What 44 mag loads?

[viking499]

What powder(s) and primer(s) do you use for 44 mag if using Hornady 240 XTP's? Going to shoot loads in a Marlin 1894ss and ruger redhawk.

 

[depoloni]

23.0-24.0 grains of H-110

18.0-21.0 grains of 2400

Up to 11.0 grains of W-231 (not the best choice but works)

Up to 13.0 grains of HS-6 (not the best choice but works) as I recall...

.........ultimately any of the jacketed bullet data for 240 grain 44-cal bullets listed at data.hodgdon.com, or any of the various dozens of reloading manuals, etc will probably work to your satisfaction. Funny like that. As to your specific arms and accuracy, you'll have to work up from min-to-max at worst to find the best load for your particular arms, also as generally necessary.

I use Win LP's since they ignite all sorts I use equally well - Win doesn't make "mag" LP primers, the WLP's are good for both they say and from my experience they're right. If you don't go that route, for Win-296/H-110 (same stuff) they recommend magnum primers.

 

[LTR shooter]

296 and H110 have always given me great results with the 240 XTP. In my old 1894 the same powders worked well with the JHP 240 grain bullets Hornady made at the time.

 

[Dean Williams]

You should use the powder and primers listed in your reloading manual(s).

 

[rg1]

In my 16" barrel Winchester Trapper I use CCI 350 Magnum primers and Winchester 296 powder.
22.5 grains in the 16" barrel gets 1600fps plus or minus a few fps and is a mild load.
23 grains is what my rifle seems to like and gets 1650-1680fps depending on the case used.
23.3 gets 1670-1700 depending on the case used.
Use a Magnum primer for 296, H110, 2400 which are slow powders. Like has been mentioned Winchester Large Pistol WLP primers show that they give nearly the same velocity with identical charges of Win 296 powder as the CCI 350 Mag primers.
Hornady 7th Manual shows that 22-24.5 maximum grains of Win 296 using Hornady cases and Win Large Pistol WLP primers and gives 1200-1400fps in a 7 1/2" Redhawk. Overall length of 240 XTPs listed at 1.600". Do compare data from published data manuals.

 

[MovedWest]

18.0-21.0 grains of 2400

+1

2400 is great for full house magnum rounds and produces some of the best velocities with a 240gr HP. I use it for 240gr and 300gr bullets. As for primers I use magnum primers because they are more readily available in my area and the 44 magnum will accommodate them, however standard primers are supposed to provide better accuracy.

Rounds built with 2400 produce a nice muzzle and cylinder flash as well as shake the ground. You'll get some looks at the range for sure.

-MW

 

[41 Mag]

I have tried just about every combination and settled on 296 for most of my revolver loads. For primers in the larger ones, I use Win-WLP for everything.

My standard load with the 240gr bullets is 23grs of 296, which gives me just over 1200fps from my Redhawk. It is a mild load recoil wise and will put the smack down on deer or other critters cleanly out to 100yds.

One thing, don't get overly zealous with the crimp, seat till you can crimp just over the bottom edge of the cannalure, and only use enough to lock it in place. You will find that over crimping will effect not only your groups but your velocities as well. It is easy to tell if you don't use enough as they will work forward from recoil in a revolver and sometimes get pushed back in a tubular magazine. I simply use enough to roll into grove, and have not had any issues with slippage, and accuracy is great.

Good luck

 

[Asherdan]

Hornady customer service was nice enough to email their data for the 240g XTP when I was working up that bullet for my Marlin 1894. I worked up to best accuracy with 2400 @ 1740 fps in my rifle. It shoots well, attached is my 50 yard sight in target from this season, the XTP performed perfectly on a quartering mule deer at 90 yards for me during the season.

The two powders I always see good results reported for are H110/W296 and 2400. I personally like 2400, but that's no knock on any of the others. I use standard LP (CCI 300) primers without issue with 2400.

