44 Mag revolver/carbine load suggestions

[Dhom]

So I finally got around to compiling the chronograph data from my first time out with my new (to me) M29. Rather than start a new thread I figure I would just tack this data on to this thread. The ammo I had was some 44 Mag a friend had given me, some ammo I had loaded specifically for my M92 a couple years ago and finally some ammunition my brother had loaded for his Taurus 44 and Encore with a 10.5 inch 44 Barrel. All the chrono data came from a Chrony Alpha Master about 12-ft from the muzzle. Partly sunny day and about 55 deg temperature.

Bullet 240 gr XTP (old style)
Powder 10.4 gr Unique
M29: 1138 fps (avg 12-shots)
M92: 1288 fps(avg 6-shots)
Been shooting this load in my M92 for a few years but I am just about out of these bullets and obviously Hornady is not making this any more. Shoots well in both guns.

Bullet 240 gr XTP (current style)
Powder 13.7 gr Blue Dot
M29: 1172 fps (avg 6-shots)
M92: 1420 fps(avg 5-shots)
I liked this load shot fairly well in both guns. Would like to bump the velocity up a bit assuming it still shoots as well. I think H110 will do that and might gain even more velocity in the rifle.

Bullet 265 gr LRS (not sure who made this bullet)
Powder 6.0 gr Bullseye
M29: 853 fps (avg 6-shots)
M92: 1007 fps(avg 6-shots)
Super soft shooting, shot high in the revolver as expected.

Bullet 265 gr LRS (not sure who made this bullet)
Powder 15.0 gr Blue Dot
M29: 1285 fps (avg 6-shots)
M92: 1523 fps(avg 6-shots)
Stout recoil but very accurate out of the rifle.

Bullet 250 gr Sierra FPJ Match
Powder 9.0 gr Titegroup
M29: 1111 fps (avg 6-shots)
M92: 1235 fps(avg 6-shots)
Very inaccurate in the revolver, very accurate in the rifle. Very consistent velocity best Std Dev of all rounds tested both Std Dev of ~10fps

180gr XTP (old style)
Powder: 29.0 gr H110
M29: 1561 fps (avg 6-shot)
M92: 2036 fps (avg 6-shot)
Holy fireballs Batman!!! The recoil was very snappy and mildly abusive in the revolver. Still sharp in the light little M92 cabine despite its recoil reducing steel butt-plate . Hard to tell if it was accurate in the pistol due to hand fatigue by this point in testing. It was very accurate in the carbine.

Bullet 300 gr Sierra JSP
Powder: 9.0 gr HP-38
M29: 896 fps (avg 6-shot)
M92: 974 fps (1-shot) Had to feed direct to chamber too long to feed out of magazine.
Surprisingly soft shooting but shot high in the revolver as expected. Accuracy was so-so. Shoots super accurately in my brothers 10.5 inch Encore barrel.

Try adding a CCI 350 or Fed 155 primer to that 23gr/IMR4227. It made my revolver shoot terrific with low SD at 1250 fps.

 

[brewer12345]

The knock on 800x has always been poor metering. Did you have issues? If not how did you meter it?

 

[mcb]

The knock on 800x has always been poor metering. Did you have issues? If not how did you meter it?

I am not loading it in high volume so I simply weighed each charge. I made myself a dipper that got me close to my desired charge and use my powder trickler to bring it up to the desired charge weight. Had to do the same when I was loading 800-X in 10mm Auto. But if I am only loading 50-100 rounds it not that bad. I have an old 3 die holder non-progress press I use for loading my 44 Mag. I figure if I load 200 rds over two or three session that will keep me in hunting/woods ammo for a year or two with the occasional plinking session mixed in. Most weekend if I am shooting it's at a USPSA match and 44 Mag is a bit over kill.

 

[Toprudder]

+/- 0.2gn was what I was able to do with 800x, with my Dillon measure and using the aquarium pump trick. Not great, but one thing I noticed about the 800x was that the velocity did not change a lot with a small change in the charge amount. As long as I was using mid-range loads, they worked ok.

"Corn Flakes" is a good description for 800x. But that makes Trailboss "Cheerios".

