What is your go to powder and bullet for the 44 mag ?

7

76_michael

New member
Well since I had a little time to work in my loading room , been working 44 mag brass , getting ready to load up . I was just wondering what powder and bullet choice you all use , I myself have found my Ruger Redhawk like a stiff shot of IMR4227 and really shoots well with Sierra 240 gr JHC . I do have a Nikon 2x scope on it Im getting about 1 1/2 group at 50 yards I dont think thats terrible cause im not a great pistol shot anyway . I had tried some 2400 , but 4227 shot better , but with 4227 not all the powder seems to be burnt , a few sticks of powder in barrel after the shot but stiil shoots good , I might add Ive tried differnt primers and found that Rem 2 1/2 seem to shoot tighter than others ive tried . How far do you all go with brass prep with the 44 mag? Me, i beleive I go over board but I figure it all can help . I cut all my brass 1.275" and I square up all of the primer pockets , and sort my brands of brass out it does make more work of it but I enjoy it , Like I said just messing around with it and wondered what other did with there 44 mag
 
Since 1973 my .44 Magnums have burned enough 2400 to comfortably warm a small town for a week in the dead of winter. Back then I loaded 23 grain of it with the Sierra 240 grain JHC or 27 grains with the 180 grain JHC. Used a CCI 350 primer to light it off with. Funny that a pound of powder ($4) a box of bullets ($4) and a flat of primers ($.70) cost me about an hours pay back then. I shot a lot.

A few years later I discovered casting and used 14 grains of Blue Dot or 9 grains of Unique with a 250 grain SWC Keith. Both loads I still shoot today on occasion.

Were I only to load two powders for my .44 Mags today I guess that they would be Lil' Gun and Universal. Good power and accuracy for the first and good accuracy for the second.

I have never trimmed a straight wall case. I do separate by headstamp and I shoot them until I start getting split cast mouths or loose primer pockets.

I will never again shoot my .44 handguns like I used to. It has been almost 20 years now since I had to send my old three screw Super Blackhawk back to Ruger to have a new barrel put on it due to the fact that I had worn out the original. Took a lot of shooting I will tell you that. Shot more .44 Magnums in one year than I likely will shoot the rest of my life and for sure, I am 100% OK with that. .22 rimfires and centerfire varmint rifles nowadays. Age has a way to telling you to throttle back on certain things.
 
Typically a warm load of 2400 under a Hornady 240 or 300 grain XTP for a hunting load. For a plinking load a midrange load of 2400 and a hard cast 240-260 grain bullet.
 
When it comes to handguns I have two favorite cast bullets, the Lyman 49421 250 grain SWC and an LBT 300 WLN. I always liked the the 429421 over 2400 for most of my shooting. With the 300 I always used H110. H110 and 2400 have always been my go to powders in the 41 mag and 45 Colt. I no longer have a 44 magnum handgun but do have a Ruger Deerstalker. Cast bullets are out for it due to the gas system. I use the Hornady 265 FP and H110. I'm working remote on my two week hitch right now so don't have access to my data. I tried 2400, 4227 and H110 in the carbine and the H110 loads performed the best.

As for brass prep, I always clean my brass in a tumbler, clean the primer pockets and trim to a consistent length so the crimps are uniform. I haven't gotten to the point of squaring up the primer pockets on pistol brass yet but have on my varmint rifles.

Mart
 
I like rustydust used a lot of 2400 in mine (liked to shoot a few rounds in the night) wasn't particular what bullet then, but now it kind of sits. I guess i too have progressed to other shooting. I always have a soft spot in my heart for it. I have a Herter's 44 mag and always had to reretighten the screws.
 
Thanks guys for the info , I too like loading and shooting my varmit rifles , but was almost out of reloads for my 44 so just wondered , im always intrested in loading and what others use , i know what works best for me but sometimes I like to get more info and try didnt loads in other guns you just never know you might or might not find a better load that your gun might like better.
 
has anyone played with difernt primers , Ive used cci Fed 210 and Rem 2 1/2 and a few other mag primers but Rem 2 1/2 got the best group playing with differnt primers
 
H110 and 270 sp speer

but id sure like find some more 300g soft points
I got 50 loaded up -but Im saving them for backpacking
till I can find some more
meanwhile 270sp aint no slouch
 
Starting out I was a fan of any 240 gr jacketed bullet with 2400 or Unique. Than I started casting and shooting the Lyman 429421 250 gr bullet. My preferred load was 17.0 gr of 2400 or 7.5 gr of Unique.

I never believed in pushing the .44 mag or Spl unless I was doing some serious hunting.

Since starting with the .44 I've given up on Unique, it's a terrible metering powder. I replaced it with Universal and haven't looked back.
 
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