Handloading for a Desert Eagle .44 Mag

[ophidia]

Hi all, this is my first post. Yay!

I am the proud owner of a new .44 magnum Desert Eagle. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me to start reloadingfor it. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that they need pretty hot loads to cycle properly, but I can't seem to find much information.

I've been handloading for a .44 mag Super Redhawk for a number of years.

I tried out Nosler hunting handgun bullets, 240 grain, in mixed Win and Federal brass, with WLP primers and 24 grains of H110. I ended up with unburned powder and unreliable feeding and an occasional stovepipe. Today I'm going to try 240 grain XTP's over 20.5 grains of #9 with WLP primers and Hornady brass. Does anyone have a pet load that works well in their DEP? It's not much fun to have such a beautiful weapon that doesn't shoot right!

Thanks!
Chris

[Pocketfisherman]

How tight did you crimp? With H110, you need a good tight roll crimp to hold the bullet in place long enough to get all the powder lit.

[Unclenick]

Welcome to the forum.

And you need magnum primers with H110/296. I'm surprised that load didn't function the gun, as it is equivalent to a typical commercial load and I doubt the gun was not intended to work with commercial loads. The crimping is important. Nosler bullets typically have a slight taper along the sides, so you may find a Hornady XTP is gripped by the case better? That, too, would help start pressure.

[rc_gilmore]

Best 44 Mag loads.
I have been a commercial reloader for 30 yrs. The best powder available for 44Mag loading is Accurate #9. Using this powder you can even make loads using 180gr bullets that will cycle the Eagle. I use Hornady XTPs. Accurate #9 is very similar to a commercial reloader non-cannister powder I got from Hodgdon. These are my loads, reduce by 10% and work up. Always use Magnum primers and a tight crimp!!!!!!!!! This powder can be hard to light if you hunt in very cold weather like we have here in ohio. Accurate #9 is the best powder I ever used in any magnum pistol load. In 357 Mag, with this powder 125gr bullets will cycle an Eagle.
180 gr 26.0 grs nearly 1800fps
200 gr 24.0 grs 1676fps
240 gr 20 grs 1545fps

This was posted by Mac1045 on a thread I started about the same thing awhile back. Only one I've tested is the 240 gr recipe but it works extremely well in a desert eagle .............. they can be extremely picky............

[Hydraulicman]

heavy jacketed bullets and slow powders like W296 and H110

[Gewehr98]

The Desert Eagle needs a large volume of gas to properly cycle that heavy steel action.

I got my Desert Eagle Mk1 from a guy who couldn't get it to cycle on the factory ammo he had purchased. Turns out he didn't know about the recommended ammo list that Magnum Research has on their website, but I wasn't going to tell him after he sold it to me for $400.00.

RC_Gilmore is right about AA#9. I second the tight crimp bit, because you want good starting pressures for a consistent and clean burn. AA#9 also promotes a fairly high load density behind that bullet, not a bad thing.

[Hydraulicman]

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=LEE90863

You'll need a good roll crimp on those cartridges. The lee factory crimp die will create a firm crimp with reliable feeding

[SSG-Gibb]

I had similar problems with my DE In 44mag as well when I started out. I was buying jacketed bullets for it that worked well but got pricy for a younger shooter, so I just stuck with what I knew... Cast bullets. and what I found out through trial and error mostly stove piping and failure to feed properly but the the crimp is VERY important for this animal. I never used Mag primers and worked up a dynamite load for it using only red and blue dot powders. (as I had a good supply of these powders) I'm sorry to say I don't have that data available to post because it's in PA and I'm in Iraq but This is a GREAT place to get a BOAT LOAD of information, Welcome to a gun nuts paradise :D

[ophidia]

I tried 20.3 grains of #9 pushing a 240 grain XTP, and it cycled fine most of the time, and the times it didn't were my fault by letting it recoil too much. There was still some unburned powder (albeit not a lot) and I crimped them very solidly with my Lee Factory Crimp die.
I did notice that there's a hairlike scratch on the bottom of the bore. That's awesome. Now I get to send in my 5 day old gun to get it fixed (under warranty) :(.

[Gewehr98]

I had similar problems with my DE In 44mag as well when I started out. I was buying jacketed bullets for it that worked well but got pricy for a younger shooter, so I just stuck with what I knew... Cast bullets.

Cast bullets in a Desert Eagle? :eek:

[ophidia]

It says in the manual that lead bullets are a big no-no as they can plug up gas ports and solder pieces together.

[Gewehr98]

Hell, I take a big risk running plated bullets at OMG velocities in my Desert Eagle. I shudder to think what a mess I'd create with cast bullets, even those with gas checks installed.

[AlaskaMike]

Is there something unique about the gas system in a Desert Eagle? I know virtually nothing about them, however I shoot cast bullets all the time in my M1 Garand up to about 2500 fps with no fouling or leading in the gas port.

Mike

[ophidia]

I think it's the teeny tiny little holes and tight tolerances lead shut and stick together from vaporized lead.

[FM12]

Abuddy of mine loads for his DE.44 and swears by WW296, claims it always functions his pistol. YMMV.

[Doc Intrepid]

AlaskaMike,

I've had a Desert Eagle in .44 since 1989, and it has functioned flawlessly.

But there are a few details (at least with mine - it has the aircraft aluminum lower receiver group)...they can be extremely finicky pistols.

First, right at about every 3000 rounds the recoil springs crap out. Exactly when the owner's manual said they would. I've replaced them at least five or six times now.

Second, they're real picky about ammunition. In particular, shooters are cautioned to use jacketed bullets that fully enclose the base of the bullet, precisely because not doing so will compromise the gas piston operation - eventually vaporized lead residue will result in malfunctions. And due to the design, its tough to get in and clean the gas channel to the piston cylinder. (If you could submerge the barrel in a sonic cleaner or something similar you may fare better...but as I don't have a sonic cleaner that large I choose to stick with jacketed bullets...)

I hand-loaded for my revolvers and (primarily) my .45s, but never for the Desert Eagle. I know that other guys did...but Magnum Research strongly recommended against it (due to the gun being real selective about ammunition), and I wanted the thing to work reliably under all conditions. To this day I've only fired factory ammunition through it - although for much of my career my employer paid for most of the ammunition I used.

I've owned mine for 20 years now, and it has worked reliably over that entire period. AFAIC, my decision to use jacketed bullets and factory loads (and changing the springs out religiously) played at least a small role in ensuring that consistent level of performance.

Your mileage may most definitely vary...

Doc

[Gewehr98]

The gas port is just forward of the chamber, right at the throat. The gas system is integral to the barrel, and exposed lead bullets will shave and/or vaporize lead into the gas port. Trying to clean that convoluted gas system of lead fouling, (which snakes forward under the barrel towards the muzzle and then does a 180-degree turn back to the gas piston on the slide) is an exercise you don't want to get into.

Even an ultrasonic cleaner won't get all that lead out, and will remove the barrel finish in the process. I found that out when using my lab-grade ultrasonerator to just clean carbon fouling out of the barrel extension where the bolt lugs engage. :(

No factory loads for my .357 DE. Most of the retail fodder is too weak to cycle the big gun, so it's handloads with 158gr or heavier bullets, and a stout charge of 296 or 2400 for me.

[ophidia]

Once I got the shooting style down, I stopped having cycling problems with the 240 gr XTP's and 20.3 grains of #9. I tried some Win white box ammo with it, and every other round stovepiped, so I know to avoid those in the future. My dad had them-- I don't plan on buying any factory rounds for it unless I run out of components and can't find any more. Just for S&G's I fired one .44 special round out of it-- the slide barely moved. Funny.

[ophidia]

Well, #9 isn't available anywhere around here now. So that's awesome. Back to H110.

I also can't find anymore Hornady 240 gn XTP's.

I then discovered that I had 80 CCI magnum large pistol primers. I loaded up some with 24 grains of H110, this primer, Nosler bullets, barely belling the case mouth for seating (so slight you could barely see it), and crimped the hell out of them with my Lee FCD. These cycled the gun well, no unburned powder, and were monsters. Of course, I can't find any damn large pistol magnum primers.

I thought that the WLP primers were supposed to be for both standard and magnum loads. Any suggestions on getting this load to work for WLP primers? Should this work with WLP's?

[Hydraulicman]

cool glad to hear you got it running well. And as always

Pics would be nice

[ophidia]

Here's a cell phone pic of it. Sorry about the poor quality.

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx36/ophidia/depscope.jpg

[Hydraulicman]

That's good quality for a cell phone thanks for the pic

interesting scope mount you have there

[ophidia]

The scope mount is Magnum Research's answer to not wanting to use a 20mm scope on it. It mounts on the grooves cut into the barrel for scope bases.

It seems to work rather well-- it's sort of a challenge to rack the slide, but other than that (and the 6 lb, 1 oz loaded weight) it does the job.

[Hydraulicman]

tacticool reload should solve that problem:D

[ophidia]

So, I found some CCI magnum primers and bought 1500. I'm set for a little while.

I tried the 24 grains of H110 with both Nosler and Hornady 240 grain bullets. The Noslers seemed to function OK (with the occasional jam and casing bouncing off my forehead) but the Hornady's were very reluctant to chamber-- almost like the .01" difference in bullet diameter was enough to keep them chambering. I'm having trouble figuring out if this is my shooting style, or the ammo. The Nosler bullets, extremely heavy crimp, and magnum primers seemed to work best.

I also made some loads identical to the Nosler load except I used WLP primers, and they jammed all the time.

This gun is challenging to shoot. Right now I'm concentrating more on keeping it from recoiling back so it functions properly and consequently can't hit the broad side of a barn. :/. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed in it right now, but hopefully I'll get it figured out.

[dewcrew8]

I've used No. 9 powder in all 3 of my eagles, .357,44mag,and big daddy 50!(all with 6&10 inch barrles with no problems at all going on 14yrs know.using winchester primers. just remember that you'll use jacket slugs!!! :cool:useing rcbs dies :D I've used sra 250 fpj , and hdy 300xpt and like the 300xpt better (44 mag) in the .50 its the spr 325 , 357 its the hdy 180 xtp.
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