44 Mag what powder do you use?

[elpac3]

Got away from shooting high end jacketed loads in my 4" M-29 years ago so I quit using 296 /110

Shooting 200, 240, and 265 grain lead now I use red dot, unique and 2400.

The 200 grain wad cutter (target load) goes out about 775 FPS, ,the 240 grainer (hunter league target load) goes out about 875 and the 265 (woods carry load) runs 1050. Works for what I need /do.

The 265 is a great 50 yard deer load.

 

[DWalt]

I seldom reload any "High Performance" .44 Magnum loads, as I am not a lover of recoil and muzzle blast. Last weekend I chronographed some .44 Mag handloads using Speer 225 grain JHP bullets and 12.0 grains of Unique in my 4-3/4" Ruger Super Blackhawk. Average MV was 1241 ft/sec with SD = 33 ft/sec. To me, that is a hot load. The same load in my .44 Mag M94 Winchester Trapper (16" barrel) produced an average MV of 1475 ft/sec with an SD of 19 ft/sec.

 

[Mule88]

I use H110 for Hunting (Mag loads) and Universal for midrange loads.

 

[Rocket3]

For me 4227 is most accurate from my 6" 29 & 629.
240 gr XTP, roll crimp.

Tried most of the other powders mentioned.

 

[ostlund]

IME, for real .44 mag loads, it's hard to beat 2400. For .44 mag lite, I use Unique. Good results with both.

2400 is also good for light loads. Very accommodating range capability.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I have never read any warning concerning the 44 mag and blue dot from alliant . They did say not to use blue dot with 357 magnum and the 125 gr bullet . funny they did not say anything about lighter 110 gr bullets ?
They also said not to use it in 41 magnum , period . AFter much research I felt I found the reason for the statement against the 41 . I have used it continuously for years and will continue to do so .
I won't mention the load data , other than to say I worked up to it slowly , but it is " laser accurate " and has a lot of power , the cases fall out and it is a clean load .

 

[Engineer1911]

Unique, Accurate Arms #7 or #9. AA #9 meters very accurately in either my RCBS powder measure or Dillon 550 progressive press when loading magnum level loads..

 

[Sevens]

I have never read any warning concerning the 44 mag and blue dot from alliant . They did say not to use blue dot with 357 magnum and the 125 gr bullet . funny they did not say anything about lighter 110 gr bullets ?
They also said not to use it in 41 magnum , period . AFter much research I felt I found the reason for the statement against the 41 . I have used it continuously for years and will continue to do so .
I won't mention the load data , other than to say I worked up to it slowly , but it is " laser accurate " and has a lot of power , the cases fall out and it is a clean load .

We recently had a discussion about Blue Dot, it's warnings, the WHY of it all and many theories and statements on the subject. You might find that discussion interesting, it shouldn't be too far down the list, it was just a couple weeks ago.

I'm always going to be in the camp that good, skilled handloaders should be experimenting and that's the side I always take. Even still, I consider the powder makers and distributors to be on our side and I don't tend to take an adversarial stance on them and I also completely refuse to believe the silly boogieman "bunch of lawyers" nonsense that is typically thrown at them en masse by crusty old curmudgeons who question some of the things they publish (or they elect to NOT publish.)

The bottom line for me and Blue Dot is that I've got what is left from the two pounds I had and I'm done with it. Alliant found SOMETHING they very specifically did not like with that powder in certain roles. They have absolutely no good reason to PREVENT folks from using their product (and selling more of their product!) just because they have some bias against Blue Dot. Their warning may be as simple as a "perfect storm" of reasons as to why they went very much out of their way to publish very specific warnings against it in certain places.

Bottom line for me? I have far too many better powders to bother with Blue Dot and I also respect what Alliant has to say on the matter. At the very same time, I truly respect your position with the use and safe work-up of it in .41 Mag. I would assume that if you did happen to come across some very odd occurrence (a perfect storm kind of thing) that you wouldn't ignore it and in fact, you would come to a forum such as this to report what you have seen.

 

[Nemo288]

My main 44 magnum load for years was the old standard of 24 grains of 110/296 under a 240 jacketed.
These work well in carbines too.
After digging some of these out that I had stored for many years (like 20) I found that they shot much more irregularly than I remember.
One of these loads stuck a bullet in the forcing cone it was so wimpy.
After dismantling a few I discovered the powder, which may have been under slight compression, had congealed and was a solid mass.
Recycled the bullets and primed brass. Tossed the powder.
JMHO, but I would not let any ball powder loads hang around too long.

Then I changed tack completely and have gone to 2400 under heavier cast gas check bullets.
My new standard is 18 or 19 grains (depending on the brand of brass) of 2400 under a Cast Performance 260 WFNGC.

Unique and Universal can be used for light, medium, and even almost full power loads.
7 to 10 grains under a 240 grain bullet, cast or jacketed.
The more the pressure the cleaner they burn.
Universal meters much nicer in my old Redding powder drop.

I load and shoot maybe 90% 44 Special and 10% magnums these days.
Universal, CSB-1, Trailboss, Tin Star, and N105 get used in the specials with Universal in the majority of them.

 

[Rick1967]

I use H110 for really heavy loads only. That is great with 300 grain bullets. It is the only thing that has ever made me flinch. But for range stuff Titegroup is hard to beat. It is not position sensitive. It is great for lite loads in big cases. It I very popular with cowboy action shooters. I use it for IDPA. I load 44 mag and 44 special with a 200 grain lead round nose bullet and Titegroup powder. I shoot that out of my 4 inch 629. I used that combination in the Colorado State Championships in 2013. It serves me very well.

 

[eb07]

2400 is my standard.

 

[muddocktor]

44 Mag is such a forgiving and versatile cartridge, you can use many different powders and get great results with it. I tend to use H110 and Accurate #9 for hot loads, Longshot, CFE Pistol and Unique for medium power loads and lower powder loads I like the heck out of HP38. But others have also posted some good powder choices in this thread too.

 

[Allen 1]

10 grs of Unique under a 240 gr cast. If your gun won't shoot this accurately you need another gun. Mid range and can shoot all day.

 

[Nemo288]

I would call that load almost-high to early Elmer but agree with all the rest.
Universal will do pretty much the same thing.
The pressure is near max.
This may be why it shoots so well.
Even BHN 20 bullets are going to be bumped up if needed.