Murdock
Member
One thing to remember with the .44 Spl is that although some gallery loads can be very accurate with light powder charges, the very light loads can get dirty. (Like under 4 grains of Bullseye, etc.)
Looking for a good 44spcl load
- Thread starter pat g
- Start date
I've used the load I posts in a 5 shot charter arms bulldog without any problems. Your smith is better made than the charter arms. Besides, a 4.8gr charge of titegroup pushing a 215gr lead swc isn't setting any records for being excessive at anything other than being extremely consistent.
I've been using 8, 8.5, and even 9gr Power Pistol behind some commercial 240gr swcbb bullits in my 696, lately. It seems to handle them well.
Ozziess396
Member
I have been using this load for over 30 years and its safe in Charter Arms bulldogs and in my 629 and the number of 24's that I own.
I have fired them in my Ruger 77/44 rifle and they are accurate at 50 yards and feels like a 33 rifle.
I use a 240 GR semi wadcutter bevel base made by Penn bullets and I use a load of 6.2 GR of Herco.
(MIN=5.8 @ 721 FPS, MAX=6.4 @ 792FPS as listed in Speer manual #10).
I have a Smith 28 that back in the 70's was turned into a 44 special with a Douglas barrel that's 3 inches in length. With this load mounted on a Ransom rest the gun held a 1 ½ inch group at 50 yards.
I have shot thousands of this load over the year.
+1 to Murdock comment on light loads being very dirty. I have always found that mid loads of the suggested min/max are the cleanest. I have loaded some 9mm with very light (but safe) loads with 231 which I feel is very clean yet the cases came out looking like I had shot them with black powder, both inside and out.
http://www.pennbullets.com/44/44-caliber.html
I have fired them in my Ruger 77/44 rifle and they are accurate at 50 yards and feels like a 33 rifle.
I use a 240 GR semi wadcutter bevel base made by Penn bullets and I use a load of 6.2 GR of Herco.
(MIN=5.8 @ 721 FPS, MAX=6.4 @ 792FPS as listed in Speer manual #10).
I have a Smith 28 that back in the 70's was turned into a 44 special with a Douglas barrel that's 3 inches in length. With this load mounted on a Ransom rest the gun held a 1 ½ inch group at 50 yards.
I have shot thousands of this load over the year.
+1 to Murdock comment on light loads being very dirty. I have always found that mid loads of the suggested min/max are the cleanest. I have loaded some 9mm with very light (but safe) loads with 231 which I feel is very clean yet the cases came out looking like I had shot them with black powder, both inside and out.
http://www.pennbullets.com/44/44-caliber.html
I just loaded up some of the 7.5 gr. Unique load under some 250 gr. Keith bullets to test. This load has been mentioned here and several other places. It seems quite accurate with no pressure signs in my 4" 624, but bruised my thumb joint in the first two shots so badly I had to finish the string left handed. I am using brand new Herrett Roper stocks that were fitted to my hand tracing, which really disappoints me!
Anybody else experience this or am I just getting so damn old I don't have enough muscle in my palms to handle hard recoil any more?
- MajorDude
Anybody else experience this or am I just getting so damn old I don't have enough muscle in my palms to handle hard recoil any more?
- MajorDude
Ozziess396
Member
MajorDude
Are you loading that for 44 special or magnum cases?
That is a way over charge for a 44 special case. With a 240 GR using Unique in the 44 special, Speer manual #10 the max is listed as 6.3 for jacketed, but for 44 magnum that same bullet the minimum is 11.6.
Alliant online load data only shows a MAX of 6.9 for a 250 gr cast.
Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
Are you loading that for 44 special or magnum cases?
That is a way over charge for a 44 special case. With a 240 GR using Unique in the 44 special, Speer manual #10 the max is listed as 6.3 for jacketed, but for 44 magnum that same bullet the minimum is 11.6.
Alliant online load data only shows a MAX of 6.9 for a 250 gr cast.
Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
rburg
Member
Some of you guys who are smarter than me....Help me out. I seem to remember Skeeter Skelton had some loads he referred to (or his coworkers did) as his "cow killer loads". I seem to remember them as 44 special loads made from specially prepared Bullseye powder. Anyone willing to take a bite at that? 
Yeah, as I remember it, the loads were heavy .44 Special loads with either 2400 or Unique. He was going to test them on cows, or had to kill a cow that had been hit on a road. The powder got contaminated and the loads were pretty much bloopers and did not do the job on the cow. His friends who were watching named them. Muley Gil, who has a complete memory for all things Skelton, can probably give you a better account if he replies to the thread.
sheriff54
Member
I'm going to throw in an ol' guys memory, so please don't shoot... I'm remembering that 7.5 in a special as max back 30 - 40 years ago. It may had been 7.0 ???
