.44 Magnum and Wear

[brokenprism]

I bought a used 629-1, 4". I'd like to go a little easy on it, and am just wondering what constitutes a hot .44 load.

I have some Remington 240 gr JHP at a published 1180 fps.

Some Black Hills 240 gr at a published 1260 fps.

Some Hornady 240 gr at a published 1350 fps.

By far, I'll shoot more .44 special and target SCW .44 mag. My question is, are these hotter magnum loads going to cause hard wear on this N frame, whose history before I owned it is unknown to me? It didn't look like it was shot hard -- didn't see any cartridge impressions on the recoil shield, which I've seen on other guns.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

There is truth to the cautions that many advise about full power/wear but there is also a lot of exageration.

A moderate amount of shooting full loads will do your gun no harm.If you're going to shoot a lot,do most of your shooting with reduced loads.

 

[brokenprism]

There is truth to the cautions that many advise about full power/wear but there is also a lot of exageration.

A moderate amount of shooting full loads will do your gun no harm.If you're going to shoot a lot,do most of your shooting with reduced loads.

That's the plan. I bought the full (partial?) -house stuff just because I still can.

 

[flop-shank]

I shoot almost all hot loads (my self defense handload is screaming hot, but I don't fire many of them) in my 629-1. My 629-1 launches about thirty five rounds a month. It's been about 2 1/2 yrs. since it's last tune up. I'm thinking that the gun will need it's endshake addressed in a year, or so. FWIW, when I talked to S&W, their phone rep said that they consider 240 gr. bullets the max for their guns. My thinking is that heavier bullets would be fine if not loaded to warp speed. That is the realm of the Rugers. In fact, I'm thinking that if I built a .44 mag. carry gun from the ground up (I don't want to spend the money and I love my Smith), the Ruger Redhawk would be an excellent platform.

 

[cp1969]

My hottest .44 load is the Lyman 429421 at 1250 fps. There is a world of difference between this load and a full-tilt, 1400 fps load in terms of recoil and muzzle blast. A 245 gr bullet at 1250 fps will do anything I need and probably anybody on this board, too, unless you're going to hunt grizzly or are going to Africa.

 

[brokenprism]

So that Hornady load I mentioned is pretty warm at 1350, huh?

I don't need a ton of power. I'm outdoors a lot in summer, but black bears don't make me nervous. Weed farmers in the National Forest do. : )

I got some 240 gr LSWC .44 mag from Georgia Arms, and I'm hoping it's a medium load. For carry I'll be using the Gold Dot 200 gr short barrel .44 magnum.

 

[cp1969]

Well, it's getting up there.

The thing is, those last few hundred feet per second cost dearly in terms of recoil and blast. Not worth it to me; all I can see it doing is flattening the trajectory and minimally at that.

A 240 gr SWC impacting at 1000 fps is going to knock the wind out of pretty much anything it hits on this continent, with the possible exception of really big bears. My load will do that at 100+ yards, which is beyond the distance at which I can reliably place the bullet in a paper plate under field conditions. So for me, no more velocity is necessary.

 

[Model29Lover]

The ejector rod and plate might loosen up on you after 5oo rounds or so, but you can always tighten !!!!!!!

 

[Model29Lover]

also the 629-1 is like a 29-3 as far as endurance additions, the first year they beefed it up, so if you only hunt with the hot loads go for it, but if you want to use heavy loads all the time,be ready to work on her!!!!!

 

[aterry33]

Is there a factory 44 Magnum load around 1000fps at 240grains or so?

 

[cp1969]

I think Remington or Winchester used to make a 1000 fps load but even if they still did, good luck finding it. The ammunition market is so loused up it will never be anything like 'normal' again.

Out of curiosity, I looked at all the .44 Mag ammo on the Midway website. Winchester, Federal, and Sellier and Bellot all make 240 gr. 1180 fps loads. I don't know if these are considered 'reduced' loads or full-up because they're neither.

It seems there are two factions being catered to by the ammo mfgs....those who want $2 per shot screaming magnums and the cowboys who want 750 fps. Neither suits my needs plus the fact that you can't get anything anyway, makes me glad I reload. Apparently it's the only way to get what you want.

