Author Topic: Reduced loads for 44 mag. (Read 1123 times)

SPW · « **on:** January 09, 2004, 07:35:41 AM »

I am looking for recomendations on a CLEAN BURNING reduced 44 mag. load. Looking for around 800fps or so. I have found a few loads that give reasonable accuracy but they are all filthy shooting. I don't enjoy my stainless gun looking almost like a blued model after no more than 20 rounds or so. Suggestions on cleaner powders and loads would be apreciated.

Thanks

BCB · « **Reply #1 on:** January 09, 2004, 08:51:16 AM »

SPW,
Don't know if you want cast or jacketed loads, but I shoot 7.0 grains of Green Dot and the 44-250-K (265 grains) cast bullet at velocities of 924 fps.
I shoot them from a Ruger SRH that is stainless and it still gets darkened around the cylinder/barrel area. Pretty darn hard to keep those stainless handguns super clean on the outside. Yet, they're not all that hard to clean the powder/lube dirt from the outside. Good-luck...BCB

HappyHunter · « **Reply #2 on:** January 09, 2004, 07:14:12 PM »

240 gr LSWC over 7.0 Unique, CCI 350 primer, My SRH does well with this one...The gun will clean up.

Fred :money:

stormin29 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 10, 2004, 03:12:29 AM »

I am looking for a powder and charge to use for reduced loads using the 210 Silver tip and the 200 Barnes XPB. The Silver tip I would load to around 1,000fps and the Barnes at least 1,100-1,2000fps since Barnes said they were expansion tested at 1,050 fps. I am shooting a 29-2 with a 4" barrel.

BlueMoon52 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2004, 04:35:26 AM »

I like 7.5grns of SR4756 with a 240 cast or swaged bullet.

Savage · « **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2004, 09:54:04 AM »

SPW,
If you are using cast bullets, your bullet lube is your biggest offender. You're going to need to go to a cast or plated bullet over a load of Clays. I don't have load data at hand to give you charge weights, but is is easy to come by. Pretty much as clean as it gets!
Savage

Castaway · « **Reply #6 on:** January 10, 2004, 10:38:23 AM »

Clean? Not to be a smart alec, but what do you mean by clean and what advantage is a "clean" load? I've never had a 1911 stop from Bullseye loads, even after 500 in a day. Does it corrode faster? If so, I've never noticed it because I've never had a problem with it. I've even left pistols for weeks without cleaning with no ill effects. I suggest a load of 6.8 of Unique and a 240 grain cast bullet. Shoots right at 800 f/s. There is a caution here, at reduced velocities, cast only should be used as a jacketed bullet can leave the jacket in the barrel and the core go down range, making for a suprise follow-on shot. 6.8 has proven accurate in two pistols and a Marlin carbine. Very mild and accurate too.

HappyHunter · « **Reply #7 on:** January 10, 2004, 11:39:51 AM »

Castaway,

I have heard that the semi jacketed, that is the lead exposed nose with jackets at base and sides of bulllet, can experience seperation in barrel with reduced loading. I do not know the source of this statement.

I am attempting to document this as fact, what is your source for this?

I have several thousand 44 and 41 mag jhp with lead noses that I would like to develope gallery loads for. Of course I do not want to blow up anthing (or person or me). Thanks,

Fred

Castaway · « **Reply #8 on:** January 10, 2004, 11:47:22 AM »

Lyman manual

HappyHunter · « **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2004, 11:52:45 AM »

Castaway,

Thanks, I have some reading.

Fred

Castaway · « **Reply #10 on:** January 10, 2004, 12:45:19 PM »

Ain't nothing but a thang. Be safe, but have a good time.

Savage · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2004, 02:05:20 PM »

I shoot Bullseye/cast bullets exclusively in my plinking and and match loads. A lot of my guns are stainless and after a hundred rounds or so, they get smoked up pretty bad. It's not a reliability issue, just requires a little more cleaning. The biggest culprit here is the lube on the cast bullets.
The Bullseye puts out considerable smoke on it's own. This is easily demonstrated in night shoots using flashlights. Clays smokes a lot less, you notice it right away in the condition of your fired brass.
Savage

Castaway · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2004, 02:20:39 PM »

Again, I have to ask, what's the problem? Do you have to tumble longer? When cleaning, do you have to make an extra pass through with a jag? Once you shoot one time, the pistol or rifle has fouling, have you ever had a failure to fire or cycle because of "dirty"powder?" Methinks it's a marketing technique that folks fall into. Shoot it, clean it, shoot it again. Don't worry, be happy.

Savage · « **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2004, 03:09:17 AM »

Castaway,
Let me try this again. Stoppages due to powder fouling are not a problem. Normal tumbling takes care of the brass. The original post was concerned with the appearance of the stainless guns after an exteded range session due to this residue. While this is not bothersome to me, and is easily removed in the cleaning operation. The residue it leaves in the magazine bodies and the internals of the gun do require special attention. My 1911s get detail stripped twice a year instead of the normal once a year due to this residue. Glocks are detailed at every other range session, duty Glocks, once a month or after firing. The original poster wished to avoid this event. Thus my reply, reccomending the use of jacketed or plated bullets with "Clays". I continue to shoot upwards of 10k cast bullet loads charged with BE annually. I shoot these loads because they are consistant and economical, and just deal with the extra cleaning required. When I shoot up my existing stock of cast bullets and Bullseye I may revaluate my position as I get lazier over time.
Savage

SPW · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2004, 03:02:44 PM »

The reason I don't like it is it is just plain messy. Now I am not a neat nick(trust me on that one) but I just don't like the mess I am getting with reduced loads. I am looking for a load that makes no more fouling than my normal hunting load of a 240gr bullet and 21 gr. of hercules or alliant 2400. What I am finding is that reduced loads are even blackening my hands after just a just a few rounds and accuracy falls off. No leading and yes both I and the gun clean up but I just don't think powder fouling should be this bad for smokless powder. So far I have tried accurate #2, reduced loadings of 2400, bullseye, and a couple of other powders I have on hand. Bullseye has done the best powder fouling wise but it still isn't real good. About half the brass is blacked but a lot of the others loads were much worse. All I want is something to practice with that is no dirtier than my hunting load and so far nothings even close.

Gregory · « **Reply #15 on:** January 15, 2004, 01:14:49 PM »

SPW
Have you tried loading in 44 Special cases? You can use 2400 or W231 and 44 special data for accurate short range practice loads.