first lswc loads for 44 mag

[roval]

Do I see a Lewis lead removal tool in my future? Or is chore boy around a worn brush just as good?

i bought a lewis lead removal tool but copper chore boy is better, quicker and cheaper.

 

[TxWolf]

i bought a lewis lead removal tool but copper chore boy is better, quicker and cheaper.

A good bit of information. I will remember that.

 

[Logwood]

I've bought and shot a lot of 240 gr SWC .44 magnum from Georgia Arms for $25/50 rds. I get just over 1030 fps from my 4" 629 using those loads, and they've proven to be very reliable and accurate from my gun. Of course, Georgia Arms is pretty much shutdown right now. Hope things get back to normal soon.

 

[sparkyv]

You could use a solvent to remove the lube on the ones you already have, TxWolf. Then powder coat them, maybe even twice, then you could custom size them to match your M29's requirements.

Wish I could find some unlubed bullets to powder coat. My wife works for a powder coating manufacturer so it would be easy to get a mayo jar of over run stuff. I know the guy that works in the lab. My cylinder throats all measure .433 with a minus gage pin. They mic .4328 using a small hole gage and mics.
May be time for that SRH I have been wanting to get for years. Lol

 

[TxWolf]

I may try that. Have some SNS bullets that mic about .4295. I guess that’s close to the .430 they are labeled as. And they have a beveled base. :/
Oh well I’m slowly learning about the intricacies of lead bullets.

 

[rdnktrkr]

Don't crimp lead bullets hard, just enough to retard movement. I have a couple of loads for my 44mags, the ones I shoot and the ones I let others shoot , I have found it doesn't take a hot load to ring steel at 50yrds. I usually work up a load with different loads in multiples of 6 or 12 to find one that is easy shooting and accurate. I've never used unique but please use info from a reloading manual, then you can compare that with the powder and bullet manufacturer web sites, I have multiple manuals and always look at each before each new load.

 

[mdi]

For shooting lead bullets the bullet to gun fit is the most important factor.
Basic; for revolvers size bullet to same diameter as cylinder throats.
Don't buy into the "harder is better" or "hard cast" thinking. (Keith developed his magnum bullets and loads with alloys of 11-12 BHN).
Good fitting bullets with a decent lube can be driven cleanly to 1,200 fps quite easily.
K.I.S.S.

For info on every aspect of cast lead bullets from alloys all the way to shooting go here; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
Good basic cast bullet info; http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

 

[TxWolf]

Thanks for the links mdi

 

[gonoles_1980]

Interesting, both the site and the Speer manual have 7gr as max charge for unique, the Layman manual has 11.7gr, I've shot probably over a 1000 rounds with 8.5gr of Unique. It feels like a moderate load to me when I shoot. Looking back through my history I started with 6.7 as a load, seemed light, moved to 8.0, then 8.5. I use BE-86 11.0gr 240gr Plated SWC for my heavier loads. Makes me wonder if I should step back down to 7gr , but 8.5gr has been shooting fine.

 

[TxWolf]

Makes me wonder if I should step back down to 7gr , but 8.5gr has been shooting fine.

Would seem to me if you aren’t getting excessive pressure signs and it seems like a moderate load there would be little reason to step down to 7.0 grains. But that’s just me.
Unless your looking for less recoil.

 

[.38 Special]

Interesting, both the site and the Speer manual have 7gr as max charge for unique, the Layman manual has 11.7gr, I've shot probably over a 1000 rounds with 8.5gr of Unique. It feels like a moderate load to me when I shoot. Looking back through my history I started with 6.7 as a load, seemed light, moved to 8.0, then 8.5. I use BE-86 11.0gr 240gr Plated SWC for my heavier loads. Makes me wonder if I should step back down to 7gr , but 8.5gr has been shooting fine.

10 grains has been a fairly standard light-to-medium .44 Magnum load since before I was born. 8.5 grains is about as safe a load as can be imagined.

 

[dartor]

I think I have the Unique 7.0 at 240gn vs. 11.0gn at 250gn (Keith cast) issue from Alliant's website figured out. I receive the printed copy of their load data every year. I looked at the printed copy this morning. The 240gn data is for a Speer LSWC, if I recall correctly the Speer LSWC is a swaged bullet. Softer bullet-lighter load-less velocity-less leading.

I just checked the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th ed. A 44 magnum 240gn cast (linotype) bullet starting charge is 10.0gn. You should be good to go with 8.0gn of Unique

 

[Typetwelve]

Ok...so this is my load data...and take that for what it is worth and use at your own risk. This was shot from my 7.5" Super Redhawk, in MAGNUM brass. 240g SWC lead projectile.

11.7g Unique- 1337 fps average. These were very stout magnum loads, but not insane.

(In 44 SPECIAL brass, same 240g lead SWC over 7g of Unique was spitting out at and average of 962 fps.)

Now, I load a 240g lead SWC OR a 240g SJSP (like projectiles from Zero bullets) over 8.5-10 grains of Unique, all shoot perfectly fine. the 8.5 grain loads are very nice shooting. I need to chrono these and see what they do.

In other words, 8g of Unique in a magnum case under a 240g projectile will be very nice shooting from a full size magnum revolver.

(EDIT: if you want really soft shooting lead 44 loads, try some Trail Boss...I love the stuff)