dot6
Member
By no means a newbie to reloading; been doing so for thirty years. I do, however, would like EDUCATED opinions on loading for a 696. Now, I've always fed my Colt SAAs, Ruger FlatTops, and m24-3s the standard Skeeter load of 7.5 grains of Unique behind a Keith bullet with great results. My Triple Lock, m1926s, and Charter Arms BullDog I've always reduced to 6.0 grains of Unique and a Keith bullet. With the 696, I have no doubt that the frame and cylinder are easily up to handling the Skeeter stuff, and have done so most of the time in the past, but that super thin forcing cone does worry me to the point where I've been throttling it back to the 6.0 BullDog loads lately. I know the new model 69 .44 Magnum is on an L-frame, but did they thicken the forcing cone on it? Has anyone ever cracked a 696 barrel with Skeeter loads? Bear in mind, I don't pollute any of said .44s with jacketed stuff. Cast Keith boolits only.