44mag powder?

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Axis II

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need some advice guys. i just accuired a 44mag handi rifle and want to load for it and would like to use 240gr xtp or 200gr flex tip.

the guy at the reloading shop asked if i needed help and i said looking for powder for 44 mag and he said me being new to reloading don't use h110 that i should use imr 4227 that h110 doesn't have a very large window to work with that it could be dangerous for me not really knowing what I'm doing.

I just looked in my book because i was wondering if 4227 was in there for the 200gr flex tip and lead swc and it showed 4227 to be start and 18 and max and like 20.8 for the flex tip and it was almost at the bottom for 240gr. 4227 isn't even in the book for SWC lead bullets.

if a powder is last in the chart is it the worst powder they tried?

never shot a deer with a hollow point/xtp will a 240gr HP work?

is this guy right that h110 shouldn't be messed with by a rookie? my hornady manual has like a 6gr spread for h110.
 
Use h110. It works well, you just have to pay attention and maybe use the scale a little more often to make sure the powder measure isn't sticking. I just finished loading some 300 blk a few minutes ago with h110 testing a new powder measure, and all loads were within .05 grains of each other. H110 isn't plutonium, just fast burning pistol powder.

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Is this the same guy who is giving you all the other wonderful but wrong advice in the past?

H110/W296 is one of the best magnum class powders on the market. It is not dangerous but it does require care when loading, much like other powders do. The charge range is usually narrow but if you can read the numbers and use a scale there is no additional danger.

That said, any magnum class powder will do well in the .44 Magnum including W296/H110 and 4227.

You can also look into 300-MP, AA#9, 4100 and Enforcer but I would shy away from Lil'Gun but not because it's a poor choice but because it generates excessive heat and is reported to erode forcing cones. Freedom Arms recommends against using Lil'Gun in their revolvers or at least they did.
 
H110 is great stuff for full power magnum loads...it's not dangerous, the smaller window just means you shouldn't start as low as you might with other powders but as long as you're within published data range you'll be fine.
 
Scooter22 said:
I don't know what book you have but look for .44 rifle data for the longer barrel. Theres plenty of it out there. It will generally use a slower powder suited to the longer barrel.
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Rifle data for the .357 and .44 Magnum itself is not different in charge weights or powder choices, they only report the velocities from the longer barrel. If you check the Hodgdon Load Data Site you will see the charge weights and powder choices are the same in the handgun and rifle data, only the velocities are different. Since magnum class handgun powders are already the slower powders there really isn't anywhere to go on the slower side.
 
H110/W296 are great powders for the 44 and 357 mags but you might also look at A2400. I like it because it can be safely down-loaded somewhat and often I don't want a full house, romper stomper load. It's versatile enough to use it for medium to hot loads. One of the classic 44 mag loads is 24gr of 2400 with a 240gr bullet.
 
I really wanted to use 4227 but seeing a 2gr spread with 200gr flex tip I said yeah ill skip that incase I want to shoot that bullet. shop guy said they haven't been able to get 2400 for awhile. his comment on the h110 was your new to reloading and h110 is a flashy, temperament powder when it comes to loading. he mentioned about loading it low could be dangerous. he said when I get some years under my belt and know when I have issues I can use h110. he showed me in 2 books where low charge is different and said that's why he's concerned.

part of me feels competent enough to use h110 and mag primers but just want to be safe.

why does 4227 have such a small window with the 200gr flex tip?
 
No. I don't have dies yet either but I want to try the 240gr xtp and if they shoot or penetrate like crap than I might try the flex tip.
 
There is nothing unsafe about W296/H110 as long as you stick to published loads. It is meant for full power loads. It's not one that you load down. Stick to the manuals and you are perfectly safe. If you are concerned about manuals having different loads don't use them. Go to Hodgdon's online data center and use the loads from there. It's straight from the horses's mouth at that point :)

If you want the ability to load down then use 2400. It's a magnum powder but is more versatile. But it won't produce the velocities of H110/W296.
 
dragon813gt said:
There is nothing unsafe about W296/H110 as long as you stick to published loads. It is meant for full power loads. It's not one that you load down. Stick to the manuals and you are perfectly safe. If you are concerned about manuals having different loads don't use them. Go to Hodgdon's online data center and use the loads from there. It's straight from the horses's mouth at that point :)

If you want the ability to load down then use 2400. It's a magnum powder but is more versatile. But it won't produce the velocities of H110/W296.
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ill probably do that than. I want to keep that rifle at its full potential because it will just be used to hunt with and not really target shooting.
 
