44 mag and Unique

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billhilly66

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I realize that Unique is not ideal for heavier loads in 44mag however, I happen to have a bunch of it on hand. I’m thinking of working to about say, 10.5-10.8gr of Unique with a 240gr JSP.

Anybody using anything along these lines and what do ya think?
 
One of my favorite loads for my 3" M29 is 10.0 grains of Unique under a 240 grain JHP. Not much flash and blast and recoil feels like a .44 spl.

Speer #13 shows 10.3 grains of Unique as a max load with a 240 gr jacket bullet.

Speer # 10 shows 12.6 grains of Unique as a max load with the same bullet.

I would start at 10.0 and work up to 10.5.
 
I like Unique as my all around pistol powder. Not the best for small cases (380) or for full magnums (357 or 44) but does a decent job with just about any pistol cartridge. Your load seems like a safe one as the manuals all list a bit heavier load. Unless you shoot at a range that forbids lead I'd try a lead swc. Your velocities should be in the 1000-1200 fps range and a good hard cast bullet can shoot a lot of those without leading problems at a substantial saving over jacketed bullets.
 
I'm stuck with jacketed bullets. My range is lead-free:(

I've got a post looking for cheap .38 bullets I can shoot there.

I'm sure I'll get around to finding a more suitable powder but for now, I've got a large quantity of Unique I need to use up.
 
Unique works very well in 44mag. I use 9.3 under a 240 LSWC for 950fps in a 3" barrel and 995fps in 4". Very accurate, and pleasant to shoot in shorter barreled guns. Also, about as much power as you need for most purposes.
 
I use Unique as my all purpose powder. Heaviest I have ever gone was 10gr Unique with a 300gr LSWC. Stout but not punishing. This was in a Ruger Blackhawk. Safe in my gun, might not be in yours, use your judgement.

My general .45 Colt load is 9gr Unique and a 255gr. LSWC. Again, packs a nice wallop, but you can shoot 150 in an afternoon and not be in pain. I think 8gr. Unique is the standard .45 Colt load.

Your load sounds like it would work, but please approach it safely and use proper procedures!
 
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