44 mag recipe?

[pcwirepro]

I bought my first 44 mag over the weekend. Using Unique (because I have a ton of it) and a 240 gr LSWC I find huge swings in charges. Lyman and Speer call for 10 gr while the alliant web site calls for only 7 gr. http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/recipedetail.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=240&shellid=33&bulletid=52

To date, I have only loaded 9mm, 357 and 45 acp (all with relatively light charges) so to see a difference in starting loads of 3 gr is a bit unsettling.

Any thoughts or recipes using Unique and a 240 gr cast SWC BB would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Slamfire]

I thought I would be creating a duplicate high end 44 Spl Load with a 240 LSWC BB with 8.5 grains Unique. And I did.

This load was very accurate and surprisingly powerful

I suspect it could be cut a grain and still be around 900 fps.

S&W M629-4 Stainless, 5" Barrel

240 LSWC 8.5 grs Unique thrown, Midway Brass WLP
25-Nov-04 T = 58 °F

Ave Vel = 1023
Std Dev = 25
ES = 99
Low = 958
High = 1057
N = 30

 

[Tallinar]

I've gone as high as 11.0 grains of Unique with a 240 gr LSWC. I can't quote the FPS that would have generated, and my manuals aren't with me at the moment. The 7.0 grain load referred to on Alliant's website would be considered a pretty light practice load. I believe I settled on 10.0 grains for a "light magnum" load.

You really can't go wrong with Unique with anything in the 7.0 to 11.0 grain range for .44 mag. You could go higher than 11.0 I'm sure, but I haven't done it personally.

8.0 to 8.5 grains with a 240 gr LSWC is a pretty well-established target load.

 

[pcwirepro]

Are you kidding me. Two answers in less than ten minutes.

8.0 to 8.5 grains with a 240 gr LSWC is a pretty well-established target load.

That sounds like a happy medium to me.

Unrelated to powder, when using new, unfired brass, is it common to shave a sliver off in the first seating? It could be a die thing. I noticed on most of the 12 that I ran last night that there was a "ring" of brass that I could pull off with my fingernail. I did not ream or prep the new brass in any way.

Thanks again.

 

[Asherdan]

You need to bell the cases slightly to keep from shaving your bullets down, it sounds like. Also, I always run all the steps on new brass just to make certain everything is concentric and in spec. My standard Unique fun-load is a 240g cast and 10.0 grains of Unique.

 

[pcwirepro]

You need to bell the cases slightly to keep from shaving your bullets down, it sounds like.

I'm not shaving any lead. It's brass that I'm finding after the seat/crimp operation.
That 10 gr of unique seems to be the ticket.

 

[RVenick]

Since it is new brass you may need to trim it.

 

[Walkalong]

Trim it. Deburr and chamfer it. Tumble it. Those little slivers will go away.....unless you have a very sharp ledge in your seater/crimper and/or are over doing the crimp.

 

[pcwirepro]

Hey Walkalong,

Do you have any pics of 44 mag in that amazing collection of yours?
I'll try and post a shot of my finished product for your review. If you feel inclined that is.

Thanks again all.

 

[Walkalong]

Actually, yes....Here on page 2. Both lead and jacketed.

 

[pcwirepro]

Thank you!

Seriously Mr. Walkalong, you should get paid for this stuff. Perhaps the forum could impose a penny per click on each of your posts and at least a dime per picture. This is invaluable stuff here. How do you take these amazing pictures? I couldn't take a shot that good if my life depended on it.
Thank you very much.