Is .44 mag "difficult" to load down for?

[Mint]

Note: I don't have any reloading experience (just picked up Rock Chucker yesterday and it's on my floor, I'm still reading Lyman + Speer manuals).

My very first load I'm going to start with is .357 magnum, for Winchester 1873.

I have a Winchester 1892 deluxe takedown in 44 magnum on order, but I haven't shot it yet. I heard the recoil is like 30-30. I don't enjoy that much recoil at all, as I like to shoot 50-100 rounds at once on the range, and I usually shoot at 100 yard paper or gongs.

I would like to load down the 44 magnum so that it's perhaps similar to a factory 357 recoil or less.

Should this be possible/doable? I have heard more than one person say .44 magnum is difficult to load down for, although I don't know why they said that. I've also heard 44 spl can leave carbon rings in my gun, so perhaps its better to load down 44 rather than shoot 44 spl (I try to avoid cleaning unless absolutely necessary).

Thank you

[Randy Bohannon]

Cast lead bullets and a wide selection of powders will reasonably tame down .44 Mag. to 850-900 FPS . If that doesn’t work use .44 S&W brass and data.

[ohen cepel]

Yes, you can load .44m to a mild level with the right powder. I have done that as I also don't like scrubbing the cylinder after shooting the shorter rounds. Since you reload, you can meet your goal with some research.

Not sure why the other fella said it couldn't be done. Shouldn't/can't be done with certain powders.

I have had good luck with 7.0gr of Titegroup under a 240gr LSWC, gets you to around 1025fps in a 7.5in barrel. Mild enough for me but I'm sure you could get it a bit lighter with research.

[Mint]

Yes, you can load .44m to a mild level with the right powder. I have done that as I also don't like scrubbing the cylinder after shooting the shorter rounds. Since you reload, you can meet your goal with some research.

Not sure why the other fella said it couldn't be done. Shouldn't/can't be done with certain powders.

I have had good luck with 7.0gr of Titegroup under a 240gr LSWC, gets you to around 1025fps in a 7.5in barrel. Mild enough for me but I'm sure you could get it a bit lighter with research.

Wow, that is crazy light recoil. Thanks! I put that into a calculator and that is less than 357... 3.5 ft.lbf. Pardon this question as it is probably quite dumb, but how does that load you mentioned relate to accuracy. Does accuracy always decrease with velocity? I shoot at 50 yards, and with an astygmatism at 100 yards I just try to hit steel gongs. Now that I started reloading though I want to work more on accuracy at 50 using iron sights. I'd like to make sure I don't set myself up for failure by using a load not really designed to be accurate (or maybe it is, I'm not quite sure if I'm asking the right question)

[elmacgyver0]

I have found the 44 magnum a joy to reload.
I have 2 7.5inch barrel Vaqueros, actually only used 1, the other is unfired.
I also have a Rossi lever gun in that caliber.
I have never fired a factory round of 44 magnums.
I usually shoot pretty mild loads.

[derek45]

6.5gr win231/HP38

10gr Unique

9gr Universal

240gr SWC

all got about 1000-1100 from my 5"

[stubshaft]

Nope, 180 grain cast over a light charge of Unique.

[Outpost75]

I use .44-40 data in .44 Mag. No brainer. I run 6 grains of Bullseye with Accurate 43-215C.

This article from The Fouling Shot has useful info, cross-posted by permission:

Tales from the Back Creek Diary - Bullseye Powder .44 Magnum “Medium” Velocity Loads

Soft, plain based, bullets and fast-burning powders provide economy and utility.

A firearm does not need to be operated at “full power” any more than any other machine. It is true that some people still believe that if you own a .44 Magnum and reload for it, you must be able to feel the heat on your face every time you pull the trigger, as your hand stings and your ears ring. But this is nonsense, of course. Lesser power loads are fine for recreation and most field shooting. They indeed have their place. My friends and I probably shoot 100 rounds of “medium velocity” loads for every dinosaur killer. Few reloading manuals list loads for the .44 Magnum other than hand busters. Experienced reloaders successfully improvise, but less intrepid, practical shooters are frustrated.

The so-called “medium velocity” load is subsonic when fired in from a typical revolver. It also does not exceed the leading threshold of about 1300-1400 fps., when a soft, plain-based bullet is fired from a rifle. Remington offered marketed exactly such a .44 Magnum load for a short time during the early to mid 1980s. It was intended for the police market, as a counterpart in .44 Magnum, to the similar lead bullet .41 Magnum police load, which has also, unfortunately been discontinued.

Remington’s .44 Magnum Medium Velocity load offering used a flat-nosed, 240-grain, plain- based, swaged lead bullet with two cannelures, resembling an elongated .44-40 slug. Its shape mimicked today’s “Cowboy Loads” having a catalog velocity of 1000 f.p.s. from a 4-inch vented test barrel, simulating revolver conditions.

These ballistics approximate those of the original 1873 black powder .45 Colt service cartridge, or .44-40 black powder loads when fired from a 7-1/2 inch barrel. This is hardly today’s “mouse-fart” cowboy load, but stout stuff like they used to kill buffalo and shoot Indians. For today’s hand loader the greatest economy is realized by being able to exploit plain-based cast bullets, using the least expensive, soft scrap alloy, such as wheel weights or common scrap, with faster-burning pistol or shotgun powders which provide twice as many rounds per pound, as the slow-burners normally used for full power .44 Magnum loads.

