off at half oak tree height. I love my single action .22, and was going to take it with me tomorrow to warm up with.

With the 270 grain load this comes straight from Speer. This is the load data.

270 GDSP 2400
15.5 1083
17.5 1182
Std LG Pistol
1.585 OAL

So I was on the starting block for that load, and it ended up shooting good. I don't have a flinch. I have a grip/weight distribution problem. Although I was kinda intimidated by the 19.0 grains of 2400 being the largest load I have shot, but I am now not affraid. Never really affraid, but just unaware. I did practice tonight with several dry fires. Says in the manual that dry fire for the Ruger is fine.

I pushed the 240 LSWC up to 19.5 and 20.0 tonight. 10 of each. And the 270 to 16.0 grains. It got late, and family time took me from reloading, but I was going to put out 20 rounds of 240 LSWC with 8.5 grains Unique to shoot after several rounds with the .22 SA. That way I feel like I will be warmed up, and ready to make a good effort for the bigger boomers. I am actually quiet pleased with the recoil of the 44 magnum with the loadings I have shot, and they have been pussycats to me. Compared to some 3" full house .357s I have shot. Those and some 10mm Glock loads the .44 Mag is really fun to shoot. Something about light guns with full house loads, and a Auto Pistol with a booming magnum just isn't very pleasant.

I understand what you were talking about. I feel you were trying to help me with my relationship with the large revolver. I appreciate that. I will take you advise, and use it along with my gather experience and go forward.

I know the 270s seem light, but that is what the books from the bullet and powder manufacturer call for. So I am sticking to it. It shot very, very accurate from the gun, and I feel if it comes to where I have a hunt before I have a working load with the LSWC, then that load will get the call.

I will keep this thread updated with my progress as not to take up space on the board. Please check back every now and then to asses my progress, and give me more pointers. Thank you.

P.S. I drive a Harley Dyna, and I am 35. So yeah. I pretty much go Wide Open from start to finish... :) And I still get 49 mpg on the HW and 44 mpg city. OH YEAH!!

[Hardcast416taylor]

Eb1. Looking at your target reminds me what I told an elderly lady that I was teaching to shoot self defense course. I held up her target to my chest and asked her where she missed me? The same can be done with your target on a porker, where did you miss him? That load will put a porker in his place in a freezer.Robert

[Eb1]

Thanks, Hardcst416taylor. I forget sometimes that a hit is a hit, and a hit to the vitals is a good hit. I guess it all comes from shooting Service Rifle for so long that the X-ring becomes an obsession.