quickload help 44spl, last time

[Shadow9mm]

I appreciate the help. ever since GRT went down I have been a bit out of luck. I plan to buy quickload in about 2 weeks, next payday. Now that I have gotten used to it I cant go back.

CAUTION: The following post (or a page linked to) includes or discusses loading data not covered by currently published sources of tested data for this cartridge (QuickLOAD or Gordon's Reloading Tool data is not professionally tested). USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assumes any liability for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this information.


So heres my question. Got a good friend of mine who has been reloading longer than I have been alive. Lots of experience, mostly with revolver cartridges, and I trust his loads, but also want to understand what I am doing.

The load he is using is completely off books, he worked it up from experience. The load shot well out of his rifle and showed no pressure signs, and I was able to manage about 1moa out of mine, which I consider to be spectacular for a 44 mag henry.


44 Special Starline brass
Winchester large pistol (for standard or magnum loads)
284g wide flat nose NOE, powder coated, gas checked, sized to .430.
Bullet length 0.785
base (with gas check) to crimp groove 0.358
Powder H110, 16.5g

The rifle is a henry steel side gate, 20in barrel, chambered in 44 mag or special.

I know these loads will be way over 44spl pressures, but will they be within 44 mag pressures?

I really want to duplicate this load since it shot so well, but its been nagging at me that It did not come from a manual, or even simulated data.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it. I cant wait to get quick load to play with myself, I miss GRT.

[Unclenick]

As to pressure, note that 44 Special COL max is 1.615 inches and 44 Mag is 1.610" inches. That is so close you can ignore the difference. So if the same bullet (one of the ones with dual crimp grooves; one for 44 Special and one for 44 Magnum) is seated in both with the same powder charge they reach about the same pressure. Some brands of 44 Special cases may be a little lighter near the head, in which case they will tend to have extra capacity, lowering pressure further.

In this case, your charge fills the powder space under the bullet to about 77% loading density. This is below the numbers recommended as a minimum for this powder in the magnums because of its tendency to squib out more easily than most other handgun powders when you try to run it at low pressures. Some of the problem there is barrel/cylinder pressure bleed in a revolver, which your Henry won't have. But with all that empty space in the case, QL and GRT, using a 36-grain case water overflow capacity, estimate 14,234 and 17,122 psi, respectively. GRT uses a lot of customer Pressure Trace feedback to adjust its models, so I am more inclined to believe the GRT number.

GRT is not gone. Charlie managed to get the programming changed so the expiration date is now out a couple of years while he works on getting a new programming team together. You can download that non-expiring version here.

[mehavey]

...with all that empty space in the case, QL and GRT, using a 36-grain case water overflow capacity,
estimate 14,234 and 17,122 psi, respectively. GRT uses a lot of customer Pressure Trace
feedback to adjust its models, so I am more inclined to believe the GRT number

As UncleNick indicates, using QL with straightwall pistol cartridges flying blind --
w/o a chronograph to then adjust effective burn rate for true(r) pressures -- is not advised.

If one does appropriately adjust burn rate, however, QL is quite useful in extrapolating
that powder to other circumstances w/ that same3 cartridge.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by Unclenick

As to pressure, note that 44 Special COL max is 1.615 inches and 44 Mag is 1.610" inches. That is so close you can ignore the difference. So if the same bullet (one of the ones with dual crimp grooves; one for 44 Special and one for 44 Magnum) is seated in both with the same powder charge they reach about the same pressure. Some brands of 44 Special cases may be a little lighter near the head, in which case they will tend to have extra capacity, lowering pressure further.

In this case, your charge fills the powder space under the bullet to about 77% loading density. This is below the numbers recommended as a minimum for this powder in the magnums because of its tendency to squib out more easily than most other handgun powders when you try to run it at low pressures. Some of the problem there is barrel/cylinder pressure bleed in a revolver, which your Henry won't have. But with all that empty space in the case, QL and GRT, using a 36-grain case water overflow capacity, estimate 14,234 and 17,122 psi, respectively. GRT uses a lot of customer Pressure Trace feedback to adjust its models, so I am more inclined to believe the GRT number.

GRT is not gone. Charlie managed to get the programming changed so the expiration date is now out a couple of years while he works on getting a new programming team together. You can download that non-expiring version here.

Got the new version! thank you! such a big help!