Been shooting .44 magnum Smiths for 40 yrs and like 2400 and 150 Federal primers with a charge of 17.5 grs/2400. I have always had unburnt powder no mater what amount I use. What is the answer- just live with this or ? Just thought I would ask?

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T. Johnson

I've decided to live with it. I notice that the number of granules decreases as pressure increases (e.g., old school max magnum loads), and I don't really notice it out of a long barrel (2400, of course, shines out of a levergun with handgun rounds). Anyhow, I like the powder's performance enough to keep using it, but have decided to no longer concern myself with there being some unburnt powder.

Like said by Erich, as the pressure goes up the powder burns better. Also, if you stiffen the crimp a little you will get a more complete burn. (every little bit helps, no?)

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I shoot 12 grs. in a .38 spec., 15 grs. in a .357, and 18 grs. in a .44 mag for a medium load. I can't see that unburnt powder really hurts anything so I just keep shooting. Larry

I use to load 44 mag. with Winchester 296. You might try that. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

I used to have this problem when I used Federal primers. I no longer use them, unless I can't find any others. I prefer CCI 300 LP with 18.5 grains of 2400, & a 240 grain LSWC bullet.

I do not have any unburned powder after firing. My friends tell me that it is more than needed but that isn't even close to max load. I like this load very much & unless I am loading jacketed bullets, it is my standard 44MGM load (who wants to shoot a wheel gun and feel like the bullet rolled out the end of the barrel? ).

At 18.5grs of 2400 I noticed the unburned powder particles decreased a great deal.

I think that, generally, the more powerful the charge of -2400 is, the cleaner it will burn.

I started with a hard cast 250 grain SWC, W-W cases, CCI large pistol primers. I started from 17.0 grains and worked my charge up to 22.0 grains, Elmer Keith's load. Very few kernals of detrius left behind. I went back down to Skelton's load of 21.0 grains, then down to BUFF's load, 20.0 grains. Through my 8-3/8 inch Model 29, I got about 1,350 fps, and through my 10 inch Contender, a bit over 1,400 fps. I regret not clocking the 21 and 22 grain loads.

I used a very stiff roll crimp, seating the bullets and crimping them in separate steps. My RCBS carbide sizer squeezed the brass tight enough that one coulld see where the bottom of the bullet was. It was as clean a load as I have ever obtained with cast bullets in the .44 Magnum.

Just spotted this thread. Good info. Been loading 2400 in the 44 since about 1974. Always in a 4" M29. My pet load was 21 gr. with a Keith bullet and standard primers of many makes. Always had a touch of unburnt powder left in the barrel. Never thought much about it. 2400 always gave me the accuracy I wanted and had the right amount of punch behind it to to the job.

This month I've been working with Bluedot in this caliber and with the Lee 240 gr SWCGC. I went well below the starting loads and found the best shooting was with 9.5 gr of BD. Had small amounts of unburnt powder..went up to as high as 15 gr and the bore was left clear of powder, but had some lead in it's place!

I'm going back to 2400 as it's something I know well. Unburnt powder and all! Guess Elmer, Skeeter, Buff, me, and others had it figured all out long ago....

Wade

I used 22.0 grs. of 2400 with a 240 gr. Lasercast SWC in preparation for a boar hunt. At this level I did not notice any troublesome unburned granules but I did get sticky extraction in my 629 Mountain Lion with anything other than new or once fired brass.

I also use 14.1 grs. of 2400 with the 158 gr. SWC in .357 Magnum. I get exactly 1200 FPS in my 4" 627. I used this load in an IDPA match just to see if unburned powder would cause problematic moonclip speedloads on the clock, and I had no difficulties whatsoever.

Much like 231, I find that 2400 is your best friend when run hot.

Dave Sinko

2400 and the 44 magnum, well that's about like ice cream and apply pie, dam hard to beat

21.5 gr. 2400, CCI 350 and Keith bullet. Shot hundreds of rounds at I.H.M.S.A events. Good clean burn. Takes down them Rams at 200 no probs.

To the OP:

Test some AA9. It doesn't have to be run full tilt boogie to burn relatively clean. Less muzzle flash also.

Slow-burning powders are harder to ignite. They need slightly compressed load density , tight roll-crimp , hot primers and a long barrel for complete combustion.

That's why heavy charges of H-110/W-296 , 2400 , 4227 , AA#9 and others give a big fireball when fired from short barrels(4in or less).

I do not get a bright muzzle flash from my 4" .41's and .44's with AA9.

Unburned powder, to me, is a non-issue. Prefer to look at the target. Only time unburned powder can be an issue if with a revolver if a kernel gets under the extractor star.