Load data for 3-inch .44 Magnum?

[Qc Pistolero]

Thanks everybody. All my reloading data is 25+ years old. Based on the great recommendations here I put a crowbar in my wallet and arranged to buy a Speer #14 manual (used on EBay of course). I’m looking forward to learning what they have to say about short-barrel loads.

I will probably load to .44 Special +P levels rather than full honk .44 Mag. But I will probably also shoot a handful of 296-based rounds intended for my 8 3/8 version, just for the light show

Well,according to that and based on my experience,I'd invest a few $$ in the form of a 1# of Unique(or any similar burning stuff)and be a happy camper...I mean shooter after that.The funpart with Unique is that you can get very efficient performance with any weight of bullet.
I wouldn't be surprised if you'll end up buying Unique by the 4#keg after trying it!
Qc

 

[ridgewalker]

I have been happy shooting various length 44 magnum revolvers from 2 5/8 to 8 3/8 inches using loads I’ve worked up with AA No.5. I have found loads with 9 to 11 gr of this powder to be fun to shoot without being punishing. I have been loading it under 240 gr plated bullets. I would characterize these loads as 44 special +P. An added benefit is these loads shoot fairly clean.

 

[zeke]

Speer's "short barrel" loads might be more accurately described as 200 gn gdhp loads, designed to produce Speer's optimum velocity for that bullet. 231 and Red Dot work particularly well for that.

If using lighter/slower bullets for your 3 incher, you may not have enough vertical adjustment in your rear site, something to check for.

Slower 240 grain bullets do not change the poi as much as the lighter bullets do.

 

[iPac]

I use 2400 in loads that I whip up for my 3" 629.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I often thought that Hodgdon's load of titegroup in the 44 magnum using a 240 gr bullet was pretty high , 10grs max . I tried that load using my genuine " Keith " bullet H&G 503 . It weights 245grs but has a shorter shank (the part of the bullet in the case) than std 240 gr bullets .
I started @ 9grs of titegroup . The cases were a little " draggy " coming out of the cylinder , but could be extracted using the extractor . At 10 grs I had to use a stick to push them out . These were fired from a S&W 29-10 w/6.5" barrel . I realize that Hodgdons is an old firm and well respected in the industry and I'm not trying to shed any " bad light " on them . Simply saying that , based on my experience I feel those loads are really too much of such a fast burning powder . The load data for a cast bullet is 4.7 to 10.0 grs . IMO , 7.0 will be max that I will load in a 44 magnum case .
My " go to powder " WSF @ 10grs w/ the real Keith bullet is my std , " everyday " load . For the fast burners , 7.0 grs of IMR-700X , Red Dot , Bullseye and Titegroup would be my max loads for the 44 mag using the same cast bullet . They produce loads approaching 950 fps using the Keith bullet , excellent accuracy and the cases eject easily . They're easy on the gun / the brass and the shooter . Regards , Paul

 

[CCV]

Try 8.0 Grains of Power Pistol under a 200 grain XTP.

For a bit more punch I like 10.0 grains of Power Pistol under a 200 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point. Both loads shoot well in my short barrel .44 but don't beat you to death with recoil.

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
In most cases the max pressure will be developed in the cylinder.
Shulman ,a barrel maker said that 90% of your speed is developed
in the first 3 inches of barrel in an auto[that would be the cylinder and some barrel in a revolver]
The remainder in the next 2 inches [5in 1911]
A magnum has more pressure and speed but the ratio will be similar.
The extra pressure will push longer [ greater speeds in a long/rifle barrel] but the comparison still stands.
The faster load is the faster load short barrel or long.

 

[Bill Lear]

Hi—for years I have been shooting a Model 29 .44 Magnum with an 8 3/8 inch barrel using 24 gr of WW296 behind 240 gr JHP. I now have a 3-inch 629 and I suspect 296 really isn’t appropriate for anything but producing large fireballs due to the slow burn rate.

Does anybody have ideas for a load using a powder optimized for the shorter barrel? I normally use WW231 or Blue Dot in other calibers, and have plenty of both on hand but am not opposed to trying something else if it would be more suitable?

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you can provide.....

Winchester 296 is a surprisingly sharp performer in 4" barrel .44 Magnums.
Other powders worth considering would be AA-5, AA-7, and Blue Dot.
Blue Dot is a great "intermediate" powder but does not meter nor drop well. The Accurate Arms line meters with excellent precision.
Contrary to popular misconception the ideal bullet weight for short barrels isn't to go heavy, but to go light...velocity is after all, "everything" especially if using a gas-checked, SWC hard cast slug. Ballistic testing with all copper "penetrator" bullets shows that bullets traditionally considered too light for caliber deliver amazing penetration with excellent cavitation when driven fast. A 220 gr. Lehigh extreme penetrator round, driven at 1,500 fps will punch as deep if not deeper than traditional hard cast bullets weighing 100 grains more, but going slower.

 

[Pantera Mike]

Since I have three pounds of early 1990s-vintage Hercules Blue Dot on hand, I am going to test out a load of 14.1 grains with a 240-grain lead SWC. Load data from multiple sources gives high and low Blue Dot levels that are all over the map. Since I have old powder I’m starting at the bottom of the old Lyman data I have. I also have some existing full-house loads consisting of 240-grain Remington JHP sitting atop 24 grains of WW-296 which I can use to compare them to. It will probably be a week or two before I get a chance to try them out....