I do loads for my 29-2, in mag cases (7.5 unique = pop gun load). but my do all load is 10.0 gr. unique in mag cases with standard primers AGAIN, this is a .44 mag with mag cases. I have picked up a .44 special SAA, Cimarron cowboy gun. I haven't made it to the loading bench with special cases yet but am thinking about starting with 5.5gr unique in spec cases and standard primers working to 6.5gr to see where it is in this gun. I do not think I'll try to get to 7.5, that seems a bit much in todays unique in a SAA type gun.
I do loads for my 29-2, in mag cases (7.5 unique = pop gun load). but my do all load is 10.0 gr. unique in mag cases with standard primers AGAIN, this is a .44 mag with mag cases. I have picked up a .44 special SAA, Cimarron cowboy gun. I haven't made it to the loading bench with special cases yet but am thinking about starting with 5.5gr unique in spec cases and standard primers working to 6.5gr to see where it is in this gun. I do not think I'll try to get to 7.5, that seems a bit much in todays unique in a SAA type gun.
Dave T
Member
Skelton's favorite 44 Special load was indeed 7.5g of Unique behind the Keith style 250g SWC, and yes it is an over load according to today's manuals. 10s of thousands of rounds of it have been shot by 44 Special shooters for 40 or 50 years now but you will be hard pressed to find a current manual listing it as safe.
MajorDude, I know exactly what you mean. The Skelton load hurts my arthritic thumb joint too. All the manly 44 loads listed seem to hit my thumb about the same so my all around/all purpose 44 Special load is a 240g Berry's plated FP over 6.1g of 231. It chronographs at 824 fps from my 4" Model of 1950 44 Target. Since that's in the same ballpark as 45 ACP Ball, I suspect it will do what Ball will do. As for being Macho, I'm just too busted up and irritable to worry about impressing anyone any more. (smile)
Dave
MajorDude, I know exactly what you mean. The Skelton load hurts my arthritic thumb joint too. All the manly 44 loads listed seem to hit my thumb about the same so my all around/all purpose 44 Special load is a 240g Berry's plated FP over 6.1g of 231. It chronographs at 824 fps from my 4" Model of 1950 44 Target. Since that's in the same ballpark as 45 ACP Ball, I suspect it will do what Ball will do. As for being Macho, I'm just too busted up and irritable to worry about impressing anyone any more. (smile)
Dave
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Dale53
Member
Skeeter Skelton's load is safe in any modern, large frame revolver. I have shot it in S&W Models 24, 624 (both 4" and 6½"), a Cimarron single action (Colt Clone) and my recently acquired Ruger .44 Lipsey Special. While it is a bit heavier than SAAMI standards it is not at all unsafe. The load is, as stated, 7.5 grs of Unique behind a 250 gr Keith cast bullet.
It is a "full" load but quite controllable given good grips and some experience. It is a BABY compared with standard .44 Magnum loads in a 629, as an example.
It should be a superior load for self defense and I can testify it is excellent for edible small game (certainly heavier than needed but works perfectly well for this purpose).
Dale53
It is a "full" load but quite controllable given good grips and some experience. It is a BABY compared with standard .44 Magnum loads in a 629, as an example.
It should be a superior load for self defense and I can testify it is excellent for edible small game (certainly heavier than needed but works perfectly well for this purpose).
Dale53
badbob38
Member
I have used all the factory loads and the Black Hills Thunder Ranch 250 gr. bullet will knockem down and set them back up. You can fine them at AmmoToGo.com. I think there about 35 dollars a box of 50ct I got 2 boxes, one to keep with my S&W21-4 Thunder Ranch 44spl, and to burn. Now Iam back to reloading (hard on your hand & harder on what you hit)
David Sinko
Member
I recently started playing around with my Mountain Lion (629-2 Mountain Gun) and with .44 Special brass I have settled on 7.0 grs. of 231 with the 240 gr. SWC for 945 FPS over the chrono. Recoil is not too bad when shooting DA with the Miculek grips. I find it's the equivalent of heavy .45 ACP/AR in my 625s, and there's still more velocity potential remaining. I think I'm going to really like the .44 Special!
Can anybody tell me the velocity of 7.5 grs. of Unique behind that 240 gr. SWC out of a 4" barrel?
