Starting .44 Special: Dies & Components

[TheTinMan]

Well, a Model 624 followed me home yesterday so I've been researching loading for .44 Special. Certainly want to be able to use 240 grain lead bullets but also FMJ hollow points. Primary purpose is target shooting, but I'll probably load a few home defense rounds eventually.

Based on experience with other calibers, I've narrowed my dies down to a Redding Profile Crimp plus a 3-die set from Lyman or Hornady. A Lyman M-Die expander helped reduce lead shaving with .45 Auto Rim lead bullets. However, Hornady has a "Cowboy" die set for .44 Special that's supposed to be designed specifically for lead bullets. Hornady tech says the expander and the bullet seating sleeve are different. Any thoughts?

For projectiles, Penn's 240 grain truncated cone looks like a great shape although I know that the LSWC is classic in this cartridge. Unfortunately, my indoor range insists on FMJ or plated bullets. I use Rainier plated bullets for .38 Special and .45 applications, but worry about the lack of a cannelure for .44 Special. The cost of FMJ bullets is sky high! Any reasonable alternatives or do I just shoot lead at my outdoor range which is 45 minutes away?

Powder:

I've got an adequate supply of Win 231 and would prefer to start with that for target loads. Is 800 fps a reasonable velocity to aim for? Looking at Hodgdon site, Hornady and Lyman manuals, a start of 5.0 grains and max of 5.8 looks reasonable. Am I in the right ballpark?

For hotter rounds with FMJ HP bullets, 2400 or Power Pistol look like reasonable choices. I already use Power Pistol for hotter .45 ACP loads, but 2400 would be a good addition to inventory for .357 Magnum too. Any suggestions? Blue Dot shows higher maximum velocity than anything else in the Hornady manual but I don't know anything about that powder.

I hope it's OK to ask all these questions at once. There's not as much discussion about the .44 Special out here in cyberspace as I'd hoped. The factory ammo is just too darned expensive though!

 

[David Sinko]

I use 7.0 grs. 231 with a 240 gr. SWC for 952 FPS over my chrono. This is out of a 4" 629-2 Mountain Lion. It's the only .44 Special load I ever use.

Dave Sinko

 

[TAROMAN]

Welcome to the Special Fraternity.
To your questions, in order:
44 Special is one of the easiest cartridges to load. Any of the dies you mention will be more than adequate. Personally, I use Lee carbide dies and have had no problems whatever with them with many different bullet styles.
Follow your manuals and 231 should be fine. In my 44s (624 6-1/2", 624 3" and 696). I have experimented quite a bit with different loads. Starting low and working up, I often notice a dramatic tightening of groups at some level. You'll know it when you see it.
Here's one 20 shot example of the tightening up effect:

Was trying many different loads, so shooting for groups, not bullseye, BTW.
I save the slow powders for the magnums, though they can certainly be used in the Special. Unique usually gives me great accuracy in the 800-900 fps range.
One more note. I have many different brands of brass on hand. They all have some variation in length. This led, at times, to differences in case expansion and/or crimp. I sucked it up a couple weeks ago and trimmed them all to the standard "trim-to" length. Greatest variatuon was with WW brass, least with Top Brass and Starline.
So, get to work and report back on how it goes!

 

[venomballistics]

lose the jacketed bullet ambitions .. shes at her best with lead.
Your dies and components are almost entirely the same as the list for the 44 magnum

 

[Hammerless-12]

Sounds like your well on your way. Have fun.

 

[moxie]

I prefer the RCBS 3 die set. If you adjust the dies properly, there's no need for a 4th die, and you won't be shaving lead either.

Bullseye and Unique are all you need for .44 Spl. 2400 is a waste except for .44 Mag. hot loads.

I'd stick with lead and drive the 45 mins. Cheaper and more fun in the long run.

 

[Larry from Bend]

I hope you're getting Carbide dies -- mine are from RCBS.

I've got the Redding Profile Crimp die -- I like it, and think it's worth the extra step. Redding says to lube when using it, but I never have.

Power Pistol will serve you well, even for those slower loads. You may get more accuracy with hotter loads, however.

