Can someone calculate pressure for this ?

[3006mv]

Maybe not the best idea but I have had these 265 gr Horady FTX bullets that are made for the .444 Marlin laying around for awhile now. I loaded a few in .44 S&W SPL cases, using 13.5 gr of W296. They cycle in a lever action. Should I try shooting them? They come out to 1.664" compared with the factory length of 1.645" of the factory Hornady 44 REM MAG coal (which is only 0.019" difference in length). I got the data from a .44 Special with 265 gr lead bullet though. I don't have a load calculator, any help for me here? These are obviously not the same as the factory 225 gr FTX bullets now available for the .44 mag which you would have to trim your cases down.

http://www.hornady.com/store/44-Mag-225-gr-FTX-LEVERevolution/ and

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/ftx_load_data/44RemMagFTXRifle.pdf

 

[gamestalker]

First off, 296 and H110 don't have data for the 44 spcl. cases. But there is also the issue of down loading 296. That powder can't be reduced like that, and since the charge for a 240 gr. jacketed is 22.7 gr. - 24.7 gr. your charge of 13.5 is severely reduced and especially for a jacketed bullet. That's just the tip of the ice berg and a short summary of issues involved.

I think your straying from the applied data, in that, your using data for a lead bullet in a jacketed application, and using a powder intended almost exculsively for jacketed bullets, in a non magnum cartridge that won't handle 296 jacketed data, so it isn't going to produce predictable pressures. I see the direction your trying to go in, but unfortunately your working with the wrong powder, at the very least. You didn't clarify what you intend to fire them from either? If all the variables are fixed as I decribed above, and they were going to be run through a magnum action or the 444 Lever gun, you would be staying within some range of what the components are intended for.

Bottom line, if you were working with a 44 mag. case and using a more realistic powder charge for 296, you might be able to muster up a safe functioning load for those 265 gr. FTX's.

 

[zxcvbob]

.44 Magnum vs. .44 Special doesn't matter much; it's the overall length that matters. The biggest problem I see is your choice of powder. 2400 or AA#9 or AA#7 or Power Pistol or 800X (etc) would give you some leeway. H110 and W296 have to be loaded exactly right or they don't work.

 

[3006mv]

thanks I was thinking this would be too little of powder for a jacketed bullet too, especially w/ that particular powder. I have a model 94 .44 mag I was thinking of shooting them out of. I think I may try some of those other powders suggested. I was wondering how people calculate theoretical pressure data. I am not savvy in that department. I will pull the few that I loaded.

 

[3006mv]

Well I don't have those powders, but I found this data from Lee for .44 Spl 265 gr jacketed bullets: HS6 7.0 gr and H4227 13.0 gr. (funny those are both the min. start and max charges at the same time, 1570 & 1470 CUP respectively) Someone suggested 18.0 gr of H110 but I think I will avoid W296/H110 altogether. I think I may have some HS6 leftover from some 12 gauge loads.