Go to powder for .44 mag

old pipefitter · May 9, 2019

What's your go to Powder for 240 grain and 270 grain Gold Dots. loading 270's for a Marlin lever and 240's for a Smith. I don't have 2400, H110. My Lyman book says IMR4227 as the most accurate powders they tested in a revolver.

elpac3 · May 9, 2019

2400 for full charge loads, unique or BE-86 for light loads

diyj98 · May 9, 2019

2400 has been my 44 magnum go to power for years. I've used IMR4227 and W296, but 2400 was always my favorite.

rockquarry · May 9, 2019

#2400 for full power loads. If you like additional muzzle blast and a fireball that can be seen on a bright day, go with 296. As for accuracy potential, I've found the two powders to be equal.

scattershot · May 9, 2019

I use Unique a lot in the .44. 7- 7 1/2 grains for midrange, and 12 grains for about 1200 fps, which is plenty for me.

jimbo728 · May 9, 2019

+1 for 2400 but 4227 is not a bad choice also especially when 2400 is not on the shelves. Unavailability is not a widespread problem, just my slight misfortune the last time I shopped for .44 Mag fuel.
Jim

muddocktor · May 9, 2019

There are several powders that work well with high velocity 44 Mag loads. H110/296 works well and 2400 also works just as well for high end loads. In my experience both 2400 and H110 give significant fireballs when shot out of pistol, but neither will out of your lever gun. A couple of other powders that work well for 44 Mag high end loads are Alliant Power Pro 300MP and Accurate #9. the 300MP will make for loads much like the 2400 and H110 loads (fireball out of a pistol) but the A #9 has much less muzzle flash than the others out of a pistol. Another worth mentioning is IMR4427 too.

As for loading with them physically, all the powders mentioned meter well in powder measures in my experience.

For downloading, there are a bunch of powders that work well in 44 Mag. It's a pretty easy cartridge to build accurate loads for throughout its bullet speed ranges, from mild to wild.

6string · May 9, 2019

A lot of folks overlook IMR 4227.
It works well and often provides close to 100% loading density with near full power loads.

We all know about the classic Keith 2400 load.
But, it has also been largely forgotten that in his "Gun Notes" articles that ran for years in G&A magazine, Elmer Keith occasionally referred to 4227 for use in the 44 Magnum.
The way he worded it made it understood he liked both 4227 and 2400.

I'll see if I can find an example....

Jim

bmcgilvray · May 9, 2019

I never could gain the velocity performance from 4227 that I can with H110 or 2400. Those two propellants have sold me on both performance and accuracy in Magnum Smith & Wesson revolvers.

alwslate · May 9, 2019

I only use one powder for full power loads in the .44 mag, Win 296. The
accuracy is very good and I can't imagine 4227 making a significant
difference. Besides 4227 just will not deliver the velocity that 296 will.

Protocall_Design · May 9, 2019

I have shot IMR or H4227 in my .44 for over 20 years. I'm getting about 5 to 6 inch groups at 200 yards with a 300 gr. Hornady XTP. This is in an 8-3/8 629. The load is 18 gr. of powder, with the case crimped in the cannelure. I like H4227 the best because it is an Extreme Powder, which means it is very temperature insensitive. It will shoot to the same point of impact over a wide temp. range with the same sight settings.

J. R. WEEMS · May 9, 2019

44 & 41 MAG

My only powder for these for just years has been and is, 800X -- metering was a problem early on but got resolved when I got a Charge Master some years back. 800X is used for all my handgun hunting loads. I have however made the switch to 20/28 from Alliant for my 28 and 20 gauge shotgun loadings.

Good stuff, and C L E A N -

kraynky · May 9, 2019

Good luck here with A#9 & 2400. Bought some 4227 to try however. 296 is my go to powder for .357 mag.

65Whelen · May 9, 2019

I've been using 4227 with good results but I use to use 2400. Haven't seen 2400 on the shelves for ages.

Narragansett · May 9, 2019

For me it was 2400. Cannot double charge. Good powder and a safety thing

cadmike · May 9, 2019

Well OP mentions 240 and a revolver so I’ll chime in and say my go-to powders for .44 magnum are unique and universal, because I primarily shoot mid range loads in that caliber out of a 6 inch 629. Hard to go wrong with 8-9 grains of unique/universal underneath a 240 gr swc. Or for that matter, 7-10 grains. YMMV

mtgianni · May 9, 2019

Red Dot for low -mid velocity AA9 for high.

mike campbell · May 9, 2019

For the accuracy and power to knock over 58-lb steel rams @ 220 yards with a 44 mag, 296 couldn't be beat.

RobertJ. · May 9, 2019

For upper end- H110

Low to mid-range- 800X

WR Moore · May 9, 2019

Yes, you probably get more velocity with 2400, but at the cost of a massive increase in muzzle blast. Please also read the 3rd paragraph.

Decades ago, I settled on Unique for lighter loads and IMR 4227 for my full power loads. You do need to tap the case to settle the powder somewhat depending upon where the cannelure is on jacketed bullets (my loads are somewhat compressed) but I've never regretted any slight loss of velocity. No bullet ever bounced off any critter I shot with the loads. Never needed more than one shot.

FWIW, I did a couple of blind accuracy tests back when at 100 yards comparing my handloads (same bullet) and Remington factory 240 gr SJHP. The handload groups were half the size of the factory. I was and am willing to trade some velocity for the smaller group. I do use CCI magnum pistol primers.

BTW, the Remington 240 gr SJHP is a under appreciated bullet. I settled on that one eons ago. Plenty of penetraton, massive expansion on white tails.

Go to powder for .44 mag

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