Home› Main Category› General Firearms
black mamba
Posts: 158 Member
Workin' Up Some .44 Magnum Loads
black mamba
Posts: 158 Member
I showed pics of my new (used) S&W 629-5 about a month ago, but my eyes ain't what they used to be, so I put a Millett red dot sight on it. Mounting the Jack Weigand base was easy and the sight went on beautifully. NOW I CAN AIM AGAIN !! Here she is with the target from this morning's range session.
This is just the second load I've tried for it, 9.0 grains of HP-38 being the first, but slightly less accurate. Average of 7 shots with the Chrony at 12 feet was 1049, so I called it 1060 fps at the muzzle, with the 270 grain Speer Gold Dot JSP. WW Super once-fired brass and WLP primers @ 1.605" OAL with a good crimp in the groove. I believe the horizontal stringing is still human error. I think this would shoot 5/8" from a better rest, or with better eyes. Recoil is a pussycat, just a good puff.
Next is my T/C Encore with Bullberry 10" heavy .44 mag barrel and 2x Leupold LER scope. The chambering on this pistol is so tight that .430 bullets will not chamber, thus the Nosler (.429") 300 grain JHP is my bullet of choice. I need to try some Sierra's as well, as they are .4295" in diameter.
I worked this load up to 19.5 grains of Accurate 4100 powder with CCI-350 magnum primers, but then backed off to 19.0 grains and the standard CCI-300 large pistol primer. These loads may be over book max, but being a single shot pistol, I can load them long. COAL for these loads is 1.718", which is still .02" off the lands, and gives a much larger powder space in the case. Average of 7 shots over the Chrony (over two separate sessions) was 1353 fps @ 12 feet, so I called it 1365 fps at the muzzle. A nice 1" group at a breezy 25 yds, and again, the pistol is more accurate than I am.
It was an excellent day at the range!
This is just the second load I've tried for it, 9.0 grains of HP-38 being the first, but slightly less accurate. Average of 7 shots with the Chrony at 12 feet was 1049, so I called it 1060 fps at the muzzle, with the 270 grain Speer Gold Dot JSP. WW Super once-fired brass and WLP primers @ 1.605" OAL with a good crimp in the groove. I believe the horizontal stringing is still human error. I think this would shoot 5/8" from a better rest, or with better eyes. Recoil is a pussycat, just a good puff.
Next is my T/C Encore with Bullberry 10" heavy .44 mag barrel and 2x Leupold LER scope. The chambering on this pistol is so tight that .430 bullets will not chamber, thus the Nosler (.429") 300 grain JHP is my bullet of choice. I need to try some Sierra's as well, as they are .4295" in diameter.
I worked this load up to 19.5 grains of Accurate 4100 powder with CCI-350 magnum primers, but then backed off to 19.0 grains and the standard CCI-300 large pistol primer. These loads may be over book max, but being a single shot pistol, I can load them long. COAL for these loads is 1.718", which is still .02" off the lands, and gives a much larger powder space in the case. Average of 7 shots over the Chrony (over two separate sessions) was 1353 fps @ 12 feet, so I called it 1365 fps at the muzzle. A nice 1" group at a breezy 25 yds, and again, the pistol is more accurate than I am.
It was an excellent day at the range!
Replies
Is that a 629 "Classic" I ask because of the underlug on the bbl?
Try 9 or 10 grains of Unique as a good target and all around load with a 240 grain bullet.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
BTW - Titegroup can be very unforgiving as far as load data goes. For example, with a 240 grain Speer bullet, Hodgdon shows starting load at 9 grains, max load at 10 grains. Not much wiggle room.
That's why I like HP-38: it works well over a wide velocity/pressure range. Does anyone like any of the medium slow powders with cast bullets in .44 mag, like IMR-800X, or similar?
