Does anyone have a mild load for 180gr. JHP for a Mountain Gun? What would be the best powder to use for this weight bullet? I am new to reloading, and would like to hear some info from experienced reloaders. Thanks in advance.

I have shot the 180gr XTP in everything from mild loads to W296-powered fireballs. While they are extremely accurate, my experience with them has been generally unsatisfactory. They are too light and too short for 44mag, causing a lot of gas to be wasted as flash and noise. This is in my 7 1/2 Redhawk, from a shorter barrel it would be even worse. Also there is the potential of flamecutting with powders like H110/W296, I can't really explain the gas pressure felt from this combo but it is...unpleasant. Some examples of what this bullet can do:

31.5gr W296 - 1850fps

24.0gr 2400 - 1500 fps

12.5gr Unique - 1450 fps

11.5gr W231 - 1350 fps


I would try a slightly lighter charge of W231 for your mild load. I typically don't like faster powders for the 44 mag but there may be something there for you as well. Trail Boss is always an option, though I have not tried it with this bullet.

My favorite load for a Rem 180 JHP is 10.7 grs 231 . Pretty mild, but still enough to know it isn't a 44 Spec. It was also pretty accurate too. I believe the starting load is 10.0 grs of 231, may be a good place to start. I was shooting these loads in a 6" mod 29, there wasn't much recoil, but your gun is lighter, so I would start light, and work up.
FWIW, Hodgdon HP38 is the same powder as WW 231.

Hi....In a 44 mag, I'd use heavier bullets, or you will be faced with constantly shooting low. 44 mags were developed to use 240 gr. bullets in both rifles and revolvers.

I forgot to mention my favorite 44 mag plinking load. 200gr cast FP, 8.5gr W231, 1100fps. Well, you should get something over 1000 fps in the shorter barrel. I think you will find this much more satisfactory than loads with the 180gr jacketed.

Likewise, my favorite plinking load is a 200 gr FP (Missouri Bullet Co.) with 7.0 grs 231, runs about 925 fps over my chono.

What powders do you have?

If you have the bullets, than ya might as well shoot them and then try heavier lead bullets that others have suggested. I shoot the MBC 240 gr LSWC bullets. I also use HP-38/W 231.

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Still Running Against the Wind

You might give AA9 a try. It's a little faster than WW296 and might work a bit better with light bullets.
I use the Sierra and Remington 210 a lot but for hunting use either the Sierra 210 or Hornady 240.
For target velocity loads I use Unique with whatever bullet I use.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

Some questions...what are you planning on doing with this load? Personal defense? Hunting? Target work? Plinking? General woods carry load?

Reason I ask is that the XTPs don't expand at low velocity. Great bullet but for target work you may want to look at some Barry's plated bullets.

Berry's Manufacturing ? Over 50 Styles of Plated Bullets

I use them in .41 Magnum (210 grain), .44 Magnum (200 grain), .38 Super (124 and 100 grain) and .45 ACP (180 grain) and they shoot great....at far less money than JHPs.

I have a 629 Mountain Gun and the factory load that I settled on is the Speer .44 Magnum 200 grain Gold Dot HP Short Barrel Load. It uses the 200 grain .44 Special deep HP bullet at a modest 1080 fps from a 4" barrel and expands every time. For a practice load I think I am using 11 grains of 231 with a 200 grain Barry's bullet or the 200 grain Gold Dot available from Speer. Reloading data for that bullet when used in .44 Magnums is in the Speer #14 Manual.

If you try the Barry's bullets, or really any bullet, try and get one of the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp dies and crimp is a separate operation from seating...

Bob

Since you said you wanted a "mild" load for a MG and you're asking specifically about a 180gr, most of us, I'm sure, are thinking you want something in the medium to light load category. Plinking, target, or maybe even small game use. That's the line of thinking I'll follow for the below advice.

