Loading light 44 loads

DuneShoot

DuneShoot

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I am about to start loading for 44 mag for a S&W 629-4 6". I have shot a couple boxes of the HSM cowboy 200gr rounds and like the minimal recoil.

I have Unique powder, Sierra 180 jacketd HC, and Hornady 200gr XTP's on the way.

Lyman 50th edition recommends starting with 12gr of Unique with a Sierra 180gr jacketed HC for 1061fps. Would I be safe loading this starting at 10gr?

Hornady recommends starting at 11.4gr with their 200gr XTP for 1300fps. Would I be safe to start lower, around 10gr?

I also have some Titegroup I could use but don't see it used in either book.

Thanks for any recommendations!
 
I own 3 S&W .44 mags, none have seen a mag load since I've owned them. Just can't justify a 1300 fps load for range shooting. If you want reduced loads use what's in the .44 Spl section, just bump it up about .2 of gr in a mag case. That's the beauty of the .44 mag, even though a manual still shows a stout load you can use what's printed for the Spl.
 
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I usually stay within the published load data for a given bullet, sometimes light loads can cause jacket/lead separation in the barrel, leaving the jacket lodged. Never happened to me, but I don't load under the published loads. Now for lead, that 10 grains of unique like Warren Sear suggested is nice, you can also go lower to a 1/2 a grain more than .44 spec data in a magnum case. I've been shooting 6.7 grains unique with 240 grain lead, mild accurate and still slams the steel targets.
 
I shoot a 3" 629 and a 5.5" Ruger Super Blackhawk. Most of the ammo I load is at 44 special levels in mag cases. I use 44 special data and add 10% to the powder charge for the extra volume of the magnum case. The result is an easy shooting load in the shorter guns.
 
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Yes, be careful of loading too much below starting loads with jacketed bullets. There is a lot more friction and jackets can separate and remain in the barrel.....
 
Good info abut the jacketed bullets. I'll have to stick with them until I run out. They may try some lead.
 
Elmer Keiths " everyday ' load was 8.5grs of Unique(about 950fps) with his 245 gr swc . His " gallery " load was 5.0 grs of Bullseye (about 800fps) , again using his bullet . Those figures will vary from gun to gun , depending on barrel length etc . Hope this helps , Regards, Paul
 
ddixie884 said:
Yes, be careful of loading too much below starting loads with jacketed bullets. There is a lot more friction and jackets can separate and remain in the barrel.....
Click to expand...

Never seen that in over fifty years of shooting and reloading . Don't believe it can happen . Have seen gas checks come off .

Eddie
 
44 Mag light reloads

My current, go to, plinking 44 Magnum reload is;
240gr Lead Semi Wad Cutter Laser Cast bullet
5.6grs Alliant Red Dot, CCI LP #300 primer
Brass is Winchester, Remington, Federal, Starline.
Crimp is what I call medium roll crimp.
FPS approximately 825.
Bullets tumbled lube with Ben's Liquid Lube,
for Lead free barrel performance.
Primers no where near flat.
 

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In general as you go lighter you will loose accuracy.
44 is a big case, but unique is a pretty high volume powder so u should be able to go fairly light.
 
The jacket separation was from those old half jacket bullets, they had no jacket on the nose to hold on to the core.

I like to start at the starting load and work down by a half grain until I have the accuracy and recoil level I want.

Clays, Trail Boss and Titegroup worked well for me in light 44 loads. Unique should be about perfect too with it's high loft.

You might try a poly coated SWC (240-250 grain) for more economical shooting and save those nice JHP's for when you're more practiced.
 
Bosquebass said:
I shoot a 3" 629 and a 5.5" Ruger Super Blackhawk. Most of the ammo I load is at 44 special levels in mag cases. I use 44 special data and add 10% to the powder charge for the extra volume of the magnum case. The result is an easy shooting load in the shorter guns.
Click to expand...

I would say that this is good advice here. Look up the load data for 44 Special in a Hornady manual for the bullets you are shooting and add 10% to the load and go for it. Doing that will insure that you won't stick a jacketed bullet in the barrel and should make for some nice and soft shooting rounds.

