44MAG case life? Loaded at max H110/240gr?
- Thread starter emerson
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They should last so long that I guess, nobody bothers to count the loadings.
You greatly control their length of service by how much you flare the mouth. Use as little a flare as possible and crimp no more than you have to.
No need to count the loadings, they expire when short cracks appear in the vey end of the neck, right where they are flared.
Don't worry about how many times they have been loaded, just give a quick check for cracks before reloading.
Occasional annealing of the very end of the mouth would greatly extend life.
Edited to ad there is no need to keep 44 Magnum revolver cases separated in any manner. All brands can be mixed together and the number of times they have been reloaded can all be mixed together.
The reason for this, of course, is that any minute difference in accuracy that may, or may not occur, is an absolute nothing with a hand held revolver.
You greatly control their length of service by how much you flare the mouth. Use as little a flare as possible and crimp no more than you have to.
No need to count the loadings, they expire when short cracks appear in the vey end of the neck, right where they are flared.
Don't worry about how many times they have been loaded, just give a quick check for cracks before reloading.
Occasional annealing of the very end of the mouth would greatly extend life.
Edited to ad there is no need to keep 44 Magnum revolver cases separated in any manner. All brands can be mixed together and the number of times they have been reloaded can all be mixed together.
The reason for this, of course, is that any minute difference in accuracy that may, or may not occur, is an absolute nothing with a hand held revolver.
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That's what I was thinking. Glad to hear it from someone else. Thanks.
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Inline with my findings. When a case cracks, I toss it.
I also like to use a lee hand primer. If a primer goes in way too easy, I toss the case also.
I toss the case when it's either split or the freshly seated primer falls out in my lap.
If you're at 10 reloads I would expect to start seeing split cases within a couple of more reloads given that you're shooting them stoked up to honest magnum power levels.
If you're at 10 reloads I would expect to start seeing split cases within a couple of more reloads given that you're shooting them stoked up to honest magnum power levels.
Roger that. I could back off the loads, but that would take the fun out of it. I picked up 100 1Xfired brass with the 500 Campros so not an issue when the others start to fail.
The OP said full charge of H110. That is probably 24 or 25 grains.
When Elmer Keith designed the 44 magnum he used only one load, 22 grains of 2400 powder, with his flat nose, semi-wadcutter bullet weighing from 240 to 250 grains, depending on the alloy. The load, 22 of 2400, seems a bit heavier than 24 of H110.
I have owned two Smith & Wesson Model 29's, three Ruger Super Black Hawks and two Marlins in 44 magnum. I shot them all extensively, often with one of the full power loads shown above and often loaded down.
I don't ever remember throwing away a single case, because the primer pocket had enlarged.
With the full loads we are talking about the pressure should be a max of about 38,000, the same as the 30-30 class of rifles. Pressures like this shouldn't enlarge the primers and in my case it never did.
If primers are loosening I suspect something is spiking the pressure.
When Elmer Keith designed the 44 magnum he used only one load, 22 grains of 2400 powder, with his flat nose, semi-wadcutter bullet weighing from 240 to 250 grains, depending on the alloy. The load, 22 of 2400, seems a bit heavier than 24 of H110.
I have owned two Smith & Wesson Model 29's, three Ruger Super Black Hawks and two Marlins in 44 magnum. I shot them all extensively, often with one of the full power loads shown above and often loaded down.
I don't ever remember throwing away a single case, because the primer pocket had enlarged.
With the full loads we are talking about the pressure should be a max of about 38,000, the same as the 30-30 class of rifles. Pressures like this shouldn't enlarge the primers and in my case it never did.
If primers are loosening I suspect something is spiking the pressure.
4831 said it first time. Be very conservative in belling or flaring the case mouth. Flare it wide enough to slip the base of the bullet past the mouth - especially necessary if loading lead bullets - but do not flare the case mouth any more than needed. .44 mag takes a good crimp to get the best out of many loads, and a good crimp, coupled with excessive belling or flaring of the case mouth will speed the ultimate cracking at the mouth. Then it is time to chuck 'em.
I read of a test years ago using .38 Spcl. target loads, careful loading practices, careful documentation, the writer gave up at over 100 re-loads per case as he had experienced only one or two failures - all in the form of cracked case mouths. I would imagine .44 mag's would fail sooner, mostly because of needed much more crimp, but if you are using jacketed bullets, then they need correspondingly less belling of the case mouth to start, so it might all come out in the wash.
Good thing about it is that in my experience, cracked pistol cases make a very distinctive off tone when they clink against another case, so they aren't too hard to spot. And, at least in .45 ACP, I have fired reloads with minor case mouth cracks to no ill result. In a Blackhawk, not that I would recommend it, but I can see no harm ensuing.
I read of a test years ago using .38 Spcl. target loads, careful loading practices, careful documentation, the writer gave up at over 100 re-loads per case as he had experienced only one or two failures - all in the form of cracked case mouths. I would imagine .44 mag's would fail sooner, mostly because of needed much more crimp, but if you are using jacketed bullets, then they need correspondingly less belling of the case mouth to start, so it might all come out in the wash.
Good thing about it is that in my experience, cracked pistol cases make a very distinctive off tone when they clink against another case, so they aren't too hard to spot. And, at least in .45 ACP, I have fired reloads with minor case mouth cracks to no ill result. In a Blackhawk, not that I would recommend it, but I can see no harm ensuing.
I've assumed all along that it's simply honest metal to metal wear from seating so many primers. The very few .38Spl cases I've given up on because I'm literally able to push the primer in by finger pressure were VERY old and likely shot a LOT before I got them. And it was VERY few such cases.
I can't imagine how old they were. The two or three that were like this came in a big box from an old estate and included powder in the small square/cubical shaped cans with snap lock lock caps on them. I learned later that that style of container was used back in the 60's and early 70's. And who knows if the fellow got the cases earlier than that?
As for pressure opening up the holes I tend to agree with you. It's not likely unless something seriously over pressure is being loaded and used.
