Cast 44 mag load

[Tn Jim]

I need some help guys. I'm awfully confused. I cast my own for a Ruger SBH with a 4 5/8" barrel. My mold is a Lee C429-240-SWC. It looks alot like the RCBS 44-240-SWC and the Lyman 429244. It uses a gas check. I cast it 9 pounds wheel weights and 1 pound linotype and air cool. For my SBH I'm loading it over 20.5 grains of 2400 and it's pretty accurate. Now I'm looking to load the same bullet for a T/C Encore with a 12" barrel and I want to use the same powder. When I start checking the load books I find max loads ranging from 20.6 to 22.2 grains. Can anybody explain why this is? I want to use the Encore for hunting hogs and want a stout load but I don't to blow myself up getting there. Please help.

[Graybeard]

The heavier charges are from old data before pressure testing. The old standard for 2400 and lead bullets of 240-250 grains was 22.0 grains. Elemer Keith made that load famous. But the new 2400 is a bit faster burning than the old and these days 22.0 grains is a pretty darn hot load. Many still use it but it is over the SAAMI pressure rating for the .44 Mag at this time.

Adding more powder will buy you nothing in practical terms. The 20.5 grain load you now use will do anything and every thing a load with two more grains would. Stick with the load you know.

[Lone Star]

Another difference is due to the primers used.  Example - Speer used magnum primers in their .44 data for many decades, but their last manual uses standard primers.  The result is heavier charges and higher velocities - so much for the whiners who say all load data gets weaker all the time....  

[sundogg1911]

i'm also thinking of using a 240 gr. Lyman "Keith" mould bullet (but mine are Non gas check bullets) in my Taurus M44 8 3/8" ported. I have been casting this bullet for use in my Rossi .44 spl, but would really like to whack a deer open sight lead (Old school). all of my load data is for GC 240's. am I gonna lead the SH*$ outta my Taurus If they're loaded fairly hot? They are cast pretty hard, I cast them using 8 lbs. WW, 1 lb. Lino and 1 lb. 60/40 bar solder. Currently I'm using remington SJHP's and i'm pushing them with 20.2 gr. of 2400. any advise? Last year I took an 8pt. with my Winchester 94 30-30 using a Lyman 173 gr. flat nose gas check, using open sights, so this seems to be the next logical step for me.   but im not exactly sure why  :wink:

[Darrell Davis]

Hey there Sundogg,

As to the question of leading in your handgun, there are books full of reason/ideas why leading will/will not occur.  Some of them even bassed on fact.

If you are doing things correctly as far as size etc. and if you firearm is OK in the different dementions and quality, then it will be to some degree a try it and see situation.

Personally I find leading to be of small concern. There was a time however, when my son and I were both shooting SBH .44s and while I could shoot a steady diet of heavy plain base loads with little sign of leading through mine, the son needed to feed his gun gas checked slugs.

On my Security six, I shoot mostly low vel. loads. However, if the urge strikes me to shoot some heavy mag loads w/plain base slugs I do it and don't worry about it. I don't even have a GC mold for the 38/357.

I also cast almost entirely with WW which I quench directly from the mold.

I find that adding the lino prevents the "normal" amount of shrinkage and makes it hard to seat gas checks.

Veral set up my LBT - 310gr.GC mold to cast with WW.  If you are shooting another mix he wants to know it before he cuts the mold so he can allow for the rate of shrinkage.

Keep em coming! :wink:

[tomhargrove]

mr graybeard is right on target  i have used this loade for 20yrs in my super b/h  and it is extremely accurate and grnerates some recoil but will do the job down range i did back my max load to 21.grs and it shoots real well