I have been reloading since I was young and have never had a problem with a round I've made. Since I purchased my 629-5 .44 mag back on October 8, 1999 I've put just over 26000 rounds through it with no real issues.

When I first got it I worked up the following load and had it shooting consistent 3" groups at 100 yards and it still does.

23.2 grains of IMR-4227
Remington Brass
CCI350 Primers
I also used plain wheel weights with mold #429421 that I cast myself and quinched in ice water for 24 hours.

I recently got a Henry .44 mag rifle and want to use the same ammunition in both guns.

I know I can't use rifle loads in my revolver, but I can certainly use revolver loads in the rifle.

I wan't to go to the 240gr. XTP bullet with 23 grains of H110 using the same Remington brass and CCI350 Primers. I've tried a few and they seem to be just as accurate as the cast, but I notice a considerable difference in muzzle blast and recoil (which I like) and do not see any pressure signs.

Since H110 is a faster burning powder than IMR-4227 and I'm going to a jacketed bullet will this load be ok to shoot a LOT.

Now, I don't want to shoot my gun apart. I want to make sure my 629 can take the punishment of this load thousands of times.

So, what do you folks think? Will this load destroy my S&W after a few thousand rounds?

P.S.: Another reason I settled on this load is because I'm getting 1.5" groups at 100 yds. with the Henry Big Boy. I'm also going to lay down the 7MM this year and try hunting whitetail with the revolver for the first time.

At Hodgdon.com they have a 240 grain jacketed Nosler HP with 23.0 gr H110 at 1413fps and 1.6 OAL as the starting load at 25,200cup. I think the lawers would all agree that's a safe load for a good condition 29. I run the hot hot hot loads through the contender,and factory/light loads through the 29. They don't give many details so you can call Hornady customer service or look in their loading man.

I load the 240 gr XTP with 24 gr H110 (max per Hodgdon) to use in a Desert Eagle, cycles the gun very well. The same load is a bit rough on Mod. 29's, I prefer 13 gr. of HS-6. Much more enjoyable, and I've taken a big hog using this load.

I have to ask, why do you quench your cast bullets for 24 hours?

I quench my cast bullets for 24 hours because it brings them to about a 26BHN. If I drop them in ice water and immediately take them out they are only about 18BHN.

I drop them directly into a stainless steel pan with ice and after I'm done casting I put that pan in the freezer. The next day I take the pan out and let it thaw.

Before I started doing this I had a lot of barrel leading and the bullets would keyhole past 10 yards or so.

After the bullets were quinched this way, barrel leading almost completely went away and I didn't have anymore keyholes.

I don't know why leaving them in the freezer for a day makes such a difference. I read that the level of arsenic in the wheel weights I use may be what is causing this change during quenching and freezing. I have no way to measure the level of arsenic, so I really don't know if that is the case.

I also tried using gas checks with straight wheel weights. The only problem with gas checks is the fact that I hate having to install them. I also couldn't get the accuracy out of that bullet (#429667) that I could with the #429421 that doesn't use a gas check.

If you do any casting, give this a try and see if it does anything for you. This may not make a difference with all alloy's, I'm just not sure.

That is the same load and pressure that the Modern Reloading Manual (second edition, Copyright 2003) gives for a 240 gr. bullet with 23 gr. of H110.

However, this is what is making me wonder about wheather or not this is a heavy load...

As we all know, H110 is the same as Winchester 296.

If you go to page 377 in the 49th edition of the Lyman Reloading Handbook, you will see a Speer 240 gr. JHP (#4453) that shows a 23 gr. charge of 296 with 34,000 C.U.P at 1193 fps.

If the Hodgdon.com information and the Modern Reloading manual were correct at only 25,200 C.U.P I wouldn't be at all concerned. I think 25,200 C.U.P would be very acceptable.

Since the Lyman Manual is showing 34,000 C.U.P with the same load, I am wondering if the information can be trusted.

I don't think the formula has changed for H110 or 296, so I can't see how there could be an 8,800 C.U.P discrepancy with basically the same bullet using the same powder.

That to me suggests that the ballistic coefficient, sectional density, seating depth, etc. are having a dramatic influence with the 240 gr. bullets we all use.

Unfortunately, the Hornady Manual is the only one I don't have. I also don't have a chronograph anymore. I dropped it and now the display isn't readable.

Anyway, thanks for the comments so far guys, I really appreciate it.

That's not necessarily true. Both handguns and rifles are built to withstand the pressures generated by the caliber they are built for. A levergun in 44 Magnum does not have to be "stronger" than a handgun just because it's a rifle.

