Anyone load for 44 Mag and 44 special?

[Grendel]

Thanks

[9mmsubgun-m11]

240gr Keith style powder coated bullets from Missouri Bullet Company over 5.5gr Winchester 231 in magnum case running about 830 fps. Using this load in all my vintage Smith's. Some loading manuals call this a special load and others call it a magnum load. Easy on me and the guns.

[Grendel]

Thanks

[Grendel]

If I'm loading for 44special using Trail Boss or CFE, and just have large pistol/magnum primers, does it matter?

It will still go bang right?

[Ruber]

If I'm loading for 44special using Trail Boss or CFE, and just have large pistol/magnum primers, does it matter?

It will still go bang right?

Short answer:  Yes.  At room temp with a firm crimp, properly sized bullets, and quality components... there should be only a minimal difference in performance.

That said, changing primers could amplify any inconsistencies in those.

For example, I had a blackhawk with super tight throats and a redhawk with super loose throats.  Using smaller sized bullets, I always needed a mag primer to get complete combustion with light/special loads in the Redhawk.

But as always, when swapping out components, be sure of your reason for doing so, and start low and work up.

Also, I used to always use either standard primers or mag primers to penny pinch the costs.  Now my time is worth more and I stick to WLP’s to simplify my process (they run in between CCI 300’s and 350’s in my guns)..

Hope that helps.

[Grendel]

Thanks

[JD Miller]

I load 44 mag. I use the 250 gr Keith cast bullets from Magnus and Silver State Bullets . Aliant 2400 for heavy High Vel loads, Unique for light loads. Also used blue dot and herco for lighter loads

[Grendel]

Thanks

[Wobbly]

Short answer:  Yes.  At room temp with a firm crimp, properly sized bullets, and quality components... there should be only a minimal difference in performance.

That said, changing primers could amplify any inconsistencies in those.

For example, I had a Blackhawk with super tight throats and a Redhawk with super loose throats.  Using smaller sized bullets, I always needed a mag primer to get complete combustion with light/special loads in the Redhawk.

But as always, when swapping out components, be sure of your reason for doing so, and start low and work up.

There's the answer. When you upgrade components from a published load, then you need to drop back and work up again. If (say) you are using one powder and pretty much understand how it behaves over several loads and many, many rounds, and you want to upgrade to Magnum Primers, then you don't need to go all the way back to the Starting Load. But you should step back.

The whole idea of an upgrade is to expect a change. You would and should expect an increase. But how will it show up: Increased efficiency ? Increased velocity ? Increased pressure ?

Questionable areas like this is where a chrono really comes in handy. Was the increase 10fps (negligible) or 100fps (dangerous) ??


Grendel -
I'm really happy to see you growing in reloading, and asking questions.

[Grendel]

Thanks. So what I'm getting from this is: There may be a small difference, but all other things being equal, it should be safe enough.

As I'm using 44 magnum cases, but using 44 special load data, I'm correct in using the 44 magnum OAL measurements - about 1.595 to 1.61?

[Grendel]

Thanks again for all the help here

[M1A4ME]

One time (for 100 rounds) I loaded some lead balls meant for muzzle loaders.

I think they were Hornady (the red/white box sticks out in my memory.

I saw the load data in some gun magazine and since the lead balls were lighter and soft lead they were cheaper than bullets.  I thought it would be cool to make the Super Blackhawk shoot round balls like the old black powder revolvers.

Nah.  Accuracy just wasn't there as compared to regular bullets.  But it was a pretty light/easy to shoot load.

I never adjusted overall length just because of heavy or light powder loads.  I just seated to the canelure and crimped.

That big Ruger, with the right loads, is capable of some seriously nice groups.

[Grendel]

Thanks

[Grendel]

How about these first 4? All loaded using 44 special data: 4.0gr Trailboss, Win 44 magnum cases, large pistol/magnum primers, 240gr Lightning cast bullets.

The two on the right are slightly shorter in OAL 1.950, 1.597 & the two on the left are 1.612. The book says 1.610 minimum length for Magnum cartridges.

[M1A4ME]

In light loads I wouldn't think you'd have an issue with bullets moving forward in the unfired rounds in the cylinder.  With heavy loads it can happen.

You won't have feed issues from cartridges too short or two long.  You won't have chambering issues from cartridges too long (at least not due to the bullet contacting the lands/end of the leade like we something do in out CZ pistols and that Beretta my youngest son has).

I actually "like" the bullet 3rd from the left.  It is closest to the case mouth actually crimping in right at the top of the crimp groove.  You don't have a heavy crimp on these (probably don't need it with a light .44 special load in a longer .44 magnum case).

I don't think you'll have pressure issues from seating one as deep as #3 vs. 1 and 2, not with a .44 special powder charge in the longer case.

If I were loading those bullets, for .44 magnum loads, I'd have that 3rd bullet just a bit deeper so that case mouth crimped in just below the top of that crimp groove. 

I'm kind of curious why the crimp "groove" in those bullets is long and tapered like that. 

All I ever used, years ago, was the standard Pacific and RCBS .44 magnum dies that did a roll crimp.  Never heard of taper crimp or factory crimp in those days.