heavy 44spl load

[Shadow9mm]

So I'm getting ready to load some 44spl with some heavy 260g gas checked hollow points. Lead is around 13bhn.

Will be going through my henry big boy 44mag/44spl with a 20in barrel so no pressure concerns and I don't mind going over 44spl max by a bit if needed.

using
starline brass
CCI #300 large pistol primers and
power pistol powder as it has performed the best in my long barrel

This will be a light subsonic deer hunting load for my son, I have a ballistics gel block I will be shooting into it tomorrow. just looking for good hunting performance.

CAUTION: The following post (or a page linked to) includes or discusses loading data not covered by currently published sources of tested data for this cartridge (QuickLOAD or Gordon's Reloading Tool data is not professionally tested). USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assumes any liability for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this information.

For reference my current load is a bit over max
starline brass
CCI #300 large pistol primers and
power pistol 8.1g
Hornady 240g xtp
avg 1034fps


Not sure were to start...

 

[HiBC]

If you Bing search "44 Special +P (Pet Loads ) a Feb 2018 Brian Pearce Article from Handloader Magazine should come up.

I think maybe there is a digital Handloader resource archive available.

When Ruger intro'd the 44 Spl Lypsey Special, Ross Seifred wrote some supporting articles that included info on loading stiff,heavy cast bullets.

I'll leave you to chase down the leades.

Then I'm not posting loads or violating copyrights.

 

[Shadow9mm]

Great article. Thanks!

CAUTION: The following post (or a page linked to) includes or discusses loading data not covered by currently published sources of tested data for this cartridge (QuickLOAD or Gordon's Reloading Tool data is not professionally tested). USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assumes any liability for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this information.

So based on the 7.0g max for 240g lead bullet from hornady, and the bullet being 20g heavier, I decided to reduce max to 6.0 and went just below 20% for my start.
Power pistol
4.5g
5.0g
5.5g
6.0g

I figured start fairly light and steady as she goes. I loaded 5 of each, 4 for the chronograph to get a rough velocity, 1 for the ballistics gel block. Should be testing tomorrow, will post results and gel block pics when I get time.

 

[GeauxTide]

Pearce's article came out right when I purchased my Bisley 44 Specials. I tried his 17.0gr load of 2400 under 240gr Remington JSP, for 1198. Very accurate, but I much prefer 8.0gr of Unique under a 255 SWC.

 

[TX Nimrod]

I thought the OP already shot 8.1 grains of Power Pistol, yet now he wants to start over three grains lower? The 8.1 grain load was already giving marginal rifle velocity for a deer load, cutting the charge this much won’t improve its lethality. What is the OP hoping to accomplish?



.

 

[Shadow9mm]

I thought the OP already shot 8.1 grains of Power Pistol, yet now he wants to start over three grains lower? The 8.1 grain load was already giving marginal rifle velocity for a deer load, cutting the charge this much won’t improve its lethality. What is the OP hoping to accomplish?



.

I have run up to 8.5 but settled on 8.1, however that was was with a 240g JHP, an XTP. This is a 260g cast hollow point, 20g heavier and I figured starting lower would be safer with the different weight and bullet type and I was unsure how the hollow point would perform. Based on the load data from Hornady with 240g lead bullet max was 7.0g, so I dropped max by 1.0g and they went 20% below that to start since I had no data.

My results were decent yesterday, but I had some chronograph problems. With the first 3 loads I had failures to expand with the hollow point in the 740fps to 860fps range. however the 6.0 had good expansion and about 16in of penetration in the ballistics gel block and was around 925fps. I plan to push up a bit more to increase expansion to the 6.5-7.0g range next outing to see how they act to try and get in the 1000fps range and test in the gel again and see how they act.

And the intent is light subsonic 44spl hunting loads for my son to keep the recoil and noise down.

I'm loading 44mags with the 240xtp's for myself. tested those loads yesterday as well, shooting for 1500fps at the muzzle. I got up to about 1450 with h110 at 21.1g, manual shows a max of 24.8 so I have a little more I can push.

here's the bullet from the 925fps shot

 

[TX Nimrod]

Thanks, that makes sense. You never mentioned that your 8.1 load was with a lighter jacketed bullet.

 

[Shadow9mm]

thought I did, my apologies, I corrected that.