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Old 01-29-2011, 01:40 PM
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bmcgilvray bmcgilvray is offline
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Both H110 and 2400 will yield full power .44 Magnum loads and top velocities. If both propellants are loaded to maximum listed charge weights, H110 will run off and hide from 2400 and will do it with less APPARENT pressures in my 8 3/8-inch Model 29. Even with a slight reduction off of the maximum published loads H110 will still yield higher velocities than 2400 can achieve and do it with great accuracy.

Years ago I worked a long time on the .44 Magnum using several different propellants in load data published in the 1978 edition of the Sierra Manual. The maximum loads, as published in that guide, were worked up in the Model 29 using both the Sierra 240 grain bullet and their 180 grain bullet.



240 Grain Sierra Jacketed Hollow Point

Max*/H110: MV 1542 ME 1267 ES 25
Max/W296: MV 1510 ME 1215 ES 49
Max/Bluedot: MV 1461 ME 1135 ES 28
Max/AL8: MV 1430 ME 1090 ES 30
Max/2400: MV 1419 ME 1075 ES 71
Max/Unique MV 1246 ME 841 ES 32
Max/IMR4227 MV 1238 ME 817 ES 18

My personal favorite load turned out to be:
Max less 1.7grains/H110: MV 1478 ME 1168 ES 38


180 grain Sierra Jacketed Hollow Point

Max/H110: MV 1814 ME 1316 ES 62
Max less 2.3 grains/H110 MV 1757 ME 1049 ES 40
Max/W296 MV 1766 ME 1247 ES 49
Max/BlueDot MV 1762 ME 1241 ES 33
Max/AL8 MV 1694 ME 1147 ES 54
Max/2400 MV 1620 ME 1049 ES 81
Max/Unique MV 1548 ME 946 ES 37

All loads fired over a Oehler Model 12 chronograph from a Smith & Wesson Model 29 with 8 3/8-inch barrel.

*Max means the maximum listed load as published in the 1978 edition of the Sierra Loading Manual.

All loads used Remington cases and Remington 2 1/2 primers.

The later Sierra manuals maximum loads will show to be less than some of the ones published in their 1978 manual.

Work 'em up at your own discretion.
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