Picked up this nice 24-3 3" recently, nice smooth gun in fine condition. I generally run a 250gr cast bullet over 16gr of 2400 in my 44spls, but I've never had a gun with a barrel this short. Any suggestions for good, short barrel 44spl loads?

Here's a pic:



I've replaced the S&W marked Hogue grips with a pair of Pachmayr Compacs, really makes the gun handle better.

Winchester 200gr SilverTip's. Works great in my 624 3".

I start any modern S&W N or L frame chambered for the .44 Special with Skeeter Skelton's favorite load of a cast Lyman 429421 semiwadcutter bullet, sized to .430 to begin with, in a sized, belled and trimmed (if it had needed it) brass cartridge case made by either Winchester-Western or Federal, with the Large Pistol Standard primer furnished by Winchester, Federal or CCI. I start off with 7.5 grains of Unique. The bullet is seated and then given a very stiff rollcrimp into the top crimping groove of the bullet. I would expect to propell this 250-260 grain bullet out of the 3 inch barrel of your Model 24-3 at about 825-850 feet per second. Serious muzzle smack!

For more pleasant shooting, the same case, bullet, primer and powder in a reduced dose of 5.5 grains of Unique duplicates the traditional round nose lead factory load ballistically, but with a much better bullet. That load will give you almost 700 fps, much more pleasant and still quite accurate.

If you have no Unique, you can also reproduce the traditional factory load with the same bullet, case and primer by charging the case with 4.1 grains of Bullseye. Again, about 700 fps.

The two slower loads also shoot very nicely if you replace the heavier cast bullet with one of the Speer 240 grain swaged bullets and use either the 5.5 grains of Unique or the 4.1 grains of Bullseye. In any case, use a firm roll crimp. It promotes complete and uniform combustion.

I have procured 1,000 brand new shiny sparkling clean .44 Special cases made by Starline. I have measured and weighed and eye-balled some of them and I expect they will work as well as my favorite Winchester brand cartridges cases.

With the exception of the .38 Special midrange wadcutter loads I used to make up to shoot in PPC competition and practive, I have handloaded more rounds of .44 Special with Skeeter Skelton's formula (7.5 grains Unique under a cast Lyman 429421 SWC bullet ignited by W-W or F/C large pistol primers than anything else in my life. If I take my time casting, inspecting and sizing my bullets, I get great accuracy at a power level I would feel comfortable taking deer (or the not-so-deer) out to 75 yards all day long. It's my favorite handgun cartridge.

Winchester 200gr SilverTip's. Works great in my 624 3".

Same here. I use the Win's as target loads. They're actually cheaper than pretty much anything else out there. For defense I use 200gr Cor-Bon DPX.

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~ S&WCA No.2159 ~

oregon,

I usually shoot the RCBS 250 Keith bullet or commercial cast 240 swc. Using the RCBS bullet and 7.5 gr of Unique, I get 775 fps from my 4 inch 24 and 835 from my 6 inch 24. Six gr of Red Dot and a commercial 200 gr lfp bullet makes 825 fps from my 3 inch 696. I get the same velocity from the Speer 200 gr GD factory loads. Using 5.5 gr of Red Dot and the RCBS 250 gr bullet I get 800 fps from my 6 inch 24. Substituting the RCBS bullet for a commercial 240 SWC, I get 850 fps. Dean

I don't have a 3", but my 4" 24-3 should behave about the same, I'd think. My go to plinking load for the .44 Spl is 4 gr Bullseye under the Lee 200 RNFP, shot unsized and lubed with Liquid Alox, put up in a .44 spl case with whatever large pistol primer is on hand. I usually use Federals.

Shoots about like this


It shoots just as well out of the 6 1/2 inch pre 29.

The load is accurate, mild, and cheap. I prefer this boolit to the Keith for plinking because its shallow lube grooves work better with the liquid lube, and weighing 200gr as opposed to 250gr you get five boolits as opposed to four for each 1000 gr of alloy. This adds up when you cast them by the thousands. I cast up a few Keiths for hunting loads, but I do this one by the coffee can.

Big fan of the Skeeter, in fact I am really happy with it.

I experimented and came up with my own load, I call it the Snapper, try it and I am sure you will agree that it's a sweetheart!

Same 250g cast SWC as the Skeeter over 6.5g W231/HP38. Just under the Skeeter in power and a delight to shoot. If the Skeeter is rated at 900fps in a 4" barrel, I'd venture the Snapper is 850fps from the same barrel.

Enjoy your fine roscoe!

I will reveal my favorite 3" loads depending upon whether you are a DUCK fan, or a beaver fan!

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ken
SWCA #1959