44 Mag Using H110 and Cast

[Storm_Shadow]

I have been reloading 44 mag with 23.5 grains of H110 and 240 grain Honrady jacketed bullets with great results. I recently made a purchase of some Missouri Bullet 240 grain Keith SWC in 18 BHN. None of my manuals I have covers this load (I purchased a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, thats on its way). I have read lots of people using this combination with luck and lots of people saying not to.

Anyone use this combination? I will be using this just to shoot targets out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk 7.5".

Thanks

 

[horsemen61]

No idea myself but I'd like to hear the answer

 

[blarby]

I've used it- and It wasn't very accurate for me.

I believe I tried it from 22.5-24.0, dont have my load notes here at work for me.


That being said, its a common load, and has plenty of people who love it, and plenty who hate it.

Most of the haters fall into two categories : accuracy, and leaders.

I have a feeling the leaders are either not getting the bullet sized right, or its not hard enough.


Thats one hell of a target load, btw. Your wrist would appreciate something much tamer.

 

[funklord12]

I've shot this combination from my 7.5" Super Blackhawk. It shot accurately and the cases eject easily. I had a bit of leading in the last 2", but it came out very easily. I guess I was pushing them too fast for lead or need a different lube.

I used data from my Lyman 48th edition. They use a 4" Universal receiver so you should be getting approximately 150-200 fps faster with a 7.5" SBH. Not sure of the barrel length used in the Winchester data on top.

 

[savanahsdad]

I prefer 2400 for cast , but I use W296 for everything Mag. jacket 357mag Jacket 44mag and cast 44mag I don't use W296 / H-110 for 357mag cast loads due to leading this is where 2400 shines , my 44 SWC are Oregon Trail Laser Cast and W296 works great with them ,for softer cast I like 2400 so I can load them down , you don't get much range with W296 for loading lighter loads , shoot a few and then check for leading , it may work for you in your gun

 

[Storm_Shadow]

As of now the only pistol powder that is available to me is the H110. I have five pounds of unique on order with the LGS, but that's at least a few weeks out.

 

[blarby]

Well, as you can see there is not a lot of room for "movin it around" with H110- and for good reason; erratic burn rates and pressure results accompany loading H110 at less than specified levels.

Magnum target loads it is !

 

[BSA1]

Ditto on W-231 (H-110 is the same powder).

I once spent a summer working up a load for my 44 magnum with a 245 gr. hard cast bullet. It wasn't until I got to one grain below published max that that load combination began to sing.

I find that 1 gr. below Max recommended works best in my 44 Magnums. 24 gr. of W-231 and a hard cast 245 grain lead bullet will punch through anything I handgun hunt. It works really well on hogs.

 

[blarby]

Ditto on W-231 (H-110 is the same powder).

?

Huh ?

You are shooting loads of 24 grs of w231 ?


H110 and w231 are NOT the same powder.

Perhaps you are confused with w296 ?

 

[Sam1911]

YIKES! Gotta be careful when you write stuff here, and this is a great example of why you ALWAYS VERIFY a load you read online.

NOT 231! 296. Biiiiiiig difference.

231 would be at max at about 11 grains.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

removed.

 

[Walkalong]

Nice catch guys. Yes, do be careful out there.

W296 is the same as H110, not W-231. Using W-231 with H110 data would be a recipe for disaster.

 

[Storm_Shadow]

Yes I had a friend call me once to tell me that the LGS had hp-38 only to drive there and it was h380.

 

[hartcreek]

I just went and looked at what I worked up. I use a Lee 240gr SWC that I hard cast and gas check with 22.7 grains of 296.

 

[GaryL]

I prefer 2400 for cast ...

I'm with savanahsdad, much prefer 2400 with cast. Even then I find the same amount of powder gives more felt recoil. I've only loaded jacketed 44mag with H110, so I can't image the recoil that would give with a cast bullet.

 

[Storm_Shadow]

So I made 25 rounds with 22 grains of h110 and 25 with 23 grains using the Missouri .240 Keith bullets. I shot 20 of the 22 grain loads and they seemed a little anemic and groupings were better than what I was getting with factory loads. Barrel looked good to me ( I'm still new to the whole lead thing ) I then shot 24 of the 23 grain loads and it was definitley stronger and groups shrank a tad. Now with less than 50 rounds this is what my barrel looks like after. I'm not sure if this is good or not.

Any feedback is welcome.

 

[blarby]

You're good.

Thats more than acceptable !

I see mostly what looks like powder and lube in this picture.

I'd note that load as a keeper in your logbook.

That should come right out with normal brushing.

 

[243winxb]

Barrel looks ok. I use W296-23.0 Gr with 250 gr cast. Unique is good for a mid-range load.

[/URL][/IMG] Using WLP (primers)

 

[MEHavey]

NORMALLY, I would not recommend using H110/W296 with plain-base bullets (which the MBC 240 Keiths appear to be).
BUT...if it works it works, so take everything below in that light.

Ordinarily I limit Lyman#2/BHN:15 plain bases to ~19-20,000psi. MBC's BHN:18 gives you another 3,000psi (or so) so you're in luck -- that's pretty much what Hodgdon lists as min load pressures w/ a 23gr H110/240gr (jacketed). [This is black art stuff so psi/CUPand jacketed hard/lead-better-seal kinda cancels out for differences at this point. Wet your finger and hold it in the breeze,]

That said, 23,000 psi kinds sucks for H110/W296 burn efficiency* and you're probably bumping up against the lowest recommend case fill level for consistent ignition as well.

But if (a) that all the powder that's available, and (b) it works....
Well gee... it works.

 

[DM~]

I've been using 23.0 H110 under my own 250 grain cast bullets, (RCBS 44-250) sized to .430" since the 70's, (I cast them fairly hard) it's accurate and has put quite a bit of meat in my freezer since then.

I see no reason to change what has been working for me, so I'm still using that same load to this day...

DM

 

[ssyoumans]

You'll like 10gr of Unique when it comes in. I shoot a lot of that, it does well out of my 6" 629 and Marlin 1894.

I keep the H110/W296 for jacketed, but like you said, tough time finding powders these days. I too recently found (3) 1 lb bottles of W296 and picked them up.

 

[Storm_Shadow]

Thanks guys. Yes I hope to get the unique in soon. I'll keep playing around with these until then and keep a close eye on everything.

 

[MEHavey]

Strange as this world might become, if you happen to see Vitavhouri N-110, buy it.
It's the cat's meow for getting 95% of H110/W296's performance in the 44Mag & 45 Colt,
with none of the ignition/case-fill/magnum primer headaches of those ball powders.

 

[Storm_Shadow]

Strange as this world might become, if you happen to see Vitavhouri N-110, buy it.
It's the cat's meow for getting 95% of H110/W296's performance in the 44Mag & 45 Colt,
with none of the ignition/case-fill/magnum primer headaches of those ball powders.

Thanks. I keep a list on my phone so when I go looking around for supplies I have a reference. With that being said I have never saw that brand at any of the stores around here. Usually only alliant, hodgon and IMR.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm also not a fan of H110/W296 with lead bullets but if that's all you have then...

I'm a huge fan of HS-6 with lead bullets in magnum loads. It will deliver good velocity but it generates lower pressures which will deduce the leading.