I want a Big Fireball

[AZone]

For no other reason than entertainment value ,I want to work up a load for a 3" 44 Mag that will provide the largest possible fireball.
I know that a slow burning powder is part of the recipe,so have some 748 rifle powder to try.
What I'm wondering is the best weight bullet, I have some 165 grain up to 250 grain.
Any suggestions?

 

[N555]

748 will barely light off. You want something like AA9.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

Something like this will give you the blast you want, maybe more than you want.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

As said, 748 would barely burn. Way too slow. Might even stick a bullet.

H110, Bluedot, Power Pistol. Power Pistol throws some extreme fireballs with an intense report as well.

AA#9 is flash supressed I believe.

 

[jaguarxk120]

H110 is known for very large muzzle flash's!
When to light the fire with H110 the range officer look to see what
you are shooting.

 

[Cfish]

Blue dot and Power pistol for the win

 

[JDeere]

H110 will get you there. It's all I run in my 44mags. Ran it in .357mag for a bit when I was out of 2400. Rifle powder is to slow imo...

 

[Obturation]

Slow powder and light bullets will do it. I'd go for the h110.

 

[Hartkopf]

As said above, a light bullet with a max load of powder is what the OP wants.

The two flamethrowers I have experience with are H110 and Blue Dot.

Blue Dot is almost funny when a max load is shot out of a 9mm. Such a mild, even push but a big flame out of the muzzle.

 

[entropy]

You want a big fireball? Get a Mosin Nagant M44.

I used Blue Dot for .357 and .44 Mag. flamethrower loads back in the day.

 

[AJC1]

When we say light bullet check that you don't go down into top strap flame cutting light. Cool fireballs are not cool when flame cutting your gun.

 

[Barbaroja]

H110

 

[drband]

H110

I agree! H120/W296 for the fireball

 

[N555]

As said, 748 would barely burn. Way too slow. Might even stick a bullet.

H110, Bluedot, Power Pistol. Power Pistol throws some extreme fireballs with an intense report as well.

AA#9 is flash supressed I believe.

I was using AA9 to load 5.7x28 for a while and they made a nice orange fire ball about the size of a soft ball out of the FN fiveseven.
Out of a rifle, like a m1 carbine, almost no fire.

 

[N555]

You want a big fireball? Get a Mosin Nagant M44.

I used Blue Dot for .357 and .44 Mag. flamethrower loads back in the day.

My heavy 3 inch 12ga reloads using Bluedot would make watermelon size fire balls out of a 13 inch barrel. It definitely works.

 

[JO JO]

2400 also has a decent flash bag effect

 

[mcb]

I get big fireballs with H110 and 180gr bullets in my 16-inch Rossi M92. Out of a 3-inch revolver they will be most impressive. I quite using H110 in my 44 Mag simply because I did not want the flash. IMR 800x was great similar velocity (in the revolver) and no flash at all. Unfortunately they discontinued that powder.

 

[Jdague12]

24.5gr of 300-MP with a 240gr Berry’s plated flat point out of a Desert Eagle will roast a marshmallow

 

[Random 8]

YOU might experiment with a small amount of finely pulverized charcoal in the previously recommended H110 or other slow pistol powder. Let us know how it turns out.

I do know that a few stray kernels of IMR 4350 in a light charge of contaminated red dot give a 5 foot tracer effect from a 3" .38 spl.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

View attachment 1127306 24.5gr of 300-MP with a 240gr Berry’s plated flat point out of a Desert Eagle will roast a marshmallow

That is an awesome picture.

 

[AZone]

View attachment 1127306 24.5gr of 300-MP with a 240gr Berry’s plated flat point out of a Desert Eagle will roast a marshmallow

 

[AZone]

That's what I'm talking about!!!! It might be smokeless powder, but NOT flameless!
Gotta get me somma dat!

 

[Nasty Canasta]

H110 has the biggest fireballs in my hand loads that I’ve seen. I can see them in daylight shooting my 454 Casull & 50AE with 28 & 32 gr loads.

 

[Alaskamike]

Light bullets and slow powders are what you want. I made a few "shock and awe" loads for my .45 colt Redhawk once using 200 grain H&G 68 style bullets and a big charge of 296. The fireball was truly something to behold!

However, the concern about top strap flame cutting and forcing cone erosion is real and something to be seriously considered. I really wouldn't shoot many of those such loads at all.

 

[J-Bar]

Top end loads of Unique give a nice bang and flash, but not like a case full of 3F blackpowder. Yeah, both are messy, but they are worth it.