44 Special Loads in a magnum case..

[Anonymous]

I took the boy out for an introduction to centerfire handgun shooting.

He took to the 9mm just fine and thought the 329 with .44 SPEC loads were the bee's knees. With middle of the road 240gr magnum loads, he was doing ok...but not a fan.

He (and I ) wanted nothing more to do with the 300gr "Alaska Backpacker" rounds I lit off just for giggles.Too much of a good thing in the 329...

So here's the question-

Anyone have any ideas on loading "44 SPEC equivalents" in the 44 magnum case? A 240 at 750- 800fps or a 200gr between 900-1000fps would be basically perfect for an easy shooting load that doesn't beat up the gun or the kid. I want the longer case so I don't gunk up the cylinder using SPEC cases.

 

[Divernhunter]

I load a 250gr lead bullet with 8grs of Unique in the 44mag case.

 

[Polaris]

I would look to titegroup or trail boss. Both of these have cast loads in the velocity range you are looking for. I've had great luck with reduced loads in .357, .41 mag with titegroup. It seems to tolerate reduction well, giving good accuracy and still high enough pressures to obturate the brass.

Just checked Hodgedon site, they have 200 and 240 grain loads in .44 mag with these two powders in your target velocity range.

 

[Anonymous]

Just checked Hodgedon site, they have 200 and 240 grain loads in .44 mag with these two powders in your target velocity range.

Perfect! Thank you!

 

[Dwh7271]

Unique or Trail Boss should be the berries.
I think another one of the fellows here has been having a hoot with some Unique in the magnum case, maybe he'll chime in.
I run both Unique and Trail Boss fairly close to the velocity you're hunting for in a 45 LC. Fun load and easy to shoot. By the way, Trail Boss is pretty fluffy stuff. It'd be real difficult to overcharge using it imo.

 

[Anonymous]

I've had good results using Trail Boss in rifle cases for reduced loads. I don't know that you could get enough in a revolver case to cause a problem.

The only issue with TB is that it's very difficult to find in my area.

 

[FOTIS]

Check out the Hodgdon's load data with trail boss powder

 

[FOTIS]

ok 6.1-7.7gr of trail boss for the 200 grain and 6.0-7.3gr of trail boss with the 240gr bullet.

 

[Cleveland48]

I always liked 10 grains of unique behind a 240 swc. Was about 1140 fps I believe, that is through an 8 3/8” barrel though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SJB358]

I’ve been running 8.5 grains of Unique with 240-250 grain Jacketed and cast in my 44. Works like a champ and is amazingly fun to shoot. After years of shooting full H110 loads it has made shooting the 44 a ton of fun. I put 150 rounds thru the 44 a weekend ago and had a blast tearing it up. It’s a touch dirty but it’s really a cinch to cleanup my SBH.

 

[FOTIS]

ok 6.1-7.7gr of trail boss for the 200 grain and 6.0-7.3gr of trail boss with the 240gr bullet.

forgot to add


890--988 fps with the 200 gr

828--917 fps with the 240 gr

 

[Polaris]

Since trail boss has come up, I'm curious, anybody know how it meters? Always wondered how those donuts flow through a measure. I've shied away from it for that reason. Don't want to hijack the post, one experienced reply should suffice.

 

[FOTIS]

I love TB for Light loads. But it doesn't meter worth squat.

Best thing I've found is dipping it. You can make a custom dipper with an empty case.

 

[FOTIS]

As noted in the powder description section, Trail Boss was designed primarily for reduced loads using lead bullets in pistol
cartridges. However, Trail Boss offers superb versatility in rifle cartridges producing reduced loads using lead or jacketed bullets.
These reduced loads make firing such cartridges as the 300 Winchester Magnum or even the 458 Winchester Magnum pure fun!
Listed below we show a few examples of such loads throughout the Reloading Data Center, but the fun doesn't stop there. If you
don't see Trail Boss data for your favorite cartridge we have a formula for developing loads for all cartridges and it's simple to
follow. This formula may be used in both rifle and pistol applications:
Find where the base of the bullet to be loaded is located in the case and make a mark on the outside of the case at
this location. Then fill the case to that mark with Trail Boss, pour into the scale pan and weigh. This is your
maximum load. Pressures will be below the maximum allowed for this cartridge and perfectly safe to use!
Take 70% of this powder charge weight (multiply the maximum load from step 1 by .7), and that is your starting
load.
Start with this beginning load and work up to your maximum charge, all the while searching for the most accurate
reduced load. Once found, the fun begins!

