I reload a Missouri Bullets hard cast 240 grain lead semi-wadcutter with Starline brass, CCI primer and 8.0 grains of blue dot. This is the most accurate load in my Ruger Blackhawk flat top in .44 Special.
Best 44 Special Ammo For Target Shooting?
- Thread starter AC Man
- Start date
jcs266
Member
The .44 Special is my all-time favorite handgun round. 250gr Keith at 800fps (in .44 Spl cases) for fun and 19.0gr 2400 (in Magnum cases) for when I want power.
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"target shooting"-------------------------------------???????????????????
Real target shooting------or smallest groups you and your gun are capable of? Either way, any and all of you who are shooting .44 Specials in a .44 Magnum are doing yourself a disservice-------with one exception we'll get to directly.
Accuracy is all about a bullet going through a bore and emerging in as pristine condition as possible. That shoulder sitting what---an eighth or a tenth of an inch in front of your .44 Special case mouth is going to adversely effect your bullet---a little or a lot---and any at all is too much. The extra distance your bullet travels in your chamber translates to an increased velocity when it enters the barrel---and that translates to skidding and sliding in the barrel further before the rifling gets a hold of it---and that also translates to a diminished condition when it leaves the barrel---a little or a lot.
So---what to do? The handloaders among you may very well have avoided these ills by simply using .44 Special loads in .44 Magnum brass---problems solved.
I invite any and all who are doubters to get your hands on a machine rest, and try it out for yourself-------machine rests don't lie.
Ralph Tremaine
And speaking of throat length: Some's bad, more's worse, and too much is WAY too much! S&W (and Ira Paine) were on to that awhile back---the 1880's. The New Model #3 Target in 38-44 S&W used a cartridge case that was the same length as the cylinder---with the bullet seated inside. The bullet leaves the case and chamber, and is immediately in the barrel---zero throat length. I'm told that combination set records which have yet to be broken. (I've never been able to confirm that, but I did do a test.) The gun was a Ruger Old Army (cap & ball---as in muzzle loader). My first load was 20 grains of fff black powder, Uncle Mike's Hot Shot Lubed wad, and a Speer .457 round ball. That bullet seated DEEP within the chamber---maximum throat length. Six rounds at 25 yards made a not so nice group of about 4". The last load was the same, except for 20 grains of corn meal under the wad and bullet which seated flush with the face of the chamber----zero throat length---or as close to zero as you can get. Six rounds at 25 yards were all X ring---all fit under a quarter actually. The in between loads with 5, 10, and 15 grains of corn meal (and corresponding throat lengths) produced group sizes that were almost perfectly linear between the first and the last.
The old farts like me among you will remember the hot set-up in center-fire revolvers from the big bucks pistol-smiths back in the day. K-38's with cylinders the same length as a .38 Special Wadcutter, and custom barrels set back to meet them----as in zero throat. If you didn't have one of those, you might just as well stay home; 'cause the guy next to you that does have one is going to clean your clock!!
Zero throat length makes for bullets entering barrels at the lowest possible speed----the dreaded skidding and sliding---AND deformation is reduced to a minimum. The scores go UP!!
Real target shooting------or smallest groups you and your gun are capable of? Either way, any and all of you who are shooting .44 Specials in a .44 Magnum are doing yourself a disservice-------with one exception we'll get to directly.
Accuracy is all about a bullet going through a bore and emerging in as pristine condition as possible. That shoulder sitting what---an eighth or a tenth of an inch in front of your .44 Special case mouth is going to adversely effect your bullet---a little or a lot---and any at all is too much. The extra distance your bullet travels in your chamber translates to an increased velocity when it enters the barrel---and that translates to skidding and sliding in the barrel further before the rifling gets a hold of it---and that also translates to a diminished condition when it leaves the barrel---a little or a lot.
So---what to do? The handloaders among you may very well have avoided these ills by simply using .44 Special loads in .44 Magnum brass---problems solved.
I invite any and all who are doubters to get your hands on a machine rest, and try it out for yourself-------machine rests don't lie.
Ralph Tremaine
And speaking of throat length: Some's bad, more's worse, and too much is WAY too much! S&W (and Ira Paine) were on to that awhile back---the 1880's. The New Model #3 Target in 38-44 S&W used a cartridge case that was the same length as the cylinder---with the bullet seated inside. The bullet leaves the case and chamber, and is immediately in the barrel---zero throat length. I'm told that combination set records which have yet to be broken. (I've never been able to confirm that, but I did do a test.) The gun was a Ruger Old Army (cap & ball---as in muzzle loader). My first load was 20 grains of fff black powder, Uncle Mike's Hot Shot Lubed wad, and a Speer .457 round ball. That bullet seated DEEP within the chamber---maximum throat length. Six rounds at 25 yards made a not so nice group of about 4". The last load was the same, except for 20 grains of corn meal under the wad and bullet which seated flush with the face of the chamber----zero throat length---or as close to zero as you can get. Six rounds at 25 yards were all X ring---all fit under a quarter actually. The in between loads with 5, 10, and 15 grains of corn meal (and corresponding throat lengths) produced group sizes that were almost perfectly linear between the first and the last.
The old farts like me among you will remember the hot set-up in center-fire revolvers from the big bucks pistol-smiths back in the day. K-38's with cylinders the same length as a .38 Special Wadcutter, and custom barrels set back to meet them----as in zero throat. If you didn't have one of those, you might just as well stay home; 'cause the guy next to you that does have one is going to clean your clock!!
Zero throat length makes for bullets entering barrels at the lowest possible speed----the dreaded skidding and sliding---AND deformation is reduced to a minimum. The scores go UP!!
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Model19man
Member
I don't have any revolvers chambered for 44 Magnum currently. All of mine are 44 Specials.
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Green Frog
Member
I agree with those who are lobbying for reloading. The cost and availability of 44 Spl ammo of any sort from factory sources would prevent me from shooting it at targets unless I win the lottery. If you want economy with a 44, the Keith designed Ideal/Lyman 429421 bullet has been used for well over half a century as an all purpose bullet. Keith's old hot loads of 2400 are available in many loading manuals, and the same bullet ahead of 6.5 or so grains of Unique makes a very pleasant target round with excellent accuracy. This bullet or some very much like it are available commercially if you don't cast, and if you do shoot 44 Mag as well as Spl, this is the one time proven bullet for all around use in both cases. A supply of these bullets, along with cases, primers, and cans of 2400 and Unique, and a person is set for whatever 44 shooting they want to do. BTW, the same set of dies will also accommodate both cases. 
Froggie
Froggie
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