Need light indoor load for 44 Mag

H4831, have you ever tried 700x with cast in the 44mag? Specifically 240 gr and light loads, i.e. less then 9.0 grains?

The only loads I can find anywhere for 700x start at 9.0 grains and that is quite a bit hotter then I want with these bullets.
 
Pudelpointer said:
H4831, have you ever tried 700x with cast in the 44mag? Specifically 240 gr and light loads, i.e. less then 9.0 grains?

The only loads I can find anywhere for 700x start at 9.0 grains and that is quite a bit hotter then I want with these bullets.
Click to expand...

No, I have never tried 700X in the 44. I have that powder on hand, but never used it in the 44.
I have the Lyman Pistol & Revolver Handbook, the most complete book of handloading for handguns of any book I have. In all the load variations they show for the 44 mag, they don't show 700X, in any bullet weight.
Looking at 700X loadings in various 38 calibre revolvers, it appears to be even a hair faster than Bullseye.
If it were me loading it for a very light load in the 44 mag, I would probaly either go down from the 9 grains shown, grain at a time for a while, until a load seemed about right.
Or, I would start at about 4 grains, and judge from that. And, of course, you would be careful about seeing that every bullet exited the barrel.
I wish you would keep going down, until a bullet did stick! Then you could tell us what it took to stick the bullet.
I will guess that 2 grains of 700X will easily send the cast projectile out the barrel.
My guess at what would stick it in the barrel, would be between 1.2 and 1.5 grains of 700X.
But that is a pure guess.
 
H4831 said:
...I would start at about 4 grains, and judge from that. And, of course, you would be careful about seeing that every bullet exited the barrel.
I wish you would keep going down, until a bullet did stick! Then you could tell us what it took to stick the bullet.
I will guess that 2 grains of 700X will easily send the cast projectile out the barrel.
My guess at what would stick it in the barrel, would be between 1.2 and 1.5 grains of 700X.
But that is a pure guess.
Click to expand...

The data I could find shows a cast 240 and charge of 700x between 9.0 and 11.0 grains. 9.0 is producing some horrendous leading (yet 24.0 (IIRC) of H110 was clean as a whistle).

As for going until one gets stuck, that I can do. Mind you, I will have to see what the leading will be like as it will likely make a big difference in when one will.

I think I will start at 4.5 and work down to 2.5, then I will drop 2/10ths at a time until it plugs. The gap on my 629 is minimal, so consistency should be okay.

Well, off to the reloading bench.

Thanks.
 
Pudelpointer, I did it! I stuck a 240 grain cast bullet in the 6½ inch barrel of my 29-2!
I sure made a good guess on my previous post. I started with 1.2 grains of 7ooX, Win. primer and held the gun at about a 30 degree down angle. The bullet stuck about exactly half way through the barrel. Of course, I immediately used a wooden dowling and tapped it back out.
Some things surprised me. I have stuck bullets in several rifles. Now wait, much of this was a test of primers, to see which ones would put the bullet in the furthest.
When the primer goes off in a rifle with no powder in the case, there is no noise. Not a sound, except you hear the firing pin hit, as you would in dry firing. With the revolver there was considerable noise. I guess that was the gas escaping out the sides, but it was at least as loud as I would have expected, had the bullet gone out. I was aimed at the end of a birch block and I couldn't believe when there was no mark in the block! I would say it was very similar to a rifle with a 22 long rifle cartridge.
I can't understand why your gun would lead with 700 but not a full load of H110. Lead in the barrel would make a huge difference on how far a weak bullet would travel in the barrel, no doubt. This S&W has a polished looking barrel that has fired thousands of cast bullets in it and virtually just doesn't lead.
I have had five 44 magnum revolvers, three Ruger Super Blackhawks and two S&Ws. One Ruger, with a 10¼ inch barrel, leaded very bad and I soon got rid of it. One 7½ didn't lead at all and the other Ruger leaded some.
I think a great deal depends on how smooth the barrel is.
1.2 grains of powder is not a great amount. Here is what it looks like in the scale pan.
STUc004.jpg
 
700X and 44 mag Rem brass, 240 cast (Cactus Plains) CCI Large Pistol

H4831 said:
Pudelpointer, I did it! I stuck a 240 grain cast bullet in the 6½ inch barrel of my 29-2!
Click to expand...

