Lyman #429215 .44 Mag Load Development

[Jumping Frog]

I have three issues I'd like to raise as I work on developing .44 Mag loads using a Lyman #429215 gas-checked cast bullet. Intended powders are H110 and 2400.

Issue #1: The Lyman 49 Manual publishes a load for that specific bullet (#429215), listing it as 210 grains using linotype. I notice the Lyman Manual's published load for a a 210 gr jacketed bullet are in the same ballpark for powder weight and velocities. However, I believe the manual is ignoring the weight of the gas checks in this developed load. Seems to me that the load should reflect total bullet weight = cast bullet + gas check.

My bullets (wheelweights + 2% tin) with gas checks are averaging 232 grains, not 210 grains. The Lyman 49 Manual also publishes loads for 240 gr cast bullet.

So issue #1 boils down to: Would you use the load published for bullet #429215 even though my bullet weight is 22 grains heavier than the published bullet weight?

Issue #2: I have published loads from several sources for 210, 215, 240, and 250 gr bullets. How do you interpolate a value to utilize in between the published loads for the 232 gr bullets?

For example, I looked at published loads from Lyman 49, Alliant, Lee Modern Reloading, and "One Book - One Caliber" Hodgdon data.

A simplified way of looking at it is to look at bullet weight versus max powder charge:
210 gr -> 27.5 gr (compressed load) (Lyman)
215 gr -> 26.0 gr (Hodgon from One Book One Caliber, and Lee)
240 gr -> 23.5 gr (Lyman)
250 gr -> 23.0 gr (Hodgon from One Book One Caliber, and Lee)

Where does 232 grains insert itself into that picture? It is a 2.5 grain drop in powder weight from 215 gr to 240 gr bullets. I am also keeping in mind that loading H110 too light can also create hang fire problems.

Alliant 2440 is much easier to handle because it is only a 0.4 gr drop between 225 and 240 grin bullets:
215 gr -> 22.0 gr (Lyman)
225 gr -> 21.0 gr (Alliant)
240 gr -> 20.6 gr (Lyman, Lee)
250 gr -> 20.0 gr (Alliant)

I will use 20.8 as my max charge for 2400 unless someone has a better idea.

Issue #3: I have Hodgdon published loads for 215 gr and 240 gr bullets using H110 that is old data. The current website does not list any H110 lead bullet loads below 325 grain bullets. Is it still OK to use this powder and the older published numbers, or is Hodgdon implying it is suddenly unsafe to do so?

 

[NCsmitty]

I have that exact mold and it did run a little heavy as cast, probably because of the mix. I always used medium charges of Unique with it to prevent leading.
I'm not a big fan of high pressure loads with cast bullets, as I like a jacketed slug with the heavy loads.
I say use the heavier bullet load data if you are troubled by the in-between bullet weights. By the same token, I've interpolated loads when I felt that it was safe to do so. I try to keep it on the safe side.
The issue with the old data vs no new data is only the lawyers making the implications.
I don't really care for H110/W296 except in my 410 shotshell loads, it's too finicky, but that's just me. There are several other good powders that don't have those issues.



NCsmitty

 

[kelbro]

I use the start data for a heavier bullet and work up carefully until I find the accuracy node that I am looking for. Seldom have to get too close to the published max for the heavier load.