Duplicating .44 Special loads on a .44 Mag Case

elpac3 · Mar 24, 2016

Started working up a .44 200 grain wadcutter load for the 4" model 29.

Using a 200 grain Rim Rock wadcutter with 4.0 of Bullseye in a .44 special case with a roll crimp. Chronographed the load at 707 fps with reasonable accuracy at 25 yards.

Wanted to duplicate the load on a .44 mag case. Used the old rule of thumb, special load +.5 to 1 grains. Load 4.5 grains BE, chronographed out at 747 fps, again with reasonable accuracy.

Since the bearing surface looks to be the same as the 265 grain SWC I shoot (can print one hole groups at 25 yards) I am going to try to duplicate the velocity which runs about 787 fps from the 4" barrel.

Looks like the difference between the special case and the mag case is actually about .2 or .3 grains with BE rather than the old rule of thumb add .5-1 grain.

RobertJ. · Mar 24, 2016

My target load for the .44 Magnum is with that same bullet, the RR 200gr. WC. A couple years ago, I could not find any BE or Red Dot, my two favorite target powders. I was forced to try a few that I had never used, IMR 800X being one of them. It gave me such good results, I stocked up on it. I use enough for about 800fps, and at 10 yards offhand, that bullet/powder combo will usually (if I do my part!) make one-hole groups with any of my .44 Mags.

Alk8944 · Mar 24, 2016

I don't know where that "Rule of thumb" comes from, in well over 50 years this is the first time I can ever recall seeing it!

The actual figure is approximately 12%, this is the average difference in case capacity, measured to the base of the seated bullet, between the two cases. With your 4.0 gr. starting load you would have been very close using 4.4 gr. Forget about trying to measure .01 gr. increments!

alwslate · Mar 25, 2016

elpac3 you're on the right track. Not by trying to apply the old "rule of
thumb" however. You're on the right track by applying the new "rule
of thumb", the chronograph.

Forrest r · Mar 25, 2016

Don't know about any rule of thumb but most of the bullseye/fast burning powders loads I use in the 44spl/200gr wc, 220gr hbwc, 175gr wc, 162gr wc are around 5gr's. And in a 44mag case the same bullets do their best in the 6.0gr to 7.0gr range.

6.0gr clays
6.5gr american select
6.5gr bullseye
6.5gr international clays
7.0gr trailboss

All produce groups like these @ 25yds.

When you start getting too low of a load in the 44mag there won't be enough pressure to seal the brass (soot on 1 side) or expand the bullet base properly. Been shooting wc's in the 44spl and mag for decades and I've always used the powders/loads listed above.

Don't know what the fascination is with the bearing surfaces of the different bullets. The bullet's design and alloy/bhn are more important. The bullet you're using is actually what they (rimrock) is calling an anti-personal bullet. It has a long base/drive band (excellent for high pressure) and is a 15bhn alloy. Not exactly ideal for "target pressures/velocities".15bhn is lyman #2 alloy designed for rifle bullet pressures. When's the last time you've seen any of the major ammo mfg's selling target/wc ammo with 15bhn bullets???? For some odd reason their bullets are in the 6bhn to 9bhn range for loads in the 9,000/10,000psi range like the one you're using.

Anyway you might consider looking at Matt's bullets, he actually has 5 different wc's for the 44cal's that he sells. I'd give him a call and tell him what you're doing. His normal alloy is around 10bhn for the wc's he sells but he will make "custom orders" with whatever alloy you want or a different sized bullet. The standard bullets are .430 but firearms like the marlin micro-grooved 44's use a .431/.432 as do allot of the s&w's 44cal's from the 80's. The different 44cal wc's that matt's bullets sells.

44 Wadcutters : Matts Bullets

Just started working on loads for the 162gr wc and the 175gr wc. These are 8/9bhn bullets that have been coated.

BLUEDOT37 · Mar 26, 2016

Alk8944 said:
The actual figure is approximately 12%, this is the average difference in case capacity, measured to the base of the seated bullet, between the two cases.

The case capacity difference between my R-P .44 Special and R-P .44 Magnum brass is 6.96% more (35.9grs vs. 38.4grs H²O), as I've measured. Multiply & add that difference by the OP's original 4.0grs/BE .44 Spcl load & you get 4.28grs/BE, which is what the OP came up with as working in the 44 Mag cases.

