How hot can I safely load RNBH .44 Spl?

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Jaymo

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I ordered a new Ruger Blackhawk .44 Special flattop, last week and picked it up Saturday.
What I want to know is how hot can I load it without damaging it, or myself?
Can I load it hot, like a .45 Colt BH?

Is it built on the same frame as a .45 Colt BH?

Is it built on a .44 BH frame? A .357 BH frame?

I'm a bit of a Ruger fan, but am somewhat confused by the different Ruger SA frames, as this, and my ROA and SS .32 H&R are my only SA Rugers.
 
NO the new Ruger flattop .44 Spl is not nearly as strong as the .44 Mag frame regular Blackhawk.

Your gun has basically the same strength as a modern Colt SAA.

As such, you can load it to approx 25,000 PSI safely.

Thats according to Brian Pierce in Handloader magazine.

rc
 
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It is built on a medium sized frame, comparable to a Colt New Frontier and suitable for the 1200fps Keith load. Or about 26,000psi.
 
Is it the same frame as the .45 Colt Blackhawk? Or is it the same frame as a .357 Blackhawk?

I don't want to load it to .44 magnum pressures, mind you. I have a Redhawk .44 mag for mag loads.
I just want to load it to 900-1100 fps. I don't want the wimpy factory loads.
If I can get 900 fps with a 300 grain flat nose, I'm happy.
If I can get 1000-1200 fps with a 240 grain HP or SWC, I'm happy.
If I can get 1200 with a 180 grain hollowpoint, I'm happy.
All loads will be lead alloy, not jacketed. I cast my own.

If I can safely run 900-1000 fps with the above bullets, I'm happy.

I want to know what loads I can run through it, safely, before I start loading it.

It weighs 42 ounces, according to Ruger, and it feels every bit of it.

1200 fps is the max I'd like to get out of it, and the vast majority of what I shoot from it is going to be 750-900 fps.
I just want to be able to carry it when I hunt. For those times I don't feel like carrying the 7.5" Redhawk/Sherman tank.

I obviously don't want to blow it up. I figure a hard cast flat nosed 200-300 grain bullet moving around the speed of sound should do anything I need to do in GA, and any ranges at which I actually have any business shooting an animal with it.

So, does this mean I'm OK using Buffalo Bore .44 special ammo in it?
That's pretty much the performance level I'm looking for.

But then again, we all KNOW that any pistol round that is slower than 1300 fps is totally useless for hunting or SD purposes. (J/K)
 
There's a bit of controversy there. Brian Pearce used the Keith load with no problems. But Ross Seyfried - who knows a bit about such things - wrote that he considers the Keith load "unsafe" in this gun. But in the same article he promotes 30,000 PSI loads as appropriate for the gun. He has to be aware that the Keith load is under 30,000 PSI so frankly I'm still scratching my head about it all.

In my opinion (which may be worth exactly what it costs) the gun should be safe with the Keith load. The gun is built on the .357 frame, but the cylinder is still slightly larger in diameter than the original Colts which Keith used to develop the load.

Beyond all that, the answer you need may be a simple one: the "Skeeter" load of 7.5 grains Unique with a 250 grain cast SWC runs a bit over 950 FPS out of my 5 1/2" Flattop and pressure is well under 20,000 PSI according to every source I've ever come across. I have fired countless such loads from a variety of guns and cases fall from the chambers every time. And yes, getting the same performance from Buffalo Bore will be perfectly safe in your gun.
 
+1

The "Skeeter Load" is all you need to kill anything that crawls or walks in the USA anyway.

And you won't shake the gun apart or wear out your wrest or ears shooting it.

That is all I have ever used in my S&W 1950 Target, and it is what the .44 Spl is all about.

If you need more power then that?
You done bought the wrong caliber gun already!

rc
 
I don't want to load it up to .44 mag pressures. I can use the Redhawk or Taurus 44 for mag loads.
I just won't always want to lug the magnum around.
I appreciate the answers.

Now, I just need to find out how hot I can load my .45 Colt EAA Big Bore Bounty Hunter.

Did I mention that my .44 is a Blackhawk and not a new vaquero?
 
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Did I mention that my .44 is a Blackhawk and not a new vaquero?
Click to expand...

The New Vaquero is built on the same mid-sized frame as your Flattop .44 Special Blackhawk. While it's a good bit more durable than a Colt SAA, it's still not up to the level of the original Vaqueros and the New Model Blackhawks.

And...

Peak pressure isn't the only concern. Recoil forces and the tensile stresses on the frame are at least equally important.

Moreover...

Equal peak pressures don't always have the same effect. 30,000 psi obtained with Unique is potentially harder on the gun in the long run than 30,000 psi with 2400.

I believe that the .44 Flattop Blackhawk is up to the task on a limited basis. The old Colts certainly were...as Keith proved.... but any time you increase stresses on a machine, you accelerate the point in time that it will fail.

Your car's engine will last a couple hundred thousand miles with reasonable care, but if you try to do 500 laps at Talledega at the redline, it probably won't make it. Mechanical realities.


Use the data in moderation, or on a need-to basis...but for general use or burning up a couple hundred rounds every Sunday afternoon at the range...I'd stick closer to SAAMI limits. The gun will last a lot longer.

My 2% of a buck.
 
"Your gun has basically the same strength as a modern Colt SAA. As such, you can load it to approx 25,000 PSI safely."

Is the 3rd generation 1982 SAA I have coming a "modern Colt SAA"? I would think it is, but I'm old.


This is all so new to me. :) I'm dying to read Mr. Pearce's article on "Handloading the .44 S&W Special - Loads for an American Classic", so I ordered a copy of the August, 2005 Handloader magazine. Amazon has it for $6. Buy other things, get free shipping.

www.amazon.com/Handloader-Magazine-...=1-1&keywords=handloader+magazine+august+2005
 
Is the 3rd generation 1982 SAA I have coming a "modern Colt SAA"?
Click to expand...
Yes, all 2nd. & 3rd. Gen Colt SAA's are considered "modern".

By not modern, we mean you would not want to shoot a 25,000 PSI load in one of General Custers 1st. Gen black-powder Colts.

rc
 
Thanks. Just checking on the terminology because I never assume anything when it comes to gun companies.

So far I have 2 boxes of 200-grain cowboy ammo, a pack of snap caps and a Dillion booklet from a local shop about an hour ago, but no gun yet. I hope the check cleared.

A 550B isn't that much more than a Rock Chucker. I didn't know that. :) I need jacketed .44 Specials for the new indoor range. It's too hot to go shoot lead at the outdoor range, so I think I'll retire in September and start reloading.

John
 
I'm dying to read Mr. Pearce's article on "Handloading the .44 S&W Special - Loads for an American Classic", so I ordered a copy of the August, 2005 Handloader magazine. Amazon has it for $6. Buy other things, get free shipping.
Click to expand...

I'm almost sorry to do this, but http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/Brian%20Pearce%20on%20the%2044%20Special.pdf

Of course, if you hate reading online as much as I do, you'll still get the value out of the Amazon copy.

In addition to the Pearce article, the same website hosts a great collection of .44 Special articles going way back. http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/
 
I searched for that article for quite some time with no success. Oh well, I did enjoy watching Spain pound Italy 4-0 while I was surfing. At least I didn't pay the $10 another site wanted for a copy. Plus shipping.

John

P.S. - The magazine is 100+ pages. The article on Handloading Colt's .38 Super looks promising, too.
 
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