tree cutter 08
Senior Member
Any tips or advice for reloading the 44mag? I've been reloading rifle rounds for about 10 years now and this will be my first go at pistol rounds. Going to use h110 powder as I've read a Lot of good stuff about it.
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Reloading the 44 mag
- Thread starter tree cutter 08
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JeffinPTC
Senior Member
2400 powder is another good choice. If you load near max charge, Hold On!
If you've been loading that long, I'm sure you know not to lead your barrel with supersonic non jacketed bullets.
Maybe Briar Patch will chime in for real advice.
If you've been loading that long, I'm sure you know not to lead your barrel with supersonic non jacketed bullets.
Maybe Briar Patch will chime in for real advice.
That's simply not true.
Hardcast bullets can be loaded into the 1400 fps range without significant leading.
Mr Bya Lungshot
BANNED LUNATIC FRINGE
Been loading 44 mags waaay hot for decades with h110. Can’t say how much but far past max in the books. My father wrote me the number of grains to use in the book and I use that or less.
Probably shot 1000 plus. Factory loads are pea shooters. Please don’t take my advice and work up slow. Same two guns never an issue.
Probably shot 1000 plus. Factory loads are pea shooters. Please don’t take my advice and work up slow. Same two guns never an issue.
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transfixer
Senior Member
Another thing to consider is what pistol you're shooting them in, Rugers are typically the strongest, and can handle max loads, some of the others not so much.
NE GA Pappy
Mr. Pappy
when I use to cast my own, I always sized them with a gas check on them. You can put them right along with that setup and not worry about leading to much
tree cutter 08
Senior Member
I ran across beartooth bullets. They are hard cast with gas check. Haven't ordered any yet but would like to try them. Going to try the hornady xtp. Will be shooting out of a ruger 77/44 and a blackhawk. What would y'all recommend for a deer, bear and hog bullet fired from rifle?
Tom W.
Senior Member
Do you cast at all? A Lee 310 with a gas check, Carnauba Red lube, and a BOOK load of H110 is really accurate in my SRH. I haven't been loading for the .44 long. Just started in the late 1970's.
If you are going to use H110, PLEASE pay attention to the load. 2400 is a bit more forgiving, as is 4227.
If you are going to use H110, PLEASE pay attention to the load. 2400 is a bit more forgiving, as is 4227.
jmoser
Senior Member
I load all magnums with H110: .357 thru .454.
Also load 300 gr Cast Performance lead bullets to 1350 fps in the .44 super Redhawk 7.5"
H110 and CCI magnum primers have never failed me; I can cloverleaf at 50 yards with my SRH and red dot from the bench. That's 300 gr at 1350 fps - beat that in a .44 revolver.
In the .454 I load CP 335 gr lead at similar or higher velocity out of a 5" bobbed SRH.
Start with hardest lead alloy bullets and always use gas checks.
Also load 300 gr Cast Performance lead bullets to 1350 fps in the .44 super Redhawk 7.5"
H110 and CCI magnum primers have never failed me; I can cloverleaf at 50 yards with my SRH and red dot from the bench. That's 300 gr at 1350 fps - beat that in a .44 revolver.
In the .454 I load CP 335 gr lead at similar or higher velocity out of a 5" bobbed SRH.
Start with hardest lead alloy bullets and always use gas checks.
Nimrod71
Senior Member
I load 24 gr. of Win 296 with Hornady 240 xtp bullets and they enough for me. I have killed over a dozen deer with this load in my T/C. I use to load hot loads so bad I had to take the cylinder out of the Super Blackhawk and beat the hulls out with a hammer and punch, didn't kill much with them, but was exciting to shoot.
BriarPatch99
Senior Member
H110/Win296 is a great .44 Mag powder ... I have shot quite a bit of jacket bullets with it ....
I mostly shot gas checked lead (hard)... 2400 mostly ...but many other powders also ....
Make sure you have a good crimp(roll crimp) when using H110/296 ... and magnum primers ....
the guys above have covered ^^
I mostly shot gas checked lead (hard)... 2400 mostly ...but many other powders also ....