I also shoot cast and have found the barrel runs large, .431, in mine. Talking with others with later manufacture 1894's in 44 mag this seems to be not uncommon. I've found the .430 XTP to be somewhat more accurate, probably because of the better barrel fit and rifling grab, than the .429 bullets I've tried. Also, all other things being identical, I find a significant increase of velocity with the .430 XTP, an average of 120 fps, over the .429 bullets I've tried, possibly for the same barrel fit reason.

Basically what I'm saying is...good bullet. Follow the loading data and track velocity with a chrony if you can, find the accurate load and it'll do what you need it to.

 

[Shimitup]

H110 and W296 at 13gr. with Fed 155 magnum primers and Hornady 240 show 1350fps on my chrono. Years ago this was my load of choice to shoot hunters silhouette, definitely the most accurate in my Redhawk.

An edit to clarify, my stock of Hornady .44 bullets predate the sale of their XTP line. I'm about to have to restock. I hope the XTP performs as well.

 

[Slamfire]

I also shoot cast and have found the barrel runs large, .431, in mine. Talking with others with later manufacture 1894's in 44 mag this seems to be not uncommon.

When I had marlin rebarrel my M1894 with a Ballard barrel, they told me that the SAAMI spec was 0.431". And that is the depth of their rifling. I asked the gunsmith to find a "tighter" barrel, and he gaged a few. Guess what, they are all 0.431! Marlin barrels are a lot more uniform than what they were back in the 80's. My original 1983 barrel had tight spots. You could feel it with a patch and jag.


While H110/W296 shoots very well in my Marlin, I don't like the powder. It is not flexible. You have about 0.5 grain variation in charge allowable. I can cut my 2400 loads, but with H110/W296 it is full power or nothing.

It is still hard to beat Elmer Keith's load of a 240 grain bullet with 22.0 grains 2400.

Incidentally, after chronographing all these loads, I came to the conclusion that W296 and H110 were the same, within lot to lot variation.

If you are going to use it, buy whatever brand is cheaper.

[SIZE="4"]M1894 Marlin Ballard Barrel
				
				
240 Speer JHP 22.0 grs 2400 CCI 500	
21-Dec-01	T = 54  °F			
				
Ave Vel =1747			
Std Dev =21			
ES =68			
Low =1717			
High =1785			
N =7			
				
240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05	T = 65° F			
				
Ave Vel =1725			
Std Dev =7			
ES =21			
Low =1715		
High =1736			
N =5		 	 
				
				
240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05T = 65° F			
Ave Vel =1752			
Std Dev =12			
ES =28		
Low =1735			
High =1763			
N =5		 	 
				
				
240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F			
				
Ave Vel =1710			
Std Dev =3		
ES =9			
Low =1705			
High =1714			
N =5		 	 
				

				
240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F			
				
Ave Vel =1745			
Std Dev =12			
ES =45			
Low =1723			
High =1768			
N =10			
				
				
240 Rem JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05	T = 65° F			
			
Ave Vel =1719			
Std Dev =10			
ES =29		
Low =1705			
High =1734			
N =10		 	 
				


S&W M629-4 	5" Barrel
						
240JHP R-P 24.0 grs H110 Midway cases WLP		
9-Oct-05	T = 66 °F					
Ave Vel =1228					
Std Dev =21.47					
ES =70.16					
Low =1268				
High =1197				
N=22[/SIZE]

 

[rundm]

The xtp's are great but I hope the sticker shock of the xtp's doesn't hurt you. I looked back at the prices of my old speer and nosler bullets and used to pay about 11.00 box of 100. Now seems I am lucky to find good jacketed bullets for less than 23.00/100. RG

 

[MADDOG]

I feel you should follow Dean Williams instructions in post #4.

 

[Asherdan]

When I had marlin rebarrel my M1894 with a Ballard barrel, they told me that the SAAMI spec was 0.431". And that is the depth of their rifling. I asked the gunsmith to find a "tighter" barrel, and he gaged a few. Guess what, they are all 0.431!

That is a darn good thing to know if you ever head towards cast bullets. Thanks.