Hodgdon 110/ winchester 296 powder

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44Caliber

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I had purchased a significant quantity of Winchester 296 powder for 44 Magnum loads. Due to arthritic changes the 44 magnum loads are too powerful. The only calibers that I see published for H110/Winchester 296 powder are 357 magnum, 44 magnum, 500 magnum, or 410 shot shells.
Does anybody have any experience with using reduced powder loads in less powerful handgun calibers?

I have the S & W Classic 6 inch 44 magnum revolver. Can you use a 44 special casing or a 44 magnum casing with a reduced powder charge safely

Looking for information
 
My 29-2 & i can no longer take the abuse from a 250 gr cast- 23 grs 296 loading. (More the gun then me) The cylinder started rotating backwards again.

Trying a Lee 429- 214 gr lswc bullet/cast, using 23.5 grs 296 Makes less muzzle energy & felt recoil. Going lighter to 180 gr bullets may help you a little?

Best to sell or trade the 296 for some Alliant's Unique powder.
CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

If link works? http://stevespages.com/page8a.htm there are some 44 special loads for H110 in 180 gr.
CCI-350 Primer
H-110 From 15.5 grains to 17.7 grains
& heavier bullets.
i see i have some old PMC 44 SPEC brass, may do some testing with cast.

Edit- Bad idea. See post #10 below.
 
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I tried W296/H110 in 220 grain subsonic 300 Blackout, as I had it on hand for 44 Mag. I worked up the load to find the sweet spot. At subsonic velocities out of my 10.5" barrel, the velocities were not very consistent at all. Major extreme spreads. Once the loads/pressures increased and the velocities were up in the supersonic range, it worked great. It's just not good unless you load it pretty hot. You'll likely want a different powder. Good Luck!
 
If you can trade it, that would be the best route. I've also noticed, that lighter bullet/heavier gun loads in .357 are not as punishing, but still plenty stout.

As covered above, it is not a very useful powder for anything reduced or low pressure. If trading is not an option, I'd consider your circumstances to be a perfect excuse to acquire something in .22 Hornet, .30 Carbine, or .300BLK. I believe there is some utility for cast bullets in 7.62x39 as well.

ETA, I've also been using it in 7mm TCU for lighter bullet, short range loads. Strictly off-book loads here, I will not post data. It absolutely has some utility in the higher pressure, small case bottlenecks commonly used for IHMSA silhouette. New hobby?
 
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This is a bad idea. The SAAMI pressure listed for 44 Special is 15,500 PSI . The 44 magnum is 36,000 PSI. I can't see the 44 special burning the powder correctly.


CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

If link works? http://stevespages.com/page8a.htm there are some 44 special loads for H110 in 180 gr. & heavier bullets.

Edit- i see i have some old PMC 44 SPEC brass, may do some testing with cast.
 
This is a bad idea. The SAAMI pressure listed for 44 Special is 15,500 PSI . The 44 magnum is 36,000 PSI. I can't see the 44 special burning the powder correctly.
In a gun designed for 44 mag, you could run the extra pressure to make the powder happy... but then you are right back where you started. Maybe a tad better because of the smaller case capacity, but investing in a pound of more friendly powder if at all possible is by far the best bet. No risk of someone running the hot 44 Spl. Loads in a weaker gun as well. Maybe someone here that is local to you can help? Location?
 
You might post it for local trade or sale.
A 357 Blackhawk or any similarly sized revolver would eat it. While not beating you to death.
 
Man, I would love to trade you some Unique for some h110. I am trying to get some 30 carbine loads done and I'll be a pound short. Did find some at the gun show this weekend, but it was $50/lb, only bought 1lb. I have a pound of Unique that I haven't really found a use for just yet.
 
I'm not a 44mag/special expert by any means. I have shot countless 1000's of loads in several 44mag & 44spl firearms over the decades. Thinned the herd and I'm down to 3, a ca bulldog snubnosed 44spl, 629 classic 44mag & a 10" bbl'd contender.

Never did shoot full house loads until I had to/needed to in the 44mags. Carried a bulldog since the 80's and always used hot loads for sd ammo.

Been thinning the herd on the 44cal molds selling off 10+ molds with all of them being either hp molds, special order molds. Sold 3 different sets of 44cal swaging dies also, just don't use them that much anymore.

