44 mag and large pistol primers Bullseye powder

[mrdaputer]

Hi all I have a S&W 629 classic. I went to Cabela's looking for primers. All they had was CCI magnum large pistol primers so I bought some. I have a ton of Bullseye powder that I use in my 9mm and 40. I will be using 240 grain FP Berry's Preferred Plated Pistol Bullets. I have read to drop the load 10%. Some say don't use mag primers in a fast burning powder but it is all I have. I was wondering what you guys thought? I am very careful with every round I make.

 

[fredj338]

It wont affect anything, esoecially if not running max, which you shouldnt try with BE. Mag orimers have a greater affect as powders slow.

 

[HKSmith]

Use a load from any manual that develops about 900 ft/sec with any 240 grain bullet and you should be good to go. No need to reduce the load at moderate pressure in a .44 Magnum. Any slight pressure increase with the magnum primer will likewise not be significant in a 629.

 

[dannyabear]

I am not a 'fan' of using a couple grains of bullseye in a case with the capacity to hold probably 50 grains

 

[alwslate]

7.3 grs of Bullseye with a 250 gr cast SWC gives about 925 fps out of
my 4" 29-2. Fast burning powders are the best choice at this velocity
level.

 

[oysterer]

That should be ok. Bullseye is easy to ignite and going to go off while the primer is still delivering more heat so the effect may not be any.

I would not go crazy and start in the 5.1 gr. range and move up. Use 44 spl cases if you have.

I found the CCI 350 primer to be ideal with HS-6 in the 44 spl cases. If you have any of that stuff you'd be golden between 8 and 9 gr.

 

[fredj338]

I am not a 'fan' of using a couple grains of bullseye in a case with the capacity to hold probably 50 grains

Same for TG. If I shoot reduced loads in big cases I like something a bit more loft like trailboss or even reddot.

 

[mikld]

BTDT; Start with the starting loads in your manual and you should be fine...

I started reloading pre-web, so I just used book info, and I've had no Kabooms, and only one squib (that was in 1970). Common sense says Magnum primers are "hotter" and produce higher pressures, so start with mild charges...

 

[Wise_A]

Use the right powder for the job. For reduced loads, this means fast powders. There's nothing particularly dangerous about it.

 

[44wheelman]

From what I remember...you will see a higher std. deviation if you were to check them with a chronograph (same load with magnum vs. std primers). The trend is generally a higher std. dev.= less accurate. So, if you’re trying to shoot the gun for groups, it may not be your best effort. Theory is inconsistent burn from a more turbulent ignition, burns from the front back....blah, blah, blah... I use Winchester large primers which are suitable for std & mag loads, and they are just fine.

 

[alwslate]

I am not a 'fan' of using a couple grains of bullseye in a case with the capacity to hold probably 50 grains

Where do you find load data for a .44 Mag that lists "a couple
of grains?" And a case capacity of "probably 50 grains" of
Bullseye in a .44 Mag case??? Not hardly.

 

[stansdds]

Although Bullseye is a really fast powder for the 44 Magnum, unless you are already at maximum safe pressures, the use of magnum primers is not going to be a problem.

I will say that a huge potential problem with Bullseye, AA#2, W-231/HP-38 and any similar fast burning powder is that safe charges take up very little room in those huge cases. This makes the accidental double charging of a case a real possibility, so extra care must be used to make certain that no case receives a double charge.

Personally, I stick with medium burning rate powders in the magnum cases when I want less than magnum velocities. In these cases, Unique is my friend.

 

[dannyabear]

I always select a powder that at least fills the case 1/2 way; very easy to see if over charged

 

[TAROMAN]

In my experience magnum primers will sometimes give lower ES with small charges of Bullseye. This was true in both 44 Magnum and 9mm revolver loads.
Your chronograph will sort this out.
As stated, 5 grains is a good starting point.
Bullseye is great for....BULLSEYE loads. Stick to those and you will be fine.
Seems the only thing many handloaders seek to attain is the highest possible velocity.

 

[mikld]

The 44 Magnum is my favorite cartridge and I own 5 guns chambered for it. I have reloaded everything from 123 gr. balls with a "dusting" of Bullseye to 300 gr RNFP with hefty loads of WC820. I develop loads by the potential performance, not as a safety measure. I have, since 1970, looked in every case I have charged with powder and have never had any double charges. Develop good safety habits from the beginning and you can use which ever powder for the performance, not to keep from making a mistake...

 

[alwslate]

I have been loading the .44 Mag since 1973 when I bought my first
handgun chambered for it, a three screw Ruger Super Blackhawk that
I still have. I currently have 8 guns in .44 Mag, 6 revolvers and 2 rifles.
I have taken about a dozen Whitetail Deer with my .44s, both rifles
and handguns. I have never bought a single box of .44 Mag ammo. My
standard full power load is 24 grs of Win 296 with a mag primer under
a 250 gr cast SWC or 240 gr JHP. 296 is a dense ball powder and fills
the case to about the base of the bullet. So a flake powder like Bullseye
to the same level would weigh less than 24 grs, not that you would want
to load a case full of it of course. Mid range charges of 7-8 grs of 231,
Win ST, Bullseye or other flake powders are easy to see if you look in
every case. It's all about good safety habits as the above poster says.
Don't expect some bulky powder to compensate for carelessness.

 

[rwsmith]

It's the same in .38/.357...

2.8 grains of Bullseye and Titegroup barely cover the primer hole. It's the best for light loads, but you have to be REALLY careful not to overcharge.

One plus is that you can get about 5300 target loads of .38 out of a pound of Bullseye.

 

[mrdaputer]

Update... First I want to thank you all for your replies your ideas and your concerns. I have been really busy redoing a bedroom for my oldest son he will be staying with me for the winter. I have a Hornady LNL progressive press which I use for my 9mm and my 40 I have had it for years. For the 44 I will use my press to decap and resize and flare. I plan on leaving that priming system alone for small pistol primers. I bought the RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool for large primes only. I bought the Hornady Lock-N-Load Powder Measure to do off the press. I figured it was the best way to avoid over fill. I check about every 10th round.

Right now I have the 3 piece rcbs reloading die set. I was wondering on your thoughts should I get a separate die. One to seat and one to crimp? I just use one to do both on my 9mm and my 40. I will start with a light load I have no intent to see how high I can go just what my pistol likes the best.

 

[Forrest r]

FWIW:
I've had good accuracy with 7.0gr of bullseye and any bullet in the 240/250gr weight range.

I've never dropped any load by 10% when using mag primers. Stay away from the raggedy edge of max with the bullseye/mag primer combo and you'll be fine.

 

[stu1ritter]

I have loaded thousands of rounds of .44 on my Hornady LnL progressive and the only way to get a double charge is to break the sequence and if you do break the sequence, you take extreme care to re-establish the sequence.

I know what you mean about changing over primers from one size to another, a real pain on the LnL. So much of a pain to me that I bought a second one for large pistol primers. I'm a retired Mercedes-Benz mechanic and sort of used to working in tight places but the LnL is a particular pain on the primer changeover.

Stu