Need recommendations for 44 magnum

[Wing Rider]

Well, got the wife a Ruger SRH for Christmas. (Been wanting one for years) I currently reload 357 mag and will start with 44 mag now. I am looking for any recommendations for a powder puff load for 44 mag. I am looking to possibly use the same powder for 357 mag mid range load and 44 mag powder puff load. I will certainly follow the loading manual info.
Thanks in advance

 

[troy fairweather]

I cast the Lee 200 grain bullets and powder coat them. Use a light load of unique, shoot good in sbh and lever actions.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Use 44spl load data.

 

[fireside44]

6.5-7.0 grains of Unique powder and a 230-250 grain swc. 44 special cowboy load or thereabouts. Should be a soft shooter in a big magnum.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I use unique powder and cheap 240 gr Keith style lead bullets for light loads. Unique is a very versatile powder. Not the best at anything but has a huge range of cartridges it will work for

I use win. 296 for my jhp hunting loads

 

[Targa]

I load down my .44mag cases using 240 grain lead cast Elmer Keith bullets https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=103&category=5&secondary=12 over 7 grains of Universal powder. I love this load for light stuff when I can pry the gun out of my wife’s hands, she loves it more apparently. Nice to plink with and other than shooting high (that’s just the way it is in a 44mag revolver with light loads) it is accurate.

 

[Starter52]

5.7 grains of Red Dot and a 240 grain bullet in a .44 Magnum case. My favorite indoor range load.

 

[LaneP]

You might look into loads using Trail Boss if you're wanting some easy shooting range loads. I use enough in my .45 Colt Vaquero to push 250 grain lead a little over 700 fps from a 5.5" barrel. Easy to shoot all day and very accurate.

 

[Hondo 60]

Titegroup, while still a bit of recoil, it's nothing compared to factory ammo or powders like 2400 or LilGun.
How stiff or how,light is your choice.

Of course other fast burning powders will work too.

 

[JO JO]

Don't forget about BE 86 , cleaner and measures way better than Unique,
All in all I have used both unique and be86 in my 44 sbh with good results

 

[Gumby0961]

I'm using 7 gr unique with 200 grain Nosler hp in 44spl cases. Very accurate in 7.75 in SBH. Very pleasant to shoot.

 

[Richard Jay King]

8 grains of WW231 with just about any cast or jacked bullet in the 240-245 grain range is a powder puff load in a SHR. My fav walking around load for a 4" Mod 629 Smith...Velocity will around 1000 fps or so..Accuracy is VG and you can hunt deer with it if you want as well..However the Unique loads mentioned by others is also a good one.

 

[forrest r]

I've have several different lite loads for the 44mag using 6.0gr to 6.5gr of clays that will do +/- 1" 6-shot groups @ 25yds. The bullets are cast/coated bullets and range in weight from 180gr to 245gr. The bullet noses don't seem to matter, sp's/wfn's/fn's/swc's/wc's.

 

[RealGun]

Cowboy suitable loads I use with Trailboss and lead bullets:
44 Mag - 6.2 gr with 200 gr bullet (rifle and SBH backup guns)
44 Special - 4.3 gr with 200 gr bullet (one pistol)
41 Magnum - 6.2 gr with 215 gr bullet (one pistol)
357 Magnum - 3.2 gr with 158 gr bullet
357 Magnum - 3.4 gr with 140 gr bullet
38 Special - 3.0 gr with 125 gr bullet
I use magnum length brass in my guns chambered for it.

 

[mdi]

FWIW; I ignore all/any load data I see on any forum...

I have used 44 Special data in 44 Magnum brass many, many times. I shoot my cast bullets in 99% of my 44 Magnum loads and even with light Special right out of the manual loads in Magnum brass I have never stuck a bullet in a barrel (5, 44 Magnum guns). The velocity listed in the Special data will be higher than when used in Magnum brass. The 44 Magnum is my favorite round and I have reloaded for it since '88, with everything from 123 gr, .432" balls to 300 gr. ingots.

 

[Bat Rastard]

Hot loads H110.
Medium HS-6
Light, I forget. Haven't loaded any in forever. I loaded them in 44special cases for easy identification though.