A link to the aug-sept 2005 #236 handloader magazine article Brian Pearce wrote on the 44spl. If you look at the 25,000psi load data you will see that he used H110 with several different bullets/bullet weights.
http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/Brian Pearce on the 44 Special.pdf

Pearce did another article on the 44spl in the jan-feb #312 handloader magazine with updated/modern powder & bullets with the same H110 data being there from his 2005 article.

While not pip squeak loads by any means, there's a lot less recoil with those 25,000psi/H110 loads then the full hose 44mag H110 loads. Yes you can shoot 44spl's in the 44mags, there's nothing wrong with a 44spl load using a 245gr/250gr bullet doing 1200fps in your 6" bbl's classic.

Myself, I use/shoot a lot of pip squeak loads in the 44mags/44mag cases using 6.0gr to 7.0gr of bullseye or clays and any bullet weighting in the 200gr to 250gr weight range. I get excellent accuracy with these powder/bullet combo's and bullets in those weight ranges doing 950fps to 1050fps are nothing to sneeze at.
 
296 Reduced loads-

Works great in 410 shotguns, not much recoil there
Yes, i have shot many skeet loads using 296 & all win components.

The 410 has a maximum of 12,500 PSI with its 1/2 oz lead/219 grs. & has no problems with most loads around 10,000 PSI. BUT there is no free space in the case. The wad sits on the powder.

The 44 special, 296 @ 15.5 grs maximum & 250 gr cast leaves a gap between powder & the bullets base. About .206" may make the difference?
The SAAMI 44 special maximum is 15,500 PSI, at 800 fps. A light load compared to the magnum.

I have all the components in front of me now. Tempted to load 1 shell. But i think i know, its the wrong powder loading for the PSI range of 15,000??


 
296 Reduced loads-


Yes, i have shot many skeet loads using 296 & all win components.

The 410 has a maximum of 12,500 PSI with its 1/2 oz lead/219 grs. & has no problems with most loads around 10,000 PSI. BUT there is no free space in the case. The wad sits on the powder.

The 44 special, 296 @ 15.5 grs maximum & 250 gr cast leaves a gap between powder & the bullets base. About .206" may make the difference?
The SAAMI 44 special maximum is 15,500 PSI, at 800 fps. A light load compared to the magnum.

I have all the components in front of me now. Tempted to load 1 shell. But i think i know, its the wrong powder loading for the PSI range of 15,000??



Huge difference between a 15,500psi load and Pearce's 25,000psi load. I actually like those Pearce 25,000psi/44spl loads in my S&W 624 and S&W 629. Quit shooting nra bullseye with the 624 several years ago and sold it off. Still use those hot 44spl loads in the 629 for range play @ the 100yd line.
 
This is true, W296/H110 is THE powder for the 30 Carbine. I have also read H110 was the original military ammo powder.

Bruce Hogdgon sold the military WC820 pulldown powder and marketed it as H110.

WW296 was specifically developed for 30 Carbine.

I picked up this item from the CMP Carbine Notes published somewhere on their website. It makes sense since Winchester developed both the rifle and the cartridge from the ground up and would have needed ammunition for the prototype testing. Kinda moot point now, since WW296 and H110 have morphed into exactly the same thing.
 
If the OP does not have the option to trade for or buy a different powder, I believe he has no recourse other than the .44 Special case. As has been pointed out, 19 grains of H110 behind a 250 grain cast bullet is - while well beyond any load suggested by powder makers - well recognized, well tested, and demonstrably safe in large frame handguns, including all guns chambered for .44 Magnum.

It's still a pretty serious load - and a bit too much for my own tastes, at least in my relatively lightweight .44 Special guns - but is significantly easier on the hands than are the full-house Magnum loads.
 
If the OP does not have the option to trade for or buy a different powder, I believe he has no recourse other than the .44 Special case. As has been pointed out, 19 grains of H110 behind a 250 grain cast bullet is - while well beyond any load suggested by powder makers - well recognized, well tested, and demonstrably safe in large frame handguns, including all guns chambered for .44 Magnum.

It's still a pretty serious load - and a bit too much for my own tastes, at least in my relatively lightweight .44 Special guns - but is significantly easier on the hands than are the full-house Magnum loads.

I assume 19 gr W296 will fit into a 44 Special casing??
 
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