700x and the .44 Special

.38 Special · Jul 28, 2021

I'm hoarding my stash of Unique but came across a fair (read: pre-Covid) price for a keg of Hodgdon 700x. I haven't used it much in the Special and don't intend to try recreating the Skeeter load with it. Rather, I'll be in the 4.5 grain territory with one-in-sixteen 250 grain SWCs for "standard" loads and don't want to do a bunch of screwing around, so if anyone can recommend a "pet load" with the powder - here's looking at you, @Walkalong - I'd appreciate it.

Shivahasagun · Jul 28, 2021

I found 4.3 grs of 700x to be the sweet spot for .44 Russian 200 gr lead fired from a couple .44 Special guns.

My 4 inch barrel gun averages 740 fps with this. Very accurate.

I have not tried metering it through a dispenser yet. (I have a Lee auto drum)

Have you?

.38 Special · Jul 28, 2021

Shivahasagun said:
I found 4.3 grs of 700x to be the sweet spot for .44 Russian 200 gr lead fired from a couple .44 Special guns.

My 4 inch barrel gun averages 740 fps with this. Very accurate.

I have not tried metering it through a dispenser yet. (I have a Lee auto drum)

Have you?

Thanks for that, @Shivahasagun. My whole experience with 700x amounts to about a pound-and-a-half, almost all used with .38 Special wadcutters. While it hasn't metered as smoothly as, say, Bullseye, I haven't experience any really bad pours with it either, using a Lyman 55 and a Dillon SDB.

GeoDudeFlorida · Jul 28, 2021

With the Speer 240gr. LSWC (swaged/waxed lead) I use 4.5gr. of 700X for a good all-around .44Spl load. Works just as well in a 3" barrel as a 6" barrel.

BrotherMaynard · Jul 28, 2021

I am seeing good results using 4.5 gr to launch 200 gr coated RNFP out of a 4 5/8" Blackhawk. My last 10-shot string averaged 756 fps.

cfullgraf · Jul 28, 2021

I load 200gr. DEWC over 700-X for my 44 Special.

My main load for 45 ACP 230 gr. RN is with 700-X

I like 700-X.

Walkalong · Jul 28, 2021

cfullgraf said:
I load 200gr. DEWC over 700-X for my 44 Special.

I used to cast and load the Lee 208 Gr WC in .44 Spl over 700X. Really good stuff. I also shot the Magnus 215 & 240 Gr SWCs with 700X. Very accurate combinations.

I was using a Hornady pistol powder measure with brass bushings way back then.

Bushing #11 dropped 4.27 (Avg of ten) Grs 700X, and was very accurate under the WC. (Stout, work up)

I modded a bushing to throw 4.8 Grs 700X (Near stout), and it was very accurate under both the 215 Gr SWC & the 240 Gr SWC. Want a lighter load? I used 4.27 for that.

So, somewhere in there from 4.2 to 4.8 you should find a happy spot.

Walkalong said:
Stout

Since all I had back then was a 21 ounce Charter Arms Bulldog (which surprised me with its accuracy), stout was relative. Ouch! I replaced the factory wood grips with Pachmayrs pretty quickly.

Jdm2691 · Jul 28, 2021

Chalk me up as another fan of 700-X. I've also found (surprisingly?) that it meters very well in the RCBS Chargemaster Lite. Blackhawk particularly likes the near starting load for 158 LSWC. (.38 Special of course)

Walkalong · Jul 28, 2021

Jdm2691 said:
I've also found (surprisingly?) that it meters very well

Agreed, it meters better than it looks like it would, and shoots better than it meters.

700x and the .44 Special

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