Need recommendations for 44 magnum

mrawesome22-250 said:

Use 44spl load data.

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What he said.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Just go with 44 special loads. Very tame in a big gun.

For light loads in 44 I prefer trailboss and titegroup. Titegroup in particular makes very easy shooting loads but I like the case fill of trailboss a little more so I'm starting to favor trailboss.

Targa said:

I do agree to a point ^^^. I do like hearing about people’s experience with different powders but as for load data it all comes from reloading manuals for me. I do not and will not experiment with my own loads out of the parameters in the books and what is online from the powder manufactures themselves....guess I am just not adventurous...

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I agree with learning, hearing other reloaders experience, but I will not consider any load I see on an forum. I have enough experience to recognize a questionable load, but I now am in the habit of forgetting any load data I see online. When starting a load, I'll go to my reloading manuals. Compare data from manual to manual and decide on a starting load. I'll record and next time I reload that particular cartridge, I'll go to my recorded data (results of a load are posted along with the hard data). I like reading other's experience and answering some questions, otherwise I wouldn't frequent reloading forums. I just don't care to use any data from an anonymous screen name...

I'm about to jump in the 44 Special/Magnum waters also. Waiting for the rest of my reloading supplies, and pistol, so I've been putting together a list of the loads I want to test. Here's some sites and articles I've been reading. Use a little common sense, and verify all load data, it's highly unlikely you'll blow your face off.

Reloading the 44 Special
Powder Comparison 44 Special
44 Special Load Data
44 Special and Unique
Guns Magazine Reloading 44 Special
44 Mag Load Data
Loading Down the 44 Magnum Safely
Also, here's a link to some older reloading manuals.

120 grain round ball over 3.5 grains of Red Dot.

That's about as "puffy" as the .44 mag gets.

mdi said:

I agree with learning, hearing other reloaders experience, but I will not consider any load I see on an forum. I have enough experience to recognize a questionable load, but I now am in the habit of forgetting any load data I see online. When starting a load, I'll go to my reloading manuals. Compare data from manual to manual and decide on a starting load. I'll record and next time I reload that particular cartridge, I'll go to my recorded data (results of a load are posted along with the hard data). I like reading other's experience and answering some questions, otherwise I wouldn't frequent reloading forums. I just don't care to use any data from an anonymous screen name...

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Manuals absolutely DO NOT offer everything we need to know. Magnum loading is the best example, where guns that are light or low in mass for caliber need loads that may be lighter than published minimum and which can shoot much better than a "special" load in the same caliber, which was never tested by the powder or bullet manufacturer. There are many examples where there is a powder common to both Special and Magnum yet with a gap in powder weight between Special maximum and Magnum minimum. That is the range I believe is ideal for small guns and where the loader would prefer to shoot the real deal but scaled for the gun. That extrapolation is by definition still based on formally published data.

^^^^ Amen Brother !

RealGun said:

Manuals absolutely DO NOT offer everything we need to know. Magnum loading is the best example, where guns that are light or low in mass for caliber need loads that may be lighter than published minimum and which can shoot much better than a "special" load in the same caliber, which was never tested by the powder or bullet manufacturer. There are many examples where there is a powder common to both Special and Magnum yet with a gap in powder weight between Special maximum and Magnum minimum. That is the range I believe is ideal for small guns and where the loader would prefer to shoot the real deal but scaled for the gun. That extrapolation is by definition still based on formally published data.

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These are gun issues, not load data. I do read posts about recoil, bullet weights, etc. and some may be pertinent, but I never consider any load data (as I said originally). I also do not recommend any extrapolation (or WAG) or loading above or below manual listed data for new (newer) reloaders. My posts are aimed at newer reloaders and keep my answers basic and safe. Experienced reloaders, those with a basic understand of powder charges/pressures can dump any powder charge they want to; under starting, or over max., that's their prerogative.....

Wing Rider said:

Thanks to all the input so far. There is a lot to look at and consider. I have a follow on question? Using the data on the alliant powder website, unique produces 1075 fps, be-86 produces 1250 fps, and 2400 produces 1475 fps with using a 240 gr JHP. I have been thinking about using BE-86 in the 357 mag so the question is with the above numbers, will be-86 provide a powder puff load or should I use unique. Does anyone have any experience with be-86? Thanks again for the info.

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Generally, slower loads produce less recoil. There are situations where a slightly slower load produces more felt recoil, but significantly slower loads will produce significantly less recoil. Basic physics. The powder that goes into the load plays into the recoil equation, as the energy from the powder contributes to the recoil energy, so that can skew things a little one way or the other. 2400 is nice in that it has a wide working range, but unique will produce a softer recoil. Be careful about working the bottom end of any specified load, as you do not want to produce any squib loads. I have a unique load that is slightly faster than the one you listed that I find is quite mild (for me).