Hi,

Back in the day when I reloaded my own 44 Mag/44 Special ammo my favorite bullet was a 240gr semi wad cutter that was semi copper jacketed to prevent leading.

I was wondering if there is any 44 special commercial ammo available using such a bullet?

Thanks....

Speer discontinued those bullets a few years ago. No more in .357 or .44 or .41. Many wish they would be reintroduced...........

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

I have a hard time finding .44 Special ammo in any configuration.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

How fast are you driving the bullets?
Consider polymer coated lead bullets.
Good info on what causes leading on Missouri Cast Bullets technical page.

The Speer half-jacketed bullets were discontinued long ago and I am not aware of any manufacturer making such bullets or loaded ammo.

While not SWC, Outdoor Limited carries Precision One loaded ammunition with either a 200gr or 240gr FMJ flat point bullet. The price is reasonable for loaded ammo.

Like people are saying, these aren't semi WC, but SGA does have "affordable" 44 spcl...or at least the cheapest I've found.

44 Special Pistol Ammunition | SGAmmo.com

The magtech 240gr FMJ flat nose at $26/box is a solid shooter, I've ran quite a bit of those.

50 Round Box - 44 Special Low Recoil 240 Grain FMJ Flat Nose Ammo by Magtech - 44F | SGAmmo.com

I'm one of the wishers! The .357 versions were so very accurate through my Model 19-3.
I actually still have a full box of the 240 gr. 44's. Saving it for a rainy day.
Scott

Try ammoseek and sort by price per round. That's where I found LAX ammo. 240 grain 44 spl @ 796 fps, about 42 cents per round. They recently offered free shipping on orders over $125 and I saved $30.

LAX Ammunition Factory New 44 SPL 240 GR 250 RDS W/FREE AMMO CAN #VN3218 | Lax Ammunition

The LAX ammo is pretty good. I've used that. Also going to try Choice ammo. I won't be trying precision ammo as I've seen it has several bad reviews.

I figure that I might just be better off buying 44 Mag Brass and light loading some good jacketed ammo. Just wondering what powder to use as I don't think 2400 will work out with a 3 inch barrel...

You need a faster burning powder. I use AA#5 for mid-range 44 Magnum loads in magnum cases. I use 10.0 grains AA#5 behind a 240 grain hardcast SWC for about 1000 fps. Like a 44 special +P+, very accuate load in the 629, feels punchier than Special loading but not a bit unpleasant to shoot.

For what you're wanting, about 7 grains will give you 800 or so FPS. See Accurate Arms new load data manual.

If you are going to develop loads that are below magnum levels, you can save quite a bit by using powder coated cast lead bullets. Powder coated cast lead typically do not lead the bore, are not smoky like traditional lubed lead and cost just a little more than traditional lubed cast lead bullets.

As for powders with reduced 44 Magnum loads, AA#5 is a great choice as is Unique. 2400 would work, but it is a slow burning powder and likely to put on quite the light show out of a 3 inch barrel.