And since you want to load down, look into getting some Hi Tek coated cast bullets from someone like Bayou Bullets or Missouri Bullet Company. They are significantly cheaper than jacketed bullets and in my experience won't lead up your barrel. And with the Hi Tek coating, you can push them up in velocity if you want to live on the fast lane too. :D
 
I don't have any experience with the 180 g. bullets. But I am very happy with 240 g. coated lead using Unique. Ten grains of Unique will provide a quite substantial load, but not up to true magnum proportions. You can go down to 8.5 g. or so for even lighter stuff. I also use 5.0 g. Trail Boss for an easy shooting load. It is so "fluffy" that it fills the case to 0.1", below the bullet. Don't compress TB. The advice to bump up .44 special load by 0.2 grains or so works great, too.
 
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My long time cowboy load in .44 Special was a 180 or 200 grain lead bullet over 6 grains of any of the faster powders, such as Bullseye, 700-X, AA#2, Clays, etc. It really didn't make much difference which in either rifle or revolver.
 
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I'm pretty much with Peak53, except that my 240s are grease lubed. We are pushing them the same.

Jack
 
I have been loading 240 grain lead cast bullets with 9.1 grains Hodgdon Universal and getting about 1000 fps. I use 9.1 grains because I use a RCBS Little Dandy Rotor # 16
The load is comfortable, accurate to 50 yards, and gives me over 760 rounds per pound.
 
handloads.com has some good info on their site. You can load heavier 44 special loads in magnum cases. I am new to 44magnum, and use lead bullets that are coated. There is some Titegroup data out there. I am loading for a 29-3 that I picked up in November. Bob
 
One of my most used and accurate light loads is 5 grains of Bullseye under a 240 grain Campro plated in a magnum case. Both my wife and I can shoot those all day long out of a 5 1/2 inch SBH.
 
44 mag case, Fed 150, 11.0 grains unique under a 180 jhp (hdy/rem), heavy lfc/redding profile crimp gets 1250 fps from 4 in barrel and is extremely accurate in modern cylinder throated pistol. Have literally shot 1000's of these over the years.

10.0 grains unique under rem 210 sjhp got 1098 fps and very good accuracy. Would have no trouble using 10.0 grains unique for a starting load for 200 grainers.

Speer's #14 manual has useful information in in the 200 gdhp section, with unique starting load 9.0 gns.

May also consider Red Dot or hp-38 for lighter magnum loads using 180 or 200 grain jhp's. They work very well is pressure is kept up.
 
I enjoy a few mellow range loads using magnum cases...
* 8.0gr Unique under a 240LSWC is not too hot & not too slow, but it's just right.
* 6.2gr Red Dot/Promo 240LSWC is a great mellow range load also.
* 7.0gr 700X with a 240LSWC has a little more omph. Fun to shoot.

I have plenty of lubed lead bullets I will need to go through, but honestly I really like Hi-Tek coated so much I tend to mostly load those.
 
S&W 629-1 8 3/8''
I cast my own which come out at 212gr(RFP) sized .430 and liquid Alox lubed(LS Stuff).
10 gr Unique they chrono at 1142fps
I guess with a jacketed bullet and a 6''bbl you can expect around 1050fps;at that speed,no need to worry about jacket separating from the core.
 
I don't shoot any jacketed bullets for target. I have a old SBH
Ruger that I shoot 240jhp mag loads for hunting. I only use
cast in 29s and only use them for target. Shoot cast at approx
850-950 fps with Unique which are very accurate target loads.
I have had barrel leading with factory swaged lead bullets at
same velocities and no longer will use them.

I have personally seen 3 handguns ruined with shooting the
1/2 Jackets at to low velocity. A m19 & Ruger BHk in 357 and
a 1911. All three buldged barrels. The core goes down range
and shooter fires again and has major barrel obstruction I have
Also seen 2 guns blown up with over charges of Bullseye, most
likely a double charge. Another 19 and a S/A Hawes. I wasn't
present when any of these happened , they were brought into
my shop looking to make claims against maker of the guns.

Any fool knows a buldge in barrel = obstruction and a blown
Cylinder =over load.
 
For range loads / paperwork I think you want shoot for 45 ACP/44 Spl levels. You can use fast powders for this under light bullets. I very much enjoy 200gr RN over 5gr of Clays or similar.
 
I don't like light .44 Mag loads. If I'm going to load light, I load .44 Special.
 
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