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Thread: Moderate 44 mag loads

  1. #41
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    Red Dot powder at 7 gr and a 240-280 gr bullet will be close to 1000 fps, accurate and economical.
    Glad this came back around... Yes, the above load is a very Good one...for Me, with softer 230-240 gr Boolits.
    But, with the Lee 255 SWC there is alot of Boolit In the case, so 5.8 gr of Trail Boss is where I settled (based on available powder space)
    Yes Very Soft Shooting... But, with the Contender, sweet shooting.. Haven't shot them with the SBH, but, Might be Fun in that... tho 200 gr Rf, over SR7625 is what it Likes

  2. #42
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    Any one loading for a Taurus 44 magnum, 4" ported barrel?

  3. #43
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    Actually, Lyman's number 4 gives 25.1 grains of H110 for the start load for a 200 grain SAECO #420 boolit @ 31,700 CUP.
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

  4. #44
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    My favorite 44 Mag "cupcake" load is the 200 gr flat point Lee boolit that I cast from a Lee 6-cavity 429 200RF. These moulds list for$65 They make a lot of boolits in short order. The flat point is good stacked in a tubular magazine rifle. I shoot them in my Rossi stainless 92 and a Marlin 44 Mag. They feed well because of the ojive design of the boolit. The Colt Anaconda allows my grandsons bragging rights to shooting Pap's 44 Mag. Unique at 6.5 grs works great! Good soda can blaster. I have a couple of dueling trees on the farm shooting range. The 200 grainer has enough steam to swing the paddles.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 44MAG#1 View Post
    I don't really see anything wrong with 1086 FPS from a 2.75 inch barreled M69 Smith with a 250 Keith and 16.2 grains 2400.
    My favorite mid range 44 load is 16.6-16.7 grs of 2400 and with a 429421 Keith in my 4" 629 it does 1050 and don't worry about any unburned powder. It is super accurate in all my 44's.Attachment 311977 My SRH Ruger REALLY like it. Full throttle loads are more accurate with H110 but the blast and flash is a bit much, but you are not looking for those anyway.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  6. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by murf205 View Post
    My favorite mid range 44 load is 16.6-16.7 grs of 2400 and with a 429421 Keith in my 4" 629 it does 1050 and don't worry about any unburned powder. It is super accurate in all my 44's.Attachment 311977 My SRH Ruger REALLY like it. Full throttle loads are more accurate with H110 but the blast and flash is a bit much, but you are not looking for those anyway.
    Try that load in Mag cases seated to the same OAL as a 44 Special and crimped over the front band.
    It is a heavy 44 Special load and I like it.
    7.5 of Unique is good too.

  7. #47
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    I have shot the 7.5 gr Unique load and it is indeed a very accurate one. I use 44 spl brass and std primers in both. I like the 2400 for the ease of metering. I can get the Unique to run through the Uniflow with pretty good consistency but not a smooth as 2400.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  8. #48
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    Brian Pearce covered this topic in both Handloader numbers 237 and 261. His article on full power cast bullet loads in Handloader 208 is also a good one. I believe all three issues are available online. His article on handgun bullet seating and crimping in issue 237 is worth reading as well.

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chena View Post
    Brian Pearce covered this topic in both Handloader numbers 237 and 261. His article on full power cast bullet loads in Handloader 208 is also a good one. I believe all three issues are available online. His article on handgun bullet seating and crimping in issue 237 is worth reading as well.
    Very good... for a time when there was Not access to so very many "experts" so readily... I much enjoy input from numerous knowledgeable people who have BTDT... Like Here!

  10. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by racepres View Post
    Very good... for a time when there was Not access to so very many "experts" so readily... I much enjoy input from numerous knowledgeable people who have BTDT... Like Here!
    What is an "Expert"? What goes into making someone an "Expert"? Who are "The Experts"?
    I am a follower of Elmer Keith. Was he an "Expert" based on what he knew at the time?

  11. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by 44MAG#1 View Post
    What is an "Expert"? What goes into making someone an "Expert"? Who are "The Experts"?
    I am a follower of Elmer Keith. Was he an "Expert" based on what he knew at the time?
    IDK...One mans Expert is probably another mans Idiot... matter not the degree of Popularity nor Published Works...
    I pick Mine in My Manner... you need to do Same. I very Much appreciate the Varied input...from All

  12. #52
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    What would the steps be to picking an "Expert"?
    Not trying to be funny or anything. There should be some criteria that we could use to determine who would be one.

