If you were going to stock up a bit on a single propellant for 44 mag, what would you pick? I use Unique for low - mid power loads, but Alliant isn't always available. Win 296 / H110 seems to be the go to stuff for hot loads, is there anything a little better suited for mid - hot loads? I usually shoot 240 grain bullets. Hopefully there's some good choices that are common on store shelves these days on a fairly regular basis.
Versatile / available 44 Mag Powder?
- Thread starter Scott_N
- Start date
Rickster66
Regular
- Location
- Montreal, Quebec
i've used IMR4227 with no issues from mild to full power.
I use IMR4227 for low to mid range loads as well. Impossible to double charge and meters well. But it does tend to be pretty dirty with a fair bit of unburned powder residue.
Hasn't stopped me from burning about 37 pounds of it so far though.
Hasn't stopped me from burning about 37 pounds of it so far though.
- Location
- glaslyn saskatchewan
Unique,2400,win296 are my go-tos.
I've read 800x can be great but difficult to measure.
I've read 800x can be great but difficult to measure.
I have burnt many, many pounds of Win 296 in my 44s and 357s it is an excellent powder with good accuracy and low ES when loaded properly. It is best with high mid to full house magnum loads though. For plinking to mid range I use Unique and have found it very consistent as well. Back when I used to shoot a lot of IHMSA silhouette I settled on a load of Unique with cast bullets for chickens and pigs and then 240 gn jacketed with full house 296 loads for turkeys and rams. Cut my cost significantly using 1/3 the powder and cast bullets on the first 2 stages. I did a lot of paper practicing with these loads and they shot better than I could hold off sand bags. The accuracy was actually quite amazing for a revolver and any misses were not an equipment or load problem. I consider these 2 powders to be the standard for any magnum hand gun cartridge......both are super accurate and 296 will give you the ultimate ballistics from a magnum cartridge.
Resurrecting a mildly old thread
I was researching on 44 mag reloading and which powder to use. Reloading with 240gr CamPro projectiles, with Titegroup, I have a very narrow band from 9 - 10gr.
I looked further into other powders and came across HS-6 which has a wider band ranging 12 to 15.1gr.
Any one reloaded with HS-6? Also considering this as it is on sale at Cabelas for $35.99 for 1lb containers.
I was researching on 44 mag reloading and which powder to use. Reloading with 240gr CamPro projectiles, with Titegroup, I have a very narrow band from 9 - 10gr.
I looked further into other powders and came across HS-6 which has a wider band ranging 12 to 15.1gr.
Any one reloaded with HS-6? Also considering this as it is on sale at Cabelas for $35.99 for 1lb containers.
Wtf didn't I think of this !?!? I'm going to have to get out and sight in my cast reloads before next season lol !
The original full power load that Elmer Keith developed for the 44 mag, was 22 grains of 2400, with the bullet he developed for it, a cast semi-wadcutter of about 240 grains, though my bullets from the Lyman mold for it were often over 250 grains.
22 of 2400 is usually considered the same power as 24 grains of H110/296, but the 2400 develops a bit more vel.
I used a lot of the old surplus powder that Hodgdon's hung the handle of H110 on and the same rules apply to using it in the 357, as the 44 mag.
Nothing was printed about H110 not being suitable for lighter loads, so those of us who used it, often cut the revolver loads down considerably, with pretty good results.
I found the 357 revolver didn't have enough oomph to knock down the rams at 200 meters, so when I was shooting silhouette I cut the 44 mag from full power of 22 grains down to 20 grains of 2400 and was happy with it. It was easier to shoot, knocked the 200 meter rams down, plus only needed one more click of elevation at 2oo, than was required with full house loads of 22 of 2400.
22 of 2400 is usually considered the same power as 24 grains of H110/296, but the 2400 develops a bit more vel.
I used a lot of the old surplus powder that Hodgdon's hung the handle of H110 on and the same rules apply to using it in the 357, as the 44 mag.
Nothing was printed about H110 not being suitable for lighter loads, so those of us who used it, often cut the revolver loads down considerably, with pretty good results.
I found the 357 revolver didn't have enough oomph to knock down the rams at 200 meters, so when I was shooting silhouette I cut the 44 mag from full power of 22 grains down to 20 grains of 2400 and was happy with it. It was easier to shoot, knocked the 200 meter rams down, plus only needed one more click of elevation at 2oo, than was required with full house loads of 22 of 2400.
TiteGroup is a fast powder, suitable for making mild, accurate loads.
HS6 would make very good medium to warm loads, as would Unique and Universal.
If you want warm to hot loads, 2400 is very good.
Universal Clays is functionally similar to Unique, but is cleaner burning and meters more consistently.
Almost any of the common fast to medium burning pistol powders should be usable for light-medium .44 Magnum loads. Ed Harris has this data using Bullseye, for example:
http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/44magmediumvelocity.htm
Almost any of the common fast to medium burning pistol powders should be usable for light-medium .44 Magnum loads. Ed Harris has this data using Bullseye, for example:
http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/44magmediumvelocity.htm
