.44 Mag reloads

T

Tooltime 2

New member
Going to reload .44 mag for my Ruger 77/44 rifle. I see most guys like H110 powder and Hornady 240gr XTP bullets. The thing I'm stuck on is the primer. Should I use large rifle or pistol ? standard or magnum primers??


John
 
With 296/H110, do not back of the customary 10% for the minimum load to start. Don't go below the minimum you can get some pressure problems if you do.
 
I load pistol loads to crimp in the crimping groove as long as they are shorter than the chamber length.
 
Originally Posted By: Tooltime 2Does anyone measure there gun's C.O.L. and make adjustments when reloading .44's or just load them per the manuals C.O.L.?

John

Ever met a reloading addict that wasn't a tweaker?
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Greg
 
I load both my 44 S&W 629PC Hunter and my Marlin 1894 44Mag to the same seating depth . Right in the canilure groove and have gotten good groups out of both guns. I need to chrono both guns this summer just to see the speed difference. I use a 24.0 gr. Charge of H-110 with a 240gr. XTP.
 
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One of the guys over on the cast bullet site has shot silhouette forever he's in his late 70's now if he's still kicking. Anyway he found that the Fed 150 large pistol was the most consistent/accurate for his 44 pistols uses them year roun. He lives in north Michigan not sure how many deer he takes a year during the winter up there. For him his go to bullet is the gas checked lee cast 310grain with h110. I use the same bullet in my super red hawk and have had excellent results on deer with this bullet.
I also shoot the 240 xtp I have found that 23.5 grains of h110 will shoot well in just about everything you feed it through. This is the load my father used in the super red hawk for deer and this is what I use in my henry rifle.
The only bullet I would shy away from for deer is the nosler 240 sport handgun. I had a yearling fawn at about 45 yard quartering toward me bullet blew up on the point of the shoulder. Luckily it ran toward me and got broadside and I zipped one through the ribs. First shot just splattered all over the outside of the shoulder little chunks of lead every were. Really soft soft lead compared to the xtp.
And one more powder to add to your list is IMR 4227 this is what my late uncle used in his Mod 29
Justin
 
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I interchange H110 and 2400. Both work well with higher end loads. I use mag pistol primers with both.

I will note, H110 is the ONLY powder I have ever encountered which would give squibs in cold weather - even with full power (book max) loads). When I use up my supply of H110 I will switch over to 2400. Perhaps it is ok in a rifle, but in a revolver, the squibs were not rare in 10 degree weather.
 
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I load 240 grain XTP's over 20 grains 2400 using standard Winchester large pistol primers, for both my 1894 Marlin and my S&W revolvers. This is a very accurate, and deadly load in all my .44's. I use a heavy crimp in the crimping groove of the XTP's.
 
Originally Posted By: springerI interchange H110 and 2400. Both work well with higher end loads. I use mag pistol primers with both.

I will note, H110 is the ONLY powder I have ever encountered which would give squibs in cold weather - even with full power (book max) loads). When I use up my supply of H110 I will switch over to 2400. Perhaps it is ok in a rifle, but in a revolver, the squibs were not rare in 10 degree weather.
Not doubting you at all but I wonder what the difference is I have about the same weather as you here in west central IL. I have used my 41 and 44 with h110 cci with standard primers at the time before switching to Federal. The only powder that I had trouble with was WSF in some 12 ga slug loads. Sounded like a hang fire with a muzzle loader when it got down to the 10 -15 degree.
Justin
 
For 95% of my 44 mag loads I like 8.5 to 9 grains of Unique with my own cast bullets, mild recoil and excellent accuracy. Yes I do shoot a few with H110, W296, 2400, and Blue Dot. The problem with them is while accuracy and performance are great they rattle the teeth out of your head which takes the fun out of things.
 
Originally Posted By: 1FoxFor 95% of my 44 mag loads I like 8.5 to 9 grains of Unique with my own cast bullets, mild recoil and excellent accuracy. Yes I do shoot a few with H110, W296, 2400, and Blue Dot. The problem with them is while accuracy and performance are great they rattle the teeth out of your head which takes the fun out of things.

A small pile of my pistol loads are 10 grains of Unique with a 429421. I could see going a little warmer with rifle loads but, a 250 grain bullet has quite a bit of penetration....
 
Originally Posted By: tomcat388thOriginally Posted By: springerI interchange H110 and 2400. Both work well with higher end loads. I use mag pistol primers with both.

I will note, H110 is the ONLY powder I have ever encountered which would give squibs in cold weather - even with full power (book max) loads). When I use up my supply of H110 I will switch over to 2400. Perhaps it is ok in a rifle, but in a revolver, the squibs were not rare in 10 degree weather.
Not doubting you at all but I wonder what the difference is I have about the same weather as you here in west central IL. I have used my 41 and 44 with h110 cci with standard primers at the time before switching to Federal. The only powder that I had trouble with was WSF in some 12 ga slug loads. Sounded like a hang fire with a muzzle loader when it got down to the 10 -15 degree.
Justin

Primer? Individual firearm? Who knows. All I know is it happened, and 2400 will give me every bit the performance with 0 chance of the issue and greater flexibility in reloading charges. I really see no advantage to H110 vs 2400.
 
Originally Posted By: 1FoxFor 95% of my 44 mag loads I like 8.5 to 9 grains of Unique with my own cast bullets, mild recoil and excellent accuracy. Yes I do shoot a few with H110, W296, 2400, and Blue Dot. The problem with them is while accuracy and performance are great they rattle the teeth out of your head which takes the fun out of things.

All of my lead plinker loads are Unique for all handgun rounds 9mm up through 44Mag. I use H110 and 2400 for FULL POWER loads, of which I shoot only a couple hundred a year.
 
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