Unique / 44 Mag / Question

[IV Troop]

H110 is my top choice for hot 44 loads. Between H110 and Unique you have all the bases covered in the 44 mag. BTW 22 grains of H110 with a 320 cast (RUGER ONLY, very top end load)!!!!!! will go lengthwise through a cow elk . 19.5 grains with a 300 to 320 cast will do everything you could ever need a handgun to do.

For day to day shooting 10 grains of Unique is a fine general purpose load.

8.5 grains is a good indoor target range load, basically a warm 44 special.

 

[paul105]

Well, the bullet listed in your lead example is cast from Linotype, hard as woodpecker lips almost. Linotype will generate pressures above that of normal cast bullets by a lot, night and day difference from a 15BHN bullet. I cast both, and alloys everywhere in between.


Here's a quote from Veral Smith -- LBT proprietor:

As the alloy is softened with most bullet lubes on the market, pressures climb dramatically, while with LBT lubricants, pressures go up so little that it is normally of no concern with alloys down to as soft as 8 - 10 bhn, which is freshly cast air cool wheel weight metal, this if the load is listed as generating pressures under 40,000 psi.



Paul

 

[paul105]

You are talking about data with a jacketed bullet and the original question and my response was refering to LEAD bullets. 10 grains Unique is a perfectly safe load and not a max load by any means. It can be safely put through even N frames with no harm. I have been shooting this combo for many years.

If you are a 44 fan, read the multiple books by John Taffin or visit SIXGUNNER on the web. You will find the 10 grain Unique/300 grain lead load a common load among knowledgeable 44 handgunners.

Frankly though, The 240 grain lasercast & 10 grains Unique is a perfect daily load that will serve well for general purpose 44 handgunning.

RE: the 300gr Load with Unique -- How do you know??? Have you pressure tested it??? Why wouold you use Unique with 300gr Bullets??.

Paul

 

[JMusic]

Bottom Gun I probably did have a heavy crimp because of recoil. I also used magnum primers(CCI 350). I've never had a problem like that with H110 and have shot tens of thousands of rounds with it, especially in 30 carbine.
Jim

 

[Bottom Gun]

Try it with no crimp or a very light crimp and see what happens. Take a wooden dowel along just in case.

I don't use magnum primers. Maybe that makes a difference. My experience with H110 was back in the early 80's. Maybe they no longer coat the powder.

In any case, I no longer use H110. The small gain in velocity over Unique powder was negligible and I'm certainly not going to trade reliability for a few extra FPS velocity, especially when it disables my revolver when it doesn't ignite. 50 to 100 fps difference in loads out of these guns doesn't amount to much.

 

[JMusic]

We must not be talking about the same powders or you have data on Unique that I haven't seen. H110 is generally one of the hottest powders you can use in magnum pistols.
Jim

 

[Bottom Gun]

I'm talking about Hogden H110 and Alliant Unique except that I think it was made my Hercules back then.
My hottest Unique loads chronographed approx 100 fps faster than the hottest H110 loads I tried in my 6 1/2" Mod 29. The difference was even less in my 3" 629.
The Lyman manual would lead you to expect several hundred fps difference but that certainly wasn't the case with the three guns we shot through the screens. Barrel lengths were 3, 4, and 6 1/2 inches. Maybe longer barrels would show different results, maybe not.

The advantages I saw to using H110 aside from the extra 100 fps was that I got to use twice as much powder to get unreliable ignition and MUCH greater muzzle flash and blast.
The fired cases did extract easier with the H110 load, but that was the only plus I saw so I stayed with my good old Unique.

I prefer the faster powders anyway because they produce less flash when I shoot in low light and faster powders are easier on the bore. To me, the recoil seems to be slightly less as well but I'm sure it only seems that way due to the decreased muzzle blast.

In any case, I saw no reason to use H110 for my applications.

 

[JMusic]

You probably are getting less recoil due to less powder. I like Unique too probably my favorite powder. I'm just puzzeled at your experience with H110 compared to mine. Good day
Jim

 

[Bottom Gun]

Well, like I said earlier, try some without crimping and with standard primers. You may be able to duplicate my results.
They won't all fail, but one failure is too much.