Lyman’s Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition lists .44 Magnum charges with using fast-burning powders, but their starting loads, while useful in revolvers, often exceed the leading threshold of plain based bullets, when fired in a rifle. Newer powders such as Titegroup or Trail Boss are listed, but my favorite, Bullseye was not. Be careful in reducing slower burners, such as #2400, because ballistic uniformity is impaired if you go below about 16 grains in the .44 Magnum case with 240-gr. bullet.

What follows is my listing of loads which “work” and are well proven over many years of field use. I hope this article shortens your learning curve and that they work as well for you as they do for my friends and me.

Medium Velocity Loads for .44 Mag., 265-gr. Saeco #441 Keith, 1 to 30 Sn-Pb BHN11, unsized .433”, LLA
Case, Primer and_______Velocity____Velocity____Five, 5-shot Groups* @ 50 yds. H&R
Charge Weight_________5-1/2” RBH_H&R 22”*__Largest__Smallest__Average
RCBS Little Dandy Rotor #

Starline .44 Spl. WLP
5.2BE, RCBS LD #10____782, 10Sd__940, 9 Sd____3.0____1.9_____2.46

Remington .44 Mag. WLP
6.0 Bullseye, LD#11_____774, 36Sd__983, 49Sd___2.5____1.9_____2.24
6.6 Bullseye, LD#12_____948, 13Sd__1141, 9Sd___2.5____1.4_____1.94
7.8 Bullseye, LD#14____1017, 11Sd__1233, 10Sd__2.5____1.2_____1.88
16.2 #2400, LD#20_____1080, 39Sd__1411, 44Sd__2.5___1.3_____1.97

Remington .44 Mag. WLP, Remington 240-gr. Semi-Jacketed HP
8.4 Bullseye, LD#15____1033, 11Sd__1197, 15Sd___2.2___1.2_____1.76

[wilecoyote]

as rule of thumb, it's very difficult to do wrong using. 44 spl. data, intended as primer, powder and bullet combo, in .44 magnum cases.
I add a fluff of dacron to keep the powder reasonably close to the primer flame, but there are also conflicting opinions about dacron.
I learned this from an old Guns&Ammo magazine, and since then it worked well for me in revolvers.

[JSnover]

Recoil in a .357 or .44 mag lever gun is NOT like a 30-30. I Hate 30-30 lever guns because the stock configuration usually accentuates recoil; My M700 30-06 does better ballistically and doesn't feel much different.
But I LOVE lever guns in .357 and .44 magnum because even at full pressure they're so dang nice to shoot.

[technojock]

I wanted a 3 screw Super Blackhawk for decades. When I finally got one the recoil would smash my fingers with the trigger guard. I put on a Hogue oversized rubber grip and the it still hurt to shoot just in a different place. Since then I never load it hotter than .44 Special loads and I'm very happy with it now.

About the grips, I have homemade set a friend gave me that are the same shape as factory grips but fatter. I can now shoot full house loads but I don't wanna...

Tony

[kenton]

Hodgdon has a pretty good amount of reloading data that fits what you want to do.

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

[Sasquatch-1]

I load 7 to 8 grains of unique under a 250 bullet and shot from handguns with either 6 or 7.5" barrels. almost no felt recoil. Never had a problem. You do have to be careful using Hodgdon H-110 or Winchester 296.

[racepres]

240 CSWC 7.0 gr Red dot..
tho any Unique load from 8.0 Up is good also..
Outpost 75 is correct also about 44-40 data..

[Thumbcocker]

6.5 of red dot is a sweet load under a 250 grain Keith. Over 1000 shots per pound.

[Hickok]

I have an Contender Super 14 in .44 magnum. The recoil from standard .44 mag loads really gets annoying for me.

I decided to load it like a 44/40 rifle ballistics.

My load out of the 14 barrel is just a smidge faster than listed 44/40 rifle data, using .44 magnum cases, 9 gr Unique/lee 44 200 gr RNFP @ 1289 fps. Easy to shoot, and accurate. 44/40's downed deer, bears, critters and men for many years!

This T/C .44 mag recoils harder than other T/C barrels that I have owned when used with full-magnum loads, including a 35 Remington.

A 44/40 load set up for your .44 magnum rifle would be a nice shooter.

[MT Gianni]

6.5 of red dot is a sweet load under a 250 grain Keith. Over 1000 shots per pound.

Yep, the accuracy load for a 45 Colt is just as good in a 44 Mag.

[Three44s]

The 44 mag is a very versatile cartridge for handloading.

Add cast boolits and the cartridge gets even more flexible.

I like Clays and Red Dot for my lightest loads. I do use filler but not for plinking as it’s an added step.

My next powder is Tight Group. Next is Unique, then HS6. With Unique I like the Skeeter load of 8.5 gr in a magnum case pushing a 250 gr cast boolits and above that I load HS6.

Next comes 2400 and finally H110.

[Mint]

The 44 mag is a very versatile cartridge for handloading.

Add cast boolits and the cartridge gets even more flexible.

I like Clays and Red Dot for my lightest loads. I do use filler but not for plinking as it’s an added step.

My next powder is Tight Group. Next is Unique, then HS6. With Unique I like the Skeeter load of 8.5 gr in a magnum case pushing a 250 gr cast boolits and above that I load HS6.

Next comes 2400 and finally H110.

Interesting, I just read about the "skeeter load" because I've seen that mentioned a few times.

Does it matter if I change SWC to RNFP of same grain to load better in a lever gun?

[farmbif]

what your asking is not difficult at all. bullseye powder is very good for light loads in 44 mag it burns great at any angle and no need for fillers like Dacron. there are many powders good for 44 mag. do some looking through the online data from Alliant and hogdon and you will find from mild to top power loads