Lite loading 44 mag?

mag627

mag627

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Newb question.
Can I light load 44 mag brass (to 44 special specs) for plinking or do I have to find 44 special brass.
Are there charts to allow me to see performance data if this is possible?
I want to primarily shoot lighter (special) target loads out of my Ruger SBH and RH
thanks for any help
 
mag627 said:
I take it then I don't need the .44 special brass (shorter)?
Click to expand...

Keep the 44 special brass it's a nice light target load. Loaded down to 7 grains Unique in 44 mag it's a pop gun load . No recoil.

Also look at Universal.
 
I've used w231 with 7 .0 grains and a 225 SWC cast without any problems. I even hit the 300m gong with this load at the bonnyville range, but it took a full cylinder to walk it on target at that range. Used the back of the front sight instead of the top and it seems pretty close at that range.

It has very little recoil, I find it a little weak to shoot, not like the abuse it hands out with 300 grn XTP's.

JT.
 
Light loads using Trail Boss will eliminate any chance of multiple charges in a single case, and is very accurate.
 
As a quote from the Lyman 1st edition Handbook of Cast Bullets, by 'The Man' himself Elmer Keith;
.44 Magnum (240gr - 250gr SW, Lyman # 429422, 429421 & 249421HP)
"I use 5 grains Bullseye for light gallery loads or 8.5 grains of Unique for target and 22.0 grains of 2400 for heavy, full loads with all three bullets".
:)
 
I have used 700-x, Red Dot and Green Dot with 240 grain cast to get accurate and lighter loads for my .44 Magnum. All loaded in .44 Magnum cases. My latest uses Green Dot at 950 fps - accurate and minimal recoil.
 
You can use 44 Mag brass and 44 Spec Max loads - and end up with mid-range 44 Spec "punch". Same situation with 357 and 38 Spec.

There are many advantages to using the longer brass:

- one brass to buy (you can use Nickel-plated for the "Hotter" loads);
- can be more accurate as the bullet has much less of a jump; and
- no build up of residue in the chamber, so switching back and forth from 44 Mag to 44 Spec and back won't require chamber cleaning.
 
I will just echo what others have said and add that I have tried as low as 6 grn of unique with a 240 grn swc but wasn't very accurate. I designed a 200 gn wfn bullet that I size to .431 and use 6.5 gn of unique, (Lee has a light swc also) extremely accurate and my 15 year old daughter loves it for plinking when she wants to try the big gun at the range.

I have tried trail boss and to date haven't had any firearm use it accurately. Minute of paper with .44 mag, horrible in .38 spl and .357 Mag and even tried it in 30-30 and to put it bluntly if I was hunting with the 30-30 I would probably have a better chance at clubbing the deer with the rifle.
Great concept and impossible to double charge just I haven't had much luck with it compared to Unique,2400 and bullseye as my standards to compare to.
 
I use 5.5 grains Titegroup and a 240 grain SWC. Stick to .44 Magnum brass so you don't have to scrub out the crud buildup before switching to full power loads. You can certainly use .44 Special load data as a start point, but it will require a bit more powder to get the same velocity out of the larger volume Magnum cases.
 
If you want to try something really unusual, fill half a dozen cases to the "base of bullet" level with 7828SSC powder. I did it one day just to see what would hapen. It chronied out at 495fps (yea, pellet gun speed) and made my Redhawk kick about the same as my .22

Just be prepared for a lot of unburnt powder crumbs. Give the gun a few taps after each shot with the barrel pointing down to clear out the junk.
 
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