44 mag ? / nosler , 2400

Y

yotekyllr

New member
Who has a Nosler manual?

I bought a new 44 mag today along with dies, powder, and bullets and other paraphanelia. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The bullet is a Nosler 200gr jhp,with Alient 2400 powder.

Does anybody have the Nosler published data for this bullet and powder combo? I don't have a nosler manual anymore since I don't load their rifle bullets. I have a lyman 48th and hornady 7th with conflicting info for 200gr jhp and 2400. I know that bullets are built different but am not sure how much difference it make between manufactures in this case. Hornady lists a max load with their 200 XTP at 25.3 while lyman lists 23.6 for the same bullet. With this I am thinking to start with 22gr of 2400 with the Nosler. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

If I could get some feedback from Nosler's listing of my exact bullet I will know where to start. I can't find didly squat for the nosler on the net. Thanks, Allen
 
I am at the shop and books are at home. It does not matter greatly as to whose data you use. start mid range of the average data and load em up. Those specs were determined in their test guns. Since the one you bought is obviously not the gun they tested, the data is a reccommendation based on their test. Start with the middle and your gun will tell you when to stop.
 
35 years ago my favorite load for my 44 Mag was 23 grains of (then) Dupont 2400 with the 240 grain Sierra JHC. This load was not pleasant to shoot. If Elmer Keith said that he liked shooting this load then that short cowboy was a lot more of a man than me. But, even though it wore on me pretty quick, I loved it. 1200 ft lbs of energy as it shoved that big hollow point out the barrel at over 1500 fps. Wow. I shot that load for years. When I was lucky enough to hit something with it, it was something to behold. I once shot a huge bullfrog with it about 25 yards out. Trust me on this one- he felt no pain. WOW did he come apart!

My advice these days is to dont shoot it quite that hot. A 200 grain bullet at 1300 fps is plenty for deer. A 300 grain at 1200 will kill any elk. If you going after bigger game than that, get a rifle- not a bigger handgun.
 
The sixth edition manual gives 20.8 as a starting load and 21.8 as maximum with the max load being the most accurate. The velocity is given as 1619 with the max load from an 8.25 inch barrel.
 
Dang, that is signifigantly lower than the Hornady listing for a 200gr. The max you provided Blackhawk is lower than the hornady minimum /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and also is 2grs lower than the lyman max. My new revolver is a SBH bisley hunter w/ 7.5 bbl, the hornady test data is with a 7.5 SRH. Does Nosler make more than one 200gr bullet? mine is PN 44846 and is not a full jacket but has a lead HP head on it.
 
Yotekiller they only list one 200 grain bullet.
they say the data was with a douglas barrel so I would assume it was a universal reciever, which to me is suspicious as far as max pressure. I have never used 2400 in 44 only H110 or unique. The one thing I like about the nosler manual is they give the load density so you can pick a powder that nearly fills the case.
 
Over time powder blends change, that is why thy print new editions of loading manuals. Thirty years ago one of the ideal loads for the 44 Mag was 23 grns of 2400 under a 240 grn JHP I used that load a lot but then changed to 26 grns H110 as it burnt cleaner. I started casting bullets and found Unique at 9.0 or 10 grns gave me good groups and decent power. Many of the manufacturers use universal recievers for pressure testing. So I feel those loads are suspect. No a danger per se but they tend to be on the light side. (Dang lawyers are getting in every where now a days)
In my experiance, handguns do not show a real marked differance in external ballistics when changeing bullet brands. As long as the bullet wt is the same for the charge. In other words your Noslers will work with any 200 grn bullet load, any powder charge for a 200 grn bullet will work. The only caution is if loading cast do not use a max load for a Jacketed bullet. Pressures can change drasticly between cast and jacketed bullets .
 
2400 is filthy powder, makes you feel as if you are shooting corn flakes for powder. I feel as if the 2400 must be very hard to ignite, there is so much left in the bore, throat, and cylinder.

H110 is one step faster than 296, back off the listed 296 loads and work your way up. 23.5g of H110 with the 240g bullet has been unreal accurate in my Rugers. I used Win mag primers and best accuracy was in Win brass.

I prefer the nosler partition bullets for deer hunting.
 
Ok, here is what I came up with at the range today over the chrono.

200gr Nosler jhp, 2400, new win brass, and WLP primers.

21.6gr ave for 10 = 1317fps (very mild, like a petting a sedated gopher.)

22gr ave for 10 = 1330 (smooth recoil)

22.5gr ave for 12 = 1346 (good recoil with fun meter still pegged)

23gr ave for 10 = 1395 (heavier recoil, but still very comfortable, seemed a bit hotter and had to use plunger to remove some cases from cylinder vs just letting the brass fall out.)

23.5 ave for 10 = 1440 (mule kicks but no pain, fun factor dissipation evident case bulge near webbing.)

As far as I can tell the velocity is on par with what Hornady gives for thier bullet on the last two charges. I didn't get even close to Hornady's max,, listed at 25.3gr @ 1550fps. With most of the 23.5 charges, the new win cases showed a bulge about 1/4" up the case from the bottom. Primers are intact with no pressure signs and I am not sure what indicates excessive pressure in pistol cartriges. The bulge does not seem to go all the way around the case and I don't see the typical brass line like in rifle cartriges. But on the safe side this is where I stopped. The ruger had no problem firing these loads but the cases made me side with caution.

This data comes out of my new SBH Bisley hunter w/ 7.5" bbl. The nosler listed max of 21.6 that Blackhawk looked up last night was a pussycat in this gun. The ruger does weigh 52oz and I am in love with the Bisley grip frame. I fired 120 rnds in total today and could of pushed double that down range. I shot 40 of the 23gr going about 1400 at the steel machine 8" plates out to 40yds and had a blast. (literally). Much more impressive knock down than a 9mm.LOL

Allen
 
According to your chrono results and the state of your fired brass. I would stop at 22.5. Maybe fool around a bit between 22.5 and 22.9, when the brass begins sticking it is a sign that you need to back down a 10th grain or so. Just my opinion based on my experiance with the 44 Mag over forty odd years shooting and hand loading them. Now you need to start looking for the most accurate load, for your revolver. I bet if you drop to 22.0 and start shooting for groups you will find it between the 22.0 and 22.5 grn. Most of the time your better off with accuracy over speed. You get more consistant stops with and accuratly placed bullet than you will with a real fast one.
 
I appriciate your advice. Admittidly, this is my first .44 mag if that wasn't evident. Thats what I needed to hear and was thinking while cleaning the firearm that 22.5 should be the stopping point for this bullet. I am very glad I didn't start these loads based on the hornady values alone. I mostly to wheel guns so I am a bit unsure if they will display the same pressure signs that rifles do.
 
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