loads for a .44 magnum 275 FP?

[mzimmers]

Hi, all -

I have some old 275-grain Bear Creek bullets (all lead; no jacket). Gun is a 629 with a 4" barrel. What's a good middle-of-the-road H110 load for this?

Thanks.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Hi, all -

I have some old 275-grain Bear Creek bullets (all lead; no jacket). Gun is a 629 with a 4" barrel. What's a good middle-of-the-road H110 load for this?

Thanks.

First things first. H110/W296 is not the powder for "middle-of-the-road loads at any bullet weight.

If I wanted "moderate", as moderate as a 270gr slug can be, loads, I would look to a different powder. Something like Unique or Universal or AA#7 or SR4756.

Those powders can be reduced, with the exception of AA#7, to light loads and worked up to near magnum velocities.

The Hodgdon data website has some loads for H110/W296 with a Gold Dot bullet of that weight. If it were me and H110 was the only powder I had, I'd use that data to start with, or make a call to Hodgdon on Monday and ask for suggestions.

Great folks, always willing to help.

 

[mzimmers]

First things first. H110/W296 is not the powder for "middle-of-the-road loads at any bullet weight.

Yeah, that was poorly thought out on my part. I do have some Universal and/or Titegroup that might be a better choice overall.

If I wanted "moderate", as moderate as a 270gr slug can be, loads, I would look to a different powder. Something like Unique or Universal or AA#7 or SR4756.

Those powders can be reduced, with the exception of AA#7, to light loads and worked up to near magnum velocities.

The Hodgdon data website has some loads for H110/W296 with a Gold Dot bullet of that weight. If it were me and H110 was the only powder I had, I'd use that data to start with, or make a call to Hodgdon on Monday and ask for suggestions.

Isn't Gold Dot a jacketed bullet, though? Would that affect the desired amount of powder?

Thanks.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Yeah, that was poorly thought out on my part. I do have some Universal and/or Titegroup that might be a better choice overall.



Isn't Gold Dot a jacketed bullet, though? Would that affect the desired amount of powder?

Thanks.

A Gold Dot is more like a plated bullet than a jacketed one, at least from the few I have reloaded. I used them in the 500S&W Mag a time or two.

You are right about dropping the charge with lead BUT with the Gold Dot data, if you start out with the suggested minimum load, you should be fine.

That's just my opinion though. To be safe, call Hodgdon. They will tell you that H110 wont work with lead bullets, although it has for many, many years.

 

[mzimmers]

I went downstairs and discovered some 231. I think I'll just follow Hodgdon's manual for the 270-grain gold dot, and stay to the low side of average.

Thanks for the response.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Do you have a chronograph?

As a suggestion, don't do any rapid fire drills until you are confident that the bullets will exit the barrel everytime!

 

[NE450No2]

Other posters are correct, H 110 and 296 are for near to full power loads.

With a 275gr lead bullet I would start with 20 grains and work up till you find an accurate load.

I would not "waste" good 275gr cast bullets for plinking, I would get some 240 cast and load them over 7 to 9gr of Unique, deending on how much recoil you want in your plinking loads.

 

[BillBro]

17.5gr IMR4227 gave me about 1080fps and 11gr of TrueBlue gave me about 1120fps out of a 5" barrel. I love TrueBlue

 

[Protocall_Design]

I'm using 18 gr. of IMR or H4227 with a 300 gr. hollow point cast or 300 gr. hollow point jacketed bullet. Very mild recoil, super accurate out to 200 yards.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If the OP hasn't figured it out in the past 12 years he never will.

No reason to bring this thread back from the Abyss.