44Mag performance

[abishai]

I've FINALLY just finished firelapping my 10-1/2"Super Blackhawk, and have just cast/sized/lubed my first batch of 300LFN-GCs.  Hardness sits around 21 BHN (your hardness tester is the berries! so easy!) Am using LBT blue soft.  What speed should I be able to get?  AA#9 gives me just under 1300fps at 19g (a hair over the recommended max) with no noticeable effects on brass (other than imprinting cylinder marks on it which it does at lower pressures anyway and flattened primers which I always got anyway too.  Brass ejects easy.  Outside temp was 50F.  No leading whatsoever after 80 rounds (LBT blue is great)  Any suggestions on another powder or do you think I have room to go with this?

[Veral]

You can probably get a bit more out of #9  but pressures are going to rise when shooting in higher temperatures, so go cautiously if you increase the charge.  H110/ or WW296 will take you to 1450 fps very comfortably, and have safe pressures in temperatures up to 100 deg F.

   Please keep in mind that LBT lube is superior to any other I know of in handling pressure.  If the gun will handle it, which Ruger revolvers aren't intended too, 60,000 psi will not strain this lube.  But, if you were to ever switch lubricants, BACK DOWN ON THE POWDER CHARGE TILL YOU ARE SURE WHAT THE LUBE WILL HANDLE!  With most lubricants, that load which performs so well with LBT lube will blow primers and cause severe leading, especially at higher temperatures.  Life is easiest for bullet lubricants at low temperatures.