Author Topic: Favorite powder for the .44 spl  (Read 863 times)

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Offline Leadlum

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« on: April 16, 2005, 03:47:29 PM »
I`m wondering whats everyones favorite powder is for the .44 spl? I`ll be reloading some 250-SWC-K bullets, and be shooting them in a S&W 629 44 mag gun.
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2005, 11:37:01 PM »
my favorite generic .44 spec loads are 7 grains of unique or 8 of power pistol or herco.
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Offline Nobade

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2005, 02:40:32 AM »
I've been using a lot of Titegroup in large, low pressure handgun cartridges. It gives very consistant speeds and burns clean. About 6.0gr. works great in the 44 spl.
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Offline captainkirk

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44 special powder
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2005, 01:33:12 PM »
I would second the vote for Unique-  my personal favorite for light loads in the 44 mag or 44 special.  I load 7-8 grains under the 250 swc in 44 mag cases for  so 6-7 grains should be ok in "special" cases.  Unique's one failing is that it is not what you might call "ultra clean burning"...

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Offline Kingfish

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2005, 01:33:24 PM »
I'm shooting 44spl out of a Marlin rifle but my notes show accurate loads for the 240grn cast bullets with 5.7 Green Dot, 5.1 Titegroup, 12.0 AA#9, 7.5 Power Pistol, 6.7 Herco, 4.8 SR7625 or 8.0 HS-6. Some of these loads were with soft swaged lead bullets so the charges are lower than hard cast.


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Offline Yukon Gold

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2005, 01:43:57 PM »
I've always enjoyed the nice and easy recoil of the pistol when using Unique.  I shoot a lot of cast - and Unique fits the bill in many ways.
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Offline LAH

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2005, 03:11:57 PM »
7 to 7.5 grs. of Unique.
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Offline Blackhawk44

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2005, 03:15:05 PM »
There are only two .44 Special loads in existence - 7.5gr Unique and 250gr cast bullets for beating the brush and 4.5gr Bullseye and 240gr swaged for targets.  These have been all I needed since I brought my first 44 Special home in the basket of my bicycle almost 40 years ago. [/list]

Offline Robert

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2005, 05:36:45 AM »
This is great.  I have some freshly cast 245 Lyman/Keiths sitting on my work bench waiting for lube.  A freind of mine just recently got into a Bulldog frenzy and just cant stop buying them.....I think one of them might come my way.  I had the mold in my shop, so I fired some up and we plan on experimenting with them.  I had a hard time with 45's in a 4 cavity...so I cut back on the W/W...these 44's are about half and half w/w and pure lead.  That 4.5 grs Bullseye recipe sounds great.  For close range plinking...do I need to crimp?  I have never loaded for this cartridge before.....I would appreciate some helpful hints.
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Offline Leftoverdj

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2005, 10:17:40 AM »
You want plinking loads for Bulldogs as light as you can stand. It's a fine carry pistol, but it's not built to shoot steadily. I wore two out with about 1500 rounds each. The weak point is cylinder support. Frontal contact is miniscule and batters under recoil. Once cylinder endshake starts, it progresses rapidly and I never found a way to fix it.
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Offline Blackhawk44

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Favorite powder for the .44 spl
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2005, 11:58:41 AM »
Sadly, in a Bulldog, I don't think you are going to enjoy 250gr bullets.  Kick and barely stabilize.  A 200-215gr bullet over the same load of Bullseye will work better for you.

Offline Arbyrod

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44 light loads
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2005, 01:40:45 PM »
Lyman 429421 245 grain Keith Style bullet with 5 grains of Red Dot is an excellent short range target load.

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