.44 magnum cases with .44 special powder load

[lonestar2222010]

My indoor range does not allow .44 magnum due to the high pressures on the facility (lights blowing out and the like). The good thing is they allow .44 special so my original idea was to trim down a qty of 500 cases of my .44 magnum supply to .44 special length. well this turned out to be more of a pain in the butt than anything due me only having a manual Lyman trimmer. So I am curious would I be able to load the full length .44 magnum cases (Case OAL 1.275) with the .44 special powder charge for 800 fps (180 gr hornady hp-xtp bullet with 6.4gr of UNIQUE powder...p. 973 hornady handbook of cartridge reloading 8th ed.) without trimming all the cases down to .44 special size (case OAL 1.150). If not any suggestions.

Thank you for the help.

 

[chriske]

If I understand correctly, your goal is a .44Spl load in a .44 Mag.-length case , right ?

Use a .44 Mag case, assemble the exact same load as you would in a .44 Spl case, INCREASING the powder charge by 10%.


Your powder charge is now 6.4 gr ?
Try identical loads in .44 Mag cases with 7.0 Gr - 7.1 Gr of the same powder

6.4 +10% (0.64) = 7.04

The same procedure works with .38Spl loads in .357Mag-length cases

 

[Blue68f100]

The problem with that is your still using a 44mag case which they have rules against. Better off with 44spl brass.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I was thinking the same thing. Sounds like a bunch of make-work that would be of questionable benefit.

 

[chriske]

I have a similar problem at our gun club's indoor range : No Magnums allowed.
So I use my.357Mag revolvers with loads assembled as I described above.
Club rules don't apply to case length, just to power level.

Although I only ever tried that "+ 10% method" with light to moderate loads of relatively fast powders (W-231, HP-38, VV N-320) I have no experience whatsoever with Unique. Be sure to check manuals, lest yo go over-max loads.

 

[oldpapps]

Soft loads for a 44 is simple. Dealing with the range management may not be.

I have loaded for years a soft load. (Broke my hand several years ago, 'boxer's break' - still hurts with weather changes.) My 8 year old granddaughter like to shoot it. The 5 year old says the gun is too heavy and want to shoot an AR.

My load is:
240 grain lead - 5.6 grains of 231 (I used the same amount of 230 back when) - muzzle velocities runs in the 650 FPS or so.

This is in .44 Mag brass. No leading, little soot, accurate to 25 yards or so.

 

[Steve H]

I'd just buy some 44spl brass................

 

[RKRCPA]

Always use load data for the cartridge being loaded. Nobody ever said you have to load to maximum did they? Don't go below the minimum load for a given cartridge and all will be good.

 

[Certaindeaf]

He's trying to comply with range rules. We all know how to load a mag case to special velocities. He's loading cut down mags to special velocities and shooting them out of a magnum thinking this will satisfy that rule somehow.
I'd pretty much get some special brass and load it to special velocities for that range and be glad if they let you shoot your magnum with those.

 

[tnelson31]

My range has this rule indoors and I comply with it by using slower loads in a mag case, to be under the maximum power level allowed.

I specifically asked before joining and doing this is common.

 

[Float Pilot]

8 grains of Power Pistol, 210 grain Bullet, WW-44 mag Brass, CCI-300 primer will give you around 850 fps.

 

[mdi]

Unless the range officials are trusting and believe your handloads are "Special levels", the Magnum headstamp and case length can be problematic. I had the same problem at a range I visited once. My loads were in Magnum brass, but light loads of Unique. So, Magnum brass, no "trustworthy" indication of load levels, no shoot. They had some .44 Special reloads, almost as costly as new and I would have to leave the brass. I found another range...