 

[cowboy4evr]

Pantera Mike , I don't know where you live but I need to tell you about the temperature / pressure inversion thing with Blue Dot . If it gets below freezing , as the cartridge gets colder , the pressure of your charge will increase , not get lower , like most powders perform . If I'm shooting Blue Dot in cold weather , I leave the cartridges in my coat pocket and only get out what I need each time .
I have no problem metering Blue Dot in my Lee powder measure and it is very accurate and gets you up in the magnum range using less powder . Your 14 gr load will be a good shooter using a 240gr bullet .

 

[Pantera Mike]

Thanks for the heads-up. I only hunt paper and the occasional tin can. If it’s cold enough to affect my powder, it’s WAY too cold for me to be outside!

Thanks again. I’m still thinking of switching to a Blue Dot equivalent powder that delivers similar performance, without all the issues. I was thinking AA#7 but I have read a number of negative comments about it. AA#5 seems to have a lot of merit for this particular application, but there is almost no almost-full-power load data for it. Everybody assumes a long barrel, where there is something to be gained by using a slower powder, so there is a bunch of AA#9, 2400, WW296/H110 data etc.

I was also disappointed at the data in the Speer #14 manual for short-barrel guns. I was hoping for optimized .44 Mag data, but what they printed was basically only slightly warmed-over .44 Special data, using small quantities of very quick powders like 231, which don’t have enough load density for my liking and deliver barely 1000 FPS even with a light 200gr bullet.

I have become a fan of powders that fill the case enough to be seen in a progressive press. I could probably get a triple or even quadruple load of 231 in a 44 Mag case. Not that I would ever do that (never had a double load in 35 years, thankfully), but if a mistake was to be made, it could send my 629 into low earth orbit!

 

[cowboy4evr]

Blue Dot is a flake powder and it will do a pretty good job filling your case . You've already got it on hand so I would use it . It's a good powder , works well in the 44 magnum . I have shot pounds and pounds of it in my 44's and 45 Colt pistols . I'm about due to buy another 5# jug . Give it a try , I don't think you will be disappointed .

 

[crstrode]

Elmer Keith lists 22 grains of 2400 under a 250 grain hard Keith semi-wadcutter as his very favorite for the 44 magnum. Elmer was a little guy that liked big recoil.

 

[Dieseltech56]

That 22 gr 2400 load is a big boomer. I like 18-20 grains best

The load I shoot in my Model 69 4 incher is 12 grains of unique under a 210 gr Gold Dot. This produces a solid 1200 FPS, low ES, and good shootability in my gun.

 

[ddixie884]

With a wfn or swc bullett of 240 or 250gr.
18 or 19gr 2400 is a very good load. A9 or similar will probably work.
8 or 9gr of Unique, Herco, PP, WST, etc. Any medium slow powder.
5 or 6gr Bullseye, Red Dot, Promo, A2 etc. Fast shotgun type powders.
18.5gr 2400 is Elmer Keith's balloon head .44spl load. Probably close to the same powder capacity of modern .44Mag cases......

 

[Thomasino]

If you want some good *** kickers used 24 grains of Winchester 296!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Pantera Mike]

If you want some good *** kickers used 24 grains of Winchester 296!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Yup got those already for my 8 3/8 inch Model 29. It will be interesting to see how they feel in the 3-inch version.

I may be going to try both tomorrow...stay tuned!

 

[Pantera Mike]

My range trip was a qualified success. I didn’t start shouting the .44s until I had already fired two boxes of .22 and two boxes of .38 Special, so I was pretty tired by the time I tested the .44 loads.

I was rather surprised at how stout the 14.5 grains of Blue Dot w/240gr SWC was. Recoil was pretty substantial but there was no muzzle flash apparent from behind the trigger.

The 240gr JHP with 24.0 grains of WW296 was not that much more punishing but the fireball was prodigious.

Unfortunately my accuracy had gone to hell by this point. I embarrassed myself at 25 yards. I was quite surprised and pleased at how accurate the 3-inch jobbie was at 15 yards, shooting double action (something I probably haven’t done in 10 years) with one string seeing five of six shots in a single large ragged hole.

I also fell in love with my 686 .357, shooting powderpuff .38 wadcutters and 125gr +P rounds. I hadn’t fired it in about seven or eight years and I forgot how accurate, not to mention fun it is.

I have about 5000 empty .38 Special cases under my loading bench, and zero loaded rounds in the house. I think I may load up some more .44 mag using a powder other than Blue Dot, saving it for 10mm where it seems to excel, and then start loading up a bunch of .38 and .357.....

Thanks for all your inputs.

Shooting Is Fun!

 

[GregG]

I use AA#9 a lot in .44 and .41 Magnums. Less flashy than H110 with only about 100 fps velocity loss.

 

[HoustonGT]

It depends on the level of performance you are looking for ? If you still want full magnum performance , then the slower powders still produce the highest velocity . With the short barrel they also produce the largest fireball .
In your case with the short barrel I would look at a powder that is " flash suppressed " . Alliant introduced a powder several yrs ago that is between Unique and power pistol called , " BE-86 " . I have shot it in my 44's and was happy with it's performance . It's a flake powder so it ignites easily and yet it meters very well in my LEE Perfect Powder Measure . Power Pistol is a fine powder but is not " flash suppressed " , produces a huge flame . So in your search , I would definitely choose Bulls Eye 86 (BE-86) . Regards, Paul

Would you miind sharing your BE-86 load data?