Mixed Nuts
Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2017
- Messages
- 243
The threads on .44 Special reminded me of a question I’ve had about .44 Special and .45 Colt.
I’ll try to keep focused on the Special here, but info on either cartridge is appreciated.
Where does one find “Ruger Only” loads for the .44 Special? Is there even such a thing? Sometimes, when people mention the performance of their handloads in .44 Special, they describe heavier bullet weights at velocities beyond what any of my loading data lists at “max loads.”
My Lee, Modern Reloading Second Edition, has a section for “Ruger and T/C Only” in .45 Colt. But there is no similar section for .44 Special. My Lyman manual has a “T/C Only” section but Ruger is not specified as a platform for these heavier loads and there is no +P section for .44 Special.
Also,It seems like there are no Alliant 2400 loads in the Lee manual anywhere. There is powder, listed as HERC 2400, is this Alliant 2400? If not, why the listing, isn’t HERC 2400 a powder no longer manufactured?
I’m running in circles a bit here, but this is what happens every time I consider .44 Special. I get to thinking that the new Ruger, 5 Shot, 5” .44 Special shooting a 240 or 250 grain bullet at 1050 FPS or so, would be a great, compact and heavy hitting hiking gun, but then I remember that I can’t find loading data for those velocities. So then I get to thinking, “just get a .44 magnum and load it down.” But Except for that one S&W – I think the 629 – the .44 mags are all bigger guns and more weight to pack.
I’ll try to keep focused on the Special here, but info on either cartridge is appreciated.
Where does one find “Ruger Only” loads for the .44 Special? Is there even such a thing? Sometimes, when people mention the performance of their handloads in .44 Special, they describe heavier bullet weights at velocities beyond what any of my loading data lists at “max loads.”
My Lee, Modern Reloading Second Edition, has a section for “Ruger and T/C Only” in .45 Colt. But there is no similar section for .44 Special. My Lyman manual has a “T/C Only” section but Ruger is not specified as a platform for these heavier loads and there is no +P section for .44 Special.
Also,It seems like there are no Alliant 2400 loads in the Lee manual anywhere. There is powder, listed as HERC 2400, is this Alliant 2400? If not, why the listing, isn’t HERC 2400 a powder no longer manufactured?
I’m running in circles a bit here, but this is what happens every time I consider .44 Special. I get to thinking that the new Ruger, 5 Shot, 5” .44 Special shooting a 240 or 250 grain bullet at 1050 FPS or so, would be a great, compact and heavy hitting hiking gun, but then I remember that I can’t find loading data for those velocities. So then I get to thinking, “just get a .44 magnum and load it down.” But Except for that one S&W – I think the 629 – the .44 mags are all bigger guns and more weight to pack.