Pistol reloaders Help with 44 mag load

bill k · March 15, 2005, 06:56 PM

I'm in the process as you read this, reloading my first 44 mag loads. I'm using 6.0g of Unique powder as per my manual. I dumped my first load of powder and there is only about 25% of the case filled with powder. Is this right? I'm very surprised at the small amount of powder.

redrooster2 · March 15, 2005, 07:20 PM

You're not going to get a true .44 mag load with Unique. For full power loads take a look at W296, H110 or 2400. If you want something a little lighter try Blue Dot.

bill k · March 15, 2005, 07:22 PM

Is the amount of powder in the case sound right. I'm using Unique right now.

redrooster2 · March 15, 2005, 07:24 PM

Sounds right for Unique.

bill k · March 15, 2005, 07:44 PM

I'm reloading a double action pistol. Do I have to crimp. I'd prefer not if it's not required.

drinks · March 15, 2005, 08:50 PM

With light loads, you may get by, but once you start to get close to factory loads recoil may unseat the bullets and jam the cylinder.
Don

bill k · March 15, 2005, 09:26 PM

I went ahead and crimped now it's off to the range I go.

klw · March 16, 2005, 06:33 PM

I use 10 grains of Unique in my 44 Magnums cast bullet loads. Seem like magnum performance to me.

Edward429451 · March 16, 2005, 06:48 PM

In my experiance with loading 44 mags, Unique works well up to mediumish loads only. If you want to go further than medium loads, try 2400 which I load from light up to OMG. I love the consistent performance of 2400. I have loaded H110 & WW296 also but came back to 2400 as a staple.

I hear your concern about the volume of Unique. It would be fairly easy to accidently doublecharge one and get into trouble with it. Not so with 2400, its volume would overflow a case in a medium load which was doublecharged. Or does at least for me and my loads.

klw · March 16, 2005, 07:06 PM

In old military rifles where you want low pressure but a consistent charge, Unique is a favority. Sure with a small powder charge you can double charge but, well, you do need to be paying attention. The nice thing about Unique is that it is consistent even in small doses. I buy it by the crate.

Shooter 973 · March 16, 2005, 07:51 PM

Boot your weight of Unique up to 8.5 gr and and cast bullet of 240 - 250 gr. and you'll have a nice moderate 44 Mag load, at about 1000 fps. Shoots well in about any 44 that I have tried. Cheaper to shoot than any Jacketed bullet load and easy on both the gun and the shooter.

bill k · March 16, 2005, 08:00 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I loaded it right because the pistol went boom when i pulled the trigger. I'm setting up new loads tonight to try to improve my accuracy.
My first loads were very consistant. I consistantly hit the target, I was consistantly everywhere.
Bill

Leftoverdj · March 16, 2005, 09:46 PM

Bill, there are quite a few pistol cartridges with a lot more powder capacity than you are likely to use. Some are old blackpowder cartridges in smokeless loadings, and others are versions of older cartridges that were lengthened to prevent chambering in older guns.

cheygriz · March 18, 2005, 08:27 PM

Klw,

10.0 of Unique might "seem" magnumish when you fire it, but shoota few over a chronograph, and you will find that it isn't.

"Feel" really doesn'y mane much. You start to really learn about reloading when you start using a chronograph.

I know that I sure got a lot of "surprises" the first timke I used one! It was an old Oehler model 10, the first chronograph available to reloaders. The printet paper screens were a real PITA, but it sure taught me a lot about reloading.

klw · March 18, 2005, 08:36 PM

Decades ago (I'm getting old) I played with quite a few chronographs. Actually wrote a couple reviews of them way back when. I never found them to be all that useful, however, so I got rid of the last one years ago. They are certainly interesting but I'm not at all sure that they are useful.

Then too with the trend of putting the electronics downrange where you can shot it I became even less interested.

I suppose I could buy an Oehler but he is probably still very angry with me. He patented the skyscreen, the plastic above his detectors which helps considerably with glair. He was using that patent to drive his competitors out of the market. Unfortunately, however, he didn't invest it. One of the pictures I had from an article where the camera put a date stamp on the negative showed that that was in common use before Oehler's patent. He wasn't too happy about that.

drinks · March 18, 2005, 09:27 PM

I have been using a chrono for 2 years now, it is a whole new world of facts , not B.S., and is useful in determining when a load is efficient and if it is on the verge of diminishing returns , which usually means you are getting over the safe pressure with that powder.
Really very helpful.
My next step is a pressure sensor setup.

Don

klw · March 19, 2005, 12:01 AM

I stopped paying any attention to chronographs a very long time ago. I know even less about current pressure sensing equipment. Can you buy that these days and if so from whom?

