Suggestions for 44 mag

[kilotanker22]

Picked up a Henry Single Shot in 44 Remington Magnum this week. Really nice gun for it's price.

This is the first handgun caliber I have loaded for. Looking for suggestions on favorite powders with the heavy 300 grain projectiles. I am thinking on the slower burning edge of powders suitable for this cartridge to take advantage of the 22" barrel length.

For reference this rifle shoots 300 grain HSM ammunition at an average of 1430 fps. I am assuming that after the bore is fouled with copper I will see a little increase in velocity.

 

[44 AMP]

I don't load any .44 heavier than 240gr, no point to it, for me. For full performance in a long barrel, the slow powders will give the highest velocities.

2400, H-110, W296, and AA No 9 have all worked well for me.

Be aware that the highest velocities might not be the most accurate load. Every gun is an individual in that regard.

In a single shot rifle, you have some advantages you don't get in a revolver. One is that bullets don't need to be crimped. Another is that max overall loaded length is limited by the rifling, not the cylinder length.

 

[kilotanker22]

Not too worried about accuracy. I am not even gonna scope this rifle. I shot the factory ammo today and managed to hit a 10 inch plate 10 out of 10 times. The group was around 6 inches. Not my best work, but it will serve its purpose well enough.

Plan to hunt white tail and bear with it this fall.

 

[buck460XVR]

My most accurate powder in my .44 carbines in IMR4227. I too only load 240 gr for whitetail.

 

[RedSoxFan]

Accurate #9 has works great for me in .44 Magnum for a long time.

 

[FoghornLeghorn]

I have a Henry lever in 44 mag and use 2400.

 

[Howland]

I used to have a Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag. I got pulled for a moose hunt lottery and wanted something that would go through and through if called upon.

I settled on 17.2 grains of AA#9 under a 300 grain SWC hard cast with a gas check (that did help reduce leading) as the most accurate load.

Having said that, a friend was on a deer stand one day and heard several shots not too far away. A few minutes later a wounded bear came by and he put it down with a 12 ga. slug. Shortly afterwards a pair of hunters came following the blood trail. They had hit it four times with a .44 Mag 240 grain JHP. I think 300 is the better choice of the two.

 

[44 AMP]

They had hit it four times with a .44 Mag 240 grain JHP.

They hit it 4 times and didn't put it down. I rather doubt that the fault was the BULLET.

 

[sparkyv]

Sage advice.

For full performance in a long barrel, the slow powders will give the highest velocities.

2400, H-110, W296, and AA No 9 have all worked well for me.

Be aware that the highest velocities might not be the most accurate load. Every gun is an individual in that regard.

In a single shot rifle, you have some advantages you don't get in a revolver. One is that bullets don't need to be crimped. Another is that max overall loaded length is limited by the rifling, not the cylinder length.

 

[Howland]

They hit it 4 times and didn't put it down. I rather doubt that the fault was the BULLET.

He said one hit was broadside behind the shoulder where it should have been but the bear made it several hundred yards and he said it seemed to have plenty left in him despite that he could see it was wounded. The other three hits were as you would expect for a fast moving target.

I've also had a hand in skinning a ten pointer that had nine wounds in a five inch group, again broadside right behind the shoulder. It's why I don't hunt with buckshot either.

 

[FoghornLeghorn]

They hit it 4 times and didn't put it down. I rather doubt that the fault was the BULLET.

Larry Kelly of Magnaport narrated a bear hunting trip in Alaska where a bear came into Larry's hunting cabin. Kelly emptied his 44 mag magnaported Ruger SBH to no avail. Kelly bailed out of a window.

He finally dispatched the bear, but with different bullets. The first six were hollow points that expanded quickly and did not allow for deep penetration. Kelly reloaded with hard cast semi wadcutters. The swc bullets did the trick.

 

[big al hunter]

I have been loading 44 mag for 25 years. My best performing loads are with 2400. H110 is powerful, but you have a limited amount of difference between starting and max load charges. I haven't tried 4227 yet.... haven't had a need because 2400 always worked so well. For hunting I prefer jacketed soft point or hard cast SWC. Hollow points work well on the tiny blacktail deer we have around here (100lbs hanging skinned at the butcher shop). But for elk I want more penetration. To simplify it I use the soft point or SWC for both.

 

[black mamba]

My most accurate load with the 300 gr WFN cast bullet is 17.5 gr. of Accurate 4100 and WLP primer. I took a nice whitetail buck with it a couple years ago, and he only went about 25 yards after the shot, with a complete passthrough.