 

[flop-shank]

A 240 gr SWC impacting at 1000 fps is going to knock the wind out of pretty much anything it hits on this continent, with the possible exception of really big bears.

Don't count on it. There is a podcast on proarms (google grrn forums) in which Bob Stasch, a Chicago cop who is the veteran of fourteen gunfights, gives the details of when him and his partner shot a Marielito knife wielder who was 5'7"/143 lbs. fourteen times before he stopped. He lived another ten days. The round count was six rounds of .45 Colt, five rounds of the FBI load from a J frame, and three rounds of .44 magnum. The shot that dropped the perp blew out his knee. I'm all about power, but shot placement is key. While my prefered side arm operates at 1650+ fps. and packs 1000+ fpe., I plan on using several shots to finish things.

brokenprism, If you're carrying with two leggers in mind, the Federal 180 gr. JHP is the best factory .44 magnum antipersonell load I'm aware of. The Winchester 210 gr. Silvertip is my second choice. IMO, 180 gr. bullets are at the upper end of optimal two-legger loads in .44 magnum.

 

[David LaPell]

My everyday .44 Magnum load is the Lyman cast bullet # 429421 (250 grain) on top of 10.0 grains of Unique. A very nice mild load. I shoot about 50 at a time through a 4-inch Model 29.

 

[cp1969]

If the first shot is not properly placed, virtually no number of likewise-placed follow-up shots is going to do the job because the shootee is running on pure adrenalin. The first shot administers all the shock that is going to be administered and until the subject bleeds out or the central nervous system is hit, or critical bones are hit, they will continue. There is no way any of the first thirteen of those fourteen rounds hit anything in the CNS. They simply destroyed tissue.

You are right and it goes without saying: shot placement is key. And a properly placed, 1000 fps 240 grain bullet will do the job. An improperly placed 1400 fps 240 grain bullet will not.

 

[flop-shank]

If the first shot is not properly placed, virtually no number of likewise-placed follow-up shots is going to do the job because the shootee is running on pure adrenalin. The first shot administers all the shock that is going to be administered and until the subject bleeds out or the central nervous system is hit, or critical bones are hit, they will continue. There is no way any of the first thirteen of those fourteen rounds hit anything in the CNS. They simply destroyed tissue.

You are right and it goes without saying: shot placement is key. And a properly placed, 1000 fps 240 grain bullet will do the job. An improperly placed 1400 fps 240 grain bullet will not.

There's nothing here I disagree with.

 

[brokenprism]

also the 629-1 is like a 29-3 as far as endurance additions, the first year they beefed it up, so if you only hunt with the hot loads go for it, but if you want to use heavy loads all the time,be ready to work on her!!!!!

By this you mean it had no endurance additions, or did?

I don't need, or even want, the Mack truck energy deposit from this gun. I didn't buy it for that -- I bought it because it was a stainless N frame in a large bore caliber, and they're climbing out of my price range every minute. It's nice to know it COULD take game, but I don't hunt. Yet.

All I need is a big bullet moving modestly fast. 1,000 fps sounds perfect. I'd be happy to keep it under 12. I'm being converted to the idea of a heavy LSWC and don't need wonder HPs (I think).

Actually, I'm hopeful this Georgia Arms load will be about perfect in every respect. It was only (I say that in 2010...) $45 for 100 rds.

 

[moxie]

Shoot it! Repair it or get a new gun if it wears out.

 

[Pisgah]

The stuff that caused problems in the M-29 was heavy-bullet (300 gr.) hot loads when fired by the thousands in the early days of revolver metallic silhouette competition. The wonder is not that such use/abuse broke Model 29s, but that it did not break more shooters!

The loads you cite are not "hot", just factory-standard. I doubt you will live long enough to damage you 2, even if they are the only loads you shoot.

 

[kennyb]

and another solution is...reload...get what you want,when you want...

 

[brokenprism]

and another solution is...reload...get what you want,when you want...

I'm there. Next purchase, a Lee turret press.