Heavy weight 44 special loads

[xtratoy]

I have several hundred hard cast 300 grain lead bullets for 44 caliber. I am looking for any 44 special loads for this heavy of a bullet. I have a Ruger Blackhawk and GP100 in 44 Special. I am hoping to find a load in the 750-850 FPS range. Yeah, I could just load them for my 44 Magnums but I have already done that.

 

[Walkalong]

I have a Ruger Blackhawk and GP100 in 44 Special. I am hoping to find a load in the 750-850 FPS range.

I don't think you can make it at .44 Spl pressures.

 

[.38 Special]

This post contains load data way beyond anything in the manuals and may not be safe.

I have no personal experience with 300 grain bullets in the .44 Special. Ross Seyfried has written that he uses 19 grains of H110 behind a 250 cast, and 18 grains behind a 280. The latter load goes about 1100 fps, according to Seyfried. That obviously is well into - and possibly beyond - +P territory. He used them in the mid-frame Bisley Blackhawk and didn't blow it up, apparently.

Brian Pearce, in his great article on the cartridge, listed 15.5 grains of H110 with a 305 grain cast bullet at a bit over 1000 fps, and put it into the 25,000 psi +P category, which should be safe in most modern guns.

 

[Riomouse911]

That’ll be a thumper at 1000 fps.

I would shoot that Pearce load through the Blackhawk .44 Spl with no hesitation. Through my GP 100 .44 Spl.? I don’t know if there is as much metal around the gun as the Blackhawk has, so personally I wouldn’t push it quite that much. If a 750-800 fps load could be found like the OP wants I’d try that one.

I know H110 gets cranky with reduced loads, I wonder if Enforcer or Power Pistol would do the trick…

Stay safe.

 

[.38 Special]

I don't think I'd drop below 15 grains of H110 with a 300. I also wouldn't try it in the first place, because ouch.

The big obvious answer, as it so often is, may be Trail Boss. I'd fill the case to the bottom of the bullet and wouldn't be surprised if velocity approached the OP's requirement - and without the worry of +P (or +P+) pressures.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I have several hundred hard cast 300 grain lead bullets for 44 caliber. I am looking for any 44 special loads for this heavy of a bullet. I have a Ruger Blackhawk and GP100 in 44 Special. I am hoping to find a load in the 750-850 FPS range. Yeah, I could just load them for my 44 Magnums but I have already done that.

I tried it once with the Sierra 300gr. JHP bullets and 10.0gr. of 2400 in a short ladder up to 12.0gr. for my Taurus 6" .44Spl and did not get satisfactory results. It wasn't excess pressure, it was just bad accuracy. I think Taurus cut the barrels on their .44Spls for a shorter driving band - meaning lighter bullet - and the Sierra just didn't stabilize like it needed to. As the powder charge went up the spread went up, too. Chrony said my loads were starting on the low end of the 700fps ballpark at 10gr with a terrible spread. This was about a decade ago and I never repeated the experiment or went all the way up to 12.0gr. - I recall stopping after the second cylinder - which is also what makes it memorable. I didn't pay for the Sierra's (I got a shoe-box full of them from a buddy up in Georgia who sold his only .44Mag, a Ruger M77/44... to me) but still hated wasting them - especially since I don't think they still make that bullet and I'm almost out of them, now.

You might want to measure your bore groove and see if that bullet is too long (in the driving band) to stabilize. Maybe Ruger cuts all of their .429" barrels the same or maybe not?

 

[illinoisburt]

I don't think I'd drop below 15 grains of H110 with a 300. I also wouldn't try it in the first place, because ouch.

The big obvious answer, as it so often is, may be Trail Boss. I'd fill the case to the bottom of the bullet and wouldn't be surprised if velocity approached the OP's requirement - and without the worry of +P (or +P+) pressures.

Not sure about 100% load density with trail boss. I like it for cowboy loads in 44 mag and 38/357. I've also done some decent shooting cast loads for 30-06. All the data on it cautions against compression and seems like it gets a little spiky on the rifle loads with some heavy bolt lift over maybe 85/90% density.

If you already have it on hand, for the 300 grainer in your 44 you might start around 5 grains of Unique with a good crimp.

 

[Barbaroja]

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/Brian Pearce on the 44 Special.pdf

https://www.handloadermagazine.com/44-s-w-special-p

Not much with the heavier weights but there are a few

 

[Ohen Cepel]

300gr at those velocities would worry me in a SPC.

Will a loaded round fit into the cylinder? May be too long.

 

[.38 Special]

Not sure about 100% load density with trail boss. I like it for cowboy loads in 44 mag and 38/357. I've also done some decent shooting cast loads for 30-06. All the data on it cautions against compression and seems like it gets a little spiky on the rifle loads with some heavy bolt lift over maybe 85/90% density.

The "standard formula" for Trail Boss: "Find where the base of the bullet to be loaded is located in the case and make a mark on the outside of the case at this location. Then fill the case to that mark with Trail Boss, pour into the scale pan and weigh. This is your maximum load. Pressures will be below the maximum allowed for this cartridge and perfectly safe to use!
Take 70% of this powder charge weight (multiply the maximum load from step 1 by .7), and that is your starting load." https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/trail-boss-reduced-loads-r_p.pdf

I have never compressed the powder, as the warnings against it seem pretty stern, but 100% density has never caused me any issues, at least with cast bullets and straight walled cartridges.

 

[illinoisburt]

100% density has never caused me any issues, at least with cast bullets and straight walled cartridges.

Yup, used their formula myself and like the powder (not a fan of their small cans). I've been surprised at how versatile the powder has been in some applications. Was only sharing the odd experience I've encountered which I suspect may be due to being a bottleneck. OP is looking at 300 grainers which is very heavy for a 44sp and is likely going to be pretty deep into the case. Of course since he has a 44mag Blackhawk doing some quick pressure testing will be easy before loading them into something less forgiving.

 

[Walkalong]

I have never compressed the powder, as the warnings against it seem pretty stern, but 100% density has never caused me any issues, at least with cast bullets and straight walled cartridges.

Same here, and I'll add jacketed in .458 Win Mag. 100% load density and a 350 Gr JSP mimics .44 Mag power levels. Powder puff in a heavy rifle.

But yea, you don't seem to be able to hurt anything in straight walled revolver cases and 100% load density with lead or coated lead of reasonable weights.

 

[CraigC]

Got no problem with pushing things in proper guns and Brian Pearce has the data but I don't really see a point in 300gr bullets in the .44Spl. Where it shines is with 240-260gr.