I finally got my first batch of reloads finished yesterday. It took some tinkering with the seating die to get a good crimp, but thanks to the help of a buddy, it works flawlessly. I'm using 8 grains of Unique, 240 grain SWC, with winchester large pistol primers. I'm not sure what speed I'm getting, but the loads shoot extremely well with mild recoil. I'm definitely glad I bought the equipment to load my own!

Up it to 10 grains of Unique and you'll find that its still mild shooting, but the powder burns more completely at the higher pressures and won't leave as much soot behind. If I remember correctly I was getting mid to high 800's fps with 10 grns of Unique and a 240 grain cast bullet out of my 3" model 629. I've since gone to AA 9 and use the Unique for my .357 mag loads. AA9 gave me great accuracy and a true magnum result (18.5 grns is all I use).

At any rate, congrats on the hand loads! If you shoot a lot of 44's, reloading is the only way to go.

Thanks for the input...I will probably move slowly up the scale with unique, but would like to try other varieties once the Unique is close to empty.

Congrats on getting your first reloads completed. The 8 grain Unique load should work great. I load 7.5 grains in all of mine and it works fine as well.

__________________
SWCA #2421

Thanks! I really enjoyed shooting the loads...very nice on the wrist, and good accuracy. I can handle spending a dollar for 20 rounds vs a dollar per shot.

congrats...you will find reloading very addictive!

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I agree...I can't keep empty brass in my shop!

I always use a 240 gr. SWC but 9 grs. of Unique is the lightest I have loaded and with a 4 in. barrel it does 1015 fps. Since my arthritis has got bad I have shot a lot of 10 grs. of Unique. A 3 in. barrel is 1023 fps., 4 in. 1088 fps., and 6 1/2 is 1099 fps. If you really want to make it buck and roar try 22 grs. of 2400. Larry

Good idea, no hurry. There is a bunch of powders that work well in the .44 magnum. I have used Unique, Universal, Blue Dot, 2400, True Blue, and of course H110. I still use a lot of Unique and Blue Dot, but like to try different loads with different powders. Lately I've loaded some Trail Boss for 265 gr. bullets in my Puma '92. A while back I used a lot of WC820 (kinda like AA 9), but almost always have some 2400, Blue Dot, and Unique on hand for my .44s.

Way to go radtuck!

44 mag is why I started loading.

My last box of jacketed hollow point ammo, from the LGS last November, cost me $39.00 and it wasn't even what I wanted, it was what they had.
Now I load a box of 240gr wadcutters, what I really want to shoot, for the modest sum of $7.50.

I initially looked at reloading like a task to be done with. Now I enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoy shooting.

Welcome to reloading. I'm glad your first rounds fired as well as you hoped.

There are a lot of good powders around for lead bullets in the .44 Magnum. Trying different powders is half the fun and I try a lot of powders. Eventually you will find one you will always seem to come back to. Until then you will have a ball trying different loads... Enjoy!

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

+1 on what ArchAngelCD said.

You'll find that the 44 is alot like the 38/357, extremely easy to reload for. It seems that when you find the speed/bbl combo of a bullet that works. Then alot of different powders will work with that bullet.

I reload for a 6" bbl'd 629 classic & the main bullet I use is a lyman 429421 245g swc. I get excellent groups with that bullet &:
5.5g of clays
6.5g of international clays
6.5g of hp-38/ww231
7.5g of bullseye

They are all mild plinking loads that are accurate & are in the 950fps range.

Enjoy your new hobby, rolling your own ammo is vary satifying & rewarding.

Congrats! The .44 mag is why I started reloading too. I ended up liking 9 grains of Unique as a universal load...it does just about anything that I want. Then, since I already had the equipment, started reloading for everything I shoot.

Now you need to take it one step further and start casting your own bullets...then you can make whatever round you want. Congrats again.

__________________
Have .44, will travel

Careful, or you'll end up like I did! I now don't know if I reload so I can shoot more, or shoot so I can reload more...

Pictures or it didn't happen..............

You may have just hit the nail on the head.
I think I have been trying to avoid the truth lately. My first indication was when I conviced myself I needed to buy more brass, as I had loaded all that I had on hand.

Ask, and you shall receive...here are the pics. I just moved to a new house and my Dad helped me hang cabinets, and most importantly, build a bench for my press. Love the man cave (Garage). I loaded a batch with 9 grains of Unique last night, so I will try both 8 and 9 at the range next time I go shooting. I'll post pics of the targets after I shoot. Thanks to all for the words of encouragement...I think I'll be spending much more time in the garage!!

Attached Images

	IMAG0592.jpg (53.1 KB, 76 views)
	IMAG0593.jpg (53.5 KB, 88 views)

Those look great, thanks for posting the pics.
Just curious as to what gun you will be shooting them out of?

629-3 classic with 6.5" bbl. I love the way the 8 gr. loads shoot...I want to try the 9 gr. loads this week.
John

Gotcha.