.

Doc Hollywood · Mar 26, 2016

Mag cases are more common but I always preferred special cases as they eject more positively I used 9.5 grains of be86 behind a 240 grain hornady swaged lswc-hp with a mag primer and a lee factory crimp die. Before I loaded it I would lla it. No flash, violent expansion, and somewhere around 930-950 fps in a 4" 29-2.

DWalt · Mar 26, 2016

Back in my CAS days, I used 7 grains of Bullseye behind a 200 grain bullet in .44 Mag cases, dropping to 6 grains in .44 Special cases (which I used mainly in my rifle so I could load more rounds). Both shot to the same POA and grouped about the same. I didn't chronograph either.

Cocked & Locked · Mar 29, 2016

Love me some .44 special wadcutters in Bulldog using Unique powder...haven't loaded in .44 mag brass.

210 grain WC's

250 grain WC's

SLT223 · Mar 29, 2016

Im not at home so I dont have my notes for charge weight, but I would definitely suggest you try working up with Clays. With 200gr slugs you can start at 5.0gr and work to 6.4gr. They are mild, accurate, and clean.

Wally West · Apr 3, 2016

When's the last time you've seen any of the major ammo mfg's selling target/wc ammo with 15bhn bullets????

Quite a few manufacturers of cast sell overly hard bullets in that range for some reason. I can think of several right off hand whose standard lead is that hard.

The rule of thumb is interesting but I'd not really go by it unless I knew the powder. The volumes of the powder by weight can vary quite a bit and make a real difference I would think. I always consult a manual for a starting place at a velocity I want to reach, subtract 10% and start loading.

WDW44 · Jun 4, 2025

Alk8944 said:
I don't know where that "Rule of thumb" comes from, in well over 50 years this is the first time I can ever recall seeing it!

The actual figure is approximately 12%, this is the average difference in case capacity, measured to the base of the seated bullet, between the two cases. With your 4.0 gr. starting load you would have been very close using 4.4 gr. Forget about trying to measure .01 gr. increments!

I had seen this recommendation in a couple of articles about the .44's over the years. Don't recall the exact copy, but I have seen it, and used it as did the above post author. I use it carefully so as to remain safe with pressures, but haven't experienced any ver 50+ years of reloading. I enjoyed your comment jsut the same.

Richard93 · Jun 4, 2025

elpac3 said:
Started working up a .44 200 grain wadcutter load for the 4" model 29.

Using a 200 grain Rim Rock wadcutter with 4.0 of Bullseye in a .44 special case with a roll crimp. Chronographed the load at 707 fps with reasonable accuracy at 25 yards.

Wanted to duplicate the load on a .44 mag case. Used the old rule of thumb, special load +.5 to 1 grains. Load 4.5 grains BE, chronographed out at 747 fps, again with reasonable accuracy.

Since the bearing surface looks to be the same as the 265 grain SWC I shoot (can print one hole groups at 25 yards) I am going to try to duplicate the velocity which runs about 787 fps from the 4" barrel.

Looks like the difference between the special case and the mag case is actually about .2 or .3 grains with BE rather than the old rule of thumb add .5-1 grain.

I use 6gr ok HP38 with 240gr cast bullets design for 44 40 (Lee mold) It Is super accurate

Tracksidewrong · Tuesday at 8:55 PM

I just did a load up of .44 Special velocity loads in .44 Magnum cases using HP-38 and the old 429421 Keith 250 gr bullet that I cast with my Arsenal mold.

R-P cases, Fed 150 Primer, Wheel weights for my lead and I water drop, Lyman Super Moly lube, size my slugs at .431" and 1.720" COL with a heavy crimp.

With my new to me Pre 29 and 6.5" barrel my velocities were as follows

Hogdon HP-38 all groups shot at 25 yards, sandbagged.

12 shots at 5.5 gr AVG 664.3

12 shots at 6.3 gr AVG 767.6

13 shots at 7.0 gr AVG 852.9

13 shot at 8.0 gr AVG 959.3

Very happy with the results, I think the 7.0 gr load with be my go to load, it was the most accurate, The 6.3 gr load has a mild recoil, my wife shot it and seemed to handle it okay, understandably she is not a big fan of my .44s especially with full velocity loads.

Duplicating .44 Special loads on a .44 Mag Case

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