.44 Special Info

[SW CQB 45]

Greetings everyone, long time reloader who has taken a break from reloading as I focused on guns where ammo is provided for the last 10ish years.

Several years ago, with the scare of them taking your whatever, I have always had a desire to have a .44 single action and lever carbine combo... so I bought a Ruger New Model Blackhawk Bisley grip 5.5" .44 Special and Henry Big Boy 16.5" .44 mag.

I have never loaded for a handgun caliber carbine and wondering should there be some consideration in minimum pressure and or FPS with the longer barrel?

I guess what I am trying to say, if I make some target rounds for the handgun, should I use caution in the carbine?

Also, I have never loaded using gas checked slugs. At what point (again either pressures or FPS) should I consider using a gas checked slug?

I don't want to glaze my barrel with lead. I have some lead and jacketed slugs and varieties of powders but eventually I will just focus on lead slugs due to lower costs.

cooler weather is in the future for South Texas and I never got to it last winter... but want to load for the .44s these next 5-6 months before the heat turns up.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

I reload both for a S&W 629 and a Marlin lever action 44 mag. Anything you load using good published data to shoot in your Bisley will do just fine in your Henry. Expect a couple hundred ft/sec more velocity from the rifle. I shoot lead slugs with and without gas checks up to full power published loads. I don't get leading with either, but I powder coat them all. It's a great inexpensive and easy way to eliminate leading of your barrel.

 

[DWalt]

In my CAS days, I used a Super Blackhawk and a Winchester 94 Carbine, usually .44 Special in both. My standard .44 Special handload for years was 6 grains of Bullseye (or similar fast propellant) with plain base 240 grain cast bullets, sometimes 200 grain. That load worked just fine in the 94. Of course, CAS requires use of fairly moderate lead bullet loads only.

 

[mtgianni]

I would recommend looking for powder coated slugs and loading those for both. You should not need gas checks for loads under 1500 fps as a general rule. I was shooting 1800 fps with a Rossi 44 Magnum but assume that you have no need to get there with the special.

 

[Rule3]

What powders do you have or can get??


For bullets just get polymer coated, No leading problems


Missouri Bullet Company

ACME BULLETS
44

 

[TheTinMan]

I'm glad you asked this question. I've been loading .45 Colt for Target fun with single action revolvers. However, I recently got a lever action carbine and have started thinking about some hotter loads for the rifle.

The following isn't intended to be the answer - just what I've found so far.

Missouri Bullet Company has been my go-to source for lead bullets since Penn closed down. Looking over their site, they do not offer a single gas-checked bullet. Even bullets like their 135 grain RNFP intended for a .30-30 come in plain lead or coated. The only difference between "Cowboy" bullets and others intended for higher velocities is Brinell hardness of 18 for fast vs. 12 for slower. MBC FAQs say: "cast bullets at 18 BNH or higher will take 1,400 fps from a 6 inch barrel, faster from a rifle (30 fps per inch)." I have older reloading manuals that show lead bullet data for .30-30 going up to over 2,000 fps but I'm guessing that assumes a gas check.

My 15-year old Lyman manual says to use gas checks for "higher velocities" but doesn't specify. What an internet search turned up seemed to be 1) use harder bullets, and 2) use a gas check if you get leading problems.

So far, I haven't found anything indicating that a gas check would be necessary for either your 44 Special loads or my 45 Colt loads. That does including looking at rifle specific data for each cartridge.

 

[SW CQB 45]

thanks for the info.

all good!!!!!

looks like a I have a winter project!!!

how does one powder coat slugs with the lube in the groove?

If shooting my supply up at moderate velocities and then start buying coated slugs to go up.... then that's what I will do.

I have a variety of powders for handgun.

231, BE, PP, 2400, UNQ, HS6, WST, WSL, WSF, AA2, AA5 and some VVN310, 320.

I shot my last two season before it shut down just using WSL for .38 and 45 as its a lot and trying to get rid of that old powder. It shot good in both calibers.

 

[venomballistics]

I have a big boy in 357.
I tend to run it moderately warm with 2400 behind a keith style SWC hp.
The platform makes even the hottest loads a joy to shoot. I'd expect similar from a 44 variant.
as far as the other end of the range where the mild things grow, I wouldn't worry nor hesitate.
As to gas checks ... I never really bothered with them and see little point for the most part. If we look at the 45-70 sending a plain base cast lead 405 on a mission at 1895 levels, we have all the pressure more velocity and a lot more energy involved than anything a 44 magnum can do. and we never bat an eye.
Load, Pack Fire repeat.

 

[venomballistics]

thanks for the info.

how does one powder coat slugs with the lube in the groove?

pot of boiling water.
Let cool and skim the lube off the top.
Spray with brake parts cleaner, let dry then use either the shake and bake or the acetone slurry pigglet tumble method

 

[SW CQB 45]

I have about 300 rounds of various loaded jacketed 44 mag that my dad would have loaded in the 80s and 90s.

I recently tested some of it in a friend's TC 44 mag he wanted me to sell for him.

Those loads are stout and I look forward to shooting them out of the Big Boy!

 

[DWalt]

I have never had a bore leading problem with plain lubed cast bullets. I have never used coated bullets as I don't know how they would improve performance of uncoated lead bullets. The only gas check bullets I have ever used are cast .30 rifle bullets with MVs up to around 2000 ft/sec

 

[twodog max]

I have seen leading from both powder coated and Hi Tek coated bullets so using those does not always work perfectly. I have seen this in both a Uberti 38/55 and a Rossi R92 357. I was using MBC coated and my homemade Eastwood powder coated bullets.
IMO these are not necessarily the perfect bullet as often claimed. Better than bare lead yes but perfect no.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I have never loaded for a handgun caliber carbine and wondering should there be some consideration in minimum pressure and or FPS with the longer barrel?

I guess what I am trying to say, if I make some target rounds for the handgun, should I use caution in the carbine?

Also, I have never loaded using gas checked slugs. At what point (again either pressures or FPS) should I consider using a gas checked slug?

1) I would not shoot max revolver loads in a rifle.

2) Target handgun loads will not be a problem in a rifle.

3) I only used gas check lead bullets in my .30/30 Model 94. In my Model 94 .44 Magnum I used .44 Special loads and never had a leading problem.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

1) I would not shoot max revolver loads in a rifle.

I know nothing about the Henery lever action rifles! But, Marlin 1894 and Wim/Rossi 92 will handle anything you can load for a Super Blackhawk!

Your shoulder may be another question.

I load a mild 750 fps (handgun velocity) 200/205 RNFP for SASS shooting with 4.6 grains of WW231/HP38, I also shoot it in my Uberti 1873 copy, it is accurate, mild, and kills tin cans and steel plates. The problem with SASS loads is the competitions are around 25 yards for rifles. My rear sights are tight against the barrel. The fall at 50 yards isn't too bad, but at 100 you might miss under your targets until you change the sight or your aim point.

Ivan

 

[mikld]

(skipped several posts)
I had a love affair with 44 Magnum that lasted 30 or so years. I have 4 revolvers, one Contender and one Puma carbine. While I concentrated mainly on Magnums, I did reload many Specials. Since I figgered all the guns were designed around a handgun cartridge, I started with handgun load data and did go a bit higher with some loads in my carbine. The first few thousand rounds were made with cast bullets mostly 429421s running 12 BHN, from mild to wild, quite a few with near near max/max loads of WC820. I did try some 240 gr RNFP but mostly in my carbine. I had learned early on the best way to avoid barrel leading is good bullet to gun fit and a good lube. Rarely had any leading so I didn't use many gas checked bullets, but did try some 429244s. I found Ranch Dog's design and purchased a couple Lee mold molds, 240 and 265 gr. RNFP. Worked excellent in all my guns and the design is for gas checks so I used them.

If I were to start again with 44 Specials I would go with hand gun data and plain based bullets with about a 12-13 BHN that fits your guns and test some loads, not worrying about leading (at normal 44 Special pressures/speeds).