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I also have a S&W 629 Classic, it's the most accurate .44 I've ever fired and that has been quite a few.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I've never used 800x, but Accurate No. 7 fits right in that category. I've had some really good results with it in 357 mag. and 45 Colt. Burns clean and meters very well. Overall, I like the Accurate line of handgun powders. 2, 5, 7 and 9. You can pretty much do anything you need to do with any handgun cartridge with Accurate 5, 7 and 9 powders. You can get better velocity with other powders, such as using 296 or other slow powders for handpounders, and possibly better accuracy with Titegroup or HP38 for target and plinking loads.
There are just too many powders out there. I've played with a whole bunch of them, buying them one pound at a time and testing different loads with them. I've narrowed my preference down to Titegroup, AA7, AA9, Win 296 and Trail Boss for cast plinking loads. With those, I can load every handgun cartridge I personally load, mild to wild, target, plinking or hunting. 9mm, 45ACP, 38spcl, 357mag, 45 Colt, 454 Casull and (when I loaded for it) 44spcl and mag.
I think everyone has thier powder preferences. If I had to narrow mine down more than I have, I'd go with the Accurate Arms line of handgun powders.
Good shooting !! Unique 9 - 10 - 11 grains is good for a 250 gr bullet. ( i use cast Keith style ) 1 inch off the bench.
bwb
Light loads are a no-no with H110.
JAY
Actually some LOOK straight walled like the .30 carbine, but have a slight taper and require lube, trust me.
.44/.357/.45 and so forth require no lube, just use a carbide sizing die, standard issue with modern reloading die sets.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
And there is no such warning using Winchester 296 powder, the same thing as H-110, go figure.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Life member of the American Legion, the VFW, the NRA and the Masonic Lodge, retired LEO
Reloading straight wall cases is far easier than bottleneck when using carbide dies, which I'm sure you have. When you load handpounders, like 44mag with H110/W296, you might have to trim your cases a little more often to get consistent crimps. Of course, you'll have one extra step, flaring the case mouth. Not hard, just don't want to flare any more than needed so you don't work the brass too much. Just enough flare to accept the bullet. I'm pretty sure you're aware of this. Just trying to prod you a little to get you to try it. I'm getting tired of watching your tiny groups out of rifles. I want to see new range reports........
Try it. I think you'll have a blast............pun intended.
I don't want to start an argument, but I believe 24gr of 2400 is pretty hot for a 240gr load. Are you sure you're not getting that mixed up with 24gr of H110/W296? 20.5gr of 2400 is as high as I need to go with 240gr'ers, I get @ 1350 ft/sec with that out of a 6 1/2" model 629. 21.0gr of 2400 gives me around 1400 ft/sec, but CCI primers are too flat for my liking, and extraction is getting sticky.
Actually, 20.0gr is nice for 2400. If I want something hotter, I prefer H110.
No argument, back in 69 or 70 when i bought my Ruger there was a article in the Rifleman or G&A by Elmer Keith, his load was the 24 - 2400 - 240, if i remember right he was using a S & W M-29 with a 4"bbl. I dont think H-110 or W-296 was around then. If you look in older Speer manual's you will find this load. In todays reloading manual's many loads are reduced compaired to the older books, im sure this is due to libelity issues. In a later artical by Keith he thought the Ruger was stronger than the S & W. Over the years thats the only load i've used and i've never had any problems with the Ruger, no flatened or extruded primers or hard extraction.
JAY
Correction, I bought the Ruger in 1960 when i got back from Africa. I also load 21.5gr of 2400 with a 210gr bullet in my .41 mag Ruger, thats a higher load than is listed in todays manuals.
JAY
I've never loaded the 250 swc only the 240.
JAY
Glad to see you and I are like minded on that. 44 specials are for weenie loads. 44mags are for manly loads. Why choose that cartridge if you're not going to use it for what is we designed for? Some goes for 45/454.
There's something I can agree with. I've got three pistols and one rifle in .44mag and I've never shot .44specials or light loads out of them. I have lighter calibers for lighter loads. I only separate my .44mag loads by "Ruger" level loads, and "Smith and Wesson" level loads and I buy H110 by the keg.
Ahh... but if you carry your .44 from time to time (I do), it's nice to have some ~950-1000 fps loads on hand. :-)
Luis