I'd find a place to shoot where lead (especially) and JHPs are allowed.

Enjoy getting to know that Special. It is one of my very favorite calibers.

 

[Rickkster]

I use mostly RCBS Carbide Dies for my revolver handloads. I also have Redding, Lyman and Lee. All of them have worked fine. Currently my 624 gets fed Berry's 240 grain plated flat points over 7.3 grains of Unique.

Once I start my casting again as the weather cools off some, I will cast the RCBS .44-250-K, and work up to the Skeeter load of 7.5 grains of Unique. That load shoots very well out of my Ruger TALO SS Blackhawk.

The Berry's load is a good load out of my 624. I just happen to really like the Skeeter load. Most of my brass is Starline.

Have fun!

Cheers,

Rick

 

[PattonTime]

44 Special

I have great success with either Accurate #5 or Power Pistol.
I am very frustrated with Unique, it works fantastic, but I just can not get it to meter.
I had not used it in a couple of years, so I just tried it again for my 45 Colt
I can not keep within 3/10's either way, and that is with my Competition Pistol version RCBS measure.
Sorry to rant , but Power Pistol is only a bit slower and so is #5 and they meter great.
I use plated , lead, I have 1000 HP 180 grain IMI bullets I got at Wideners
those work well in my 44, otherwise I also like a Frontier plated bullet that does have a cannalure but they are hard to come by.
They are hard cast , then plated.
Chris

 

[DWalt]

Back when I was shooting CAS, my .44 Special load for my two Ruger Super Blackhawks and my Winchester 94 Trapper (16" barrel) was 6.0 gr 231 and 240 grain lead SWC. I never chronographed it, but it did very well on steel targets. I always used .44 Special in my Model 94 during rifle stages as I could load 10 rounds in the magazine. I couldn't do that with .44 Mag cases.

 

[jtcarm]

Ditto on the jacketed bullets, the .44 special is best fed cast. I've been loading on an rcbs carbide set for 30 years. My old uniflow powder measure does just fine

Not to hijack the thread, but I was about to inquire about a good source for commercial cast bullets for my M24. I gave up casting several years ago for lack of time and am nearing the end of my supply. I shot the "skeeter" load for years till I discovered the LBT ogival wadcutter. It's been at least 15 years since I tried commercial bullets and found them way too hard and undersized to obdurate.

 

[TAROMAN]

Missouri Bullet Co. specializes in making bullets to specific BHN numbers for different velocities. I have had great results with their products.
A local company here in Oregon, Badman Bullets, caters to the cowboy action shooters. Their bullets also are appropriate hardness for 44 Special velocities.
My "go to" bullet is a 200 grain LRNFP.
Both the above mentioned firm's bullets run well in my .44s.

 

[TheTinMan]

jtcarm - I've been impressed by Penn Bullet's products and customer service. Bob Palermo runs the place and is very accessible.

In .44 caliber, he'll make .429, .430, .431 and .432 diameter bullets. Most of the .38 caliber bullets are available in two different hardness levels.

I'm sure that there are other great sources of cast lead bullets. Personally, when I find a quality product with really good customer service I stop looking.

 

[jtcarm]

Thanks! BTW I saw a comment about loading home defense rounds. I'm sure there's many more knowledgable than me, but I would advise factory ammo for defense, a lawyer might have a field day if you shoot someone with handloads. Something like Glasers would be safer anyway. I keep my .44 loaded with silvertips or blazers with the flying ashtray HP.

 

[TheTinMan]

Thanks! BTW I saw a comment about loading home defense rounds. I'm sure there's many more knowledgable than me, but I would advise factory ammo for defense, a lawyer might have a field day if you shoot someone with handloads. Something like Glasers would be safer anyway. I keep my .44 loaded with silvertips or blazers with the flying ashtray HP.

I pray that I never need to use a firearm in self defense. However, if the worst came to pass, a shooting is either justifiable or it isn't. Is a home invader going to sue me because my hollow point wasn't going fast enough to expand or was going so fast it was a through-and-through? If someone came up with a single specific example where someone ran into legal trouble due to hand loads in a justified shooting, I probably would change my mind.