Dave Sinko
Can anybody tell me the velocity of 7.5 grs. of Unique behind that 240 gr. SWC out of a 4" barrel?
Dave Sinko
Tslepebull
Member
I have not chronographed that load in my revolvers but the general concensous is that it should be 950 fps +/- 25 fps.
I load for both 44 Special and 44 Magnum, and IMHO the absolute best reference for Special handloads is Brian Pearce's piece,"Handloading the 44 S&W Special" in Handloader #236, August 2005. He lists three sets of data categorized by pressure (<15.5K PSI, <22K PSI, and <25K PSI), and then in the text states the classes of revolvers in each pressure range.
Since the OP is shooting an N-frame 44 Mag, any of the loads listed in this article will be safe. Although, Pearce (and I) believes that light loads for 44 Magnum should be reloaded in Magnum cases rather than Special cases.
Other posts in this thread have discussed the Skeeter Skelton load of 7.5gr Unique under a 250gr Keith LSWC. Pearce places this load (7.5 - 8.5gr Unique) in Category 2, <22K PSI. Loads in this category are suitable for almost all modern-manufacture revolvers, excluding the S&W New Century, 2nd Model Hand Ejector, and all Colt SAA clones.
Many reloading manuals appear to be over-cautious with 44 Spl load data out of respect for the older and weaker revolvers still being used. It seems to me that the Spl can be regarded as the .45 Colt has come to be regarded - that in revolvers built from modern steels and also chambered for other high-pressure cartridges, handloading to higher than SAAMI-recommended pressure is permissible.
In any case, I can't recommend Pearce's article enough. My copy is so dog-eared now that I'm thinking of buying a reprint and laminating it!
Since the OP is shooting an N-frame 44 Mag, any of the loads listed in this article will be safe. Although, Pearce (and I) believes that light loads for 44 Magnum should be reloaded in Magnum cases rather than Special cases.
Other posts in this thread have discussed the Skeeter Skelton load of 7.5gr Unique under a 250gr Keith LSWC. Pearce places this load (7.5 - 8.5gr Unique) in Category 2, <22K PSI. Loads in this category are suitable for almost all modern-manufacture revolvers, excluding the S&W New Century, 2nd Model Hand Ejector, and all Colt SAA clones.
Many reloading manuals appear to be over-cautious with 44 Spl load data out of respect for the older and weaker revolvers still being used. It seems to me that the Spl can be regarded as the .45 Colt has come to be regarded - that in revolvers built from modern steels and also chambered for other high-pressure cartridges, handloading to higher than SAAMI-recommended pressure is permissible.
In any case, I can't recommend Pearce's article enough. My copy is so dog-eared now that I'm thinking of buying a reprint and laminating it!
Snapping Twig
Member
Just today I had the pleasure of testing out my Skeeter loads in direct comparison to my EK "useful specials" in a magnum case.
I have two nearly identical pistols to do this with, both 3" N frames, one a 624 and the other a 629.
The loads were both using a Lyman 429421 and WW:
250g SWC over 7.2g Unique (I downloaded a mite from 7.5 for safety) in a Spl case.
250g SWC over 7g W231 in a magnum case.
They felt identical, shot to same point of aim and when I took 3 of each and loaded every other round in the cylinder - Spl/mag/Spl/mag - they were indistinguishable.
I will eventually load the Spl's with W231 as I have it by the 4# container and save the Unique for the .45LC.
I'm thinking to drop the magnum case load of 7g W231 by 10% roughly and going with 6.5g in the Spl. case with the 250g SWC to duplicate the Skeeter load. Does that sound about right? If not, please chime in.
FWIW, I can see myself packing this 624 in the woods. It's a real pleasure to shoot.
I have two nearly identical pistols to do this with, both 3" N frames, one a 624 and the other a 629.
The loads were both using a Lyman 429421 and WW:
250g SWC over 7.2g Unique (I downloaded a mite from 7.5 for safety) in a Spl case.
250g SWC over 7g W231 in a magnum case.
They felt identical, shot to same point of aim and when I took 3 of each and loaded every other round in the cylinder - Spl/mag/Spl/mag - they were indistinguishable.
I will eventually load the Spl's with W231 as I have it by the 4# container and save the Unique for the .45LC.
I'm thinking to drop the magnum case load of 7g W231 by 10% roughly and going with 6.5g in the Spl. case with the 250g SWC to duplicate the Skeeter load. Does that sound about right? If not, please chime in.
FWIW, I can see myself packing this 624 in the woods. It's a real pleasure to shoot.
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