Give me you loads for 44Mag!

[slammedsi]

Well looking to make up a few rounds this weekend and just not finding what im looking for. The search is just not helping much tonight...

Gun is a 44Mag SBH with a 4 5/8 barrel.

Wanting to make a nice light accurate target load for plinking, and also a full on power load when i want to hear it go boom. Not looking to use 44specal stuff as i have a tun of mag brass.

At the moment i have a large volume of 2400, Unique, Power Pistol, and Herco. If i can work with that great. But if there is something better out there let me know...

Everyones thoughts and help is thanked.

[Doodlebugger45]

I have a few loads that work really well in my 8 3/8" model 629 and reasonably well in my 5.5" Vaquero. For extremely light plinking loads I use 7.0 gr of 231 powder with a 240 gr cast bullet. For medium loads I like 11.3 gr of True Blue with a 240 gr cast bullet. For more powerful loads, I have 2 that seem to work good. One uses a 240 gr hard cast gas check bullet with 20.3 gr of 2400. For jacketed bullets, I use a 240 gr Speer GDHP along with 23.4 gr of H-110/W-296 powder. I use CCI magnum primers on the last 2 loads although it's not necessary for the 2400 powder. I don't have a chronograph so I'm not sure of the velocities. Mostly I look for accuracy and clean burning.

[Archie]

Is a 240 grain bullet and 8 to 10 grains of Unique. Velocities run from +/- 800 to +/- 1000 fps. NOTE: This is for the 'old' Unique and may vary; please consult loading manual and double check.

For full loads, 2400 or H110 are excellent powders; I don't have anything in my memory, so check a loading manual. (I use a surplus government powder designed for .30 Carbine; probably not much value to you at this point.)

Also - and this is one of my pet gripes - there is no point in loading for a specific barrel length. The fastest load in a long barrel will be the fastest load in a short barrel. Yes, the fastest load will have more flash and blast than a slower load, but that remains regardless of barrel length.

This is not to say two different guns will shoot best - or perhaps faster - with the same load. Different guns are different systems and must be addressed as such. Accuracy especially is firearm specific.

[zxcvbob]

240 grain lead SWC bullets with 12 to 12.5 grains of Herco.

[teumessian_fox]

My standard load is 7.0 grains Unique w/240 grain SWC plated bullet. It's very mild compared to full charge magnum load yet is snappy enough to be fun.

[slammedsi]

Thanks everyone for the replys. Anyone else? Whats a good full power load thats going to have alot of flash. Not that i would want to shoot them everyday. just like to see it once in a blue moon..

[Rifleman1776]

I'm dubious about posting loads on a forum.
I have a favorite light target load. PM me if you are interested.

[spacecoast]

Did you check www.alliantpowder.com? They have quite a few loads for 2400, Unique and Power Pistol. If you don't find an exact match for your bullet it's usually OK to use a slightly lighter bullet with the load for a heavier one.

[.284]

I am a fan of full house loads as I use my S&W 629 for deer hunting. I have had great success with W296/H110, Lil Gun, and to some extent 2400.

Here are two loads that work well for my 44:

Sierra 180 gr JHC, CCI large magnum pistol primer, 26 gr Lil Gun.

Sierra 210 gr JHC, CCI large magnum pistol primer, 26 gr W296.

Both are published loads from a Sierra manual and both are below max loads. I have had baseball sized groups with both at 100 yards shooting from a rest. I would be careful to limit your use of W296/H110. These powders are known to cause top strap errosion when use excessively. I have used 2400 but, not enough to give a load or adequate recommendation.

Good luck.

[oneounceload]

Those powders are listed in their companies' web sites with published and tested loads. I would use those over anything found on the net that wasn't verified - JMO.

[AlaskaMike]

A 240 or 250 grain jacketed or cast bullet over 24 grains of H110/296 is an extremely common top-end load, and will definitely have a lot of muzzle flash and blast.

My light plinker is a 250 grain SWC (cast from RCBS 44-250-K) over 7.5 grains of 231. My midrange load is the same bullet over 10 grains of Power Pistol.

As others have mentioned, you should cross reference these loads with authoritative load data--not because you're getting it off the web, but because you don't know us. Some have hangups about data that comes off the web, but will give no such cautions regarding the pet loads from some "expert" at the local gun shop.

[BigJimP]

240 gr jacketed bullet ...I prefer Montana Gold bullets.

I use Hodgdon TiteGroup ...because its formulated to give you good ignition even in cases where you have a relatively low volume of powder ...like a .44 mag ...

Minimum published recipe for TiteGroup is 9.0 Grains / and at 9.2 its a pretty soft load at around 1200 fps. Max is 10.0grains and you're getting up around 1300 fps at that point / and it'll make some noise ...

Hodgdon website has a lot of loads published for .44 mag ...

[GP100man]

Every 44 I own will shoot 8 grs. of Herco under a 429421 sized .430

Nice mild shoot allday load !