Any 44 Magnum load that is made within SAAMI specs will be safe in both firearms. If your accurate handgun load is below the SAAMI max pressure limits there's no reason not to shoot it in your rifle. The reverse is also true.

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SWCA #3437

You are absolutely correct. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't hesitate to put full power loads using 300 gr. bullets thru the rifle all day long, but I wouldn't want to make the revolver eat a steady diet of those even though they are within SAAMI specs. I don't think it would be long before problems would surface. Especially with the timing.

We've all heard that the Ruger .44 mag. revolvers are able to hold up to repeated use of heavy loads with no ill effect. There are many people, including myself, that think the Smith and Wessons simply will not handle those rounds on a daily basis.

(I wish I had one of those fancy SAAMI test chambers)

Interesting.

I water drop my .357s and some .44s, and I have never had any leading issues to note. I only drive my .44s to about 1350, but my 358429s have seen 1800 fps now with no issues.

I've used 25 gr. H 110 with the 240 gr. jacket bullet and with the 429421 cast from lynotype in both my model 29-2 and Ruger Super Blackhawk. No signs of pressure and all empties drop from the chambers of both guns.

I think the wheel weights I'm using may have softened over time. They are from the 60's or 70's. I've been told that alloys like wheel weights lose their hardness slowly. That's why I'm leary about buying something like Oregon Trail/Lasercast bullets. (which I think are some of the best) I wonder if I keep them in a box for 20 years if I'll have to melt them down and recast.

I don't have issues with leading now, but I would if I didn't quench and freeze them.

I can't remember what the load with IMR-4227 chronographed at with the .44.

Were you using the .357 casts in a rifle to get 1800 fps?

Yeah, my 24 inch Rossi levergun and 2400.

Wouldn't we all brother, wouldn't we all!!!

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SWCA #3437

Your conceptual understanding is right on, but you are not taking it far enough.

Those "dash numbers" S&W adds to the model number indicate engineering changes, such as heat treatment, bolt locking notch improvements, changes to thread patterns, etc, all of which have been to address handling loads with heavier bullets or to make the guns more resilient over longer/heavier shooting lives.

Likewise, carbines (rifles) have different designs with some better than others at handling longer diets of heavier loads. Winchester 92 & 94s have strong dual locking lugs through mortises in the receiver, but they are located pretty far back on the bolt, leading to some "springiness" in the forward part of the bolt. Marlins (my favorite) have a notched mortise in the bottom of the bolt which an extension of the lever locks into. The Winchester's lock has more surface area and better design, but it's farther back on the bolt than the Marlin. They both work, but differently. On the Marlin, the lever will wear and need replaced occasionally (like once per shooter's lifetime or so), while on the Winchester, the brass will stretch more and not last as many loadings...

The real question isn't whether these loads are SAAMI-level safe. It's: What is the long term wear and tear going to be? Frankly, the answer to that is the load doesn't matter, in this case, because both loads you describe are top-end loads. The design/type of gun does, combined with how much you shoot it at these hot-load levels.

My 629-1 gets shot with 44 Spl loads, unless there's a deer in the sights. (This is my original 44, and thanks to heavy shooting of it when I was a kid, it has end-shake and the cylinder unlocking-and-counter-rotating problem when heavy loads are used.) Because of these experiences/problems, I got a 629-4 to shoot the heavy loads in. I still only shoot mid-range most of the time though, because I want this to last longer. Same with my Marlins. My oldest Marlin in 44 has about 1/32" gap and play in the bolt, and the lever pops open if not gripped strongly. I recently upgraded to an 1894P (16" bbl), and it's getting shot with the mid-range loads, unless the power is needed.

You have a stout pistol there, but you can and will shoot it loose with enough volume of heavy loads. I've never owned or checked the design of the Henrys, but I'd assume they are strong guns, which, likewise, will shoot loose with enough volume of heavy loads. They all do, even Rugers...

When water quenching bullets, they won't immediately hit their final hardness. It takes about 24 hours for them to reach this point. I just cast several hundred H&G 503s, and they were 16 bhn air cooled. 18 bhn fresh out of the water, on the same day, and 22 bhn 24 hours after casting. You might do yourself a favor and take one of your bullets, set it on the sidewalk, and hit ti hard, with a heavy (3lb or so) hammer. If the bullet crack, or breaks, your antimony is too high, and the bullet could fragment on large game at close range. Just something to consider.