Reloading for a revolver?

[ScreaminEagle]

I just wanted to know your preferred method of reloading for a revolver. When I reload for a rifle, I select a powder, primer, and bullet known to shoot good. I then do a ladder test to find the perfect powder charge. I then play with seating depth of the bullet. I may also play with neck tension, different primers, brass, etc. This is all for a rifle, but do people really go through all that with a revolver as well? Do you work up a load in the same way? How do you know when you are nearing max load in a revolver, ie. signs? Do you play with seating depth? Seems like a good discussion to me!

 

[Guy Miner]

With a revolver I'll typically load to two different levels:

1. Mild, practice ammo.
2. High performance ammo.

The mild practice ammo almost always has an inexpensive lead bullet. The factory ammo may have a cast lead bullet, or may have a jacketed bullet.

I only load for a few revolvers, and I thoroughly enjoy so doing:

.38/357 .44 magnum .45 Colt The Mighty .500 S&W

With both levels of loads I'm looking for 100% reliability. It's got to fit cleanly into the chamber, has to extract well, and has to shoot 100% of the time. I'm also looking for accuracy, but I'm pretty realistic about the fact that I'm going to be shooting these loads from standing, often from rapid fire, and the biggest weak link in the accuracy is going to be me. The more I practice, the better I shoot.

I don't mess around with seating depth. I seat to the crimping groove on the bullet. Typically I'll roll crimp into that groove, though with .38 Special wadcutter ammo I'll just use a taper crimp.

My mild loads tend to be way down near the starting load, using a fairly quick burning powder.

My high performance loads often use either a standard weight bullet, or a rather heavy one. My arms, hands, and the group size on paper usually tell me a lot about if I'm loading up towards "maximum." I don't load in excess of the manuals. Other than primer appearance, it's hard for me to see pressure signs in a typical straight-wall revolver case.

Here's my mainstay loads:

.38 Special, Bullseye, std primer, 148 gr hollow base wadcutter (soft swaged bullet)
.357 magnum, 2400, 158 gr cast lead semi-wadcutter

.44 magnum mild, Unique, 240 or 250 gr lead semi-wadcutter
.44 magnum performance, AA#9, H110, 250 - 300 gr semi-wadcutter or jacketed

.45 Colt, mild: Unique, 250 gr lead semi wadcutter
.45 Colt, heavy: H110, 250 - 300 semi-wadcutter, flat nose or jacketed

.500 S&W, Gobs of AA#9 or H110, and 440 gr cast bullets

I like loading for and shooting my revolvers! Enjoy.

Guy

 

[Oldtrader3]

Guy pretty well explained it. I have several revolvers and for most of them, I load one bullet weight and an accurate defense load. For my (2) Peacemaker SAA's, I have two loads, a lead cast bullet, mid-range load and a jacketed heavier load for hunting and self defense which clocks about 1000 fps.

For just messing around and plinking, I use either one of my .22 LR handguns or a .32 H&R Mag with lead midrange loads.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

That's pretty much what I want to do. I'd like a mild 44mag load that doesn't beat my wrists up but will still take down a whitetail.

 

[Divernhunter]

Just do NOT go below min charge levels in the manual for H-110 or Win296. It can be unhealthy for you and those near you.
For my light loads in 357/44mag I use 700X since I still have a bunch of it or Unique. I have not but need to load some 454Casull light loads.
For my hunting loads/max loads I use H-110 for all including the 500S&W I need to sell. It is a Encore pistol barrel.
I have been able to do it all quite well with just 2 powders, but will still load the 700X until I run out. It also works well.
In the 44mag using a 240-50gr lead bullet and 8grs of Unique I found it to be an accurate ground squirrel load.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

Just do NOT go below min charge levels in the manual for H-110 or Win296. It can be unhealthy for you and those near you.
For my light loads in 357/44mag I use 700X since I still have a bunch of it or Unique. I have not but need to load some 454Casull light loads.
For my hunting loads/max loads I use H-110 for all including the 500S&W I need to sell. It is a Encore pistol barrel.
I have been able to do it all quite well with just 2 powders, but will still load the 700X until I run out. It also works well.
In the 44mag using a 240-50gr lead bullet and 8grs of Unique I found it to be an accurate ground squirrel load.

