Safe and sane loads for Model 29 longevity.

[Eagle223usa]

I have been reading up on this and it seems that I shouldn't be using my SBH loads in my 29-2 as it will cause premature wear on the gun. Is there a limit to the velocity I should stick too for 255 cast and 240 jacketed? In the SBH I shoot 255 cast (COWW) at 1200 and JHPs at 1350. Is this too hot? Thanks.

 

[fredj338]

Imo, fastest way to damage any revolver is shoot jacketed bullets, just eats at the forcing cone. Nothing a jhp does any better than a good lhp. More recoil = more wear & tear, why i am not a fan of bullets heavier than 300gr & even those, sparingly. Obviously vel will depend on bbl length.
All my m29 get midrange to upper midrange loads. They are all 4" so 250gr lswc @ 1200fps, plenty of oomph. My rbhh (7 1/2") gets the same bullet at 1300fps or 270gr lhp @ 1250fps or 300gr lfp @ 1200fps, also plenty of oomph. The bullets are exting deer or hogs in the 200# range, so more vel isnt really doing anything but beating the gun up. I doubt the 300gr lfp stays inside an elk or moose taken broadside. Wetpack testing has them penetrating more than my 400gr sp @ 2200fps from my 404 jeffery!

 

[Eagle223usa]

Thanks Fred, I'm a cast bullet fan in revolvers myself.

 

[alwslate]

I have a couple of 4" 29-2s along with a SBH and a RH. I shoot mostly
cast bullets. From reading several magazine articles on handloading
the .44 mag it seems that mid-range loads have been defined as
950 fps or there-abouts with a 250 gr cast bullet from a 4" mod 29.
The virtues of this level of power have been expounded upon for
some time now. Since I want my two 29-2s to remain in excellent
condition this is the type of handload that I use in my 29s.

 

[fredj338]

I have a couple of 4" 29-2s along with a SBH and a RH. I shoot mostly
cast bullets. From reading several magazine articles on handloading
the .44 mag it seems that mid-range loads have been defined as
950 fps or there-abouts with a 250 gr cast bullet from a 4" mod 29.
The virtues of this level of power have been expounded upon for
some time now. Since I want my two 29-2s to remain in excellent
condition this is the type of handload that I use in my 29s.

I would almost call that a target load, 1000fps+ would be the bottom end of midrange imo. I would expect a 4" m29 to run on that steady diet for along time.

 

[alwslate]

Yeah that's the idea. But according to those who actually get
out in the wilds and use such loads they are much more than
a target load. Author Brian Pearce and others have taken
many head of big game with them at moderate range, say 50
yds or so and have written about their effectiveness. Another
writer who favors the .45 Colt over the .44 mag loads to the
same level and gives it high praise for penetration and
effectiveness on big game. Seems to me that's good enough.

 

[chud333]

For best longevity i would look at starting loads
in any older reloading manual Lyman, Hogdan,
Speer, sierra, etc. and go up a little but not quite half
book max.
Experiment from there to see which shoots best
and check primers.

Chuck

 

[venomballistics]

I file in behind Fred on this one. Velocity plays a vital role.
Keith had 1200 in mind when he goat roped Remington and S&W into developing the 44 magnum.
In my observations, this seems to be a transitional point where upset makes a marked rise.
To lighten things up on the shooter, while remaining abusive on the shot, I opt for a 200 - 225 grain bullet at these warmer velocities.
This seems to work out rather well.

 

[BruceM]

You can shoot full power handloads without fear BUT keep bullet weight at 250 grains or less.

Bruce

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO you will be hard pressed to wear out a M29 with any load that is within SAAMI specs. I agree a good cast lead load is best for any revolver. I shoot mostly lead bullets in all my revolvers.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I have loaded and shot 44's in various loads, most of them were "hot," over the last 30-35 yrs. I think a person that shoots .44 mags in warm to hot loads over period of time will wear out wrists and elbows before wearing out a mod 29 or a Ruger grade weapon. Your arm will be shorter also.

Have a blessed day.

 

[moxie]

Agree. Shoot published loads from recognized manuals like Speer, Lyman, and Hornady and you'll likely never wear those 29s out.

 

[gwpercle]

My "older" Lyman reloading manual, #46 , shows NO 250 grain cast bullet loads exceeding 1165 fps. If you are shooting 255 grain bullets at 1200 fps, I would say that load in not conductive to longevity.
Personally I would back that load down to 950 to 1000 fps for a longevity load and stick to lead bullets. At least for extended shooting.
Gary

 

[Pisgah]

If you stick to the maximum loads in the manuals for 240 gr. bullets, cast or jacketed, your hand and wrist will fall apart long before the gun does.

 

[ostlund]

I'd like to share a data point for consideration which might help make a determination. Use a given bullet, powder, COAL and primer. Start somewhere towards the bottom and work up small lots in maybe .3 gr increments and plot the velocities you see.

Example: I did this with Mt. Baldy's 250 gr Keith bullet, 2400 and WLP. Started at around 17 gr and worked up to 21.5 gr. A widely discussed load for this combo is 22 gr.

This is what I found. Each increment produced a velocity gain which made sense. After 19 gr though the slope of the velocity curve started leveling out. Continuing on to 21.5 gr the return for extra powder was not there though I assumed the recoil should reflect more velocity. The recoil and noise seemed to go up significantly. I determined 19 gr is perfect for my gun and has killed Blacktail deer, grouse and an elk ever since.

Though I beleive a 629-4 can take it, I like not wondering how much I'm pounding on my gun knowing I'm not maxed out. Saves in component costs too.

This 19 gr 2400, 1.71 COAL, WLP load averages 1,240 in the 629 and 1,005 in a 3" 29.

 

[m657]

I've found far more accuracy and pleasant enjoyment of the caliber in cast lead range 1100-1200 range for my own use.

 

[MJFlores]

Starting load of HP-38 in mag cases under a 240 grain plated bullet. Fun, accurate, easy to clean, and your gun will easily out live you.

 

[venomballistics]

my standard ball has been a 215 grain coated SWC at about 1300 for a few years now.

 

[Wyo]

I use the true Keith bullet, #429424, almost exclusively, along with about 9.5 grains of Unique in my 4" 29-2 and a 6 1/2" 44 Magnum. That's not so much to preserve the guns, though it has that benefit, as it is because that's what I enjoy shooting and because that's just about always enough power (and then some). I do lots of shooting in the wild, have taken mule deer, coyotes, badgers, antelope, jack rabbits, fox, etc., etc., with that load, and it has always worked just fine. If I'm in griz country (we do have griz around here, unlike most areas of the country) and if I'm carrying only a handgun, I use the ol' standard load of 22.0 of 2400 with the same bullet. Nothing against the guys who like more power all the time - I used to myself - but as I've gotten older I've realized I usually don't need more than what I've noted above so why beat myself up?

 

[just for fun]

For the last few decades I have done my every best to "use up" every handgun I own, as in shooting the rifling out or shoot it till it went out of timing. Alas, worst case is one jugged cylinder on a model 14-2. Everything else is just fine-thank you for asking. Most accurate loads seem to be at "almost" max. with jacketed bullets. Lead? No thanks. Just not that much fun. So every pistol that my son will be getting in a few years, should, without question, outlast him. Bunny-fart loads, don't have any.