What powder are you using for your mid-range loads in your 44 Magnum revolvers with 240-250 gr bullets?
Printable View
What powder are you using for your mid-range loads in your 44 Magnum revolvers with 240-250 gr bullets?
Unique
I too prefer 10 grains of Unique, however 9 grains of BE-86 also works well.
The only powders I have used for my mid-range .44 mags are Win231 and Universal so I certainly can’t say they are better than another powder but they work well enough that I never felt the need to try a different powder.
I chronograph’d 240 grain SWC bullets with 10 grains of Win 231 at an average of 1164 fps and 9 grains of Universal at 1089 fps out of a 5.5” Ruger SBH.
10gr UNIQUE
9gr UNIVERSAL
win231/HP38
Power Pistol
HS-6
I have used about every fast and medium burn pistol powder made. Like the guys above said the 10.0 Unique is around the top of what I consider a mid-range load but very accurate. It is actually my hunting load in the Ruger Redhawk.
For plinking steel and punching paper I have settled on Tightgroup around 800 fps in handguns and usually will pick up 200 fps in a levergun.
I have used to good accuracy Bullseye, Red and Green Dot, 700X, Clays, and some reduced Unique loads 6.5 to 8.0 depending on the what the gun likes. The only one I did not like was HP-38, never could find a sweet spot, but I never pushed it up "Targa's load of 10.0.
Just for clarification, Mid-range for me is 900/1100 give or take.
Tony
9.0-10.0 grs unique has worked well.
Several years ago I took a small forkhorn with a 240 gr RFN over 10.0 grs. of Unique with my Vaquero.
What about Red dot? I've thought about it but haven't tried it though.
I've used it in 45 colt with 250 & 255 gr cast, 6.0 -6.5 is a very pleasant load.
RP
RP
Hi...
As others have indicated, 10 gr of Unique with a 240gr LSWC.
That load has shot very well in all six of my .44Magnum revolvers and my Marlin lever action rifle.
Doesn't beat you up and enough power to make you realize you are shooting a powerful big bore handgun.
I have used 15.0 grs of Blue Dot behind a 245 gr SAECO Keith style SWC for close to 40 years. It's on the hotter end of the "mid-range" spectrum but a tack driver in my M29.
Like others, 10 grains of Unique under a 245 grain SWC has been one of my staple 44 mag loads for decades. I've shot two hogs with that load. I also like 13.0 grains of HS-6 because it burns cleaner than Unique, and the performance is similar.
7.5 grains of Bullseye.
I use Red Dot (data in Lyman manual), cuz I have a lifetime supply of it, due to a estate purchase many years ago.
I use 8.5 grains of Unique for 240-250 grain cast boolits. It's a decent mid range load, and very accurate in my Ruger Blackhawk.
HS-6 works very well in my .44's
6.0-7.5 grains of Red Dot with a 429-421. Somewhere in that range will be a load that will make you smile. My Redhawk likes 6.5 grains.
Green Dot
8 grains of red dot, or 11 grains of herco.
Look, found nothing. Contacted Alliant. Their response.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9ab080bacf.jpg
Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk
RP
In reference to Red Dot. From Alliant’s website https://www.alliantpowder.com/reload...id=52&bdid=155
The 6.5-7gr load of 700x under a 240 grain cast SWC should print a clover leaf at 50 yards. Size to the groove diameter, taper crimp, separate station. Slug your barrel.
I like HS6, Longshot and Unique for less than H110 or 2400 loads
Just out of curiosity, what are you calling "Mid-range"? With Big Bore silhouette's out to 200 meters (218 yds.), mid-range for me would be over a 100.
Mid-range, in this case, refers to velocity not distance.
I don't do mid-range in 44 Magnum. That's what the 44 Special is for.
Winelover
RP,
Sorry, my memory failed me. While, I have 50+ reloading manuals, I refer mostly, to the half a dozen books I keep at my bench. A quick looksie and sure enough, nothing from Lyman. I got the data from Nick Harvey.
Cover
Attachment 304733
44 Mag Header
Attachment 304734
Data for 240 SWC
Attachment 304735
10.5 gr of Longshot or 12 grains of HS6 work beautifully with 240 SWCs at about 1100-1150 fps.
I have started doing a lot of deep seating of my bullets in the 44 Mag.
Good results and being able to use less powder to get very close to the same velocity. With the 250 Keith I used an OAL no longer than 1.560". On some loads I use an OAL of 1.545"
I can not tell any negativity in doing it.
I can use the Skelton load of Unique and get in the mid 800's from a 2.75 inch 44 Mag.
I used to shoot a lot of the 10 gr Unique / 250 gr SWC load, but these days I prefer 10 grains of Power Pistol or BE-86 with any 240-250 grain bullet.
I've also gone a little lighter and used to load a lot of 7.5 grains of 231 with the same bullets as above and had very good results. That's essentially a .44 Special load but using Magnum brass.
I have been shooting both .444marlin and .44mag with 6.5 grains of Red Dot and 220 to 240 grain boolits to very good effect in my single shot Handi rifles.
Easy on the shoulder, accurate, and pretty quiet.
Put many thousands of rounds of 7.5gr 231 and the 429421 slug, thru my M29. Used 44 mag cases.
I'm using Maxim CSB-1 as I got an 8lb jug of it several years ago for $100. It shoots similar to Universal. So far, I'm happy with it.
8 grains of ww231 or HP38...
I guess no one is interested in deep seating in 44 Mag cases.
I consider a "mid range" 44 Magnum load to be a 240 - 255 gr cast bullet at 900 - 1050 fps out of a revolver, depending on barrel length. Unique, at 8.5 gr has always served me well producing that velocity level with excellent accuracy. I've used in under a lot of commercial 240 cast bullets (relubed with LLA) and thousands of my own cast RCBS 440250-KTs, Lyman 429421s and Lee's TL430-240-SWCs.
This is a comfortable load to shoot a lot of, gives excellent accuracy and is formidable as it duplicates a heavy 44 SPL load.
The Skelton load is a good load. A very good load. With the Keith bullet, or one of the so called Keith bullets seated deep to 44 Special length 7.5 give good velocity even from a 2.75 inch M69. Another load that I like that is milder is 4.8 gr Bullseye under the same bullet seated to 1.545 inch OAL that will break 700 fps from a 2.75 inch M69.
This is written assuming that people know that due to Lot to Lot differences in powder and primers plus the Keith Type bullet used and the individual firearm the velocities can and most likely will vary.
Always keep that in mind.