Preferred load for 3" 44 Special?

[kevh481]

I'm in the process of acquiring a 3" 24-3. What is your preferred load for this gun?

I like the basic Lyman 429421 bullet. What are you guys using for the best results?

 

[Qmark]

I know it isn't the type of data you're looking for. I haven't seriously reloaded 44 special in years. For paper punching I've been using 4.0 grs of Bullseye with various home cast slugs from 200-240grs. I don't have a 429421 but have used a gas checked Lee and RCBS castings weighing apx 240. The fairly mild load is accurate and clusters well out to 25 yards. It is comfortable to shoot out of my 6 inch 24-6. Although my castings have a gas checked base. I shoot most of them bare assed in 44 Special loads and so far haven't seen any improvement on paper or in the bore using gas checks. My castings are usually a 50/50 mix of pure and clip-ons and might or might not have any tin added. If I get a good flow and fill out I save the tin (& $$'s) for 44 mag and 45 Colt, Ruger only castings.

Back in the 70's friend and I loaded up Elmer Keith's pet 44 Special load we found in a Guns N Ammo magazine. I don't recall the numbers using 2400 powder, mag primer and a 240gr gas checked Lyman. Shot great in my friend's S&W. Didn't take but a few shots to realize the load was way to hot for my Charter Arms Bulldog. If you're looking to push near max. Perhaps you could locate some of Keith's data but I suggest you back off considerably and very slowly work your way up.

 

[jimkim]

5.0gr of Red Dot under a Lyman 429421 shoots pretty good in my Redhawk, but I'm not so sure how it would do with that short barrel. I'm thinking the same charge with something around 200-215gr would be better.
As usual Glenn Fryxell has written an appropriate article.(that's bad syntax, but I'm not a writer) The .44 Special Revisited

 

[David LaPell]

If you are using a Smith 24 or 624 then I would say the old skeeter load of 7.5 grains of Unique wih that 429421 would do just fine.

 

[Alk8944]

kevh481,

Simply load the same as any other .44 Spl. The idea of loading data being in any way specific to barrel length is a myth that was perpetuated by the Speer Short Barrel 135 gr. .38 Special load. The only thing about that load that has anything to do with short barrel revolvers is the 135 gr. bullet that can be driven to higher velocity in short barrels than can a 158 gr. bullet.

If you can locate, or have, a copy of the Speer #9 as I recall, they did a chronograph study of snubby .38 Spl. and .357 Magnum revolvers. The result was that the same powders that gave the highest velocity in standard length barrels always gave the highest velocity in the 2 and 2 1/2" barrels too.

If you want standard velocity loads with the 429421 or similar use 6.7 gr. Unique. Somewhat higher velocity try 7.2-7.5 gr. Unique. If you have the 429421, there isn't any .44 cast bullet that will do a better job than this one. Unless you really want to experiment for some reason there really is no reason to look further.

 

[MMA10mm]

If you can locate, or have, a copy of the Speer #9 as I recall, they did a chronograph study of snubby .38 Spl. and .357 Magnum revolvers. The result was that the same powders that gave the highest velocity in standard length barrels always gave the highest velocity in the 2 and 2 1/2" barrels too.

This is very true, but then there is the question of muzzle flash and blast. While a big load of Blue Dot will give you better velocity, even out of a short barrel, vs. something like W231, the Blue Dot load will be blinding at night and have quite a pressure wave vs. the lighter load of a faster powder. So the question becomes how much velocity difference and what use are you putting it to? If it's hunting, definitely go for the Blue Dot load. If it's self-defense, the W231 load makes much more sense. For the range? Do what you like. The difference for the same bullet loaded with two very different powders in a cartridge like the 44 Special will be around 100fps or less - probably less with the shorter barrel. The one thing not pointed out above is that although the slower powder will still shoot faster velocities than a faster-burning powder in a short barrel, the difference in velocity gets much less than if the two loads were shot in a longer-barrelled pistol.

My pet load for 44 Spl. is a 225gr RNFP with 5.5grs of W231. It's very light recoiling, but has all the power of the 45 ACP. This is my range load and my defense load. I do have a heavy Keith load for use in the hunting field, but it gets shot much more rarely. The other nice thing about my pet load is that it is very gentle on the gun. Not likely to cause problems with thousands of rounds shot. Something that can't be said of heavy loads...

 

[Nemo288]

Check your chamber throat diameter. Newer Smiths (and the Charter I just bought)
have close to SAMMI spec .429 throats.
My older (1980s) Smiths have much larger throats going up to
.432. You best accuracy and least leading with cast bullets will
be with bullets matching the throat diameter.

To get on subject here, I have recently been on a campaign
to obtain a good load for my 3" 624. I have finally found at least
one as of last week. It consists of the .431 (actually measures
.432) Laser-Cast 240 grain SWC from Oregon Trail and 7 grains of
Universal (Clays) powder in a Starline case (these are nickel plated).
7.5 grains performs almost as well. Typical Skeeter Standard Load
I use a CCI 300 primer.

6 grains of Unique with a 240 SWC is the generic low power target
load in all my 44's.

Getting a load to shoot well in the 4" 624 is easy. This is the best one
so far in the 3"er which does tend to scatter 'em around a bit more. Target is at 30 feet.

---
Nemo

 

[cochise]

I do not try to make a .44 spcl a magnum. I tried many gun powders and they all shot very good to terriffic. I currently only use Unique 6.4 grns and 231 5.4 grns, for any lead bullet from 225 grns to 250 grns. I think a N frame can shoot a tad more but it isn't necessary to poke holes in paper. I think accuracy should be what you want over velocity. Too many people use the speed as the critera for devloping a load. Accuracy is what you want, with reasonable velocity. A bullet in the 750 to 850 fps range in the .44 special is good if it is an accurate load. I think I repeated myself enough.

 

[Swissman]

In short barrel-guns like the 696 is the use of a fast powder in a good decission.
Complete burning, less powder-flakes or kernels where you don't want and don't need 'em. More constant pressure and bulletspeed.

4.2 grains isn't bad too, but 4.4 grains got more kick, but one has still good recoil-control.

Lead-bullets are the choice for .44 Special.

Swissman

 

[jubela#4]

I just loaded and shot some 44 special loads yesterday. The load I used was 6.0 grains of Unique and the same bullet you want to use. Very accurate.