I am the odd guy out here but I am not really fond of h110 unless they are going to be full house Magnum loads. Even then, I like 300MP, 2400 or even Blue dot better.

What your gun dealer guy is telling you is that the charge range for most h110 loads is very narrow. There is very little margin for error. Go even slightly too low and you have a squib. Go slightly too high and you have excessive pressure. It isn't that it isn't a reliable or great powder, there is just very little margin for error.

I prefer 2400 for my full power Magnum loads but it is dirtier, louder and has more flash than h110. While at first, I was not partial to 300mp (because of squibs when loading light) I have since decided it is my favorite powder for full power Magnum loads. As long as you are not loading on the light end of the spectrum, you won't have a problem. It is the best metering powder I have ever used, it has very little flash and, since it is relatively new and most loaders don't know about it, you can still get it without too much trouble. I use good old blue dot for my plinking rounds. Even blue dot can produce some impressive velocities at the high end of the load data.

That is my .02.
 
why you ask?
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Still learning. It's been said "the best results are obtained by using the mildest primer consistent with good ignition"... barring unusual circumstances.


fine powder in the cold
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See! That would be a good reason. :D


But seriously, when reading about some large-bore (.30 cal +) rifle load workups, some experienced shooters will say that a magnum rifle primer may be too "hot", spiking the cartridge's powder load rather than initiate an even burn travel.

Stuff like that. I suppose that because I am going to load .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum (in a warmer southern clime) and am going to be using simply "Large pistol primers" rather than magnum doesn't mean much to you. I was only asking for a reason for your primer choice and you cite a good one.

Have fun and be safe!

:)
 
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200Apples said:
Still learning. It's been said "the best results are obtained by using the mildest primer consistent with good ignition"... barring unusual circumstances.




See! That would be a good reason. :D


But seriously, when reading about some large-bore (.30 cal +) rifle load workups, some experienced shooters will say that a magnum rifle primer may be too "hot", spiking the cartridge's powder load rather than initiate an even burn travel.

Stuff like that. I suppose that because I am going to load .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum (in a warmer southern clime) and am going to be using simply "Large pistol primers" rather than magnum doesn't mean much to you. I was only asking for a reason for your primer choice and you cite a good one.

Have fun and be safe!

:)
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please do not take my post or advice because I have no clue what the heck I am doing. I took mag primers on a recommendation from someone else for 223 and worked better than regular but don't take my advice. I just was taking someone elses but will work from low-high and im using a rifle so may have more wiggle room.
 
please do not take my post or advice...
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No worries. I recognize a fellow reloading no0b when I see one! :D

Again, I wish you the best. Here's to safe reloading and straight shooting.

:)
 
Another vote for Blue Dot here but as mentioned it works best at/near full load pressures to get a complete burn. I have shot a ton of them in my Super Blackhawk with 10 inch barrel and they are accurate. 2400 is my second choice as well.
 
dragon813gt said:
If you want the ability to load down then use 2400. It's a magnum powder but is more versatile. But it won't produce the velocities of H110/W296.
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I really like 2400 for 44mag as well. A couple years ago I chrono'd both H110 (full house loads) and 2400 (somewhat downloaded) loaded with the same 240gr bullets in the same gun. The difference was only ~100fps. While that might seem like a lot, I had worked with stouter loads using 2400, but found an accurate and sweet shooting load I liked, so it didn't seem like I was giving up that much. Seriously, I expected much more of a difference based on how much different those loads feel. As always, YMMV.
 
4227 produced the most accurate loads in my .44, it meters very easily, and it's readily available in my area right now


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Just got 1lbs of 4227 and 200 cci mag primers along with dies. Now I just have to find a trimmer.
 
w296/110 with 240 gr hornady xtp is very accurate in my srh at long distances compared to cast lswc and unique.
 
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