Powder/load recommendations for 180 gr 44 mag bullets

[Sailormilan2]

Title pretty much says it all. I fell into a deal on a batch of 400 of what appear to be Sierra 180 gr bullets for a 44 mag. I have never loaded bullets that light in a 44 mag. I currently have plenty of 296, WC820, and Unique. But I am open to suggestions.

 

[perrazi]

check the hodgdon site for info with 296.

 

[Sailormilan2]

check the hodgdon site for info with 296.

Hodgdon gives a load of 29 gr of H110(which is the same as W296). Just wondering if someone had other useful loads with other powders. I have never been a fan of heavy loads of slow burning powder with light bullets.

 

[buck460XVR]

Lyman gives a range of 12gr(1061fps) to 13.6gr(1301fps) under a 180 Sierra using Unique and a standard LP primer. No info on WC820. I take no responsibility for the accuracy of the recipes listed, use at your own risk.

 

[Sailormilan2]

I've got most of the reloading manuals, I was just hoping for some personal observations as to which powder might be better than others and why.

 

[fredj338]

I use to shoot those for varmint hunting, quite destructive @ 1400-1500fps. I used 2400, but Unqiue will work too, just gives up about 150fps over the slower 2400.

 

[moxie]

Yes, 2400 and Unique both work, with 2400 a bit hotter at the top end. FWIW, Unique only needs a bit more than half the powder the 2400 loads want for the same speed.

 

[zeke]

11.0 grains unique, fed 150 primer and hdy or rem 180 jhp for 1250 fps from 4 inch barrel. Extremely accurate with proper size cylinder throats, and load them in quantity.

Have never used the sierra 180 grainers.

 

[loc n load]

180 gr'ers

I load 296 or 2400 in 6" or longer barrels and my "go to" powder in 4 or shorter is Unique....I have shot a lot of the 180gr bullets in 29's, TC's and Rugers driving 180 gr with 296 in the longer barrels and load the 180 in 3 or 4" 29's driving them with Unique. Unique will provide top end performance in the shorter barrels w/o the monstrous muzzle flash that you will get with 296 or 2400.

 

[bmcgilvray]

The 1978 edition of the Sierra manual shows over 30 grains of H110 as a maximum charge with their 180 grain JHP. Actual chronograph tests with an 8 3/8-inch Smith & Wesson Model 29 shows it'll clock 1812 fps. Tone it down just a bit and one has a load that is still "cookin' with gas" at reasonable pressures.

 

[daveyc]

Be prepared for a very pleasing fireball when touching off 180 grain bullets

 

[S&WIowegan]

Just a little factoid. A buddy and I discovered many years ago that a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum didn't fully function with 180 gr bullets. Our recipe is lost in the mists of time.

 

[venomballistics]

Hodgdon gives a load of 29 gr of H110(which is the same as W296). Just wondering if someone had other useful loads with other powders. I have never been a fan of heavy loads of slow burning powder with light bullets.

IME anything jacketed is at its best loaded to full house fire breathing glory.
what your looking for is something of a cast lead load for everything less than that.

400 rounds worth of a given bullet may seem like a vast pile to you ... its not really depending upon who is doing the measuring.
I'd view the score as four groups of 100 and load a batch of 100 full house and keep the rest in the reserve stock.

Be that as it may, this is what you have on hand, so I'd look at 2400, AA#9, AA#7, Blue Dot and perhaps even Power Pistol to fuel your endeavor in this case.

For what you seem to want to do, your best overall option is some casting equipment and a mold somewhere in the 200 - 240 grain range, and buckets of Unique, Universal, Power Pistol and similar.
This will produce something of a mid range load that'll serve well through all but the most demanding applications of the caliber.

 

[retired_diver]

I have been using for years in a 4" 629-1 a load of 12.4gr Unique with 180gr JHP bullets. I don't see why that wouldn't work with the sierra ones. It is what I would consider a medium load for that bullet there is a snap but no pain .

 

[tjpopkin]

I have loaded .44 Mags for 30+ years....
A good comfortable target load will be 10gr of Unique with a 180 gr. bullet. Nearly as pleasant to shoot as a .45acp in a 1911.
Personally, I like AA5 for my light loads, since it meters better in the powder measure.
The hot load of 29gr. behind the 180 is just that....HOT! Back off to 27.5gr and it will be more accurate. Be certain not to use 296 or H110 with "reduced" loads. That can be very dangerous....extreme pressure.