My 4'' and 5'' 629s take to a 240gr SWC and Unique in the 8.0-9.8 gr. range like they were made for one another.

Sweet! I am all out of empty brass as of last night...150 rounds ready for action! Might have to buy some brass, but I'm having a hard time justifying 30 dollars for 100.

Midway has Starline 44 mag brass available for $19.49/100.
Way to go on the 150 rounds, that's a nice batch of 44.

Funny...I was just on that site. They are out of stock right now, but that's not a bad price. Wonder what they jab you for S/H.
John

I just did this the other day. Just 'add to cart' the item you want and click on the 'cart' to 'view' your selection. They have a shipping estimator on this page. For my zip code the S/H gets it just over $30.00, so, back to where you started.
The only thing I would add is that once you by that Starline Brass you won't be replacing it anytime in the near future, all things being equal.

Here is a link to the 44 brass/Starline that they show 'in stock'.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/543...la=ProductDesc

Thanks!
John

I agree hard to pay 30 for 100 brass when for 20 you get 50 loaded shells

I just started reloading 44 mag myself...I have a fair amount of experience with 10mm, 45 acp and 357/38 sp. Using the Lyman Handbook as reference for a 240 gr JHP, or 240 gr cast SWC it recommended a STARTING load of 10.8 gr of Unique or 10.0 gr respectively, with max of 12, or 11.7 respectively. I am using Ranier 240gr FP (plated) bullets. I chose what I thought was a conservative 11 gr of Unique. I have not fired them yet. After seeing all these recommendations for 8.5-9 gr of Unique, now I'm a little nervous that I started too hot! I'll be shooting out of a 629-4 Mtn Gun, but I also have a 5" Ruger Redhawk. Thoughts on my load?? Thanks

A bit off subject here, but I want to interject something important to me. I pay little or no attention to load data given by any
forum "expert", any gun counter clerk, gun shop guru, or website (except powder manufacturer's sites). Even though the posters are trying to be helpful, and have good intensions I have seen questionable and some downright dangerous loads on line, in forums. Once a typo by a reloader that was trying to say 10.0 grains of a given powder showed up as 19.0 grains. The load was corrected, but got by for several hours before anyone questioned or complained about the dangerous overload. Plus I've heard so much B.S. from those guys that hang around the local range or gunshop about reloading that I've learned to just smile and nod and keep on with what I'm doing. I stick to my reloading manuals. In nearly 30 years of reloading I haven't found any dangerous loads in any manual I've seen, and there are enough loads and component combinations in my manuals to last a lifetime of reloading.
Hey, jes an old guy's thoughts...

BCDWYO- Lyman 46 shows 9.8-13 gr of unique for a 245 gr lswc (429421).Another 245 gr lswc (429244) shows 8.9-12.1 gr of unique. I've used 7-10 gr with a 240 gr lswc in a number of guns over the years and even the 10 gr load feels fairly mild.

Graf's has Starline 44 Mag brass in stock too. I think their S&H is cheaper than Midway too.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I really like #9 in my 357. I should try it in 44mags.

8 gr. of Unique is below the suggested starting load in all my manuals. I do know with some rifle powders you can get detonation with reduced loads. I used to load 16 gr of Unique in 45/70's many years ago but the manuals don't even list Unique for the round anymore. So I will listen to them.

Here is the data from alliant for 899 fps and a 240 lswc. Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
I shot 9 grain loads today and didn't notice much difference between them and the 8 grain loads, but the 8 grain loads were more accurate for some reason.

go to starlinebrass.com and you can order direct from the factory for 95 dollars for 500 and they will be available 6/26/12 as they are out right now, I believe I didn't have to pay for shipping. Charlie

Thanks!
John

8grs of unique must be pretty mild in a .44 Mag. I use 8grains of the stuff behind a 160 LSWC in .357 Mag and its pretty tame.

Welcome to the wonderful world of reloading. Guard your wallet closely, there's always another tool you need!

Very true. But remember with a revolver you don't loose your brass. At the pressure level we're talking about you should be able to get at least 10 loadings from the cases.

Now start CASTING and you can REALLY load on the cheap. I cast everything from a 215 gr up to a 300 gr SWC for the .44 Spcl/.44 mag's.

With the old #429421 245 gr slug my plinking, general purpose load is 8.5 of UNIQUE and WLP primer. I keep a .50 can at least half full all the time. When it goes down too low I can remedy that in a few hours on the dillon 550. I cast in the Winter when it's too cold to do much else.

FN in MT

I played with 44spl and 44mag a little. I liked win231 and my own cast 240 grain bullet. I was surprised at how little recoil it had, but it was accurate at both 7 yards and 40 yards without touching the sights. At the time I was used to shooting 40 S&W and 9mm at those distances. After playing with my grandfather's 44 ruger single action, I bought myself a Smith 460 XVR. Big revolvers and reloading are awesome, and it is the only way I can afford to shoot them.