March 15, 2005, 06:56 PM	#1
bill k Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: Dog Creek, CA Posts: 457	Pistol reloaders Help with 44 mag load I'm in the process as you read this, reloading my first 44 mag loads. I'm using 6.0g of Unique powder as per my manual. I dumped my first load of powder and there is only about 25% of the case filled with powder. Is this right? I'm very surprised at the small amount of powder. __________________ Retired Air Force 8th TFW The Wolfpack

March 15, 2005, 07:22 PM	#3
bill k Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: Dog Creek, CA Posts: 457	Is the amount of powder in the case sound right. I'm using Unique right now. __________________ Retired Air Force 8th TFW The Wolfpack

March 15, 2005, 07:44 PM	#5
bill k Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: Dog Creek, CA Posts: 457	Last question I'm reloading a double action pistol. Do I have to crimp. I'd prefer not if it's not required. __________________ Retired Air Force 8th TFW The Wolfpack

March 15, 2005, 08:50 PM	#6
drinks Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Posts: 405	.44 mag loads With light loads, you may get by, but once you start to get close to factory loads recoil may unseat the bullets and jam the cylinder. Don

March 15, 2005, 09:26 PM	#7
bill k Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: Dog Creek, CA Posts: 457	I went ahead and crimped now it's off to the range I go. __________________ Retired Air Force 8th TFW The Wolfpack

March 15, 2005, 07:20 PM	#2
redrooster2 Member Join Date: September 23, 2004 Location: north of Acadiana Posts: 80	You're not going to get a true .44 mag load with Unique. For full power loads take a look at W296, H110 or 2400. If you want something a little lighter try Blue Dot.

March 15, 2005, 07:24 PM	#4
redrooster2 Member Join Date: September 23, 2004 Location: north of Acadiana Posts: 80	Sounds right for Unique.

March 16, 2005, 06:33 PM	#8
klw Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2005 Posts: 118	I use 10 grains of Unique in my 44 Magnums cast bullet loads. Seem like magnum performance to me.

March 16, 2005, 06:48 PM	#9
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	In my experiance with loading 44 mags, Unique works well up to mediumish loads only. If you want to go further than medium loads, try 2400 which I load from light up to OMG. I love the consistent performance of 2400. I have loaded H110 & WW296 also but came back to 2400 as a staple. I hear your concern about the volume of Unique. It would be fairly easy to accidently doublecharge one and get into trouble with it. Not so with 2400, its volume would overflow a case in a medium load which was doublecharged. Or does at least for me and my loads.

March 16, 2005, 07:06 PM	#10
klw Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2005 Posts: 118	Unique In old military rifles where you want low pressure but a consistent charge, Unique is a favority. Sure with a small powder charge you can double charge but, well, you do need to be paying attention. The nice thing about Unique is that it is consistent even in small doses. I buy it by the crate.

March 16, 2005, 07:51 PM	#11
Shooter 973 Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2001 Location: Home town of John M. Browning, Utah Posts: 499	Favorite 44 Mag. load!!! Boot your weight of Unique up to 8.5 gr and and cast bullet of 240 - 250 gr. and you'll have a nice moderate 44 Mag load, at about 1000 fps. Shoots well in about any 44 that I have tried. Cheaper to shoot than any Jacketed bullet load and easy on both the gun and the shooter. __________________ 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?

March 16, 2005, 08:00 PM	#12
bill k Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: Dog Creek, CA Posts: 457	Thanks for the info guys. I guess I loaded it right because the pistol went boom when i pulled the trigger. I'm setting up new loads tonight to try to improve my accuracy. My first loads were very consistant. I consistantly hit the target, I was consistantly everywhere. Bill __________________ Retired Air Force 8th TFW The Wolfpack

March 16, 2005, 09:46 PM	#13
Leftoverdj Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2004 Posts: 934	Bill, there are quite a few pistol cartridges with a lot more powder capacity than you are likely to use. Some are old blackpowder cartridges in smokeless loadings, and others are versions of older cartridges that were lengthened to prevent chambering in older guns.

March 18, 2005, 08:27 PM	#14
cheygriz Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2002 Location: high up in the rockies Posts: 2,289	Klw, 10.0 of Unique might "seem" magnumish when you fire it, but shoota few over a chronograph, and you will find that it isn't. "Feel" really doesn'y mane much. You start to really learn about reloading when you start using a chronograph. I know that I sure got a lot of "surprises" the first timke I used one! It was an old Oehler model 10, the first chronograph available to reloaders. The printet paper screens were a real PITA, but it sure taught me a lot about reloading. __________________ If you think a mighty military force is expensive, wait 'til you see what a weak one costs.

March 18, 2005, 08:36 PM	#15
klw Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2005 Posts: 118	chronographs Decades ago (I'm getting old) I played with quite a few chronographs. Actually wrote a couple reviews of them way back when. I never found them to be all that useful, however, so I got rid of the last one years ago. They are certainly interesting but I'm not at all sure that they are useful. Then too with the trend of putting the electronics downrange where you can shot it I became even less interested. I suppose I could buy an Oehler but he is probably still very angry with me. He patented the skyscreen, the plastic above his detectors which helps considerably with glair. He was using that patent to drive his competitors out of the market. Unfortunately, however, he didn't invest it. One of the pictures I had from an article where the camera put a date stamp on the negative showed that that was in common use before Oehler's patent. He wasn't too happy about that.

March 18, 2005, 09:27 PM	#16
drinks Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Posts: 405	Chronograph I have been using a chrono for 2 years now, it is a whole new world of facts , not B.S., and is useful in determining when a load is efficient and if it is on the verge of diminishing returns , which usually means you are getting over the safe pressure with that powder. Really very helpful. My next step is a pressure sensor setup. Don

March 19, 2005, 12:01 AM	#17
klw Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2005 Posts: 118	Pressure Sensor I stopped paying any attention to chronographs a very long time ago. I know even less about current pressure sensing equipment. Can you buy that these days and if so from whom?