Well sh$t H4831, you just don't waste any time do you.

I loaded up a bunch last night, but only had enough primed and prepped cases to get down to 2.0 grains.

I loaded 3 rounds each, started at 5.0 and went down to 2.0 in 0.5 gr increments. Headed to the range this morning, snowing lightly -2C. I fired a 240 XTP loaded hot between each set.

5.0 was surprisingly snappy, with only a little leading. 4.5 left very little lead and still appeared to expand the case enough to keep the powder residue down to a minimum. At 3.5 I noticed that I was getting some unburnt powder and consistency was not great, also powder residue was blowing back into the cylinders. At 2.0 I could hear the bullet smacking the backboard and see dirt being thrown up. I didn't have a chrony, so I can only guess, but I would think those 240's were still in the 450-600 range.

At 2.0 grains it felt like my buddy's 44-40 with 200's running 700 fps.

I also tried running the CP bullets with 24.0 of H110 (+-1475fps) with only a tiny, tiny bit of leading at the forcing cone.

Why is my 629 leading with hot 700x (+- 1100fps) loads but not H110, I am guessing that the pressure is deforming the bullet slightly and it is sealing the bore better. I mic'd the chamber mouths at .428 and the CP cast are sized at .429; I understand that they should ideally be sized at .430 or even .431, but I think the cylinder mouths would swage them down, so what is the point. Interestingly, the XTP's are .430!

If I can keep the leading down to a minimum and still use the 7 lbs of 700x I have sitting around, I will be happy. I may have the cylinder mouths opened up slightly, eventually, but a recent second house purchase is going to minimize the gun money for about 5 months.

Thanks for posting H4831. I still think you should prep all your brass before shooting it though! :p

I won't be to the range for a while now, but I may keep working down towards 1.2 gr to see what happens. Will let you know.

Cheers,

Ian
 
Well Puddlepointer, you have sure contributed some good information to this thread. It should be good insight to a lot of people on here about loading really light loads.
The case of mine where the bullet stuck, as well as the base of the bullet, was quite blackened, but that is from the grimy black that comes from the primer.
When I was experimenting with just a primer in the case, to see how far it drove the bullet, everything got coated with the black grime. I started with 45-70, went to 22 Hornet and ended with 270. I used standard rifle primers, magnum rifle primers, standard pistol primers and magnum pistol primers.
Everything was equally black, and actually, for those interested, there was very little difference in the power of any primer. There was really only one case where I could say the magnum primer was more powerful.
Here is a picture of two 45-70 bullets, one new one and the other with one firing of a primer only, no powder. The black grime hangs right on, because it was about three months ago I did the testing, but just took the picture this afternoon.
PRI001.jpg
 
For sure H4831, the black soot is from the primer not the powder. Should have said "primer residue".

I have been on the trap field many a time when a powderless shot is fired (always seemed to be the same guy). A slight pop, the shot flies out, but the wad stops at the choke.

Curious, did any of the bullets leave the barrel with just the primer? I would think in a small calibre there might be enough pressure to get it out of the barrel.

As for the 700x, I think I will load up a hundred or so at 4.5 grains and see how the leading is.
 
Thanks for the effort guys, very interesting reading. :)

Pudelpointer said:
H4831, have you ever tried 700x with cast in the 44mag? Specifically 240 gr and light loads, i.e. less then 9.0 grains?

The only loads I can find anywhere for 700x start at 9.0 grains and that is quite a bit hotter then I want with these bullets.
Click to expand...
My Speer No. 11 shows a min. of 5.5 grains for 867fps and max. of 6.0 for 897fps using a 240 grain SWC for 700X.

I loaded up a bunch with 5.7 grains of 700X that averaged around 865 fps on my Chrony out of my 6" S&W 629 and shot OK. The bullets, 240 gr. Excel SWC, I swore off I'd never use again because of the excess lube - they gummed up the dies real bad and affected seating depth quickly.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom