.44 Mag: 300gr hardcast and 2400

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WrongHanded

WrongHanded

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I bought some LBT 300gr WFN gas checked bullets from Montana Bullet Works, hoping to get a fairly heavy hitting load for woods defense. Though if I need really powerful loads, I'll just buy them. I was hoping to use 2400, as its one of my main powders.

Lyman 50th has a 300gr lead bullet maxing out with 15.7gr of 2400 at around 1,000fps from a 4" barrel. I have no chrono (because I don't believe I can use it at my local indoor range), but I'm wondering how this maximum sounds to other. I got up to 15.5gr so far, and it feels quite tame. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find much more data in heavier lead bullets and 2400. Perhaps there's a reason for this?

If anyone has an idea of a safe maximum for this recipe, I'd appreciate hearing it. If 15.7gr (give or take a bit) is it, that's fine too.
 
what are u shooting them in i would think as long as u are below 1400 fps with no leading your ok if its not to hot. if u got a pistol 1000 fps with a 300 has good power. i dont shoot 300s yet, i don't think my marlin will like them but i shoot a 220 grain powder coated lead with 21.6 of a2400.
 
WrongHanded said:
@troy fairweather , the guns are Ruger revolvers. A 4-5/8" SBH, and a 5.5" RH. I'm testing in the SBH.
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ok so good strong guns, my hornady book does not list a lead load for the 300. they have a 300 xtp with a max of 17.1 gr. at 1150 fps from a 7.5 in redhawk. the lead makes less psi then jacketed bullets but a little more speed per same weight.
 
15.7gr of 2400 with a 300gr bullet is the max for a rifle round from what I’ve seen in multiple manuals. Something about the 300gr pill and longer barrels that make a hotter charge a bad combo. Take some measurements from a 300gr XTP and your hard cast and see how much seating depth difference you’ve got. To me anything above 16.5gr of 2400 seems a bit hot for a 300gr bullet. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I still have all my fingers and both eyes. Best of luck!
 
Since I discovered H110, I've never used anything else in .357 or 44 mag.
180 grain JHP, or 310 grain cast.

It gives better velocity than anything else that I can find.
 
cheygriz said:
Since I discovered H110, I've never used anything else in .357 or 44 mag.
180 grain JHP, or 310 grain cast.

It gives better velocity than anything else that I can find.
Click to expand...

That I what I've seen. But when comparing book data for loads using H110 to offerings from Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, Grizzly Cartridge and others, the velocity gain of H110 vs 2400 in reloading manuals is pretty minimal in my eyes. On the flip side, I've heard about H110 having problems with reliable ignition in some cartridges in cold weather, and issues of over pressure caused by too little powder. And then there's the need for magnum primers, which could cause some confusion on my reloading bench where currently there is none. I'm not saying it's not a good powder, because I have no idea. Just that at my experience level where reloading is concerned, it's something I'd rather not deal with yet.

For what it's worth, the same data chart in my manual doesn't seem to be providing much high velocities for other powders such as H110, IIRC. But considering I'm now trying to push a projectile with 125% the mass of my usual 240gr LSWC, I can see why a safe maximum charge would product a proportionally similar reduction in velocity.
 
Too little powder can cause trouble with any of the slow burners. If you're not loading very close to max, I would stay away from H110, 2400, 4227, etc.

You're right about the magnum primers. They should be used with the slow burners.
 
cheygriz said:
Since I discovered H110, I've never used anything else in .357 or 44 mag.
180 grain JHP, or 310 grain cast.

It gives better velocity than anything else that I can find.
Click to expand...

Try IMR 800-X. It will get you the same velocity with nearly half the powder and almost none of the titanic muzzle flash H110 is famous for. I have completely quite using H110 in my revolvers, too much muzzle flash and recoil compared to 800-x. I save H110 for 410 shot-shells and 450 Bushmaster.
 
cheygriz said:
Too little powder can cause trouble with any of the slow burners. If you're not loading very close to max, I would stay away from H110, 2400, 4227, etc.
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Lyman has load data for .44 mag and .44 special with 2400. It has a fairly wide safe range of use. Which is a big part of why I prefer to stick with it. I've also tried 4227, though only in .357 mag, and never cared much for it. It might be more applicable in the big bores though.
 
I've been told DON'T use magnum primers with 2400.

But I use Winchester LPP, which are labeled for both standard and magnum loads. Are they really hotter than standards? Published loads of 2400 don't seem to produce any drama with those.
 