 

[frankm]

Have used 9.5 grs of 231 with jacketed 240 gr bullets and much more pleasant than full power loads with 296. Velocity was 1050-1100 fps in my 4" barrel. I too use 44 mag case so I keep carbon ring/fouling in same place regardless of load power.

 

[Dwh7271]

I love TB for Light loads. But it doesn't meter worth squat.

Best thing I've found is dipping it. You can make a custom dipper with an empty case.

Yep. Dippers are perfect for Trail Boss.
I found an old set of Lee dippers and found one that when filled worked perfectly. Scaled 5 or 6 to double check and dipped away. :grin:

 

[Darkhorse]

I've been using Unique for my light loads with a 240 grain ranier HP bullet for a long time. I load this in a .44 mag case.
The next step up is 2400, if memory serves me the starting point is around 17 grains with a jacketed 240 grain bullet. That's a good load to begin getting used to heavier recoil. 2400 can be loaded hot enough for hunting loads if one desires.
Both Unique and 2400 are cleaner burning now than they were several years ago.
Unique is a very versatile powder as I also load it in my 40 S&W and about all the pistol calibers I've owned or loaded for over the years.

 

[mtwarych]

I would suggest trying IMR4227 powder for the 44 loads.

The powder provides decent velocities without the sharp bone jarring recoil that is found in commercial 44mag loads.

I have used this powder with 240 and 300gr XTPs out of a 7 1/2" Ruger Redhawk to hunt and plink pinecones and other dangerous forest dwellers.

The powder ignites well below a stout crimp, if the crimp is a little lacking, the powder will be smokey and leave powder residue in the barrel but no biggie.

OP, give it a try and I believe you will like the outcome.

Good luck with the load search.

 

[Dwh7271]

Good call.
I run 4227 in the 45LC for my warmer loads. Good powder.

 

[1Shot]

A long long time ago in a far away land (WV) I used to use 6.5 grs Unique with just a tuft of fiber fill to hold it against the primer with my home Keith style cast 250 SWC in a 7 1/2" Ruger Red Hawk to clean the 25 and 50 yard chickens and pigs off but needed full house loads with 2400 and 240 Sierra JHC for the 75 yard turkeys and 100 yard rams. The 6.5 Unique load was about like a 38 special target load. These day I probably would use a more bulkier powder like Trail Boss. By the way a good cast swc doing 900 to 1000 fps is a fine deer killer in either 44 or 45 cal. out to 75 yards. Back when I first got married 39 years ago if I did not raise it catch it or shoot it we did not eat it we were so pooooooor. I had traded around and come up with a WWII bring back Colt 1911A1 that was in ruff shape. Barrel was rusted beyond hope from corrosive ammo and neglect. I had a friend that was in the national guard and he "found" a new barrel and internal parts and gave them to me. I made up a pretty good shooter. I borrowed a Lyman 200 gr SWC mold from a friend and used wheel weights I got from another friends tire shop and used another friends loading room and loaded up these 200 gr SWC with 7 grs Unique for close to 1000 fps the manuals said. It was pretty accurate out to 50 or so yards. I would go down in the swamps of East NC where I was living at the time carrying my shotgun loaded with buck shot but hide that pistol under my coat because at the time it was not legal to hunt deer with a pistol. I killed a bunch of deer with that pistol to feed me and the wife because the shotgun shell cost money that I could put to use like paying the light bill. That 200 SWC would drill a 45 cal hole through both lungs and the deer would not go much over 50 yards before it was down. A mans got to do what a man has to do to feed his family.