loading for a .44mag carbine

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mbogo3

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Many schools of thought here,but should one use large pistol or large rifle primers in a .44 mag carbine? Standard primer or magnum? Large pistol primers were a little soft last time out....powder is H-110........Harold
 
CCI 350 Large Pistol Magnum Primers per Speer Reloading Manual No.12 recommendations. I use W296.

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I doubt you need a magnum primer for most loads unless the powder is one of the harder ones to ignite like some ball powders. 44mag has less powder capacity than a 30-30.
 
H110/ win 296 should have a magnum pistol primer
I'm not sure if the large rifle primer is the equivalent, but considering factory ammo isn't aware of what firearms they will be used in I'm sure you are safe with the large pistol magnum primers.
 
For the 44 magnum with any of the common powders for it, including W296/H110, you can use any primer that fits the hole in the case.
And I will bet the farm that you will not detect any difference in the performance, in any manor, rain or shine, hot or cold, nor whether the loads are used in a revolver or a rifle, no matter what primer you have used.
 
I was wondering about this as well. I guess I now have a use for the couple bricks of suspect WLR primers I would hate to have flame cut a bolt face....
 
Bruce, I'm sure you write from experience, but isn't the large pistol primer a touch shorter in over all height and that's why you shouldn't use rifle primers in large pistol cases? I was led to understand that to seat LR primers in a LP case you may need to crush the primer a tad or leave it a few thou proud of the case. Not true?
 
Loading for a .357mag carbine with the same powder you use (H-110), I use CCI 550 Small Pistol Magnum primers. Never had a dud yet.
 
Pistol primers did flow ......like paraffin wax on mid-summer blacktop.......firing pin also made ugly marks...hence the original question......Harold
 
I load the following for 3x 102- series serial number Ruger .44 carbines:

Hornady XTP 240gr HP
24.0 gr H110
CCI 350 primer
OAL 1.6

Since we've switched to this combination we haven't had a single issue with primers or cycling problems on either of the 3 rifles.
We constantly had jamming issues with factory loads.
 
I'll pass that load along to a buddy.........he's shooting .44 in a 788,77/44 and a Marlin lever.......Harold
 
I had a little gain in accuracy when I started to use my Lee factory crimp die. I too shoot 24gr of H110 with a magnum primer.
My 16" Marlin 1894 keeps them under 2" at 100yds with a consistent velocity of about 1640fps.
 
thebaron said:
I load the following for 3x 102- series serial number Ruger .44 carbines:

Hornady XTP 240gr HP
24.0 gr H110
CCI 350 primer
OAL 1.6

Since we've switched to this combination we haven't had a single issue with primers or cycling problems on either of the 3 rifles.
We constantly had jamming issues with factory loads.
Click to expand...

+1 for a Ruger 77/44

I also run 23.3grs H110 or W296 with a Hornady 225gr FTX and CCI350 primers. Ladder test and chronograph indicated NO velocity change (Ave 1820fps) going from 23.3 to 24.2grs of W296 at 0.1gr increments, but I did notice a significant increase of dirty smoke from 23.8 to 24.2. No sign of any primer or case issues but if 23.3grs does the job, why waste powder?
 
Longwalker said:
Bruce, I'm sure you write from experience, but isn't the large pistol primer a touch shorter in over all height and that's why you shouldn't use rifle primers in large pistol cases? I was led to understand that to seat LR primers in a LP case you may need to crush the primer a tad or leave it a few thou proud of the case. Not true?
Click to expand...

Your theory is certainly correct and I should have mentioned that.
In practice, I have used any primer, as I have mentioned. In fact, I shot 44 magnum, rifle and revolvers, for years, before I knew there was any difference in physical size, between rifle and pistol primers!
I normally seat all primers on my heavy duty press. I do it because I have it down perfectly as to how much pressure is required to push the primer in, and know exactly when the primer pocket is too loose. However, I always give it a firm push at the end, to make sure it seated properly and I guess that takes care of the longer primer going full in.
I know I once tried the Lee hand seating press, but didn't like it, because I didn't feel I had good enough control on judging primer pocket size with them. I also think the little Lee seating press may not have pushed the longer primers full in, because I remember primers that were not seated flush, but I didn't know then, that they may have been longer primers.
I have always had two types of bullet molds for the 44 mag, the bullets all weigh about 250 grains, but most are flat base, while some may be gas check.
At any given time if you look at my storage area of 44 mag cartridges, you will see about four or five, 50 shell size boxes, either full of loaded shells, or the boxes may be only partly full. Each box will be ticketed with the amount and type of powder used and whether the bullets are gas check or flat base, but that will be the only marking on the box, so I have no idea what primers are used in them, pistol standard or magnum, or rifle standard or magnum.
And every load I make will be suitable for either rifle or pistol.
Over time I have chronographed both pistol and rifle, of various calibres, to see if I could see any difference in what primer was used. With identical loads, except for the primer, I have never seen any difference in velocity greater than the half of one percent that was the allowable tolerance of the chronograph, whether the primers were standard or magnum, or pistol, (in applicable calibres.)
 
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