.44 Mag rifle load?

Bottom Gun · May 9, 2001, 09:11 PM

A Winchester mod 94 carbine in .44 mag followed me home the other day and I decided to give it a good home.

Although I've been reloading this cartridge for my pistols for many years, I haven't done any loading for a "rifle" in this caliber. This one has a 16 inch barrel.
It seems to do well with my pistol loads, which are mostly 200 and 240 grain cast and jacketed slugs using 9.0 to 13.0 grains of Unique powder, but I'd like to see what kind of potential this little rifle has.
Can anyone recommend some good rifle loads for .44 Mag?

Also, although I've been an avid shooter since the 60's, this is my first lever gun and I really don't know what to expect from it. Will it stand up to a steady diet of stout loads?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Bottom Gun

Big Bunny · May 9, 2001, 09:44 PM

I use 25gn of Mulwex 2205 and a Sierra 180gn, Federal brass and WLP primer (***Safe IN MY GUN****)for a nice flat tragectory and 1,900fps in a Ruger carbine. It goes right through any goat and so is best on pigs.

I have a W'94 in 30/30 and heavy loads are not used -so I can't help there I'm afraid.

bedlamite · May 9, 2001, 11:00 PM

Full snort 44mag loads are not a problem. I use Nosler 240gr JSP on 24 grains of H110 with a magnum primer. It's in the high 1700's from my Winchester 94 Trapper 44mag

nice little shoulder pistol you have there.

Hal · May 10, 2001, 03:59 AM

An excellent bullet for "hot" loads in my Winchester Trapper has been the Hornady JTC-SIL stock #4425. It's a total metal jacket 240 gr .430dia slug.
For everyday paper punching I use 2400 and a cast 240 gr.

Shooter 973 · May 10, 2001, 03:57 PM

Try 17 gr. of Bluedot with a good cast slug of 240 or 250 gr. This will do anything that you can ask for from a 44Mag.
I use this load in 2 44 Trappers and 2 Redhawks and it is great.
My sons ring the 300 yrd. gong with open sights with this load. Your rifles should stay tight for a loooong time shooting these.

Clark · May 12, 2001, 01:45 AM

According to a Ruger 44 mag carbine collector, many have been dammaged with stuck bullets. He describes the many ways of repair. None are pretty. Reduced loads in a semi auto at a noisy range are not good.

Kenneth L. Walters · May 12, 2001, 12:03 PM

I've been shooting 10 grains of Unique with a 240 grain cast bullet in my revolvers for some time now. Good load. Not all that much recoil.

I tried it in my new Ruger 44 Magnum bolt action. Boy that that kick. I was really surprised as this load has virtually no recoil in my revolvers.

Bottom Gun · May 13, 2001, 10:39 PM

The "rifle" does well with my pistol loads of 10.2 gr Unique with a 240 gr Bulletmeister cast.
The rifle section in my Lyman book says I can go up to 12.0 gr Unique for almost 1500 fps, but I was looking for something a little hotter for the rifle without having to go to a powder like H110 or 296 which requires you to crimp the dickens out of your brass to achieve ignition.
I'd like to work up a load for 180 and 300 gr jacketed. I picked up some IMR4227 the other day. I'm going to give it a try and see what it does.

bedlamite · May 14, 2001, 12:46 AM

The 4227 will work well with 300 gr bullets, but not so good with 180gr bullets, try Blue Dot for those.

May 9, 2001, 09:44 PM	#2
Big Bunny Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 1999 Location: New South Wales - Australia Posts: 605	I use 25gn of Mulwex 2205 and a Sierra 180gn, Federal brass and WLP primer (*Safe IN MY GUN**)for a nice flat tragectory and 1,900fps in a Ruger carbine. It goes right through any goat and so is best on pigs. I have a W'94 in 30/30 and heavy loads are not used -so I can't help there I'm afraid. __________________ Bad boys, bad boys...watcha goin' to do - watcha goin' to do when they come for YOU ?!

May 9, 2001, 11:00 PM	#3
bedlamite Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2000 Location: WI Posts: 1,395	Full snort 44mag loads are not a problem. I use Nosler 240gr JSP on 24 grains of H110 with a magnum primer. It's in the high 1700's from my Winchester 94 Trapper 44mag nice little shoulder pistol you have there. __________________ A plan is just a list of things that doesn't happen.

May 10, 2001, 03:57 PM	#5
Shooter 973 Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2001 Location: Home town of John M. Browning, Utah Posts: 499	Try 17 gr. of Bluedot with a good cast slug of 240 or 250 gr. This will do anything that you can ask for from a 44Mag. I use this load in 2 44 Trappers and 2 Redhawks and it is great. My sons ring the 300 yrd. gong with open sights with this load. Your rifles should stay tight for a loooong time shooting these. __________________ The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

May 14, 2001, 12:46 AM	#9
bedlamite Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2000 Location: WI Posts: 1,395	The 4227 will work well with 300 gr bullets, but not so good with 180gr bullets, try Blue Dot for those. __________________ A plan is just a list of things that doesn't happen.

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May 9, 2001, 09:11 PM	#1
Bottom Gun Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: Arizona Territory Posts: 1,092	A Winchester mod 94 carbine in .44 mag followed me home the other day and I decided to give it a good home. Although I've been reloading this cartridge for my pistols for many years, I haven't done any loading for a "rifle" in this caliber. This one has a 16 inch barrel. It seems to do well with my pistol loads, which are mostly 200 and 240 grain cast and jacketed slugs using 9.0 to 13.0 grains of Unique powder, but I'd like to see what kind of potential this little rifle has. Can anyone recommend some good rifle loads for .44 Mag? Also, although I've been an avid shooter since the 60's, this is my first lever gun and I really don't know what to expect from it. Will it stand up to a steady diet of stout loads? Thanks in advance for your help. Bottom Gun

May 10, 2001, 03:59 AM	#4
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	An excellent bullet for "hot" loads in my Winchester Trapper has been the Hornady JTC-SIL stock #4425. It's a total metal jacket 240 gr .430dia slug. For everyday paper punching I use 2400 and a cast 240 gr.

May 12, 2001, 01:45 AM	#6
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	According to a Ruger 44 mag carbine collector, many have been dammaged with stuck bullets. He describes the many ways of repair. None are pretty. Reduced loads in a semi auto at a noisy range are not good.

May 12, 2001, 12:03 PM	#7
Kenneth L. Walters Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 1999 Location: flagstaff, arizona Posts: 477	I've been shooting 10 grains of Unique with a 240 grain cast bullet in my revolvers for some time now. Good load. Not all that much recoil. I tried it in my new Ruger 44 Magnum bolt action. Boy that that kick. I was really surprised as this load has virtually no recoil in my revolvers.

May 13, 2001, 10:39 PM	#8
Bottom Gun Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: Arizona Territory Posts: 1,092	The "rifle" does well with my pistol loads of 10.2 gr Unique with a 240 gr Bulletmeister cast. The rifle section in my Lyman book says I can go up to 12.0 gr Unique for almost 1500 fps, but I was looking for something a little hotter for the rifle without having to go to a powder like H110 or 296 which requires you to crimp the dickens out of your brass to achieve ignition. I'd like to work up a load for 180 and 300 gr jacketed. I picked up some IMR4227 the other day. I'm going to give it a try and see what it does.