Load for S&W 629 .44 Mag

[crabo]

Anyone have a good load for the S&W 629?  I want a load that will fly good at long range and not beat my gun to death with a lot of use.

Thanks,

Crabo

[Graybeard]

IHMSA or NRA Silhouette?

In NRA where max range is 100 meters on half scale targets I used 12.5 grains of Unique and the Hornady 180 JHP (pre XTP) in my S&W 29 10-5/8" to win a lot of matches. In fact one season I won every single iron sight match held at the largest club in B'ham, AL using that load.

Now if IHMSA shooting at 200 meters on full scale that load ain't gonna get the job done for sure but it sure put the whammy on the NRA targets was mild and accurate.

[crabo]

Graybeard, I was hoping you would chime in.  I did a lot of shooting last week at a 12" square plate at 150 meters.  I was using 10 grains of Unique under a RCBS 250K cast bullet.  I was hitting it offhand fairly regular, but I feel like I could do better.  I feel like if I could work up a good 200 meter load, I could go shoot silhouettes or have a good long range plinking load.

I forgot to say I want to use cast bullets.

Thanks,

Crabo

[Graybeard]

While I've never shot the IHMSA game since it's not available locally it's my understanding that it takes a heavy bullet or at least near max loads in the .44 Magnum to consistently take down the rams. I think all others would likely fall even to the mild load I used in NRA competition.

I suspect any decent 240 grain or so cast bullet over max book charges of W296 or 2400 would take down the rams with decent hits. I cast and use the Lyman 429244 gas check bullet and it has always been super accurate for me. Both me and my best friend often used it in competition over 17.5 grains of 2400 which again is a fairly mild load but not as mild as the 180 grain bullet I switched to later. Both took off the 100 meter half scale rams with authority meaning they shoved the rams well off the rail and they dropped 3' or more behind the rail.

If you cast that Lyman 429244 is an excellent choice. Many like the Keith style 429421 and while it's a good bullet I really like a gas check for competition shooting. The now discontinued Lyman 429640 drops from my alloy at about 280 grains and looks much like an LBT style bullet. I suspect it or the LBT bullets in that weight range or higher would take off the rams when loaded with a max book charge.

[Smokin7mm]

Both the NRA & IHMSA have longrange (200M) courses as well as the shorter HP or field pistol (100M).  Full power loads are not needed for the longrange course.  I have shot both, am currently the IHMSA Washington State Director as well as being a match director for NRA & IHMSA.  With the tople rule that was implemented long ago this negated the need for the max loads needed to take rams.  I currently shoot a 32-20 in the standing catagory using heavy cast bullets (175gr) at a modest 1100fps and they take rams 99% for the time. In my unlimited standing gun (7TCU) I shoot a 150gr cast bullet at around 1450fps with very reliable knockdown again probably 99%.  I shot a 44mag in revolver class a number of years ago.  A 240gr bullet leaving at 1100fps or more is more than enough.  The key is to get the accurate load.  I currently shoot a Freedom Arms 41mag.  I use a 240gr cast bullet, 18.5gr H4227, Winchester LP primer.  I have not chronographed this load yet but it is not hot and it has never failed to take a ram.  Hope this information helps.
Bret

[crabo]

What is the "topple" rule?

Thanks,

Crabo

[Mikey]

Crabo:  If the 'Topple Rule' is the same as when I shot Metallic Silhouette 30 something eyars ago it means the target has to topple, or fall.  It cannot be just 'rung' - that is, hit by the bullet that makes it ring when hit, or 'rocked' - which means 'wobbled' or almost toppled. 

It used to mean that you hafta knock it off its perch and make it fall over. 

Our favorite 44 magnum load for the Metallic Silhouette was the 240-245 gn keith style swc, gas checked or otherwise, over the factory load of Winchester 296:  25 gns for cast slugs and 24 for jacketed.  I once got the loadings mixed and shot 25 gns under 240 gn jacketed slugs but in my Ruger Super Blackhawk it didn't matter - they still hit those rams like it was meant to be.  Some guys mixed their loads to shoot milder ones at the 50 and 100 yd targets, some didn't. 

Most of our shoots were during the dead of winter and it would get really cold on that firing line - one of our shoots saw temperatures to minus 32 Farenheight and it was nasty that day. 

We found that when it was so cold like that even with the 44 magnums we had to hit the 200 yd ram high center to knock it over.  If we hit it low it would ring out and rock or wobble but often no topple.  Same thing with the 200 gn 357 loads - either you clocked the ram high center to topple it or all you got was a 'ringing' awareness that your slug had hit the silhouette.  Mikey.

[Smokin7mm]

The topple rule is basicly, in stead of setting the ram full foot on the rail it would have 1 inch of the back of the foot hanging off the rail.  This gives a much shorter leverage point and the rams go down much easier.  This rule was implemented because in the early days people were overloading their guns to be able to reliably knock down rams.
Bret

[WayneS]

I take it you already have the RCBS 250 K mold, so, if I were back to shooting a .44 wheel gun, first I would mike or slug  each cylinder throat, find the 5 that are the most uniform and use them in matches . 
Take that throat dia. and size your bullets to that Dia. or larger. If your bullets are to small ; say they drop at .4295-.430 and your throats are .431 then try to find a .431 H&I die, or try a few hand lubed.
 What you want is a tight fit for the bullet in the cylinder throat.

OR  just use 10.5 unique or 10.0 231 with a standard pistol primer and have fun