.44 Deerfield loads

[Ranger J]

Does anyone reload for a Ruger .44 Deerfield?  I am using a 240G SP bullet and am using either 23.5G of H110 or 20G of AA#9.  Both these loads are very accurate and function in the gun very well.  However they have a little more ‘jump’ than a factory load and as I don’t own a chronograph so I don’t know how much.  I have tried a max load of Blue Dot  (14.5G) and even a little more but can’t get the gun to cycle with this powder.  It either doesn’t generate enough pressure or generates it at the wrong time and I am lucky to get 50% of them to eject.  I want to stay with the 240G SP bullet.  Does anyone have luck with a lighter weight of H110 or AA#9 or do any of you use another powder?  I am trying to match the feel of a factory 240G  load.  Please only replies by people who have or are reloading for this gun and are using 240G SP bullets.
RJ

[gdolby]

My best results come from 25 grains of h110 w/240's

[cwlongshot]

Just curious,
 Why all the afinity for the 240gr SP?  I feel you are missing the boat with some better bullets. Dont get me wrong, they are much better than the lighter weights and any HP from a rifle, for big game. But heavier weight bullets can offer quite a performance increase.

Take the 270 GD from Speer for example. IMHO this is THE hunting bullt for your gun and the velocity/ range its intended for.

 You said only 240gr SP shooters, from a rifle I am not such a fan. So I am just kinda throwing this opinion of a heavier bullet out there.

CW

[Ranger J]

I made a bulk buy of 240G SP from MagTech a while back and with all the different cast bullets (can't shoot in Deerfield) I have bought trying to get my .44 Handi rifle to group I am not wanting to buy any more .44s right now.  A while back I tried some 300G xtps in the Deerfield.  While they functioned OK the group was much worse than with the 240s.    The Deerfield is really my third choice as a deer rifle and what I am really wanting is a round that has about the same recoil as a factory load.  My wife can shoot those with comfort but when she starts to shoot my H110 loads it starts to hurt her.  How low can I load a 240 with H110 or another powder and still get reliable function of the gun?  I could try a bunch of different loads my self but am lazy and hoped someone out there might help me.
RJ

[Ranger J]

I loaded up some light 2400, 220G loads this weekend and took them to the range.  They did not function too well but as they were at the beginning load for 2400, if I boosted them up to the heavier loads they would probably cycle OK.  The funny thing was that they hit the target high and to the left of the bullseye.  This was approximately where some 300G loads that I tried a while back struck.  When they did this I thought ops, what has happened?  As a check I ran some factory loads through the gun and they also struck to the left and high but not by as much.  When I ran some of My H110 loads through they were right back on target.  It seems that the slower a bullet is the further to the left and higher it will strike at fifty yards.
RJ