Recreating factory 44 mag 240gr - How many loadings?

[Shrinkmd]

I'm working my way up the 44 mag, and I am comfortably shooting 240gr LSWC's with 10 gr of Unique. I'm getting ready to step it up a bit, and might even make up some factory equivalent with jacketed bullets.

Using new Starline brass, a near full charge of 300MP (around 24.5gr, our friends at Handloader used 25.0 as a max), and Hornady 240gr XTP bullets, how many of these factory strength loadings could the brass take? It would be nice to get 4 loadings, which would bring the pricing of this project down to about $376 per 1,000 rounds.

Which wouldn't be too bad compared to $929.50 for purchasing them! A $553.50 difference, although I guess you could subtract another $80 bucks or so for the price of the pile of once fired brass you would have from buying factory. It is still about a $470 "savings" (not that most people would ever pay to plink with fancy Hornady XTP factory ammo...)

So is four loadings at near max to duplicate factory achievable? I am curious to try this project out, but I'm wondering what other people's experience has been.

 

[454PB]

Yes.

I have .44 magnum brass that has been loaded 10 times with full pressure loads.

Do minimal belling of the case mouths......just enough to allow the bullet to enter the case.

The case mouth is where failure occurs from splits.

I usually trim the split cases down to .44 special length and continue using them.

 

[788Ham]

What reloading book are you using? My current book, Hornady 7th Edition, shows 7.6 grains of Unique as a MAX load for the 240 gr. LSWC bullet. If you're using "Ruger Loads" in a Super Black Hawk , maybe my book isn't correct! I reload for .44 mag., load 23.1 gr. of H110, for 200 gr. JHP. Its just the grains you said you're reloading seemed a bit high, this is my reason for asking.

 

[454PB]

Ham, the reason for the lower (7.6 gr.) load you sighted is not pressure. Most published loads with commercial cast or swaged bullets are for reduced velocity and "leading prevention". 10 grs. of Unique and a 240 LSWC works fine in the .44 magnum if the bullet is properly fit and lubricated. Depending on barrel length, it should yield 1100 to 1200 FPS.

 

[gamestalker]

I load full house H110 & 296 loads with 180 and 200 gr. jacketed and average about 15 cycles +/- 2 or 3 cycles depending on brass head stamps. But, I don't bell my mouths, and I also maintain precise trim too lengths. I don't know if any of that is helping life span, but I have no complaints after several decades.
GS

 

[ranger335v]

"Recreating factory 44 mag 240gr - How many loadings? "

Would you believe it's not all that calibrated? The issue is much less about the load pressure than the actual diameter(s) of your chambers and the diameter of your sizer; the greater the differences, the sooner the cases will split.

 

[Shrinkmd]

Another issue is whether or not Redding's new dual ring dies help prolong case life or have other measurable benefit. I think Handloader will be reviewing them sometime this year. Since I'm a Redding fan I just jumped on them, so I hope they are worth it, can't tell any difference so far.

 

[Ranger J]

I reload for 44 rifles only and have probably loaded thousands of mid to heavy loads and have had only a half dozen pieces of brass go bad on me. If you load 44s at these levels it seems that the brass is almost immortal. I see no reason that your brass should not get many more than 4 re loadings at factory levels.

RJ