What are your favorite 4" barrel 44 mag loads?

[totaldla]

I'm working up loads for my 329pd. I want something to stop a 500lb bear, worst case. I'd appreciate some ideas for loads for a 4" barrel 44 mag. Thanks in advance.

[Hook686]

I load 200 grain JHP using 9.4 to 11.0 grains of Unique. These shoot quite well in my 329PD, but I would certainly not be looking to shoot a 500 lb bear with one. The last round in the cylinder is a 300 grain JSP. It is painful to shoot, so it is a last shot option. I seriously doubt a 500 lb bear will be impressed with it though.

[bamaranger]

what a 329PD is, I suspect the ultra light new S&W's. You have prompted a question and I will check further tonight elsewhere.

A full power .44 mag, but in your light revolver, that poses a difficult question.

Now, .........in my 4" Mtn. Revolver, any load full house is hard for me to shoot well very long. If the PD you describe is even lighter, that would put the recoil in the vicious range for me. I run midrange loads and am well satisfied. A 500 lb bear would be a big blackie, and I believe a brain/spine shot with a mid range would do the deed. The heavy loads are a little rough on the revolvers too, I suspect. They're not Super-B's.

The gunwriter Ross SEYFRIED talked about ultra heavy bullets for the .44 mag in an article introducing the Mtn. Revolver quite a few years back. (I just found the article, 1989!!!) He mentioned heavy bullets, but moderate velocity. The 280 gr LBT flatnose at 1000 fps in the Mtn Guns was his "heavy" load. I suspect it would be very stout. The same bullet at 900 fps "would take care of 90% of most of your shooting". He also liked the 250 gr LSWC at 1000 fps, again for general use. His heavy 250 gr load ran to 1200 fps, the Keith load, but I believe that would be in the vicious category again for a light weight revolver.

The 250 gr bullet is pretty commonly available, as is its close cousin, the 240.
Me, personally? I'd find some genuine HARD cast types of either weight, load'em to a genuine 1000 fps, practice plenty, walk more confidently, and avoid bears, 500 lb blackies or otherwise, when possible.

[totaldla]

Well you are right of course, I'm certainly not looking to tangle with a bear. I put that out there because that is the size of the large ones where I bowhunt. And I was hoping to get more ideas on realistic loads for 4" barrel revolvers.

Yes the recoil in noticeable in the 329pd, but it is not as bad as some would think. I put a good set of grips on it and it's not a big deal to me. You know when you touch one off, but no broken bones and the Earth doesn't spin off it's axis.

[The Tourist]

I've heard a lot of arguments in my time for the old 'short-barrel beachball flame' theory of unburned powder. On paper, I guess it exists. I've also shot the revolvers in applying that theory.

For many years I had numerous four-inch SW 29s. Handloaded for every one of them. I even had a (non-Horton) 2.5 inch version.

With expedient, fast burning ball powder that consumed the entire case, firing it often felt like getting an electric drill caught in drywall. I went the other direction.

I used slow burning powders meant for the automatic shotgun crowd, powders like Hercules Blue Dot and Alcan AL-8. To that, I utilized the standard cast Keith 429421 without a gas check.

My guess is that these loads never provided the maximum terminal performance of any load named in this thread. It did work on metallic silhouettes.

While I do not recommend a .44 Rem Mag for bear--especially at the size you mention--I believe a good solid hit with a bullet with a large meplat driven at respectable speed is about the best you're going to get.

[DiscoRacing]

i use 8.0gr of titegroup... but that is with cast 200gr bullets... for paper shootin

[GeauxTide]

Shooting full house loads in a 30oz platform will cross your eyes. As stated above, the most you could expect is about 1000fps. My hide is valued at a 275gr LFN @ 1100fps from a LC.

[mavracer]

Yes the recoil in noticeable in the 329pd, but it is not as bad as some would think. I put a good set of grips on it and it's not a big deal to me. You know when you touch one off, but no broken bones and the Earth doesn't spin off it's axis.

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

Ok if you want to "man up" my load for bear country is 20 gr of WW296 with a 300gr meister truncated cone hard cast it will break 1100fps from my 3" model 29.Use a real heavy crimp cause that much recoil is going to turn that 26oz gun into a kinetic bullet puller. if you try it get back with us when you can type again and let us know how it worked for ya.

If it were me I'd use a 240-250 hard cast SWC and ~10gr of unique.

[totaldla]

Originally Posted by mavracer

Ok if you want to "man up" my load for bear country is 20 gr of WW296 with a 300gr meister truncated cone hard cast it will break 1100fps from my 3" model 29.Use a real heavy crimp cause that much recoil is going to turn that 26oz gun into a kinetic bullet puller. if you try it get back with us when you can type again and let us know how it worked for ya.

It's really not a matter of "manning up" - I just don't want the usual recommendations for 44 special-equivalent poofter loads that get trotted around.

I always wonder where that 20gr of w296 gets burned in a 3" barrel - must be some sort of virtual barrel out there Maybe the idea is hold the barrel against the bear and let the gasses get him.

Most of my loadings, (except with Enforcer), have been equivalent to the "10gr of Unique" - except that I don't use Unique (I can't find it if I wanted it).

Thanks for the info.

[totaldla]

Originally Posted by geauxtide

Shooting full house loads in a 30oz platform will cross your eyes.

It's not that bad. I'm no expert with mine, but I really don't see what all the fuss is about. Yea, it's not a 22lr, but I don't fear shooting the revolver. I guess everyone has a different sensitivity.

I agree that "plinking" loads need to be 240gr@ no more than 1000fps.

[AlaskaMike]

In a recent issue of Handloader, Brian Pearce described working up a heavy bullet load for his 329PD for the same purpose. I think he ended up with a 300 grain Keith SWC over something like 10 or 11 grains of Alliant Power Pistol. He had to back off from the charge weight he originally wanted because the bullets were jumping crimp.

Mike

[totaldla]

Unfortunately I don't subscribe to that magazine. And I notice that load data believes info for 4" barrel 44 mags is worth $30/year - I don't.

[bamaranger]

So that's the weight of a 329PD, wow! I'm thinkin' a 4" Mtn Revolver goes 36, maybe 39. (or is 39 a 4" L-frame?)
Forgive me, I'm from AL, I gotta think.......yeah, that's about a half pound difference, wow!

I'm using 8.5 -9gr Unique w/ 240 gr or 250 gr bullets BTW. Kind of a .44 spl+P

[mavracer]

So that's the weight of a 329PD

maybe loaded S&W lists the weight at 26oz

I always wonder where that 20gr of w296 gets burned in a 3" barrel - must be some sort of virtual barrel out there Maybe the idea is hold the barrel against the bear and let the gasses get him.

actually it doesn't muzzle flash all that bad and yes it does get more velocity in a 6" or longer barrel,But I also haven't found a powder that gets more out of the 3".

It's not that bad. I'm no expert with mine, but I really don't see what all the fuss is about. Yea, it's not a 22lr, but I don't fear shooting the revolver. I guess everyone has a different sensitivity.

I agree that "plinking" loads need to be 240gr@ no more than 1000fps.

Again if you can handle it 300s as fast as you can drive them is going to be your best bet.But don't say we didn't warn ya.
BTW the free recoil energy of my load is more than double that of a 240@1000 load out of your gun 15.29 ft.lbs. vs 35.22 ft.lbs. my 42oz IIRC model 29 brings free recoil of my load down to 21.81 ft. lbs. which is tolarable but not fun.