1 Redhawk demands 800x , the others work with 2400 top end loads .

http://www.imrpowder.com/pdf_reload.html

Here`s a link to the IMR data.

[GeauxTide]

As previously stated, 250LSWC over 8-10gr of Unique is very accurate. I use the old 240JSP Remingtons under 22-24gr of H-110. I've got some older(1988) H-110, so start at 22gr if you've got the new. I like the Rem because they are as cheap as cast and will poke a deer from stem to stern.

[frumious]

Use this data at your own risk.

I have had good luck with 3 loads. All are with a 240gr lead bullet (Missouri or Billy Bullet), Winchester WLP primers, and shot out of a Ruger SBH 5.5".

18.0gr Alliant 2400 - kind of a handful but not too bad
8.1gr Alliant Green Dot - pleasant
11.5gr Alliant Unique - pleasant

-cls

[NWPilgrim]

I use 11 gr Unique for a medium load and 24 gr W296 for a full power load, both with 240 gr hardcast lead SWC bullets. Do not download W296 (see every manual's warning about this with W296).

[Raven Armament]

10.5gr Unique with a cast 240gr SWC does 1,000fps from a 6 inch and is a pleasure to shoot. Excellent on small game too.

[HiBC]

Look in a Hogdon book.H-110/ WW296.Wheelweight 240,gas checked or laser cast.
Long ago,it was all the powder I could get away with,now,i work up to a couple grains under max.You must load full power loads with these powders,they are not for reduced loads.Hard to beat.I have shot a lot of 215 gr cast,GC semi=wadcutters.Fun,zippy.H-110 works.Laser cast 300 gr truncated cones are fun if you like throwing hammers.Laser cast has a good load handbook.

[Al Norris]

Full power loads?

As has been said, 22 - 24 grains of H110/W296 (same powder) with a 240gr bullet, will get you all the blast and flash you can handle.

Another good full-load powder is IMR4227, using 19 - 23 grains, also with a 240gr bullet. Please note: H4227 is a different powder - do not use IMR4227 data with H4227 powders. They are similar, but the high end on IMR4227 is above the published rates for H4227.

2400 is another excellent powder, for the 44mag. Using 240gr bullets, I tend to use 19 - 22 gr.

For general plinking, 7 - 9 grains of Titegroup will do. For cowboy loads, 4.5 - 6 grains of Titegroup seem to work nicely. Again, with 240 grain bullets. The one drawback with this powder is that it is very easy to double charge, or even triple charge if you are not paying attention.

I have used all of the above with both jacketed and lead 240gr bullets.

When introducing new folks to magnum calibers, I tend to start off with very light loads. I use lead bullets (various weights and styles) and Trail Boss. Data for this powder generally runs between 6 - 7 grains or so (fills up the case nicely). Lots of flash and smoke! Never use Trail Boss with jacketed bullets. It was designed for lead bullets only.

Hodgdon's website will give you plenty of load data to start with.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Al Norris

Never use Trail Boss with jacketed bullets. It was designed for lead bullets only.

Al,

Is this still true for handguns? I know it was true when Trail Boss was first introduced but IMR has since published load data for Trail Boss in rifles using jacketed bullets. I have used it even in my 204 (fun little pop gun with Trail Boss).

I don't know for sure but rumored information from IMR indicates that using Trail Boss with jacketed handgun bullets is not dangerous but may not provide best accuracy.

[Al Norris]

peetza, I've never heard that (just checked Hodgdon's web and Trail Boss isn't listed for your 204).

I don't think I'd use load data, based upon rumor. Got some hard facts?

[Brian Pfleuger]

The rifle load data is published by IMR in this PDF:

http://hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf

The rumor that I speak of is that IMR has said that the reason for the admonition to not use TB with jacketed bullets in a handgun was actually for reasons of accuracy and not safety. I've seen that tid-bit mentioned several times but never backed up by anything.

Trail Boss works awesome in rifles for fireforming the brass and for greatly reduced loads. Max loads are usually in the mid-upper 20k PSI range. My 204 sounds almost literally like a cork gun. It is MUCH quieter than a 22 but still produces about 2000 fps with the 32gr bullet.

[Quantrill]

Nice light load I use for CAS and plinking, pretty accurate:
Just about any cast bullet (make sure the bullet dia. is the same as the cylinder dia.) from 2oogr to 240gr and 5.5gr of 700X.

[slammedsi]

Well this morning i work up 4 different loads.

-6 200gr HP, 11.5grs on Unique
-6 200gr HP, 13grs on Unique
-6 200gr HP, 22grs on 2400
-6 200gr HP, 24grs on 2400

Heading out to the farm now to get some wheat sowed in the ground. So i will test them out there and get back to yall on what was more accurate..

[the Black Spot]

17 grains of 2400 behind a wheel weight cast bullet from a lee mold(255 grain but mine come out 262 grain). runs about 1150 fps. i get 1.5" groups from my sbh.

i am still testing using a 315 wheel weight cast gas check bullet. so far blue dot seems promising.