.44 Special Loads For a Rainy Day

[TJm15.38]

It's raining and flash flooding here in Mississippi, so I decided to take some time and load up a box of .44 Special for the Ruger Flatop Blackhawk. Here's the load:

Case: Starline
Primer: Federal #155
Powder: Alliant Blue Dot
Charge: 8.0 grains
Bullet: Missouri Keith, .430 Diameter, 240 Grain LSWC

Anybody else use Blue Dot for .44 Special? I'm using Hornady data for a 240 grain LSWC. Usually I load .44 Special with Unique, but in the past year I've been using Blue Dot with magnum primers (only because standard large pistol primers are hard to find here). I've shot this load before and it's a bit snappy in the Ruger, but nowhere near max.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I never used Blu Dot in 44 Special. I have loaded thousands of 200 gr RNFP and 240 SWC over WW231. I've had very good results in a Colt SSA, a Tauras 3" and a Uberti 1873 rifle.

Ivan

 

[Casual Smith Nut]

I have very limited supply of blue dot maybe 1/4 LB. I remember trying some loads with 44 mag but never did try the Special loads.

How did the Spl loads do for consistency and accuracy out of the flattop? I remember reading about some people avoiding blue dot due to narrow window of loadings but I might have it confused with another powder.

 

[rockquarry]

I just looked at my notes. I only load my own cast bullets in handgun chamberings. I can't believe I've never tried Blue Dot in any .44 Special loads, alll of which have been 200 - 255 grs.

Looks like I've used around eight or so other powders with six to eight bullets. I haven't bought any Blue Dot in some years, but don't remember why.

 

[TJm15.38]

I have very limited supply of blue dot maybe 1/4 LB. I remember trying some loads with 44 mag but never did try the Special loads.

How did the Spl loads do for consistency and accuracy out of the flattop? I remember reading about some people avoiding blue dot due to narrow window of loadings but I might have it confused with another powder.

I get some good groups with this load. It's very similar to my other pet load which is 6.0 grains of Unique. I don't see a lot of difference.

 

[Nemo288]

I have never used Blue Dot either.
Bullseye, Universal, Unique, even PB (for gallery loads).
6.5 gr Universal is my usual 44 special load with 220 or 240 gr bullets.
However, what with the shortages, especially Alliant, if I see any Blue Dot or it's equivalents I'll prolly pick up a couple pounds.
Planning a trip up to Recobs first week of August just to poke around and have dinner at the Sauk-Prairie Grill.
My budget is not what it once was but I am low on Universal and Unique so I'll get whatever is useful.
Thanks for the idea!
Looking for 444 Marlin powders too.
Normally that's H4198 or RL-7, but I'd take N120, H322 or similar.

 

[RobertJ.]

I've used BD for both mid-range .44 Magnum and also .45 Colt. I was happy with both.

 

[Skyhunter]

I've mostly used Unique powder and my home cast Lyman's #429421 (Keith 245 gr. SWC) in loading for my .44 Specials.
With the current shortages, I've had some good luck with Red Dot, Universal, & Trail Boss and that same cast SWC. I've also been very pleased with BE-86 powder and that 245 gr. SWC bullet. BE-86 is very close to Unique's burn rate.

WYT-P
Skyhunter

 

[Warren Sear]

I have had some terrible results with Blue Dot. I do not use it at all.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO Blue Dot is a great shotgun powder and that's where it should stay.

Back in the day when we have very few choices things were different. These days with the multitude of powders on the market, there are many better choices.

BUT, if it works for you don't worry what others think. I use HS-6 for the 45 Colt. Many think I'm nuts but I get great results so I keep using it...

 

[Norman77]

Hi there.

If it works in your gun, it works.
However, Quickload is giving me not even 9000 psi of max pressure when i put a 240 grain bullet at a seating depth of 0.43 inch and 8 grains of Blue Dot.
Be prepared for squib loads. Wooden dowel, or brass stick, no steel.
ALWAYS be _sure_ that the previous bullet _really_ left he gun.
Else, you will shoot he next one behind the sticking one.
Neither your gun nor your body might like the results a lot.
So, no fast shooting series.

Blue Dot was once used for .41 Magnum, but even his was debated and eventually revoked. It is a nice powder, but with reduced loads it might act funny.

However, i looked up Blue Dot in the "Propellant Profiles" book, and there is a .44 Special / 240 grain load with 9 grains of Blue Dot. Article was from R.H. VanDnburg, Jr.
I would up it by 1 grain and make it 9 grain for good measure.
This should result in like 11 000 psi according to the Quickload program.

Still, i would recommend faster, even very fast powders for .44 Special.
I currently used mostly MAXAM Powders in .44 Magnum (CSB2 and CSB6), both are shotgun powders and they work great and according with the simulations, even in loads as low as 6.75 grain.
That a powder was intended for shotgun mostly means that these are usually extruded little flakes, resulting in a fluffy, bulky powder which meters in powder fillers like cow poop. I do a lot of weighing to keep this at bay. Oherwise they work quite good as hey have to work at rather low pressures. This hopefully will save the day for Blue Dot in .44 Special.

Good luck!

 

[Forrest r]

Don't use bluedot myself but I do like power pistol.

