H110 44magnum

[H4831]

A quote: I just don't think I'll be trying the lower charges.

I'm puzzled as to why you would be reluctant to try lower charges of H110!
Less powder means lower pressure, if that is what you are thinking about.
In my notes with the 357 I see where 14 grains of H110 gave an average of 1329 fps, and only 19 fps from high to low.
My notes on 10 grains of H110, in the 357 and not chronographed, states, "Some unburned powder, seems too light, but surprisingly good accuracy at fifty yards."
When I was shooting cast bullets in the 30-06, H110 was my "go to" powder for light loads for some time. I never came close to sticking one in the barrel, had fair accuacy, but did encounter some unburned powder, so I switched to 2400 for my light loads.

 

[curtmg]

I think it's just a matter of experience, really. You've been working with this powder, probably longer than I've been alive (I'm 30). I've only been loading for 15 months. Once I get more time at the bench, and have more experience, I'll be a little more open to experimentation. For right now, when the powder company tells me not to reduce the charges, I get a little nervous about it. I'll try as low as 21gr, as that is what my speer manual lists as a start (I was on some crazy allergy pills, when I said 20 gr was 15% lower, more like 5%).
The only thing I can honestly say I've actually done with H110, is put it on my credit card and bring it home. My brass and dies finally showed up, so I'll be expanding on that shortly, then in about 3-4 weeks, when the wife lets me out of my cage to go shooting again, I'll have yet a little bit more experience. It's just a matter of comfort for me. I appreciate the attention you've given my thread, I'm probably going to print out a copy for my loading desk, thank you.

ETA, post 1000, I'm a Big Mouth now (cause I wasn't before). I'd like to thank Timberwolfe for letting me know this forum existed.

 

[H4831]

It's amazing how the loading manuals have changed, after the lawyers got involved!
Here is an exert from the Speers, 1974 loading manual.

All this talk about low loadings being dangerous, started, I think, in the 1960s. Some one blew up a rifle and claimed it was because he had a low load of H4831. Hodgdon's were very concerned, so Bruce Hodgdon set up a lab experiment, firing many hundreds of light loadings, using all their slow burning powders, in a pressure barrel. Here is the account of his testings.

At the time this came up, it was just the slowest of the burning powders claimed to be dangerous. Now, the manuals have it in nearly all powders!
The word, detonate, or detonation, is always used. Those words in the dictionary mean, explode and explosion.
As pointed out in the exert I have here printed from an older Speer manual, smokeless powder does not explode, it burns.
Others have pinted out that smokeless powder is rated world wide in the dangerous goods catagory, as a flammable substance. If it was possible to explode it by just using a light load, do you think it would still be rated as flammable, and not as explosive?
Since I was reloading 45 years ago, before any of this was thought of, and was using light loads of many different powders, I remain completely unconvinced there is the slightest danger, whatsoever, from using light loads.