I used to reload 44 magnum many years ago, almost 50 years now...and I and my brother kept some notes. Well, I bought a S&W Model 29 so I'm back to reloading for it. I have lots of Unique powder. Anyway, my notes from the 70s show I was putting up to 8 grains of Unique behind a 240 grain LSWC,,but my Speer Manual #13 and my Lee Manual both show a maximum of 7 grains of Unique.

Doing some research on the internet I'm seeing people talking about 10 grains of Unique in a 44 Magnum with cast bullets...

The bullets I'm using are Missouri Bullet hard cast, coated 240 grain LSWC. Do these act more like a jacketed bullet? The Speer Manual even shows an 11 grain max for Unique behind a 250 grain cast bullet...

I'm confused.

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USAF AMMO!

I’ve used 10 gr of unique with a cast bullet for years as a moderate 44 mag load at about 1000 fps. I know speers max of 7 grain is for their swaged bullet. If you go higher it leads the barrel terribly and is inaccurate. My old Lyman manual showed a max of 11 grains with cast. I suspect the Lee manual is using data for a swaged bullet too.

Thank you, that makes sense.

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USAF AMMO!

Seven grains and a cast swc has been my standard plinker for years. You can go higher, but I don't have the need.

Why not just start out easy and see what happens.

Do you need a maximum load or will a nice target load work,
since I did not see anything about hunting loads.

Digging around in my old memory,I recall using a range of 7 gr to 10 gr of unique with a cast 240 gr lswc. 8-10 gave me the best accuracy as I recall

As long as the bullets are for the velocity range you want, see what happens in the “no man’s land” between special and magnum. I use magnum brass for all of my dinker loads as well.

I have always used 8 grains Unique with a 240 cast, reserving the big 10 grain load for jacketed bullets of that same weight in the 44 magnum.
Unique works well in the shorter barrels like the 4" 629 etc..

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

I rarely shoot hot loads, but like I said, the data didn't seem to make sense.

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USAF AMMO!

Lyman’s manual is very useful for jacketed and cast loads,whereas the others are good for jacketed and swaged bullets.Well worth the price

I’ve been loading 10 grains of Unique with Elmer’s 245 grain cast bullet for years. Excellent accuracy in all of my 44 mags! 51 years to be exact!

Lets look at Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th edition
Latest edition - Cast bullet Data Only
44 Magnum - Unique powder
240 gr. cast lead SWC (429667)

Starting load : 10.0 grs. Unique @ 937 fps - 25,300 C.U.P.

Maximum Load : 11.7 grs. Unique @ 1133 fps - 37,900 C.U.P.

Cast bullet data , published 2010 , Lyman's data is usually reliable ...
I've been using it for 50+ years ...but I seldom load maximum loads .
Forget inter web/net data ...Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is data you can bet your life on ... That's right ...we are betting our lives on this data !!!
If you load cast ... you need this reloading manual , get one !
Gary

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NRA Member

I also load a mid-range .44 Mag round with 10 gr of Unique under a 245/250 gr Keith-type SWC lead (hard cast - not swaged) bullet. Been doing this for about 45 years. My chrono gives it about 1050 fps. It's a great round for general shooting. I VERY seldom shoot full-house .44 Mag rounds any more.

Two powders I always keep an 8lber of H4895 & Unique . Both are capable of producing a usable load or two for just about every cartridge known to man .........usually with good results I might ad .

You've got the charge range , and reasonings set out above . The remaining questions are what velocity/ power level(s) do you wish ?

7gr is equivalent to standard .44 Spl , for pleasant , light recoil .

For equivalent to warm .44 Spl or midrange .44 Mag - 8.5 to 9.5 ish . I used to use 9.2 gr , and was pleased .

The 10.0 gr from Lyman above might be with a 4 inch Vented test bbl . From 6 to 7.5 in revolvers usually gives 1050- 1100 fps .

Above 11grs , if it's accurate for you , great . But multiple other powders can give those velocities at lower pressures .

Did you get an early M29 with .432" throats or a newer model with .429" throats?

That'll make a different how they shoot.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

M29-2 using Unique with cast bullets. Diameter .430"

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If you see pressure data in CUP, it could well be old enough to be "old" Unique.

My 2 44mag range loads in 44mag cases:
240gr LSWC over 5.0gr of Bullseye,(mild)
240gr LSWC over 8.5gr of Unique (mid)

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