.44 mag starting load - not a Marlin, but....................

[Autorim]

I am looking for low starting loads for a Ruger No. 3 in .44 mag. I plan to start my grandson with this as his first deer rifle and thought somebody might have some good input from the Cowboy crowd.

I load .44 mag for the revolver, but the only rifle ammo I have loaded is full power. What about Trail Boss and a 240 cast bullet? I have a assortment of bullets and suitable powders. Just thought someone might have some good input.

Ken

[Icy Straits]

If you look at the lasercast bullet website there is a link to loads for cowboy action loads. I think it gmdr.com then the link to oregon trail loads. The lightest loads were using Bullseye.

[woods]

I'm loading oregon trail lazer cast 200 gr with 7gr. of bulleye. My daughter shoots them in her 96/44 for practice. quite an arch at 100 but good for 50 yrds with cans. I also use this same load for my ruger super redhawlk 2 1/2" alaskan nice plinking load about 700 fps, probably about 900 fps from the carbine.

  woods

[BBF]

In the Hornady#7 Pistol Section they list 4.8 gr of Tite Group as the least amount of powder for their 240 gr SWAGED bullets

If you use their 180 gr FP Cowboy  5.2 gr of 700X or Tite Group is the start.
In the Rifle section  the 180 gr XTP can be loaded with as little as 14.4 gr of 800X

Lyman# 48  in the Rifle Section lists 10.8 gr of Unique for the Speer 240 gr JHP
and 9.0 gr of Tite Group with a hard cast 240 gr bullet.

Personally I have used Blue Dot with 240 gr jacketed and cast bullets and found a very mild recoil from 14 gr.