  13. #53
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    44Mag - Not entirely sure what your quibble about a common word has to do with the OPs original question. As it happens, Pearce credits, adopts and builds on Keith’s work. His pressure category update on the .44 Special is also an advance and proves the work of the old master is still valid after over fifty years. Studying it convinced me to settle on the RCBS 250-K and the old time Hercules/Alliant powders for all my .44 reloading. Thousands of rounds down range and many years of field carry have given me no reason to change. I did not quote his load data because it is still under copyright and the workman deserves his wage.

  14. #54
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    I see where Unique powder has been mentioned a number of times in this thread. I'm going to follow suit in using Unique. While it may not meter as well as some of the other mentioned powders, it has been my choice for mild to medium loads using a 240 grain cast boolit for over 40 years now.

    Given the size and weight of a Ruger Redhawk, I would start with 7.5 grains of Unique and go up .5 tenths of a grain to 9.0. Out of the 4 loads (7.5/8.0/8.5/9.0) I'm sure you'll find the one that suits you.

    Just my 2¢ worth.


    Murphy
    If I should depart this life while defending those who cannot defend themselves, then I have died the most honorable of deaths. Marc R. Murphy '2006'.

  15. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chena View Post
    44Mag - Not entirely sure what your quibble about a common word has to do with the OPs original question. As it happens, Pearce credits, adopts and builds on Keith’s work. His pressure category update on the .44 Special is also an advance and proves the work of the old master is still valid after over fifty years. Studying it convinced me to settle on the RCBS 250-K and the old time Hercules/Alliant powders for all my .44 reloading. Thousands of rounds down range and many years of field carry have given me no reason to change. I did not quote his load data because it is still under copyright and the workman deserves his wage.
    I am not quibbling over ANYONE. I asked what is an "EXPERT" is all and the definition of "EXPERT".
    I HAVE NOTHING against Pearce. I read his writings. I peruse his data. I use his data some.
    Who said I said anything about Pearce or anyone by name?
    Would this ASSUMPTION be based on ASSUMING I have something against Pearce?
    I don't.

  16. #56
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    44mag - Guess I just misunderstood. Still puzzled as to what you meant, but don’t want to stray further off topic by asking questions. Regarding the OP’s original question, I would add that Herco makes a fair substitute for Unique with 240 to 255 grain semi-wadcutters if charges are increased by 0.5 to 1.0 grains. I used up a couple of pounds that way for practice rounds a few years ago. My experience was that it burned a bit dirtier and was a little less easy to meter accurately.

  17. #57
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    Because we are talking slightly Milder 44Mag loadings...who here has Used AA#5... I believe it to be slightly slower than Unique, and Should be a good bet... besides..around me it is less costly than Unique...assuming you can even Find Unique.. Only problem May be that it sure don't fill as much case (by volume) which may be a Bad Thing since it is essentially a Ball Powder (flattened I believe)...
    Or we can continue to Praise Unique...and Rightly so IMO.
    Edit; Trail Boss seems the Ultimate "reduced loading" but,,,around me, more scarce than Unique, Actually All Alliant Fast Powders...

  18. #58
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    Studying and investigating is paramount in load data.
    Speer shows, with #5 at 9.3 grains at max 44 Special data with their latest 44-250K bullet. With. STD primers.
    Deep seat a 250 "Keith" bullet, see in parentheses, in 44 Mag brass and start at 9.3 grains and work up to a decent load.
    Not rocket science. Seating deep keeps load density in a more favorable situation.
    Power Pistol looks REAL GOOD for this application too.

  19. #59
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    The Vihtavuori powders are larger grained, less dense and give better case fill than any ball powders. N330 is very slightly faster than Unique and N340 is slightly slower than Unique. In my 6½" 629 Classic 9.4 gr. of N340 gives about 1050 fps and extreme accuracy under a commercially coated 240 SWC.

  20. #60
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    I am a big fan of VV N340 but have never tried it in the .44s. It really does well in the .38spls. Guess I should go out of my way to try it in the .44s.............
    JMHO-YMMV
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check