240GR. Hardcast Velocity?

[RB-3]

I will be loading some 240gr. Keith type swc bullets for hunting in my 44 mag. SBH. What is a good velocity to load for good penetration without excessive recoil?

[Paul H]

10 gr unique will launch them at 1000 fps, an accurate load w/o excessive recoil, and reasonable penetration.  You can also use 2400 to load them up to 1200 fps for a bit more penetration, and a tad more recoil.  Unless the bullet has a gascheck, I wouldn't go for the max 1500 fps loads.

[MS Hitman]

Load these bullets any where in the range of 1000 to 1200 fps and you should have all the penetration you need on thin skinned game without much recoil.  I got 31" of penetration in wet newsprint with a 255 SWC out of a .45 Auto-Rim loaded to 900 fps.

[S.B.]

I don't know, for sure, what bullet your talking about. I load the Lyman 429421 over 21 grains of 2400 for a chronographed 1350. That 1350 is a conservative figure, most clock a little faster than that. I use CCI large primers not the magnum ones, just the regular ones. By the way this is Keith's load from many moons back and still does a very good job. As far as my two cents worth, I'd load 240 grain jacketed hollow points for the thin skinned(deer) stuff, not the hard casts.

[Gregory]

RB
Out of a 5.5" barrel Redhawk 21.0/2400 Lyman 429421 cast SWC went 1310 FPS.  Same bullet and 10.7 Unique went 1140 FPS.   The Unique load was much more pleasant to shoot.
The same 21.0/2400 Lyman 429421 cast SWC load goes 1537 FPS out of my 14" Contender barrel.

I traded my Redhawk for a S&W Model 624 44 Special and 16.0/2400 with the Lyman bullet goes 1087 FPS out of it's 6.5" barrel.

I wouldn't hesitate to use any of these loads on deer, but I prefer the Nosler 200 gr JHP for that chore.