I shoot trap so I have a bunch of 700X

 

[NWBlacktail]

The only revolver I load for is a Ruger Super Redhawk 44mag. But I keep to one load, 300 grn Hornady XTP, with 20.0 grn H110.

The reason I only shoot one load (and not a lighter load as well) is I have to swap out my front site for a taller one shooting the 300 grainers. So I just prefer to keep it sighted in for one load, even thought the front sites just swap out with a push-pin.

But no latter load testing. Max load, heavy bullets, good times… :mrgreen:

 

[HeathSexton]

I shoot the 44 quite a bit

5.0grs Bullseye + 240-250 cast - feels like a 38 special
9.0-10.0grs Unique + 250-310 cast - accurate, fairly snappy, not as bad as factory 240's
17.5grs 2400 + 275 WFN cast - very accurate, nice to shoot
21.0grs H110 + 310 WFNGC - 1250fps from 4.5" barrel, very accurate, hateful recoil


I shoot all these from my SBH 4 5/8" and my 5.5" Redhawk. I do not notice a big shift in POI between the loads. I bottom the sight out to shoot the 310 and 275 loads, up 1/2 turn on the rear sight for the light stuff.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I shoot mostly TiteGroup for plinking and mid range. It burns consistently at any angle or placement in the case. Some powders are not consistent depending on placement in the case.

 

[Kodiak]

The .45 Colt is the only handgun I load for these days. Its a stainless Ruger Blackhawk, 4 5/8". My usual load is a 270 gr Creeker Keith-style slug and 20.0/ H-110. Fairly snappy load in the short-barreled six-gun.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I also load for (2) USFA Colt .45's, in -5/8's and a 5.1/2 inch barrels. I shoot mostly Oregon Cast 225 lead FP at about 900 fps.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

I shoot the 44 quite a bit

5.0grs Bullseye + 240-250 cast - feels like a 38 special
9.0-10.0grs Unique + 250-310 cast - accurate, fairly snappy, not as bad as factory 240's
17.5grs 2400 + 275 WFN cast - very accurate, nice to shoot
21.0grs H110 + 310 WFNGC - 1250fps from 4.5" barrel, very accurate, hateful recoil


I shoot all these from my SBH 4 5/8" and my 5.5" Redhawk. I do not notice a big shift in POI between the loads. I bottom the sight out to shoot the 310 and 275 loads, up 1/2 turn on the rear sight for the light stuff.

Those first couple loads do sound like fun!

 

[Guy Miner]

They are. Probably about 80% of my .44 shooting has been with 9 - 10 grains of Unique in a .44 mag case, and a 240 or 250 grain cast lead bullet. Still has more punch than a standard .45 ACP load but is usually accurate and fun to shoot from a .44 mag revolver.

Guy

 

[JD338]

The only revolver I load for is 44 Rem Mag.
I load just under max loads and the accuracy from the S&W 629 has been
More than accurate for deer hunting.
I do not do much load development. Just one bullet and H110
With a good roll crimp.

JD338

 

[HeathSexton]

My wife who has the wrist stength of a toddler can shoot the 5gr Bullseye load all day long. The Unique load is accurate with all my bullet weights, 240-250-275-300-310, that I have for the 44. 10grs is a bit crisp with the 300 and 310 but it is accurate.


Cast performance makes a 255 WFN and a 275 WFN that would be great with any of those loads. I shoot the Cast Performance 275 WFN.


For plinking I shoot the Bayou Bullet: http://www.bayoubullets.net/44.html


It would make a good hunting bullet but I like the flying fist look of the WFN.

 

[Guy Miner]

There's some pretty good stuff here, in our .44 cal bullet test section too:

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