Light 44 Mag loads

[VAdoublegunner]

I like to use a good 240 gr LSWC cast bullet, and 8.0 gr of WSF for a light load (around 930 fps) up to 10.0 gr for a moderately heavy load (1150 fps). The latter load has proven exceptionally accurate in my 5.5" Ruger Vaquero and 4" 629-4. Why WSF? Well, I have it around for shotshell loads and several other pistol cartridge loads, it works great in pistol cartridge applications like many shotgun powders do, and with the current powder shortages and with everyone else using Unique and 231, it is plentiful and easy to find. Plus, it burns a lot more cleanly for me, with less leading, and measures far better than Unique. Green Dot is also a good moderate load powder for 44 Mag light cast bullet loads, and 44 Special too.

 

[Hook686]

I have been using 9.5 grains of Unique with a 200 grain JHP bullet in my 329PD, yielding about 1050 fps. This makes for an 'All day at the range" load for me.

 

[no dash]

I like to use a good 240 gr LSWC cast bullet, and 8.0 gr of WSF for a light load (around 930 fps) up to 10.0 gr for a moderately heavy load (1150 fps). The latter load has proven exceptionally accurate in my 5.5" Ruger Vaquero and 4" 629-4. Why WSF? Well, I have it around for shotshell loads and several other pistol cartridge loads, it works great in pistol cartridge applications like many shotgun powders do, and with the current powder shortages and with everyone else using Unique and 231, it is plentiful and easy to find. Plus, it burns a lot more cleanly for me, with less leading, and measures far better than Unique. Green Dot is also a good moderate load powder for 44 Mag light cast bullet loads, and 44 Special too.

That is good info to have on the powder. Thanks

 

[Shuz]

I like 8.0g of Green Dot and Lyman's 429421 as an easy comfortable shooting load outta my 4" Smiths. Velocity is between 895 and 975fps depending on which particular 4" I'm shooting that day.

 

[sonny]

S&W 29-4 3" barrel .44 Magnum Cartridge - mid-range loads, defensive loads

powder, grains, fps (low to high), fps (avg), Mean absolute deviation (%), Notes

2400 15 823-898 854 28 fps, 3.3%

Unique 8.5 863-903 881 15 fps, 1.7% good choice

Unique 9 866-944 914 20 fps, 2.3%

HS-6 9.8 766-796 780 6 fps, 0.78% excellent potential

W231 8.4 885-896 890 4 fps, 0.47% my first choice

H4227 17.1 854-870 853 8 fps, 0.98% excellent potential

H4227 18.5 886-962 912 21 fps, 2.23%

Gun in 98% condition. Barrel/cylinder gap is 0.003". THESE WORKED IN MY GUN. BE CAREFUL.
Five rounds fired for each test. Notes: All extractions of fired cases were easy.
1.72 cartridge OAL Starline case, WLP primer, hard-cast bullets
All powder loads measured within +/- 0.1grain using RCBS digital scale, verified with Ohaus balance scale.

PM44-250K .44Mag .431" diam hardcast 253grains SWC 0.300" meplat, 0.800" OALLeadheads Bullets, Inc., St. John, KS 620-549-6475
Leadheads Bullets,Gas Checked and Plain Based Bullets
Again, be careful. If in doubt, use established loading tables or known references. I'm not responsible for these loads in your gun. They do work fine in mine. Note my gun is a 3-inch barrel, so your velocities are likely to be somewhat higher, depending on barrel length.

 

[ranger351w]

240gr.LRN. leading

Good day I have a ruger super red hawk that leads real bad within 2-3 rnds of Mo.bullet 240 gr lrn. Starts at the cylinder and all through the barrel especially the forcing cone. All different loadings of green dot from 7. to over 8 gr Greendot. It seems accurate at 30 yds but leads badly. The forcing cone into the rifling seems to have a copper color in the groves once you get it cleaned. "copper"?

I have tons of greendot and would like to use it. It works realy good in my pt1911 in .45.

Any thoughts?

Mike

Seen at "SEIPSG.NET"

 

[Mule88]

Ive had great accuracy with 8 gns of Universal Clays

 

[Tell Sackett]

Good day I have a ruger super red hawk that leads real bad within 2-3 rnds of Mo.bullet 240 gr lrn. Starts at the cylinder and all through the barrel especially the forcing cone. All different loadings of green dot from 7. to over 8 gr Greendot. It seems accurate at 30 yds but leads badly. The forcing cone into the rifling seems to have a copper color in the groves once you get it cleaned. "copper"?