Buck13 said:
I've been told DON'T use magnum primers with 2400.
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That is the general consensus and has been for a long time. Are WLP really hotter than a standard primer? Are they better for H-110 etc? I have no idea, I haven't used H-110/W-296 in decades. When I did I used a mag primer, and still have a few left. (Fed 155s). I use a standard small pistol primer with 2400 in .357 Mag. It gives very good accuracy, low ES & SD numbers and a good burn. I have never tried 2400 in .44 Mag.
 
If you are adventurous, Handloader issue #265 had +P loads for the .44 Mag, recommended for the Redhawk. Their load table had a 310 grain WFN lead bullet at 1433 FPS with 2400. With H110 they got 1495 (from a 7.5" Redhawk).

I like 2400 fine for normal max loads in the .44 Mag. For this sort of hot-rodding, I prefer H110. I tried a 300 grain bullet with a bit shorter nose than the used in the article and was not sufficiently prudent in working up slowly. I got slightly sticky extraction with H110 and considerably stickier with 2400. I pulled the remainder of the 2400 rounds without a doubt. The H110s didn't worry me much, and were 45 FPS faster. Also very accurate.

Fun, but approach with caution!
 
Buck13 said:
If you are adventurous, Handloader issue #265 had +P loads for the .44 Mag, recommended for the Redhawk. Their load table had a 310 grain WFN lead bullet at 1433 FPS with 2400. With H110 they got 1495 (from a 7.5" Redhawk).

I like 2400 fine for normal max loads in the .44 Mag. For this sort of hot-rodding, I prefer H110. I tried a 300 grain bullet with a bit shorter nose than the used in the article and was not sufficiently prudent in working up slowly. I got slightly sticky extraction with H110 and considerably stickier with 2400. I pulled the remainder of the 2400 rounds without a doubt. The H110s didn't worry me much, and were 45 FPS faster. Also very accurate.

Fun, but approach with caution!
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Wow!

I'm not that adventurous. I think loads like that I will save for .454 Casull guns.
 
My 300 gr SWCs with H110 went "only" 1410 FPS. Not quite equal to the .454 Casull, but it does close the gap some.

If/when I load more of those, I will probably drop down 2 or 3 tenths and see if the stickiness goes away, but I did not find them TOO frightening.
 
Buck13 said:
My 300 gr SWCs with H110 went "only" 1410 FPS. Not quite equal to the .454 Casull, but it does close the gap some.

If/when I load more of those, I will probably drop down 2 or 3 tenths and see if the stickiness goes away, but I did not find them TOO frightening.
Click to expand...
h110 loads are very sooty and can build up in the cylinder chambers rather quickly. suggest you swab out those chambers with some hoppes, or some other solvent after every session. that may be your only problem with the sticking. running high pressures doesn't let the cases spring back as much as the lower pressure rounds and may be the explaination for your "stickyness".

also, try starline cases. they may be a bit tougher for that heavy load.

luck,

murf
 
wronghanded,

suggest you follow the lyman load. cci 350 primers and h110 powder under most any bullet is probably the most accurate load ... ever (follow the reloading manual recipe, of course).

the lyman book shows 1100 fps for top load and the 300 grain bullet. i thought that is where you want to be?

luck,

murf
 
murf said:
wronghanded,

suggest you follow the lyman load. cci 350 primers and h110 powder under most any bullet is probably the most accurate load ... ever (follow the reloading manual recipe, of course).

the lyman book shows 1100 fps for top load and the 300 grain bullet. i thought that is where you want to be?

luck,

murf
Click to expand...

Well, I was hoping to avoid H110/296 (for reasons noted up thread). And at least in my Lyman manual 19.0gr of 296 with a magnum primer is getting 1064fps. Which is 63fps faster than their max loading of 2400. For reasons unknown, their max load for H110 is 18.5gr and pretty much splits the difference on velocity.

I'll just follow (pretty close to) book with 2400. I guess 1,000fps with 300gr hardcast is nothing you sniff at.
 
I usually go around 1025 with my 300ish cast bullets... It will do more, but I won't lol. I imagine those are going to be punching 2 holes in anything I'd find around here. I tend to use 800x for lighter loads, 2400, lil gun, h110/296. Mine are all out of a SW mountain gun though, so it's a little different animal from yours.

1400 fps with that heavy slug is really trucking along.
 
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