I was given a box of 100 44 mag reloads. They are loaded with 180 gr Sierra semi jacketed lead HP (lead nose). The label indicates 18 grs of SR4756.Unknown primer but it's silver.

I broke a few down and they weigh out at 18 grs ,but looking at the IMR load data I can not find this exact bullet and charge.

Closest is a 200 gr Nosler JHP at 14.6 grs.

Now I know it is against my own advice to shoot someone else's reloads. But if this charge is OK, I might just try a few. Life in the fast lane.
I can either use a 629 or a Marlin Cowboy rifle.

I plan on checking all for total weight and as the bullet has a cannelure (dots in the jacket type) it's easy to measure OAL.

My main concern is I am not familiar with SR4756 powder

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Still Running Against the Wind

Do yourself a favor and follow your instincts. You are looking at almost 4 gr. more powder for a bullet weight of 20 gr. less. That doesn't seem right to me. Also, there is no way to easily tell that it is indeed SR4756. Powder is cheap, replacing a damaged firearm, or worse a damaged body part, is FAR more expensive.
Pull the bullets, use a powder you are familiar with, and load them near the minimum charge, just in case the primers are magnum primers. I personally have never had a problem with using magnum primers with any loads, but some people say they increase pressure. If you are really concerned, pull the bullets, dump the powder, either carefully deprime or just put the primed EMPTY!!!!! case in your pistol and "kill" the primers that way.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

Well here is something that makes me very leary.

First, I weighed them all and they are the same. Which is good.

BUT, I took the few I broke apart and put the case with primers in my 629 just to ignite the primers. They went off but I had trouble opening the cylinder?? I got it open and the primers had backed out!??? I have shot a lot of primers but never saw them back out on a empty case?? What's up with that? I need to get a press mounted bullet puller die.

I have to dig through my old vinyl albums and cassette tapes for:

"If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening,
All over this land

I'd hammer out danger,
I'd hammer out a warning,
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land."

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Still Running Against the Wind

It is normal for a primer to back out of the case when fired without a bullet or powder.

Sierra lists a 180 grain JHP maximum load of 14.8 grains of SR4756.

I vote for pulling the bullets.

Bruce

Thanks. Yes, that is the wise thing to do.

Actually the label was not stuck to the MTM box it was just in the box with several other blank labels so as Photog mentioned I really do not know what powder is in these bad boys.
I wish there was a universal pulling die rather than buying a collet for every caliber. Guess I'll just pound away. Geeze what a pain.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I never shoot handloads unless I loaded them myself. The risk outweighs the benefits.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I don't know if anyone makes a semi jacket/ half jacketed bullet anymore. That is due to the possibility of jacket and core separation.
If you use an inertia puller you may loosen the jacket. If you reload the bullets they could separate.
Just something to watch out for when you decide to disassemble the rounds.

Bruce

I guess I described it incorrectly. It is this bullet.

Sierra Sports Master Bullets 44 Caliber (429 Diameter) 180 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 100 - MidwayUSA

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Still Running Against the Wind

That sounds like a 4759 load to me, that 4756 burns way too fast for that kind of powder charge.

4756 has a burn rate like greendot & is a little faster than unique.

Please be carefull.

That load is a minimum loading for that powder and bullet weight from the Speer #8 manual. Use it at your own risk.

As for shooting loads made by others, don't ever shoot factory ammo then! Gotta be consistent, friends.

I would have no qualms shooting something the Joni, Paul5388, OCD1, VA, Snapping Twig and a host of others on this forum made, not one.

Now, if someone is just starting out and they want me to shoot their loads, I will if I can do it in their firearm!

Fear not old wise one

I'll be hammering them apart. Tiz a shame as they look so nice in that 100 round MTM box.

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Still Running Against the Wind

My standard 'very hot' load,for 629,is 17grs. of SR4756 with CCI350 primer for Remington 180JHP. They chronograph average to 1600fps.
Anything above produced heavily flattened primers and difficult case extraction.
My standard 'hot' load is with 15grs. of SR4756 for 1500fps.

Now you all know why God made Rugers.

/c

Forester makes a very nice collet type bullet puller with many sizes of collets. I have a close relationship with mine having bought 2000 rounds of Argentine military 45 acps with hard primers. Salvaged the bullets and powder and junked the cases, berdan primed. They are handy when you need them. Inerta pullers just wear me out.

Pull. Your instincts are still good. If you need to ask you've already answered your question; it's not worth the risk.

SR4756 is one of my favorite powders. Burns very clean and gets very high velocity from non-magnum rounds like .38 Special, .45 AR, .38 Super and many more.

In Magnums it makes a good mid-range-warm load. I use 12-13.0 grains in a .41 Magnum with 200-220 grain bullets which clocks 1250-1300 fps from a 4" depending on the bullet and gun.

18.0 may have been safe but real top end...like use a Redhawk for testing...they are expendable... :-)

Bob

Forrest R - You don't know what you are talking about. Please do your homework before shooting from the hip. SR4756 doesn't burn anything like Green Dot. See IMR Burn rate data. Burn Rate

Also the below link gives CAST bullet info for 180 GR with SR4756
Cast Bullet Load Data which might be of use.

I was hunting for this info last night and couldn't seem to find anything definative for JHP 180 Gr using SR4756. IMR doesn't post it. So I looked at the Burn Rate IMR data and just substituted the Ramshot True Blue since I did have MFG load data on that for 180 Gr JHP.

Last bit of info. I loaded 44 Mag cartridges @ 14.6 Grans of SR4756 for 180 GR JHP/JHC Hronady and it shot soft and was dead on at 100 yds. It was smoth shooting from an 1894 lever action winchester. I am guesing on the gun since it is my dads and I don't have it handy. But that isn't the critical aspect of this info.