 

[RealGun]

FWIW; I ignore all/any load data I see on any forum...

I have used 44 Special data in 44 Magnum brass many, many times. I shoot my cast bullets in 99% of my 44 Magnum loads and even with light Special right out of the manual loads in Magnum brass I have never stuck a bullet in a barrel (5, 44 Magnum guns). The velocity listed in the Special data will be higher than when used in Magnum brass. The 44 Magnum is my favorite round and I have reloaded for it since '88, with everything from 123 gr, .432" balls to 300 gr. ingots.

But you didn't mind using internet lore about using 44 Special loads in Magnum brass.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

 

[buck460XVR]

FWIW; I ignore all/any load data I see on any forum...

While I don't necessarily "ignore" load data posted on forums, like any information gleaned from the internet, I take it with a grain of salt until I can verify it with something published from a reliable source. No different than the news from Fox or CNN. The OP claims he'll only follow published manual recipes, so suggestions here are just that. Sounds like he has his head on straight. My powder puff loads for .44 mag use 9.5 gr of Unique under a 240 gr jacketed/plated projectile.

 

[Erief0g]

Copy of one of my printed load cards. Pretty much same as above load yet using rmr plated instead of jacketed. Less powder by half grain and plated


CALIBER: 44 Mag CASE:RP
BULLET TYPE: RMR RNFP BULLET WEIGHT:240 Gr. Plated
POWDER TYPE:Alliant Unique POWDER WEIGHT: 9grains
PRIMER TYPE:CCI Lrg Mag SEATING DEPTH: 1.585
Chronograph results five shot Plated FPS: 957 982 1022 1005 982

Below is a4 inch target at 40 feet off hand

 

[mdi]

But you didn't mind using internet lore about using 44 Special loads in Magnum brass.

Nope! I started reloading pre-web so I didn't have the "benefit" of "Internet Wisdom". I started with 38 Special, and when I got a 357 Mag, I was occasionally shooting 38 Specials in it. Being a curious (and pretty mechanically inclined/logical) type I tried some Special loads in Magnum brass; worked quite well. Next revolver was a 44 Magnum in '78 (?) and used the same methods, works quite well.

I started looking in on forums in 2005-2006 and was surprised by some of the "lore" I saw and have since taken 90% of the "wisdom" I see on forums with a grain of Bullseye, and pay zero attention to shared load data...

 

[Targa]

I do agree to a point ^^^. I do like hearing about people’s experience with different powders but as for load data it all comes from reloading manuals for me. I do not and will not experiment with my own loads out of the parameters in the books and what is online from the powder manufactures themselves....guess I am just not adventurous...

 

[RealGun]

Nope! I started reloading pre-web so I didn't have the "benefit" of "Internet Wisdom". I started with 38 Special, and when I got a 357 Mag, I was occasionally shooting 38 Specials in it. Being a curious (and pretty mechanically inclined/logical) type I tried some Special loads in Magnum brass; worked quite well. Next revolver was a 44 Magnum in '78 (?) and used the same methods, works quite well.

I started looking in on forums in 2005-2006 and was surprised by some of the "lore" I saw and have since taken 90% of the "wisdom" I see on forums with a grain of Bullseye, and pay zero attention to shared load data...

Due diligence requires that any data gleaned from anyone, online or otherwise, should be validated against formalized sources, even if that means making sense of someone's extrapolation. The practice of using special loads in magnum cases is no more credible than any other off-the-books load.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I do agree to a point ^^^. I do like hearing about people’s experience with different powders but as for load data it all comes from reloading manuals for me. I do not and will not experiment with my own loads out of the parameters in the books and what is online from the powder manufactures themselves....guess I am just not adventurous...

I agree to a point. But I have multiple cartridges that either don't have any load data, or have very limited data.

 

[Targa]

That makes sense ^^^ and I wish I were a little bit more confident in myself to develop loads. I am the kind of guy that can’t make a meal without following a recipe to the T. Unfortunately that lack of confidence leaves rarer/wildcat cartridges out of my comfort zone.