Interesting 44 issue

Status
Not open for further replies.

newfalguy101

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Messages
1,755
Location
Sutton, Nebraska
Full house 44 mag
296 win powder
around 11 grains ( not my issue actually a buddy and his data was not in front of him when we talked )

using both standard and mag primers, also using the powder ( after pulling from 44 casing )
in 300 blackout.

Getting popped primers with the powder compressing but NOT burning, and changing to a golden grey color

My thoughts are moisture

Yours??

Fresh new can of powder when loaded a few months ago
 

Attachments

  • received_470786483665974.jpeg
    received_470786483665974.jpeg
    121.2 KB · Views: 55
11 grains of 296 under any bullet meant for the 44mag sounds like an undercharge. You also say it’s a compressed load.

Check your manual and the powder manufacturers website for load data online, sounds like a typo in here. 296 is not a powder for downloading. Try 2400 for that.
 
Last edited:
you can not reduce 296 more the 10%. that 11 grain load is actually dangerous. what grain bullet. 296 and h110 (the same power) can have a double boom when load is reduced, and can blow up guns.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mdi
i think we need more info on the load, you said 11 grains then you said compressed that's in the mid 20s with 296. you need a mag primer and a heavy crimp to get good ignition with that powder.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: mdi
Full power 44 rem mag ,240 grain, win 296 24 grain.
H110/win 296 same powder.
 
you can not reduce 296 more the 10%. that 11 grain load is actually dangerous. what grain bullet. 296 and h110 (the same power) can have a double boom when load is reduced, and can blow up guns.

Normally W296/H110 is recommend to only be reduced by 3%, and requires a Mag primer. Like said used for full power only. If you want reduced power use 2400. 2400 only needs a std primer.
 
So you pulled a 44 and swapped the powder into a 300blk, and you only used 11gns with an unknown coal with an unknown bullet and your finished cartridge was a compressed load that popped a primer without fully combusting (or really combusting at all, just discoloured).

My guess is 296 is unsuitable to 300blk but I don't have my books handy. Never used 296 in a rifle case nor seen that data in my limited experience.

Ed: Winchester load data online source does not list a load for 300blk, and the minimum load for a 44mag 355gn bullet is 17.5gns
 
Last edited:
As other have said, that's a classic result of a low load of H110/Win 296. That's exactly why you don't download that powder.* According to Hodgdon's online data, that would be a gross underload even if he was using a 355 grain bullet.

* A lot of pistol powders can be safely cautiously downloaded below the start charge. But this is not one of them.
 
This friend of yours will end up in a you tube video of “gun fails” if he keeps going down that road.

Find a safer shooting buddy... rushing friends to the hospital with potentially life-altering injuries isn’t fun at all.

Stay safe!
 
I read your original post a few times and I still don't understand what you did. If you can rephrase it, along with details of your load, I'm sure you'll get some useful feedback to help you figure out the problem with your .44 loads. Or the 300BO loads.
 
Had something similar with h110, a chunk of unburned powder left in case did look yellowish IIRC. I didn't dry my wet tumbled cases enough but no blown primers.

We do need a better explanation of details.
 
Last edited:
The brown smoke he is seeing is a low pressure burn of the H110. It is a dramatic undercharge of the powder and is dangerous like the others have said.
I purposely loaded H110 down one time to see what it would do and got the brown smoke your talking about. If the sun is shining into it I suppose it could look golden brown.
Either way. That guy is bad news. He obviously isn't following any load data in any manual or he wouldn't have used 11 gr of H110 in a 44mag to begin with.

That is entirely the wrong powder to download.
 
Ok I didn't explain it very well.

The load is NOT compressed, the pressure from the primer going off compressed the powder.

My buddy who is typically very meticulous with loading ammo, did NOT have his data in front of him when asking me about this, and was going by memory, thinking that he used 11ish grains, again, he DID not have his data in front of him to refer to and very easily was off on what he thought the charge was.

296 IS a suitable powder for 300 Blackout, perhaps not the best but it IS suitable.

He had misfires with the 44 and what you see above is one of the misfires he took apart, there is loose powder between the case and the "block" of powder in front.

His original load used standard primers ( which is what I have always used and never had fail in my 44 )
he Reloaded the powder using a case with a magnum primer and had similar results, primer fired but powder did not burn.

he also used this powder in his 300 blackout, again similar results, primer fired but powder did not burn
 
Is this a new loading method?The thinks.He thinks used that much powder did he think what bullet he used?Are you sure it’s 296 or thinks it is.Anybody wonder why you should never shoot someone else’ Reloads
 
In that case, there are only two possibilities that I can think of:

1. Powder or primers are contaminated.
2. .44 load is so undercharged that it does not develop the pressure necessary for complete burn.

Tell him to check his barrel for stuck bullets. And anyone who loads .44 Magnum with "11ish" grains of Win-296 / H110 can hardly be described as meticulous.
 
Gee I guess none of you guys have ever sat around talking and misremembered anything???

To those that offered legit suggestions without feeling the need to bash me or my buddy, thank you

To the rest, I guess this isn't as "high road" as I remember..
 
Sometimes silly/foolish posts should be bashed.You broke one or more of the common sense rules of reloading and then you get mad when someone busts you about it.
 
Sorry for the pile on man- I think everyone's advice takes a more aggressive tone when we perceive a safety issue, because we care about you (and other reloaders at large being safe).

I know what you mean about not having everything in front of you so I'll take your word for it on general safe practices and try to just think of our comments as a friendly reminder to remain diligent to your friend.

I personally prefer to go towards max with 2400, H110, and W296- I download with titegroup (a very forgiving powder in 44 actually!) and trail boss. I generally use magnum CCI primers for my max loads so I don't think that's your problem... I don't think the slower powders benefit one bit from downloading, as you and your pal inadvertently witnessed.

Good luck and be safe!

PS: Do you know where W296 300 AAC Blackout data is published?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top