• You are using the old High Contrast theme. We have installed a new dark theme for you, called UI.X. This will work better with the new upgrade of our software. You can select it at the bottom of any page.

Looking for 44 mag plinker load for 4inch ruger

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mr.Revolverguy

Mr.Revolverguy

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Messages
1,882
I am looking for a 44Mag plinker load for my 4 inch Ruger.

What I have used so far.

240gr LSWC HS-6 8.8grains Accuracy ok - I can hold on 8 inch target at 15yards but no sort of group at all. Might as well be shooting buckshot.

240gr LSWC BlueDot 13gr Accuracy ok - unburned powder - I can hold on 8 inch target at 15yards but no sort of group at all. Might as well be shooting buckshot.

Tried these today, what a disappointment
240gr LSWC Clays 5.2gr Shotgun Accuracy was just terrible very dirty and smokey. It was so dirty that the cylinder would start to bind from the smut on the face. While at the range I used a micro fiber cloth to clean the face to get it back in production, to finish out the last 15 rounds. I tried this load because of this article. In all my manuals it was within spec. http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/44mag_081005/

240gr remington H110 23.5 Is the most accurate but not close to a plinker in this 4inch ruger. The hard slap in the palm and hard tork to the left is brutal. But the accuracy is dead on. I have put 6 in the 10 ring at 25 yards two handed. No I am not sensitive to recoil. I have a 460S&W and 500S&W that I love.

The BlueDot load really bums me out because it works great in my 6inch 629-2 and my 6inch Raging Bull. So I was hoping to just stick with it to prevent buying additional powder.
 
Consider that maybe cylinder, throats, forcing cone and barrel aren't quite right.

Consider that maybe cylinder, throats, forcing cone and barrel aren't quite right.

Granted some loads are better than others - but which ones? Just the same when accuracy with lead bullets is as bad as you describe I begin to worry that the barrel is squeezed at the frame such that the lead bullet is resized all over the place in firing followed by gas cutting as the bore expands past the threaded in the frame section followed by trouble at the crown on leaving the muzzle.

For a plinking load I suggest one of the classic Unique formulations (Skeeter or Sheriff Jim Wilson style)- although for my own use I go with jacketed bullets and 296 one load for everything and plink with a .32 S&W Long.
 
I have had really accurate loads using various 240-250 grain cast bullets and 5.5-6 grains of Red Dot. These loads will literally cut cloverleafs at 20 yards from my S&W 29, and are a pleasure to use.

Don't recall it being so dirty that it caused any problems, but it seems lube fouling is more of the cause than powder. I wonder if the diameter/hardness/lube of the bullets you are using are not well liked concerning the Ruger? Also, the load density of the HS-6 charge you are using is very low, and positioning could be a problem. That is why I like bulky Red Dot (Clays is bulky too) and you might consider Trail Boss for what you want.

Good luck.
 
240 LSWC, 6.5 of Titegroup. My Ruger SRH does great on 240 LSWC and 9.5 of Titegroup.

Your barrel is too short for BlueDot which is why the unburnt powder. Clays is just plain filthy no matter how you load it. 23.5 of H110 is a full-power Magnum load so no wonder you are feeling it in your hand. 8.8 of HS-6 is too light a charge, it's barely above .44 Special loading.
 
Red Dot, 700X, American Select, & Trail Boss will all do well for light .44 Mag loads.

All are bulky, especially the Trail Boss.

The Red Dot and American Select tend to burn very clean at low pressures as well as the 700X, but I give the edge here to Red Dot and American Select.
 
In a magnum case I use a 240g Keith (Lyman 429421) over 7g W231.

Midrange and accurate, clean burning too.
 
All thank you for the replies and your time.

The H110 I know is a full house load. And very accurate with this weapon.

I thought about giving trail boss a try. I have used it in 45ACP and it is a great load but I can't stand the strong ammonia smell it has when shooting it.

I think I will try tightgroup I always keep it on hand.

I got the HS-6 8.8gr load from my speer 12 manual for 44mag 240gr LSWC.

I doubt seriously there is anything wrong with the weapon. It is my reloads. The H110 and Factory magtech's shoot great in it.
Once again thank you all. I will load some up tomorrow and report back.

I open to any more advice keep it coming.
 