I have tons of greendot and would like to use it. It works realy good in my pt1911 in .45.

Any thoughts?

Mike

Seen at "SEIPSG.NET"

ranger,
Copper fouling is a real problem. It needs to be cleaned out or you will get some serious leading. There is an electrical process for doing so, see if someone has that setup in your area. Some of the cleaning solvents are specially formulated to remove copper fouling, try one of those.

I don't think I have ever seen a copper color very pronounced in any handgun, if you can see it, that may be the problem.

Of course, fit, hardness and size still play the biggest part in any lead fouling. Make sure your bullets aren't too hard and too small. If they are, you will NEVER use them without leading.

 

[Marksman]

I've used 5.0gr. Bullseye 240-250 SWC when shooting on indoor range, an accurate load that recoils about like a .38 no complaints about noise. Outdoors I like 7.5-9.0gr. Unique 240-250 SWC, the 7.5 is a load I can shoot all day 9.0 when I want a little more punch.

 

[DWalt]

Light .44 Loads

Load 7.0 grains of about anything fast-burning that you have available (Bullseye, Red Dot, Green Dot, Solo 1000, 231, AA#2, etc) behind a 240 grain Lead SWC in either 44 Mag or 44 Special cases. Depending upon your barrel length, etc., muzzle velocities will run 950 - 1000 fps. Accuracy is quite good at 25 yards. Whether you use of Mag or Special cases is immaterial, as I have found that average MVs with the same load in either casing are essentially identical in the same revolver. It's also a good Cowboy load, and I have fired many thousands of them in my Super Blackhawk.

 

[caz067]

Light 44 mag loads

I agree with TSQUARED, Trail Boss. I like the way the powder fills the cases, light recoil , clean burning, and accurate.

 

[bluetopper]

7 grains of Bullseye is hard to beat behind a 240gr lead bullet.

 

[PDL]

I guess I need some new manuals. I haven't started reloading the .44 mag. and I will be getting some new books before I start. I'm looking at an old speer #10 just for grins and most all of the 'mild' loads listed here get to be past max of what that old book says.

 

[frankw]

9.5 to 10.5 of Unique with a 240/250 is a great all around load.........accurate, controllable, easy on you and the gun, but still has enough oomph for deer sized game (within pistol ranges...under 50 yards) and personal defense.

I second this. I have taken deer with a 4" 29 with 10gr of Unique and a laser cast SWC. Put them right down.

Still pleasant to shoot at the range but serious enough for defense.

 

[alwslate]

In my 4'' 29, magnum brass, 6.2 gr. Bullseye, CCI 300 primer, Lyman 429421 bullet gives 830 fps. 8.2 gr. 231 and Rem 2 1/2 primer gives
980 fps. Both loads are consistant and accurate.

 

[Win]

7.2 grains Unique behind 240 LSWC with CCI std pri...my daughter's favorite load in the Dan Wesson 6in.

 

[m657]

I've been working with lighter loads for my 3" AND 4" 629s.


While I heartily recommend Trail Boss in 45LC cowboy action loads, for some reason I just don't get as good accuracy in 44 Mag loads of any recipe.

And while Trail Boss is very pleasant in 41 mag, I am not convinced I'm getting 'good' accuracy there either.

.....[sigh].....guess I'll just have to trundle back out to the range for a little more evaluation....

 

[358156hp]

Read this old article:
http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL 241 Partial (LO) 2.pdf

 

[gen3guy]

8.0 grains of 231 is a great load. I use that one a lot in my .44 mags. Standard primer and any bullet of 240-250 grains in weight works well. It works well with either cast or jacketed bullets too. It runs about 900-975 fps depending on barrel length. 8.5-9.5 grains of Unique is another one, using the same bullet weights. About the same velocity, again depending on barrel length used.

Ditto on the Unique. 9 grains behind a 240 grain cast semi wad-cutter.

 

[gsfxst]

7,5 gr, Unique 265gr soft lead keith bullit mild to shoot and small groups.In 44 mag brass