 

[Elkins45]

2400 is my favorite powder for 44 magnum, either rifle or pistol. It doesn’t have the issues that H110/296 has with loading below certain levels, and it burns clean compared to 4227. AA#9 is a good choice as well.

 

[frankmako]

when it come to reloading the 44 mag for rifle and pistol i have found that the 240 gr bullets works best for my rifles and pistols. also i have found that unique, 2400, and h100 works the best for me.

 

[brewer12345]

+/- 0.2gn was what I was able to do with 800x, with my Dillon measure and using the aquarium pump trick. Not great, but one thing I noticed about the 800x was that the velocity did not change a lot with a small change in the charge amount. As long as I was using mid-range loads, they worked ok.

"Corn Flakes" is a good description for 800x. But that makes Trailboss "Cheerios".

I bought a bunch of 800X during the drought because it was one of the only things I could get in volume to use for shotshells. I get +/- .3 grains in my cheap seats Lee Load All for 20 gauge loads, but it is a very forgiving powder in shotshells and the variation never seemed to matter. I was thinking in a 44 mag application where you are trying for better accuracy than one expects of a shotgun the metering difficulty might matter more. Interesting to hear it doesn't matter that much. Perhaps I will rethink using up what I have and kissing it goodbye.

 

[Toprudder]

I bought a bunch of 800X during the drought because it was one of the only things I could get in volume to use for shotshells. I get +/- .3 grains in my cheap seats Lee Load All for 20 gauge loads, but it is a very forgiving powder in shotshells and the variation never seemed to matter. I was thinking in a 44 mag application where you are trying for better accuracy than one expects of a shotgun the metering difficulty might matter more. Interesting to hear it doesn't matter that much. Perhaps I will rethink using up what I have and kissing it goodbye.

I went back and looked at my log, maybe this will give you an idea.

45acp, Winchester large pistol primers. RMR 230 Hardcore Match bullets, 1.200" COL.
4.5" Witness steel-frame pistol.

6.2 708.9fps
6.4 730.1fps
6.6 752.2fps 0.85" @10yards most accurate group
6.8 775.8fps

So, a 0.2gn difference is only about 22fps in this case. Granted, though, that the 45acp is a very low pressure compared to 44mag.

 

[Toprudder]

I have not tried my H-110 loads in my carbine yet, but I have seen a similar result using 300-MP. With the 300-MP in my 357 revolver, I reached a velocity plateau long before I reached max charge - there was zero increase in velocity with a 1.5gn increase in charge. This was with a 5" barrel. But when I tried 300-MP in my 16" carbine, I saw a velocity increase all the way up to max charge, and a 600fps difference between 5" and 16" barrels (1200fps vs 1828fps, 158gn XTP). When I started working up loads for my 44 carbine, I started with 300-MP and 240gn Zero JSP, was very happy with the results (similar to the 357) and have not bothered trying anything else. I settled on 25.4gn of 300-MP which gave 1811.6 fps, 6.7 fps standard deviation, and 12.1fps extreme spread (5 shots). I may go back and look for some lighter loads, though. I did all my range testing using a lead sled, but this past weekend I shot those loads for the first time with the gun on my shoulder. That little 5lb carbine hurts! LOL.

I decided to take my H-110 and 300-MP loads and chrono them this past weekend, just as an FYI.

Note: Alliant shows max charge of 25.0gn for 300-MP powder for 240gn bullet, but Hornady shows 25.6gn as max. Load was worked up starting low.

Zero 44 240 JSP bullets, 25.4gn 300-MP powder, Winchester large pistol primer.
20" Carbine = 1811 fps
10" Ruger = 1445 fps.
25% increase in velocity, from 10" to 20" barrel.

Zero 44 240 JSP, 23.5gn H-110, Win large pistol primer
20" Carbine = 1684 fps
10" Ruger = 1300 fps
(6" Desert Eagle = 1240 fps)
29.5% increase from 10" to 20" barrel.

 

[Riomouse911]

10.0 of Unique and a plated, lead-lubed, or powder-coated RNFP will do double duty in the rifle and revolver for you all day long.

Other loads have more power (and recoil), but that combo I listed is just plain fun.

Stay safe!