Make sure you have a good crimp(roll crimp) when using H110/296 ... and magnum primers ....
the guys above have covered ^^
Darkhorse
Senior Member
I load Win 296 and 240 grain Speer Gold Dot softpoints (old supply) loaded max for my .44 Ruger Carbine.
My old SBH seems to kick a lot more than it did 40 years ago so I load comfortable loads with 2400 and 240 grain XTP's, somehow these loads still manage to kill deer and hogs with mostly pass thru's on deer.
For practice I load 240 grainers and Unique.
Note what BriarPatch said about crimps......
The recoil and blast of the .44 mag takes getting used to. Most people can't really shoot those max loads very well. It takes a lot of practice to become and remain proficient with them. My rule of thumb is I only hunt with a load I can shoot well, no hotter. A behind the shoulder hit at 1300 fps kills a lot better than a flinch and miss at 1700 fps.
If you can't find data for 2400 or Unique go to https://www.alliantpowder.com/resources/catalog.aspx and either order a printed guide or download one from the site.
My old SBH seems to kick a lot more than it did 40 years ago so I load comfortable loads with 2400 and 240 grain XTP's, somehow these loads still manage to kill deer and hogs with mostly pass thru's on deer.
For practice I load 240 grainers and Unique.
Note what BriarPatch said about crimps......
The recoil and blast of the .44 mag takes getting used to. Most people can't really shoot those max loads very well. It takes a lot of practice to become and remain proficient with them. My rule of thumb is I only hunt with a load I can shoot well, no hotter. A behind the shoulder hit at 1300 fps kills a lot better than a flinch and miss at 1700 fps.
If you can't find data for 2400 or Unique go to https://www.alliantpowder.com/resources/catalog.aspx and either order a printed guide or download one from the site.
Nimrod71
Senior Member
I also use blue dot and unique with 240 gr. bullets too. I use blue dot for target loads. Unique is a universal powder.
Stroker
Senior Member
2400 and Blue Dot are my go to powders for my .44 and .357 mags. Years ago used to shoot a lot of Unique but got tired of how dirty it shot. For projectiles in the .44 I load the Winchester 210gr STHP and the XTP's in 200 or 240gr depending on the firearm and it's preference, all perform well with pass thru's on deer. I have some Barnes 225 BHP's that I'm getting ready to load up and test in my Anaconda, if it's accurate enough for hunting it should be some bad medicine on deer with it's huge gaping hollow point. I load everything for 1300-1500 fps.
Darkhorse
Senior Member
Both Unique and 2400 are a lot cleaner burning today than the older stuff. I load a lot of rounds in my .40 S&W with Unique and Rainier plated bullets and it burns plenty clean for me. It truly is a universal powder.
tree cutter 08
Senior Member
I loaded a handful this last week. I noticed that the case is slightly swelled where the bullet is seated. Is this normal? They chamber find just wandering if it's normal to see the print of the bullet.
BriarPatch99
Senior Member
Yes ...it is ..
tree cutter 08
Senior Member
Thanks, I was looking at some factory loads and it wasn't noticeable in them so it got me wandering.
BriarPatch99
Senior Member
I have three sets of .44 Mag dies ... two RCBS & one Lyman ...
They all cause the same type look ... the oldest RCBS set has the least and the Lyman set the most ....
Remember factory ammo has not been shot(in your gun)... not resized either ...
The only time I worry about "wasp waist" is when it is uneven around the bullet ... that can be caused by the bullet not being seated straight or that the brass might be thinner on one side of the other ... there are other causes but these two are the most common ...
They all cause the same type look ... the oldest RCBS set has the least and the Lyman set the most ....
Remember factory ammo has not been shot(in your gun)... not resized either ...
The only time I worry about "wasp waist" is when it is uneven around the bullet ... that can be caused by the bullet not being seated straight or that the brass might be thinner on one side of the other ... there are other causes but these two are the most common ...
BriarPatch99
Senior Member
The folks with the knowledge ... tell us ... that in those first few micro seconds after the primer is fired and the powder is first ignited( before the bullet begins to move)...those brass cartridge walls are slammed out to the cylinder walls to seal to chamber ... so they ( the brass walls) are ironed out with up to 36,000 lbs of pressure when the bullet is engraved into the rifling ...
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