Need advice from .44mag hand loaders

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fridge450

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Hello everyone I just stared loading .44mag with the intention of producing some light loads for indoor use (muzzle blast etiquette and fps restriction) and some full power loads for outdoor fun. Some of my concerns are in the three loading manuals I have they all have data for some of the powders I will be using with overlapping charges but some say standard primer and some say magnum primer will there be a difference? Can start loads in the magnum data be reduced? Can .44 special data be used in magnum cases? And finally is the seating/crimp die in a lee 3piece good enough or should a factory crimp die be used for heavy loads I will mostly be using plated bullets and some cast swc.
Thanks
Jeff
 
I presume you're reloading for a revolver?

I've always used regular large pistol primers for both 44special and 44magnum loads. If you work up a load with one primer type, you should start over (especially when going to a magnum primer) if you switch primer types.

I would be careful with reduced starting loads; there might not be enough powder to push the bullet out of the barrel. Be prepared to knock a stuck squib out of your barrel. I suspect a revolver might be more sensitive to reduced loads than something like a Thomson/Center (do they make a .44 Mag barrel??) because of the cylinder gap.

Again, watching for abnormal performance, you probably could get away with using 44 special load data in a 44 Mag case. You definitely don't want to go the other way; the reduced case volume will increase pressure, possibly excessively....

I've used the Lee seat/crimp die with no problems. If I remember correctly, when I set up the crimp, I used an empty case first. Then, put a washer under the die (leaving the lock ring where it is, then set up your seating depth / overall length. Take the washer out, back out the seater plug, put your proper length dummy back in, and adjust the seater plug down to it. Keep the dummy round for the next reloading session.

Stan
 
Normally you use standard, large pistol primers with a 44 mag.
I have also used magnum primers, but can see no difference, whatsoever, of whether it is a magnum or a standard primer. And that includes no difference detected in pressure.
The pretty well standby powders for full power loads with about a 240/250 grain bullet is Win296, or H110, which are said to be the same powder. Full power load is abut 24-25 grains, whichever turns your crank.
These powders are not known for accuracy if loaded down too much. For lighter loads use Unique.
 
i don't reload 44mag, but i do reload 357mag and 500mag with hot, medium and very mild loads.

-you can use 44spl data in a 44 mag case, some powders as OldDude said may not work out well with all the extra space.
-i have used standard primers for hot loads without issue accept when using ball powders like w296/h110, for those i use mag primers.
-for my 357 and 38spl the seat/crimp die works great and is more then enough crimp if setup correctly. with my 500 mag i seat them with the crimp backed off then go over them with the seat steam removed so it's a crimp only die.

if you can find it, trailboss will be your new friend for very light loads. you just fill the case to the base of your seated bullet and that's your max charge. just don't compress it to much if at all, if the donuts break then you change the burn rate of the powder. it makes my 500 mag feel like a 38spl and makes for great fun screwing with people expecting a big bang.
 
fridge450 said:
Hello everyone I just stared loading .44mag with the intention of producing some light loads for indoor use (muzzle blast etiquette and fps restriction) and some full power loads for outdoor fun. Some of my concerns are in the three loading manuals I have they all have data for some of the powders I will be using with overlapping charges but some say standard primer and some say magnum primer will there be a difference? Can start loads in the magnum data be reduced? Can .44 special data be used in magnum cases? And finally is the seating/crimp die in a lee 3piece good enough or should a factory crimp die be used for heavy loads I will mostly be using plated bullets and some cast swc.
Thanks
Jeff
Click to expand...

I have used nothing but standard primers for all my .44 Mag loads with no issues at all. If you want to use reduced loads you need to use appropriate powders, the slow burning ones like H110 and WW296 don't like light charges very much. I use WW231 for my light loads but Bullseye, Unique and other faster powders will work fine as well. 44 Special data will work ok in magnum cases. I have the FCD but the standard seating die should crimp just fine as well.


Mark
 
I load mostly light 240 SWC hard cast and full 225 FTX loads over H110 with large pistol magnum primers... but this is for carbines... I don't load for .44 Mag pistols.
 
My light load for 44 mag is 8 gr of unique with a 240 gr swc hard cast. I also load it in 9 and 10 grain. Fun to shoot and does not kill the wrist. You don't mention the gun you are loading for. Sometimes that will make a difference.

I use large magnum primers.

If you want light loads, start at the lowest level in the book(s) and slowly reduce until you find the best load for your gun. Be careful. Too light and you may be hammering rounds out of the barrel
I am loading for a Ruger Redhawk 4.2" revolver.
 
When I started shooting my S&W 629 44 mag years ago I used the classic Keith style 250 gr. semi wadcutter over 4 grains of Red Dot. It was a pleasure to shoot, accurate (at least on the 50 ft. indoor range) and I never had a squib. With fast powders and heavy bullets you can get away with pretty light charges. Magnum primers are really only necessary if you are lighting up heavy charges of slower powders.
 
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Thank you for the replies I'm shooting a super Blackhawk 7.5 inch barrel and I have a few powders (H110,lil'gun,imr4227,vvn105/350) I just got back from testing some full power loads with H110 I have other powders for my 9mm and .45 but was hoping to use up some of the others before dipping into my speedgun powders for lighter loads.
 
my light load for .44 mag uses Bullseye powder.
I'm shooting a Marlin lever-action, so velocities will be less in a revolver.
I've loaded 4.5 - 7.2 grains of powder. Velocity ranges from 950 - 1225 fps with my loads
kind of nice to get 1000+ loads from a pound of powder
 
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