.44 Special in .44 Magnum

[stans]

Detonation can occur with light charges of slow burning powders. In pistols such powders as W-296 and H-110 should not be downloaded more than 5% below maximum. The same applies to slow burning rifle powders. But when downloading pistol cartridges, you will be using fast to medium rate powders. These are very easy to ignite and will not detonate. The myth of detonation stemmed from 38 Specials loaded with 2.7 grains of Bullseye under a 148 grain lead wadcutter. Some reloaders had the cylinders bulged or chuncks blown away with this load. If I remember correctly, this was a question in the NRA magazine "American Rifleman" about a year ago. No one could make such a round detonate, so the logical conclusion was either a squib load had been fired and a live round was fired behind it or the case was actually loaded with 5.4 grains of Bullseye.

 

[seeker_two]

Never tried oatmeal or Cream of Wheat in my reduced loads (besides, how would you get the brown sugar in there? )......

...but I have had a lot of success in using Dacron pillow filler in reduced loads.

The trick is, don't pack it in. Measure out your powder & pour it in your case. Then take a SMALL pinch (just enough to fit the diameter of the case opening) & push it until it rests loosely against the powder. Then seat your bullets normally.

Voila! Consistent powder position and ignition w/ no mess (Dacron combusts well).

Great for reduced magnum pistol loads as well as rifle (mine's a .303Brit).

Good luck & good shooting....

 

[Majic]

The myth of detonation stemmed from 38 Specials loaded with 2.7 grains of Bullseye under a 148 grain lead wadcutter.

That load has been the standard bullseye load in the .38sp for many decades.
The unexplained detonations occurred when the bigger cases of the .44 and .45 caliber was used with very little powder for target loads.

 

[stans]

All I know is that I have loaded 357 cases with really light charges of Bullseye. So light that there was hardly any recoil and the bullets seemed to barely dribble out of the barrel. A number of respected gun writers have also downloaded magnum cases with no problems. Never a problem.

 

[Majic]

That's why the detonations are unexplained. They aren't readily duplicated, but have occurred many times by many different shooters. There has been a lot of research and experimenting, but no concrete answers as you just can't predict when it may happen.

BTW....it has never been a problem in a case as small as the .357mag, only the big bore cases creates the events.

 

[JNewell]

I've never had a detonation with light Bullseye loads in a .44 Mag case, but I have had the bullet fail to clear the barrel with loads that ought to have been heavy enough to really go bang. Or so I thought. Another illustration of the principle that powder charges are not linear to velocity.

 

[unspellable]

Mid-range 44 Mag load

"Right now, my favorite down loaded 44 Magnum load is 8.0 grains of Unique, 240 grain commercially cast LSWC, Winchester large pistol primer and Remington 44 magnum brass. I am getting 1000 feet per second from my six inch barreled model 29-3."

This baffles me. For the last 30 years I have been using 10.6 grains of Unique to push a 240 grain cast bullet to 1000 fps out of a 6.5 inch S&W Model 29. This load was originally advertised to do this. In recent times I have run it over a chronograph and found it to be running just about exactly 1000 fps.

Just tried 6.8 grains of Unique behind a 210 grain bullet in a 6 inch S&W Model 57 (41 Mag) and got around 850 fps. velocity was not overly consistent indicating it wants a bit more powder so I'll probably step up to 7.5 grains.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

to Unspellable:

Of course, you're right. I've never graphed the load. Just a guesstimate.

Thanx for info.

I'm not all that precise about reloads.

Used to I loaded each round on a single stage, reaming primer pockets, measuring each powder charge, etc.

Then I bought a Dillon progressive. I don't clean primer pockets, etc. But these rounds are as accurate as the others.

Go figure.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

to Unspellable: (part 2)

Oops. I thought you were responding to my post. Never mind.

 

[foghornl]

Here is a middle-of-the-road .44Maggie load that I used to make up in 1979/1980.

Caveat of ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK LOADS WITH POWDER MAKERS BEFORE USE STRONGLY APPLIES.

Anyway, I used a Speer 200-Gr "Jacketed Magnum Hollow point" over 11.8 Grains of Unique, in Federal Brass, lit with a CCI Magnum Pistol Primer. Load was assembled with (at that time) a $15 Lee Loader kit.

Gave me an accurate load, with reasonable performance and easy on the hands/ears in my 7-1/2" Super Blackhawk.

When I made up these loads, Rem only offered a 240-Gr SJHP or a 240-Gr Jacketed soft-point, both really hot loads.

 

[fecmech]

"That load has been the standard bullseye load in the .38sp for many decades.
The unexplained detonations occurred when the bigger cases of the .44 and .45 caliber was used with very little powder for target loads. "BTW....it has never been a problem in a case as small as the .357mag, only the big bore cases creates the events"

Majic--I respectfully disagree. The big detonation flap was over 2.7 of bullseye powder under .38 wadcutters in .38 sp cases. I have a copy of the article from the American Rifleman with all the data and pressures generated. The general concensus of the article was that a double charge of bullseye would not destroy "K" frame guns as pressure was around 50k. But that a double charge with 1/8" deeper seating would raise pressures to 70k which would destroy a "K" frame. In any event there was never any detonation (explosion), failure came from overpressure in which the elasticity of the metal failed. I would be happy to fax or mail you a copy if you like. Nick