BUFF
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Like many, I have adopted the Skeeter Skelton loading of 7.5 grains of Unique under a cast 250 grain cast SWC bullet for most of my .44 Special shooting. It seems to run from 900 to 975 fps depending on my barrel length, 3, 4, 4-3/4, 5, 6-1/2 and 7-1/2 inches.
For lighter paper punching that is more pleasant at an enclosed indoor range, I often duplicate the ballistics of the old traditional .44 Special factory ammo, which was a 246 gr RNL bullet at about 700 fps, +/- depending on barrel length.
To do this, I load either my homecast Lyman Number 429421 SWC 250 grain bullet or the soft swaged Speer 240 grain SWC bullet over either 4.0 grains of Bullseye or 5.5 grains of Unique, both for about 700 fps. I think I get better accuracy with the Bullseye at this velocity/pressure range. They shoot better than I can hold out to 25 yards with your best bullets.
I like Winchester primers but have used Federal, Remington and CCI if that is what I have on hand. I have mostly Winchester cartridge casings, some Federal and just a small sprinkling of R-P. The R-P's have suffered both case mouth and body length splits with very few shots and reloads, so I don't buy their brass or ammo anymore.
Last year I bought 1,000 Starline .44 Special new casings. I haven't loaded any yet but they look very nice, are quite uniform and seem to have an excellent reputation.
If things get TOO quiet at the range, lighten things up with some of Elmer Keith's Memorial Elk Killer rounds, which you can assemble with any quality .44 Special case, a card cast Lyman 429421 250 grain bullet and 17.5 grains of H-2400 powder. This boomer runs at about 1,200 fps and produces a glorious fireball, the thunderbolt of Thor's hammer and concussion for bystanders that will feel familiar to men who served in the artillery branches of our armed forces.
This range of loadings will give you cartridges suitable for everything from paper to people, cardboard to coyotes, from mice to moose.
I love the .44 Special round and the S&W and Colt guns made for it. Shooting it in .44 Magnum sixguns even widens it's usefullness.
For lighter paper punching that is more pleasant at an enclosed indoor range, I often duplicate the ballistics of the old traditional .44 Special factory ammo, which was a 246 gr RNL bullet at about 700 fps, +/- depending on barrel length.
To do this, I load either my homecast Lyman Number 429421 SWC 250 grain bullet or the soft swaged Speer 240 grain SWC bullet over either 4.0 grains of Bullseye or 5.5 grains of Unique, both for about 700 fps. I think I get better accuracy with the Bullseye at this velocity/pressure range. They shoot better than I can hold out to 25 yards with your best bullets.
I like Winchester primers but have used Federal, Remington and CCI if that is what I have on hand. I have mostly Winchester cartridge casings, some Federal and just a small sprinkling of R-P. The R-P's have suffered both case mouth and body length splits with very few shots and reloads, so I don't buy their brass or ammo anymore.
Last year I bought 1,000 Starline .44 Special new casings. I haven't loaded any yet but they look very nice, are quite uniform and seem to have an excellent reputation.
If things get TOO quiet at the range, lighten things up with some of Elmer Keith's Memorial Elk Killer rounds, which you can assemble with any quality .44 Special case, a card cast Lyman 429421 250 grain bullet and 17.5 grains of H-2400 powder. This boomer runs at about 1,200 fps and produces a glorious fireball, the thunderbolt of Thor's hammer and concussion for bystanders that will feel familiar to men who served in the artillery branches of our armed forces.
This range of loadings will give you cartridges suitable for everything from paper to people, cardboard to coyotes, from mice to moose.
I love the .44 Special round and the S&W and Colt guns made for it. Shooting it in .44 Magnum sixguns even widens it's usefullness.
