What are good .44mag HP/XTP loads with H110 and HS-6 powders

IM_Lugger

IM_Lugger

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I don’t have a scale yet, and will use the dippers that came with my LEE dies for now. These are the loads I can do with my dippers. I'll be using it for target shooting and maybe some bowling pins as well :)

24-25gr of H110 with XTP 180gr (1468pfs ??)
17-18gr of H110 with XTP 240gr (1122fps ??)
15gr of HS-6 with XTP 180gr (1449fps ??)

Velocities are my calculations following the LEE formula. Do they seem right? I realize they’re probably on a light side, but I’m just starting out...


What do you guys think? any other suggestions?
 
I can't really help with HS-6, but for H110, I can.

I do not have a load for .44 magnum in 180 grains, but since the 200 grains bullet has a max load of 28.5 grains (1806 fps), and that the minimum safe load for H110 is max load minus 3%, that would make a minimum load of approximately 27.5 grains. My guess that with a lighter bullet such as your 180 grains, it'll require even more powder in the cartridge.

For your 240 grains, the listed max load is 24.0 grains (1522 fps), minus 3%, you get a approx 23.2 grains minimum load.

At first, I've ignored the minus 3% requirement and I was developping loads with way less powder using H110, and I've been getting unsafe results, such as bad ignition of the powder, LOTS of unburnt powder, a few shots that didn't go off properly and that left a bullet jammed in the barrel, etc. So it's important to not lowball charges with H110. As I've been told, H110 and H4227 are full-house load powders, if you want target loads, try Titegroup (9.5 grains).

Hope it helped.

P.S. Try those 300 grains XTPs if you have a chance, knocks down a deer instantly! ;)
 
Well, I have no hard data nor experience with 180 grains bullets, so, I would prefer not to give an 'official' answer. But I've loaded 240 grains behind 19 grains of H110 in the past (20% below max load) and I've experienced all the problems listed up there.

Altough this is only a personal theory, I think that H110 is a hard to ignite powder and it requires a good contact between flakes to ensure an adequate 'flame transmission', this requiring less air-space into the cartridge. Also, magnum primers are a must with H110 (another mistake I did in the past) :mrgreen:.

Also, it's not always unsafe to download, each power has it's own characteristics. A good reloading manual that will give you minimum and maximum loads, along with the minimum OAL is a good thing to have.
 
But I've loaded 240 grains behind 19 grains of H110 in the past (20% below max load) and I've experienced all the problems listed up there.
Click to expand...

how light (exactly) did you load your 240gr bullet with H110 when you had a bullet jammed in a barrel?


Just curious what exactly happened when you had a bullet jammed, is it scary :shock: :?

The reason I’m asking ‘cause I loaded my 240gr xtp bullets with around 19-20gr of H110 (before I read your post) and now I’m a little worried. But 24-25gr of H110 behind XTP 180gr worked fine.

Btw I’m using Winchester WLP primers (normal and magnum loads)
 
If you don't have a reloading manual other than the Lee book, go out and buy one, preferably 2 or 3 different ones. I have Lymans 48, Speer, Hornady and Hodgdons. Read what they have to say about H110/Win296 and take it to heart. H110 is meant to be used for heavy loads only. If you get down below recommended minimum charge weights, strange and possibly dangerous things begin to happen. Some of these are erratic velocities and pressures, incomplete powder ignition and even misfires, hangfires or bullets stuck in the barrel.
I would reccomend staying away from H110 until you acquire a scale so that you can verify your charge weights. I use a powder measure for all of my handgun reloading, using a scale to dial in the adjustments and then weighing every 10th charge to verify it's consistant. I find the dippers are great for rifle though. I use them to bring the charge weight close on the scale, and then use a trickler to bring it to what I want.

Pat
 
Thank god for the internet and CGN. I had loaded a bunch of rounds with various weights of H110, not knowing the 3% rule for this powder (I was following manual guidelines :? ). It looks like its time to pull about 150 bullets and start again :shock: :x .
Oh well, better safe than sorry.

On a side note, if the 3% rule is so well known for this powder, why do various manuals list loads outside the range? My Sierra manual has loads ranging 10-20% below max. Same with Hornady. All bullets weights, jacketed and cast. Min load starting about 15% below max :| :!: .

(E) 8)
 
X3 on the 3% advice.
I tried loads well below that and on the chronograph saw wild changes in velocity. from very low, to higher than it should have been. 200 fps swings.
I'd stay away from H110 with Lee dippers. I used them for years, and didn't have a problem, but never with H110. It's a great powder at Max levels with a good crimp, and that demands a scale. IMO.
 
I just found out that the my loads are even less then I though :eek: SO no way I'm going to shoot it now. I only did 25 round that are off. But still I don't even have a bullet puller :oops:

I believe these are the max loads;
My load with 180 XTP is 31.5 gr. of H110
200 gr. XTP is 28.0 gr. H110
240 gr. XTP is 24.0 gr. H110
Click to expand...
 
IM_Lugger said:
But I've loaded 240 grains behind 19 grains of H110 in the past (20% below max load) and I've experienced all the problems listed up there.
Click to expand...

how light (exactly) did you load your 240gr bullet with H110 when you had a bullet jammed in a barrel?


Just curious what exactly happened when you had a bullet jammed, is it scary :shock: :?

The reason I’m asking ‘cause I loaded my 240gr xtp bullets with around 19-20gr of H110 (before I read your post) and now I’m a little worried. But 24-25gr of H110 behind XTP 180gr worked fine.

Btw I’m using Winchester WLP primers (normal and magnum loads)
Click to expand...

Actually, it was on of the 19 grains loads that had what I now like to call a "weak-fire", oh, and there were primed with WLP too (now I'm using Magnum CCI). It happened two times, first time, the bullet jammed between the cylinder face and the barrel, preventing the revolver from revolving the cylinder for the next shot, but also preventing from opening the cylinder to clear the jammed round (had to take a rod down the barrel and tap the bullet back in the cartridge.). I was lucky to have a very strange fire-report, sounded like a muffled 'puff' (like a powder-less round) and have the cylinder locked so I couldn't take a second shot in this condition. THe second time was more dangerous, the bullet jammed about 3 inch deep in a 6.5 inch barrel, and the blast went through the barrel-cylinder face junction, so the noise was still loud, and this time the cylinder wasn't jammed so I could have taken a second shot and blow the gun along with my hand apart. Luckily, I noticed that the sound report was different. In both cases, there was alot of unburnt powder into the case and the barrel, so the hypothesis of an empty load has been scartched. After that second incident, I took the bullet puller and dismantled all remaining cartridges with this load.

And remember, by the book, minimum loads for H110 are only 3% less than max load.
 
Lugger, if you're not going to load maximum loads for the .44 Magnum, stay away from H110. It's a great powder and I use it a lot, but for all my "practice" loads, I use faster powders. Tite Group is a good one at about 10% below what the manual gives as maximum. BTW, look up Hodgdon's FREE online information, buy all the loading manuals you can afford, and read, read, read 8) .

Other people can be helpful (and often are, but I also see people giving advice who are rank beginners too. The blind leading the blind :roll: .

You also need two things - a scale and a Chrony. Less than $200, but literally worth your life.

Gunnar
 
7x61 I don't have a problem shooting full loads in my .44; it has a heavy ported barrel and rubber grips. I can shoot it one handed no problem... :)

I also have some HS-6 right now but the loads I did felt like .22 :shock:
 
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