One of my favorite loads is 8.0gr of pp and a home cast 245gr keith swc. That combo does 830fps out of a 2 1/2" bbl'd ca bulldog.

Enjoy your 44spl, it's one of those forgotten calibers that's extremely accurate and hard hitting even with mild/standard loads.

 

[71vette]

I’ve only used three powders with 44 Special. Herco, HP-38, and Win 244. My 240 grain SWC load is 7.5 grains of Herco. It’s a little softer than Skeeter’s load, but not much. It works great out of my 624. I’ve been using Win 244 in a lot of different calibers now as I got an 8lb jug during the “powder drought” of ‘20. It’s worked very well for me with mild to mid loads.

 

[rockquarry]

I've cut way back on powders. For the half-dozen popular handgun chamberings I load for (including .44 Special), Bullseye, 231 / HP-38, and #2400 cover everything. While I've tried some of the newer powders, they offer little or nothing over the older ones. I only load cast bullets of my own making for all handgun cartridges.

 

[TJm15.38]

Hi there.

If it works in your gun, it works.
However, Quickload is giving me not even 9000 psi of max pressure when i put a 240 grain bullet at a seating depth of 0.43 inch and 8 grains of Blue Dot.
Be prepared for squib loads. Wooden dowel, or brass stick, no steel.
ALWAYS be _sure_ that the previous bullet _really_ left he gun.
Else, you will shoot he next one behind the sticking one.
Neither your gun nor your body might like the results a lot.
So, no fast shooting series.

Blue Dot was once used for .41 Magnum, but even his was debated and eventually revoked. It is a nice powder, but with reduced loads it might act funny.

However, i looked up Blue Dot in the "Propellant Profiles" book, and there is a .44 Special / 240 grain load with 9 grains of Blue Dot. Article was from R.H. VanDnburg, Jr.
I would up it by 1 grain and make it 9 grain for good measure.
This should result in like 11 000 psi according to the Quickload program.

Still, i would recommend faster, even very fast powders for .44 Special.
I currently used mostly MAXAM Powders in .44 Magnum (CSB2 and CSB6), both are shotgun powders and they work great and according with the simulations, even in loads as low as 6.75 grain.
That a powder was intended for shotgun mostly means that these are usually extruded little flakes, resulting in a fluffy, bulky powder which meters in powder fillers like cow poop. I do a lot of weighing to keep this at bay. Oherwise they work quite good as hey have to work at rather low pressures. This hopefully will save the day for Blue Dot in .44 Special.

Good luck!

Thanks for the information. This is really the first time I have used this powder for .44 Special. My go-to powder in the past has been Unique. The Hornady data for a 240 grain LSWC must be very conservative as it shows 9.1 grains Blue Dot as the max load. Since I was using large magnum pistol primers, I was trying to start out below the max and get a target load moving at about 750FPS. I also was trying to come close to the same velocity that 6.0 grains of Unique would yield. These bullets I am using are Missouri hard cast Hi-Tek coated bullets, so I am sure I won't be getting any barrel leading if I work up to Hornady's max load for Blue Dot. Think I'll load about 25 cases with 8.5 grains Blue Dot and see what I get. If there are no flat primers or other signs of pressure, I'll load 9.0 grains Blue Dot in another 25 cases. Time to dig my chronograph out and see what these loads are really doing out of the Ruger's 4 and 5/8 inch barrel.

 

[Warren Sear]

There will probably not be any signs of primer flattening (especially while using magnum primers) until you get into maximum (or over) magnum pressures, like 40,000 psi. If you get flattened primers in a .44 Special, you are way overloaded.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The original powder trinity is Bullseye, Unique and 2400 and they still work very well after 100 + - years.

My powder trinity is a little different, it is:
W231/HP-38
W540/HS-6
W296/H110

If necessary in the future I will substitute the newer W244 for W231 and W572 for HS-6.

Like the Hercules/Alliant trio the Winchester trio will load any handgun cartridge and do it well.
I do have a bunch of other powders I play with but those 3 are my goto powders.

 

[Nemo288]

That is a good list especially these days when Winchester is available and Alliant is not.
I was just at Recobs last weekend and they said they have no idea when Alliant will ship again.
They DO however have Federal LRP and LRPM for less than $.1/apiece.
I grabbed some. They are $8.5/100 and bricks for $77.

FWIW my main 44 special load is 6.5 Universal under a 240 SWC or plated.
When/if I run out of Universal (unobtainium) I'll go with CSB1 which I have a lot of from the aforementioned previous shortage.
It's slightly faster than Universal and burns nice and clean.
Just about anything faster than 2400 can be made to work in the 44 special if you keep your wits about you,
but as mentioned the faster powders are much cleaner and more efficient.

 

[Marksman]

My go to load in .44 Special for years has been 7.5gr. of Unique with a 200gr. RNFP bullet, I also load this combination in .44 Magnum. Seldom shoot any other loads any more, recoil is moderate and accuracy excellent.

 

[Model19man]

That is a good list especially these days when Winchester is available and Alliant is not.

It must be a regional thing because around here everything Alliant has always been available. It's in stock all over for example Midway USA.