Question about 44 mag reloading

[JASON50CAL]

I am going to use H-110 powder but was told to use magnum primers, i have alot of cci 300's i was going to use until i heard this. Does anyone use a standard primer with this powder or is it a no-no. Also i'm not new to reloading but this is the first pistol cartridge i have loaded for, do i need to bell the case mouth for jacketed bullets too or just for cast bullets. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Jason

[Richard P]

  Jason, H110 and its twin, Win 296 are noted for needing a hot primer. Additionally these benefit from heavy bullet weight and tight case necks/ crimps. They must raise the pressure in order to burn properly. The other warning on these is to not download them very much.  It is always a help to have a light bell on case mouths to facilitate seating bullets. It doesnt take much for jacketed bullets. For cast/swaged bullets you dont want to shave the sides of the bullet.
   Winchester primers state ''for standard or magnum loads'', so heed the powder manufacturer and primer maker's evaluation.  Accurate#9 powder is suitable for 44m but I dont believe Accurate (now Western Powders) specifies a magnum with it.  If you are looking for max loads, H110 / W296 will get you there.  Many other powders offer more versatility.  RP

[Drilling Man]

  I've been loading my 44 mag. ammo with H-110 since the 70's, i use CCI 350's and would not use 300's, or any other non magnum primer with this powder.

  DM

[buck460XVR]

I am going to use H-110 powder but was told to use magnum primers, i

You was told right. H110/W296 under a 240gr JHP/JSP is my most accurate load outta my 629. But it do like a magnum primer.

[mbopp]

You could get a pound of 2400 and use standard primers.
Yeah, 296 / H110 and a 240 gr bullet is the most accurate load in my SBH. I can't get any cast loads to shoot as well.

[teddy12b]

Wow, I've been loading 240gr hornady XTP - HP's over H110 using remington large pistol primers.  I don't think I've ever used a magnum primer in my 44 reloads and I've never had a problem.  Maybe I've just been getting lucky, but I've shot probably close to 1000 rounds loaded like that over the years.

[Drilling Man]

You could get a pound of 2400 and use standard primers.
Yeah, 296 / H110 and a 240 gr bullet is the most accurate load in my SBH. I can't get any cast loads to shoot as well.

  H-110 with a 250 grain hard cast bullet, is the most accurate 44 load i've shot, over the years. (M-29 S&W revolvers)  I've won a lot of long range matches with that combo too, along with taking everything from moose on down with it.

  DM

[drdougrx]

20gr H110/CCI Mag Pistol Primers and 300gr XTPs for me outta a 4" SW-29 mountain gun.  Haven't tried 240s or hard cast out of this gun...yet.   240grXTPs/22gr H110/CCI Mag Pistol primers outta a 6" M29 so far.  My accuracy seems to get an inch or so at 50 feet with both and 4" at 50 yards generally but that's the best I can do with iron sights.......

[wncchester]

There is a small difference in mag primers but it's not massive.  Ball powders do tend to be harder to touch off but a .44 mag case (or .357) full of H-110 will burn nicely with standard primers so it's not a no-no.  In fact, if memory serves, no magnum pistol caps were available when that powder first became available.  Using heavy bullets (240 gr +) with full charges need a heavy crimp to prevent pulling bullets more than for ignition, it IS a man-sized round!  (Do not reduce book H-110 loads by much.)

Back in the 60s when my 6" M29 was new and my eyes were sharp I could usually put 3 rounds into a 4" group at 100 yards with a full charge of 2400 and Lyman 250 gr. SWC-GC bullets.  Did as well later with H-110 charges too but the recoil was sharper so I suppose the speeds where higher. (No one had a chronograph in those days, you young guys have it easy today.)

[Sweetwater]

Even Winchester warns to use Magnum Pistol primers with 110/296 and apparently believe their large pistol primer is hot enough. Others developed a large pistol magnum primer, Winchester did not.

[rugerman]

I believe my reloading manuel says to load h110 with mag primmers, heavy crimp and do not go below starting load (h110 like the case to be full or compacted slightly. I use it in all my magnum rounds and its the most consistent and accurate that I've found.

[mdi]

I don't think the powder manufacturer recommended magnum primers just to sell magnum primers or as advertising hype. I've seen pics of clumps of unburned powder (WW296) stuck in a barrel behind a bullet half way down the bore. I didn't see it personally, but I talked to a reloader in the local candy store and he mentioned the same thing happened to him. So, load up about 100 with large pistol primers, and load up 100 with magnum primers and all will prolly go bang. But, chances are, somewhere down the line, you'll get a squib from incomplete ignition using standard primers.

[Sweetwater]

Or as I posted, you can stay with Winchester Large Pistol Primers -

you can bet they don't use somebody else's primers and they are using H110..

[Drilling Man]

Or as I posted, you can stay with Winchester Large Pistol Primers -

you can bet they don't use somebody else's primers and they are using H110..

  Actually, they may or may not be using canister grade H-110, and they may or may not be using the same Winchester over the counter primers with it?

  DM

[Sweetwater]

Or as I posted, you can stay with Winchester Large Pistol Primers -

you can bet they don't use somebody else's primers and they are using H110..

  Actually, they may or may not be using canister grade H-110, and they may or may not be using the same Winchester over the counter primers with it?

  DM

Always that possibility - anybody know for sure?

[mdi]

Just looking at a couple manuals, Lyman and Hodgdon (For rifles and Handguns with Hodgdon, IMR and Winchester powders). 44 Rem. Magnum in the Hodgdon manual show use of Remington 2 1/2 Large Pistol Primers with WW296. Lyman manual shows CCI Large Pistol Magnum primers used for H110 & WW 296. So, take yer pik, but for me, I'll stick w/magnum primers ('cause I've got about 4,000 of 'em and the reports of incomplete ignition).