Favorite .44 Magnum loads - all three flavors!

[Rampant_Colt]

Starting with hot, medium and cold

HOT:
180gr Hornady XTP
23 grains 2400
WLP

MEDIUM:
240gr Rainier plated HP
12gr 800X
WLP

COLD:
240gr lead
7.5gr Unique
WLP


Please share your favorite .44 Magnum/.44 Special loads

I'm ordering some 210gr Remington SJHP bullets to work up some loads for my .44 Special Taurus 445 snubby and am open to suggestions for different powders

 

[Jacka L Ope]

Caliber: .44 Special
Bullet: Lyman 245 gr. #429421 (cast)
Powder: Unique 6.0 gr.
Case: Winchester, Federal, Remington
Primer: CCI 300
OAL: 1.571"
Velocity: 649 fps.


Caliber: .44 Magnum
Bullet: Lyman 245 gr. SWC (cast)
Powder: Unique 9.8 gr.
Case: Remington, Federal, Midway
Primer: CCI 300
OAL: 1.710"
Velocity: 912 fps.

 

[mavracer]

don't have medium
WILD 300gr meister hard cast or nosler JHP, 20.0 gr WW296 1250 fps

MILD 240 rainier or hard cast and 10.5 gr of HS6 900fps
both were chronoed from 6 1/2' 50th blackhawk

 

[daroccot]

Mild:
240gr LSWC or 220gr TMJ
5.7gr Bullseye
WLP
Magnum case
(A child could shoot this load easily)

Working on a Thumper now.

 

[Lazuris]

Only load:

240g SJFP" Magtech" w/ 18.5g 2400
Win brass
WLP

1590fps out of a 1894 marlin
1280+- 6.5" blackhawk.

I load the 240's since they work great in both the lever and 6 shooter. I had some feeding problems with the 300g in the marlin.

 

[Hutch]

Hot: 24.0 of H110 and 240gr JHP.
Med: 10 gr of Unique or ?? of A#5 (I disremember) and a 240gr cast SWC
Mild: a trifling charge of AA#2 equiv milsurp and a 240gr cast RNFP for cowboy action.

I can tell at a glance what I have w/o referring to the labels, due to the differences in the bullets.

 

[geo57]

Hunting - 210 gr. Sierra JHC on top of 15.5 grs. of Blue Dot


Cowboy - 200 gr RNFP cast on top of 7.5 grs. of Unique. Duplicates original 44-40 ballistics.

It always amuses me that some cowboy shooting assns. fuss if a piece of someone's costume is not era correct, but allows and even promotes powder puff loads that are nowhere near being era correct, just to improve scores.

 

[Rampant_Colt]

Some of those CAS loads are so weak they're dangerous!

I've narrowed my next choice of powder down to AA#7, Unique, N-350 or W231. I can only afford one 1-pound container right now, and want my next powder purchase to work well with both .44 Special and .44 Magnum loads

 

[ScratchnDent]

Hard to go wrong with Unique for an economical, versatile powder. IMO.

 

[Hutch]

Agree w/ Dent on Unique. Not the best at anything, but usually good enough at everything

 

[DEDON45]

Hornady 300gr XTP JHP over 19 grains of H110, Magtech primer. Pretty darn accurate in my Redhawk (and fun!)

 

[CBS220]

don't have medium
WILD 300gr meister hard cast or nosler JHP, 20.0 gr WW296 1250 fps

Sounds like fun... I'm gonna need more 296!

 

[frankt]

I also like the 10.0 grns of Unique with a 240 SWC. It is mild enough to be fun at the range but still let you know it is a .44 and it will do a great job on deer if you handgun hunt.

 

[trickyasafox]

There isn't much Unique won't due reasonably well in most common handgun calibers. I use it from 9mm mak and 9mm luger up to 44 mag and everything in between.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Mild:

Lyman 429421 245g cast over 7g W231, WLP.


Hunting:

Lyman 429244 265g cast over 22g W296, WLP.

 

[Hook686]

I like using the following three in my S&W 629 Classic 6-1/2" revolver:


Hot:

200 grain Nosler JHP
22.1 grains Alliant 2400

1480 fps


moderate:

270 grain GDSP
16.1 grains Alliant 2400

1110 fps


light:

200 grain GDHP
9.6 grains Unique

1120 fps

 

[Crazy4nitro]

I use Unique in my .45-70 under a 405 Lead Bullet.

3.8gr of Unique under a 180gr Lead Bullet is My Plinkin' Glock load.

Unique............Very Unique

 

[ATAShooter]

240gr Rainier HP
12.0 gr Alliant Herco
WLP primer

 

[Rampant_Colt]

moderate:

270 grain GDSP
16.1 grains Alliant 2400

1110 fps

Excellent!
I was looking for something just like that! I've only enough 2400 powder to complete 100 of the 270gr Gold Dots i've got sitting around.

Is that a starting load?

 

[Hook686]

Rampant_Colt wrote:

Originally Posted by Hook686
moderate:

270 grain GDSP
16.1 grains Alliant 2400

1110 fps

Excellent!
I was looking for something just like that! I've only enough 2400 powder to complete 100 of the 270gr Gold Dots i've got sitting around.

Is that a starting load?

No not a starting load. I started at 15.5 grains looking at about 17 grains as a maximum. I used Alliant web site data for a 265 grain JFP as a guide.

 

[hardcorehunter5]

Hot: 23.3gr win 296 with 240gr xtp
Cool: 5.5gr internation clay with 240 lead rounds nose poly coated.

 

[Hank Dodge]

I like the Keith 421429 LSWC hard-cast bullet. I use the one cast by Mt. Baldy Bullets of Cody, Wyoming for most of my loadings. They cast a top quality bullet and are great to deal with.

.44 mag
CCI 300
22 grains Alliant 2400
250 grain Keith
fairly stout load, accurate
Elmer Keith load

.44 mag
CCI 300
8.5 grains Alliant Unique
250 grain Keith
good target load


.44 special
CCI 300
7.5 grains Alliant Unique
250 grain Keith
fairly stout load, accurate
Skeeter Skelton load

.44 special
CCI 300
6.0 Alliant Unique
250 grain Keith
great target load, very accurate


I will also load the hotter charges of each caliber with the Hornady 240 grain XTP bullet on occasion. That round is also extremely accurate and consistent with those powder charges.

 

[Bula]

lite : 44 mag
200 rnfp Lee home cast
8 gr unique
WLP

med: 44 mag
429421 home cast
9.5 gr unique
WLP

heavy: 44 mag
429421 home cast
21g 2400
WLP

All are lubed with 50/50 to .430, shoot great and they are cheap to load! I just started with that 200 gr lee mold (actually drops at 214gr) and it's a great little plinker. I may try some even lighter loads with that one.