fbi/buffalo bore 44spl load

[Forrest r]

Been meaning to get around to doing some testing with the snub nosed 44spl. Allot of people use a snub nosed 38spl and there's been tons of threads/talk about the:
FBI bullet and load
Buffalo bore 1000fps load for the 38spl

Well the idea behind the fbi bullet was a hb bullet would seal the bore's better creating more velocity for the same load.
Buffalo bore came up with the "MAGIC 1000fps load" for snub noses.

I prefer a snub nosed 44spl to a 38spl so I decided to try to hit the magic 1000fps bb did, but do it in a 44spl. So I decided to test 4 different bullets and 3 different powders.

power pistol
unique
2400

Top left:
lyman 220gr 429422 hb swc that I put a cupped hp in (210gr with hp)
Top right:
Mihec 220gr hbwc turned backwards
Bottom left:
h&g #142 hp swc a 200gr hp "thompson" designed swc with a gc
Bottom right:
Raphine 195gr hb fn that I put a cupped hp in (185gr with hp)



I need to make #40 of soft hp alloy to cast hp bullets for the 44spl's/45acp's. This was just junk alloy I had laying around. The raphine bullet didn't expand, after thinking about it I remembered I was casting rifle bullets (extremely hard alloy) with a single cavity mold so I grabbed anoth mold to cast with. Poured/filled 1 mold while the other cooled, faster and more bullets. But it dodn't do nothing for the hp/expansion.

All bullets were fired into wet newspaper. The raphine went thru 13+" of paper and the other 3 went thru 9"+ of wet paper. All bullets were shot a 7yds/21ft into the wet bundles of newspaper.

I only did 10-shot test strings with the chronograph setup 10ft from the muzzle.

Power pistol did ok but the 44spl really isn't it's cup of tea. I tested 8.2gr loads with the 429422 & 220gr hbwc. And 8.6gr loads with the 200gr hp & the 185gr raphine.
Unique did extremely well but couldn't keep up with the 2400. The uniques velocities were 30fps/40fps less than the 2400 loads with every bullet tested. I used 8.5gr with the 429422 & 22ogr hbwc and 9gr with the 200gr hp & the raphine bullet.
The 2400 loads were extremely impressive. I used 15.5gr with the 429422 & the 220gr hbwc and 16gr with the 200gr hp & the raphine bullet.

The matchup;
38spl fbi buulet ='s 158gr hb hp swc
44spl fbi bullet ='s 210gr hb hp swc
bb 38spl load ='s 1000fps
My 44spl load ='s 1000fps+

The snub nosed 44spl's are pretty good thumpers

 

[29aholic]

Try 700X about 7gr. Should get you 1000+/- in a special case. In a mag case I am getting about 985fps out of a 6.5" bbl.

 

[mike campbell]

Where can I see published data suggesting 16 grains of 2400 under a 200 grain cast bullet operates at 44 special pressures?

 

[Forrest r]

Where can I see published data suggesting 16 grains of 2400 under a 200 grain cast bullet operates at 44 special pressures?

There been a ton of data out there on the 44spl for decades. They went back and redid/re-tested allot of loads when they changed over to the "NEW STYLE" solid head cases that had thicker webs then the old balloon-headed cases.

This is what the nra tested and put out trying to educate reloads about the new 44spl cases. They tested the 429422 (237gr) with 16gr of 2400.
http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/NRA - Loads for the 44 Special.pdf

A guy named Brian Pearce did a little testing for handloader magazine using the 44spl. Interestingly enough he didn't use allot of power pistol loads in this article. But he did use the lyman 429421 (245gr) bullet with (here's that magic number again) 16gr of 2400.
http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/Brian Pearce on the 44 Special.pdf

So anyway there's been 2400/44spl load data out there since the 50's.
15.5gr of 2400 for a 210/220gr bullet is 1/2gr under max. (max ='s 237gr/16gr 2400)
16gr of 2400 for a 185/200gr bullet is 1gr under max. (max ='s 215gr/17gr 2400)

 

[Forrest r]

Try 700X about 7gr. Should get you 1000+/- in a special case. In a mag case I am getting about 985fps out of a 6.5" bbl.

Thank you for the advice on the 700x load to try. 7gr you say.

Is there any way you could try that load yourself, preferably in a snub nosed revolver chambered in 44spl??? It would be great if you could post some pictures of your results.

I don't have any 7oox and have allot of other powders to burn thru before I buy any more. 700x is a fast burning powder, but I've always used bullseye or clays instead. Perhaps after I burn thru these jugs of clays (16#) I'll try some 700x.

 

[SLT223]

Unless you're loading shotgun shells, that's about a life time supply of Clays....20,000 rounds of 44 Special?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Clays: 4.4 grains, in a 44-40 205 RNFP cowboy action load is about 700-750 from a 4" Vaquero.

Ivan

 

[mike campbell]

There been a ton of data out there on the 44spl for decades.....

Thanks for the references.

I find it interesting that the advent of a stronger .44 case was seen as justification for a huge increase in acceptable pressures.

I'm pretty sure that a 38 spl case will tolerate 40,000 psi. I shot thousands of 185 grain bullets out of 38 spl cases charged with 14 grains of 2400 but I wouldn't trust a gun chambered in 38 spl to handle a comparable load. I've never been concerned with a ruptured case so much as a rupture of the vessel containing it.

Also interesting that people writing those articles associate high peak chamber pressure....irrespective of bullet weight... with generating wear an tear on the mechanics of firearm, but are apparently unconcerned about catastrophic failure of a cylinder designed for 50% less pressure.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

There been a ton of data out there on the 44spl for decades... So anyway there's been 2400/44spl load data out there since the 50's.

The 44 Associates published a compilation of 44 Special loads in 1945, one of which is 16.0gr/2400. (The 44 Associates article on 44 Spcl - 1945)

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