Try 240 grain cast bullets with about 7 grains of Red Dot. I shoot 7.5 grains in a .45 Colt for my favorite plinking load, but the .44 Mag has a little less case capacity. (the recoil with Red Dot gets downright nasty when you get too high with it; switch to Unique or Herco when that happens)

American Select is the cleanest burning powder I've ever used. I shot fifty .38 Specials loaded with AS and Berry's copper-plated bullets once, and the gun didn't look clean afterwards, it looked *unfired*.
 
Unique. 8 or 9 grains is very satisfactory. Enough pressure to burn clean, seal the case mouth, and remind you that's a .44 you just touched off.
 
Guys I understand these are loads you are using. But speer #12 list 6.5 to 7gr of Unique for 240gr LSWC. Though Lyman does list 10 to 11.7gr
 
Guys I understand these are loads you are using. But speer #12 list 6.5 to 7gr of Unique for 240gr LSWC. Though Lyman does list 10 to 11.7gr
Click to expand...

Alliant says 11.8 Unique is a max load. 6.0 is listed as a .44 Special load with 246 grain bullets.
 
Yeah I can't check with Aliiant. For a week or more their website for reloading data has been down.
 
Guys I understand these are loads you are using. But speer #12 list 6.5 to 7gr of Unique for 240gr LSWC.
Click to expand...

This is my favorite load of .44 mag, though it is really very light/tame. The exact specs are 7 gr of Unique with 240 gr LSWC. It hits my sweet spot and I can shoot it all day long. Very, very pleasant. Maybe start at about 6.5 and work up from there. I promise you won't be disappointed.
 
The reason for the differences in data with unique? One company is using pressure for the limiting factor.

Alliant: They assume you are smart enough to use a hard enough slug/gas checks to avoid leading at high pressure/speeds.


On the other hand:

Speer is limiting with velocity. Thier specific cast lead slugs are a soft alloy meant for low speed, so they limit you to under 1000 fps. This holds true in all handgun calibers capable of speeds over 1,000 fps. Hornady does the same thing with thier lead slugs. Too soft to go fast without making a mess.

FWIW: 7 grains of unique under a 245-255 lead slug has preformed well in many 44s for me.
 
FYI, with light loads I've found that Winchester or RP brass works better than Starline. The Starline is beefy enough that it doesn't seal the chambers well at low pressures. The Winchester and RP is thinner, and works well with blackpowder or light target loads.

I save my Starline brass for stomper loads (16.5 grains of Blue Dot with 260 grain bullet*, etc.)

*.45LC Ruger Bisley
 
I use 7.5 grains of Unique under the 429421 (flat based bullet) in the .44 SPECIAL and 10 grains under the same bullet in .44 MAGNUM cases. I have just never had luck with overly hard cast beveled based bullets for accuracy or leading. Could be for a number or reasons but those are the combo's I run in my SBH and they shoot clover leafs and all I have to do is wipe the gun down after I am done. I load up to 10.5 grains under the 255 grain 429244 GC for a do anything MAGNUM load. All three loads are classic and makes stocking components easy, anybody's primers (whatever is on sale) and mixed brass that will last a lifetime.
 
1+ for the wcwhitey note, except use 7.5 gr Unique in 44 special brass, and 8.5 gr in 44 Mag brass. Same loads will also work with Universal Clays. Check and see which one your gun likes best, 44 Mag guns only.
 
I loaded 8.5 grains Unique with a 240 LSWC and got 1023 fps out of a 5" M629. I was quite surprised to see any velocities over 850 fps, but my M629 has tight chamber mouths. It has been a while since I measured them, but my memory was that they were .429" or less.

The load was very accurate and powerful. Maybe in a normal revolver the velocities would be under 900 fps.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

mcb
  • Locked
44 Mag revolver/carbine load suggestions
2 3
Replies
59
Views
5K
Riomouse911
Riomouse911
D
  • Locked
Looking for a Universal Powder Charges like .45acp and .44 mag
Replies
16
Views
2K
Ridgerunner665
R
TxWolf
  • Locked
first lswc loads for 44 mag
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
Typetwelve
T
Z
  • Locked
Good defensive 44 Mag snubby load?
Replies
5
Views
475
zeke
Z
larryw
  • Locked
A good 44 Mag load goes sideways on me
Replies
17
Views
955
WESHOOT2
W
Back
Top