.44 mag 180 gr range report

[Ranger J]

I finally got some time off to go to the range.  I took the 11-87 and some ‘home rolled’ Lee mold slugs and the Handi with the .44 mag and 4 different 180 Gr. XTP loads.  The 11-87, with a red dot scope,  performed as usual, about a 5” group at 50 yards.  I really went out to test the .44 loads.  As I have written in the past getting this .44 barrel to group has been a challenge.  I was using Winchester primers and a mix of mostly Winchester and Mag Tec brass.  I had ten each of 11Gr AA#2, 9.5Gr Red Dot, 18Gr Blue Dot, and 29Gr H-110.  The results were interesting.  I started off with the AA#2 and a cold but fouled barrel.  The first two shots were high but the remaining eight were in about a four-inch group.  The Red dot loads were in the same area of the target but in about a three inch group with no flyers.  Feeling the barrel after these twenty shots it was only pleasantly warm.  The next twenty shots really heated it up!  The .44 did not seem to like the Blue Dot loads at all.  While the shots moved up on the target to where the scope was aimed it looked like I had gone out of my way to shoot all around the bulls eye.  It was a five-inch ‘pattern’ not a group.  At the end of these ten rounds the barrel was getting real warm.  As I was pressed for time the only cooling off time I gave the gun was when I walked the 50 yards to change targets.  If it didn’t like the Blue Dot loads it was really fond of the H-110 ones.  The H-110 really warmed up the barrel as they were probably in the 2100-fps range out of the Handi.  As the barrel got hotter I started to get vertical string but the holes were touching.  This H-110 XTP load is the closest thing I have yet got to how I want this barrel to shoot.  Why it liked the H-110 so well and didn’t like the Blue Dot loads, which were only marginally slower, I don’t know.  The Red Dot loads hold promise and if I can get somewhat similar results with them and say some 180gr hard cast I may be in business.  I guess I will order some Lazer-Cast from MidWay and see what happens.
RJ

[mattparliament]

my 44 mag loves H110 as well!  About 2100 fps with 180 xtp's = cloverleaves at 50 yards.  Stick with it!

[quickdtoo]

I don't have a 44mag Handi, but I've learned a lot about them here. One important step especially for shooting cast bullets, is to slug the bore so you know what size cast bullets to order. Traditionally, the 44mags are overbore, .432" bullets are pretty much the go to size, but slugging the bore will tell you for sure. See the Bore Slugging thread in the Cast Bullet forum for info.

Tim

[Ditchdigger]

When mine was still a 44 mag,it liked the 300 gr.XTP's and a max load of H110 seated in the second channellure. It's a 445 supermag now and the 180 gr. XTP's shoot very good with 36.5 grs. of 296 for about 2450 fps.  Digger

[safetysheriff]

because of the 'large' bores in the NEF' .44 mag' rifles i'd increase the BlueDot charge by 1/2 gr' going up to 19 gr's with those same primers if your pressures seem to be good.   i think you'll actualy see your groups tighten up.   i'd stick with Win' brass, too, for the more accurate loads, if my memory serves me well.  it seems to me that some of the Mag Tech brass is not consistent enough for target work.   i get excellent results with BlueDot in .44 mag' loads with tighter barrels in my revolvers.....at lower charges with the chamber throats and barrels being tight.    your rifle is different, however.   

i'd actually try to go a little over the 19 gr' charge of BlueDot if the pressures are good and the accuracy has improved.......     this is one of the cheap tricks that has been employed by Great Mag' pistol shooters such as john linebaugh.    groups just seem to tighten-up as the loading densities are increased within safe pressure limits.

take care,

ss'   

[Shooter973]

I don't have a NEF/ H&R 44 mag. But in my Ruger M77/44, and Win trappers the 180gr. bullets don't do very well!!! The rifles I shoot like the 240-250 gr.  bullets much better!  Maybe they have differant twist than the NEF's? You might do better with a heavier bulllet.

[quickdtoo]

I don't have a NEF/ H&R 44 mag. But in my Ruger M77/44, and Win trappers the 180gr. bullets don't do very well!!! The rifles I shoot like the 240-250 gr. bullets much better! Maybe they have differant twist than the NEF's? You might do better with a heavier bulllet.

The NEF 44mag has a 1:38" twist, so what works in the Ruger and Win 1:20" is probably not much help, it's too bad the NEF isn't 1:20" with an actual .429" bore, it would make a lot of old and new NEF 44mag owners real happy.

Tim

[Jack Ryan]

So what I'm getting from this is, planning to use the same ammo in a Ruger Redhawk and a NEF 44 mag is not going to be a satisfactory plan? One or the other is not going to shoot up to it's capabilities?

[safetysheriff]

JR'

what some of us are saying is that twist rate, type of rifling (micro-groove vs. standard/hammer-forged), and diameter of the bullet in relation to its surroundings (in the chamber, the throating of the rifle/revolver, and then the bore) all play a significant role in what firearm a projectile is suitable in.

i would think that a softer bullet (easily obturated in an oversized bore) with a gascheck to grip the micro-grooving would work best in a weight of maybe 250 gr's maximum to feed both the NEF and the Ruger bores with their significant differences.   this would be the best compromise that i can think of considering the major differences between their barrels.


i would not go to a hollow-based bullet to get a projectile that will grip the rifling and then expect to get any 'magnum' velocities out of it........because the skirt on the projectile will probably blow out and your accuracy will deteriorate significantly.

take care,

ss'