JoelSteinbach
Member
What you really need is both
Actually it was 18.5gr 2400 but that was in balloonhead brass. Reduced to 17.5gr in solid head brass and most recommend no more than 17.0gr with modern Alliant powder. Read up on the new Ruger .44Spl's in an article by Brian Pearce in Handloader last June.Also...Keith's 18 grains of 2400/250 LSWC .44 Special load was developed with older lots of 2400. Alliant's 2400 is a little quicker. Observe all due caution, and believe that it's hotter than it once was.
Hell, the .45Colt New Vaquero (same frame size) can be pushed to over 1000fps with 250-260gr cast bullets. Dave Scovill likes to load his Colt .45 SAA's to 1100fps with the RCBS 270SAA (his design) and copious amounts of 2400.I'd limit it to 1,000 fps or so in a mid-framed Ruger.
Don't forget that if the .45 Colt uses about 30% less pressure for any given gr@fps combo than the .44 Mag the difference will be even bigger when it's the .44 Special.Hell, the .45Colt New Vaquero (same frame size) can be pushed to over 1000fps with 250-260gr cast bullets.
I'm sorry but the .45Colt vs. .44Mag logic cannot be applied to the mid-frame .44Spl's. The .44Spl holds the strength and safety advantage in these guns. The guns don't have the strength to meet, let alone exceed, .44Spl performance levels when chambered in .45Colt. The .44Spl is a much more efficient cartridge in these particular platforms.Don't forget that if the .45 Colt uses about 30% less pressure for any given gr@fps combo than the .44 Mag the difference will be even bigger when it's the .44 Special.
I would not buy a magnum revolver to shoot special cartridges from as I hate cleaning the carbon ring from the chambers that builds up from doing so. Also as I stated from the begining the whole reason for me thinking about the .44 Special is that it is more efficient with powder consumption.