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Thread: Moderate 44 mag loads

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Mauser48's Avatar
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    Moderate 44 mag loads

    Have my first 44 on the way and am looking at putting a good moderate load together. I'm going to use the missouri cast hi tek costed 240gr rnfp. I'm thinking this bullet around 1050 fps shoot make a good shooter that's not a complete handful. I'd like to use w231 since it meters well and I like it in my other pistol calibers. Does anyone have chrono data with various charges they've tested? Gun is a ruger redhawk with a 7.5" barrel. I also have some blue dot but that would probably be best suited for more upper end loads.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I’ve used 15.0 gr of Blue Dot with a 240-250 gr bullet for the last 40 years. Great accuracy from my M29.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Targa's Avatar
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    231 is a great choice for that purpose. My cast 240 grain loads with 10grains of 231 chronographed at an average of 1164 fps with a standard deviation of 7 fps out. With 6 grains of 231 they chronographed at 791 fps and a standard deviation of 10fps. These were out of my 5.5” Super Blackhawk.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by HWooldridge View Post
    I’ve used 15.0 gr of Blue Dot with a 240-250 gr bullet for the last 40 years. Great accuracy from my M29.
    I have shot a boat load of those.. even the heavier weights get Blue Dot.. Except in Contender... I just am Not tough enough to handle that load in the Contender!! My Contender gets softer Boolits off 255 gr weight with Trail Boss... Yea... I'm a Wimp..

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by racepres View Post
    I have shot a boat load of those.. even the heavier weights get Blue Dot.. Except in Contender... I just am Not tough enough to handle that load in the Contender!! My Contender gets softer Boolits off 255 gr weight with Trail Boss... Yea... I'm a Wimp..
    The Contender's grip has a tendency to bite me as well. It doesn't roll - just comes straight back into your hand.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    231 (HP38) really starts to shoot clean at higher pressures. I'd start at around 9 grains and go up to about 10. Somewhere in there you'll find an accurate, clean shooting load at around 1100 to 1150 fps.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    405grain's Avatar
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    In 44 mag. I load the RCBS 44-245-SWC (powder coated) over 13.0 grains of HS-6. This burns cleaner than Unique, and gives me around 1000 fps out of my 4" 629. I might pick up a little more velocity out of my 10.5" Superblackhawk, but the recoil is still quite manageable. This is a good general purpose cast bullet charge, and I've used it both for target shooting and dispatching feral pigs.

  8. #8
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    Just mentioned it in another post - for reduced 44 Magnum loads I load the 430 240 Lee SWC on top of 7 grains of Unique in a 44 Magnum case. It runs about 1050 fps in my Rossi R92 16".
    Britons shall never be slaves.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Used to us 9.0/231 with a 240 for right around 950 from a 4" 29...that should put you at your desired velocity in a 7.5" barrel...

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Mauser48's Avatar
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    Looking on hodgdons website 9gr of 231 seems like a good load. How's the recoil on these? Is it something you can shoot a fair amount of without discomfort?

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Swineherd's Avatar
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    Good taste in guns. If you want to down load for more comfortable plinking, consider 44 special brass and/or a lighter bullet. I've run 25 grains H110 with a 200 grain cast in my lever gun and it's an excellent, accurate, easy shooting load. For 240 grain cast the starting load is 23 grains.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Targa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mauser48 View Post
    Looking on hodgdons website 9gr of 231 seems like a good load. How's the recoil on these? Is it something you can shoot a fair amount of without discomfort?

    The 10 grains of 231 that I use is something I can go through a 50 round Box without a problem, the recoil is certainly there but not punishing . The 9.0 grains that RJM52 is using should put you right in the sweet spot that you are looking for.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swineherd View Post
    Good taste in guns. If you want to down load for more comfortable plinking, consider 44 special brass and/or a lighter bullet. I've run 25 grains H110 with a 200 grain cast in my lever gun and it's an excellent, accurate, easy shooting load. For 240 grain cast the starting load is 23 grains.
    You are over 10% below the published starting charge weight for this load.

    Not recommended to download H110/W296 below minimum starting charge weight.
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  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    I have a tendency now to deep seat my bullets in MAGNUM CASES to around 44 Special OAL and use 44 Special loads and somewhat above.
    I crimp over the shoulder and over the OGIVE on RNFP bullets.
    Works very well. Skelton's 7.5 Unique or an equivalent load is nice.
    5.5 W231/HP-38 is too with the 250 "Keith" bullet if such actually exists.

  15. #15
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    I'd recommend to work up a load using HS-6
    it's a good powder for midrange 44 mag and a 240gr boolit
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  16. #16
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    Red Dot powder at 7 gr and a 240-280 gr bullet will be close to 1000 fps, accurate and economical.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  17. #17
    Boolit Master Mauser48's Avatar
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    I also have a lot of 700x but I don't know how well a fast powder like that will work in such a large case.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've not chronographed them, but I really like 8 grains of Trailboss and a 250 Lyman plain base bullet. It is astoundingly accurate in my 629 and a Bisley Super Blackhawk. Super pleasant. I came up with this load for a couple friends with Smith 329's. It is pleasant even in those lightweight guns for a practice/familiarization load.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master TurnipEaterDown's Avatar
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    700X works in 44 Rem Mag, but I have found other powders much better overall.
    There is old IMR data out there, and I know it has been posted on this site recently.
    5.5-6.5 gr on a 200 gr SWC will likely get near where you want, or same on a 260 WFN (where I found accuracy atrocious).
    I will say it worked OK for me under a Lyman 429244, and I never had much luck w/ that bullet. 6.5 gr, 50 yd group, 2.75" (5 shots out of 6 shot cylinder, I was loading 5 shot test groups), 2.25" (4 best of 5), 1.0" (3 best of 5). W231 & Unique gave more consistent groups (i.e. not changing size so much w/ charge weight).

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy Swineherd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DougGuy View Post
    You are over 10% below the published starting charge weight for this load.

    Not recommended to download H110/W296 below minimum starting charge weight.
    You're correct, I misstated my load data.
    I'm embarrassed and apologize to the forum for passing potentially dangerous misinformation along. I am loading 25 grains H110 under a cast bullet dropping at 212.5 grains.

    You have a keen eye. Again i apologize.

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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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