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Old 07-28-2017, 05:15 AM
Daimler1989 Daimler1989 is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Germany
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Default realoading .44 Special: some thoughts and questions

Hello,
for quite a few years I'm experimenting with the .44 Special. I have not found THE load for me, because there still are some things, that might be an issue for me. Using 240-250 grs bullets, POA and POI at my preffered range distances between 10 and 25 meters are very different. So I switched to 200 grs bullets. The chamber throats of my gun (S&W 624 4") are wide, .429/.430 bullets simply fall through, .431 bullets can be pushed through without effort, so I guess throat diameter is .432. The only nearly satisfying results regarding accuracy were with .431 bullets (I use Fiocchi 44 teflon coated lead SWC, but they are very expensive). I ditched the Lee Factory Crimp Die and use a healthy roll crimp instead, so not to reduce the bullet diameter. But still there is a certain amount of unburnt powder, esp. if I use powders with small grain like AA #2 or AA#5 or the VV powders from 320 to 340. My guess is that the light 200 grs bullets don't provide enough resistance and get out of the case too fast for a proper burning. I don't want to continue to use fast powders like N320, AA #2 for ballistic reasons, but would prefer powder in the Unique/Universal/N330/N340 range (which do not burn as desired). Do 215 grs bullets offer enough weight to slow down acceleration to increase powder burning? Or would it be advantageous to increase bullet diameter to .432? Or both?

To clarify: I always try my loads in a S&W 696 as well. Chamber throats are less than .429, i.e. mucht tighter than the 624. Accuracy is mostly better, bullet speed with the 3" barrel higher than with the 4". But powder burning is nearly the same effect.

Has anyone experienced similar things and found a working solution? I must add, I'm living in Germany, so unfortunately I don't have the chance get .432 bullets made in US, and US made powders are mostly difficult to obtain (that's why I mostly use VV or french Vectan/SNPE powders).

thanks for helping
regards from Germany
Ulrich
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