First, some general principles need to be understood to keep you safe. If you're wanting light loads, you should really avoid jacketed or plated bullets. Go with lead. They have much less bore friction, and hence they are much less likely to get stuck in the bore, which is definitely a risk with light loads and jacketed. To keep you safe here, most powder, bullet and other load guide manufacturers recommend you stay at or above 850fps, and 950fps would be better.

Second, I've always found that light bullets (anything lighter than 200grs) in the 44 can be fussy about finding an accurate load. Even then, they shoot low, sometimes too low to get the sights aligned. My light bullets are 210 to 225grs. They are accurate with a broad range of loads and can be loaded light, because they are cast lead. When I load 210gr Remington SJHPs, I load them with AA#9 to about 1300fps, for my Ruger carbine. After having stuck a jacketed bullet and having to pound it out, NO light loads with jacketed for me anymore...

Third, for light loads, you are better with bulky powders, that fill up more of the case volume. You also do NOT want a super-slow powder. Something medium-burning like W231 to WSF will do very well. (There's a TON of different powders in that range BTW.) I started with Hercules powders, and then went with (and still do, for the most part) ball powders, because they're easier to load, but I'm leaning back towards single-base powders (no nitroglycerin). Unique would be a great place to start, and it's so ubiquitous, you may already have some on your shelf.

If you already have the 180s and you want to persist with a lighter load with them, I'd suggest something that goes about 1000fps. No chance of sticking a bullet at that speed, and the recoil will still be pretty mild.

If you switch to a 210-225gr lead bullet, I'd suggest 7.5 to 8.0grs of W231 or Unique for 750-850fps. This is my favorite light load, and anybody (including kids and lightly-built gals) can shoot them comfortably all day long. With the lead bullets, even at this light level, they'll never stick in the bore (of course, my longest barrel is 6.5", so you 8" and 10" barrelled guys are on your own). I like practicing my double-action shooting with them. They're about the same power level of a 45ACP ball load, but in the heavier N-frame revolver they feel about like a 32. They're great rabbit loads.

Big rabbits where you live??

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Still Running Against the Wind

Monstrous!

Guess they turn into pink dust bunnies after nailing one.

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Still Running Against the Wind

.............huge.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

11.0 grains unique and Fed 150 primer under a 180 Hdy or Rem 180 jhp gets about 1250 fps from 4 inch Mt. Gun. Excellent accuracy and either bullet will expand at that velocty (or alot lower velocity). A heavy LFC or Redding profile crimp helps.

The POI is substancially different from heavy bullet full bore loads, to the point of maybe changing the rear site (taller) on some older revolvers.

9.0-9.1 grains 231 and Fed 150 primer under a Speer 200 gdhp replicates Speer's factory loading with that bullet at 1050 fps from 4 inch Mt. Gun. Red Dot is another good powder for this. Again, excellent accuracy. Easy to load 200 lrnfp to same POI.

I have loaded a bunch of 180 XTPs with 15 grains of AA#5. It is very accurate and is easy to shoot from my super redhawk with the 9 1/2 barrel. I load the 240 grain XTP over 23 grains of Win 296 and this is my favorite whitetail load. It is very accurate and does a terrific job on big Misourri bucks.

Nah. I use head shots as much as possible, and the load I use is a 225gr RNFP (with a medium-small meplat) @ ~850 fps, so it's not much different than shooting them with a 45 Govt. Ball load. One of the benefits of a cast bullet with rounded-nose profile - it works a lot like a 22 as far as meat damage but it packs a big ol wallop!

I've done the red mist thing on them with a 22-250. Wait until the turn towards you, and it also does an "automatic cleaning job," turning them inside-out for you... Trouble is, there's just not much meat left...

One of my favorite mid range .44 loads is Speers 200 Gn GD and 10 GN Universal Clays. Extremely accurate and burns cleaner than Unique. The Gold Dot bullet will open up a bit better than the XTP's will.

I love the Berry's plated bullets. Unfortunately, they discontinued the 200 gr .44 and the lightest they have is 220 gr. I contacted them and they said it was not a big seller. Some of the Cabela's stores still have some.

Rainier Ballistics has a plated 200 gr .44 in their line up.