.44 Special powder

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RonS

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 20, 2004
Messages
246
Looking for recomendations for powder for my soon to be mine .44 Flattop.

Clean burning.

Fill the case to near capacity.

Low standard deviation if you happen to have chrono'd your loads.

I used H110, 2400 and Win 296 in the past but have been only shooting and loading .45 ACP for years so I am not up with current developments.

Loads will be a Keith type 250gr SWC loaded to as close to 1000 fps as I can comfortably get.
 

Rclark

Hunter
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Jan 1, 2009
Messages
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Location
Butte, MT
.44 Special Powder, my favorite loads, with Unique being top favorite. All shot in 5 1/2" barrel.

CCI-300 used:
6.5g Green Dot, 240g SWC, 999fps Avg, 13 stdev, spread 54 (30 shots)
7.5g Unique, 240g SWC, 1033fps Avg, 10 stdev, spread 29 (12 shots)
8.5g Power Pistol, 240g SWC, 1057fps avg, 9 stdev, spread 35 (30 shots)

CCI-350 used:
17g IMR 4227, 240g SWC, 1011fps avg, 20 stdev, spread 94 (30 shots)


These loads will work fine with your 250g Keith bullet.
 

Rclark

Hunter
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Butte, MT
HS6 is sweet.
I shot some HS-6 before I got my chronograph. My notes do say it shot really well with both 8.5g and 9.0g pushing 240g bullet. Another good powder. Guess I need to load some up again and pass over the chronograph to get that data.
 

Larry from Bend

Single-Sixer
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Aug 15, 2007
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Location
NC Montana
You don't mention barrel length but all 3 of your present powders will work fine. I use Power Pistol and 2400.

9 grains of PP does right @ 1000 fps (996) with a 255 grain Hardcast in my 4 5/8" Flattop.

18 grains of H110 does 1058 fps.

16 grains of H2400 (old Herc powder) does 1052 fps.
 

Bucks Owin

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Mar 22, 2004
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51st state of Jefferson
My experience with the .44 Spl is limited, (never saw a reason to water down my .44 mag FT to that velocity level), but HS-6 worked well for me too FWIW... :wink:

(2400 and "Obsolique" see little use around my bench, in fact the only 2400 I still have on hand is in a Hercules container! :shock: )
 

Jimbo357mag

Hawkeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
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So. Florida
Universal Clays- mild to heavy loads. It will not give you top velocity but it is very versatile. 8) 8)

...Jimbo
 

RonS

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 20, 2004
Messages
246
Thanks folks, glad to know the old standbys are still well regarded, and learned a little about some new stuff.
 

Iron Mike Golf

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
945
I am experimenting with .44 mag downleveled to .44 Spl pressures using HS-6 (200 gr cast HP over 9.5 gr HS-6) So far, it looks very good and I am liking it. I don't know how close to "full capacity" that is in a a .44 Spl case.
 

Rick Courtright

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Mar 10, 2002
Messages
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Location
Redlands CA USA
Bucks Owin said:
(2400 and "Obsolique" see little use around my bench, in fact the only 2400 I still have on hand is in a Hercules container! :shock: )

Hi,

Now ya got me laughin', Bucks! I'm still working on finishing out my last keg of Hercules "Obsolique": it's in a FIFTEEN pound keg, w/ a price tag of $65 on the top! Just a few more pounds to go and I can get some of that new "clean" stuff... ;)

Rick C
 

Bucks Owin

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51st state of Jefferson
Rick Courtright said:
Bucks Owin said:
(2400 and "Obsolique" see little use around my bench, in fact the only 2400 I still have on hand is in a Hercules container! :shock: )

Hi,

Now ya got me laughin', Bucks! I'm still working on finishing out my last keg of Hercules "Obsolique": it's in a FIFTEEN pound keg, w/ a price tag of $65 on the top! Just a few more pounds to go and I can get some of that new "clean" stuff... ;)

Rick C

"Clean" is a relative term I think.. :wink: :lol:

$65....sigh :( Good ol' days! I remember when the old man got his 4831 and 4895 in kegs at the surplus store. I was pretty young and don't know what it cost him back in the late 50's but I bet it would make us cry! Paying near $30/lb nowadays makes a guy start looking at a few faster (re economical) powders huh? :?

BTW, "Surplus" in those days was the real deal. Kabar knives, canvas tarps, sleeping bags, clothing etc...Actual GI stuff for pennies on the dollar! Now, the "surplus" stuff seems pretty chinzy and is liable to say "made in china" on it somewhere! :roll:
 

Rick Courtright

Hawkeye
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Messages
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Location
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Bucks Owin said:
I was pretty young and don't know what it cost him back in the late 50's but I bet it would make us cry!

Hi,

Yeah, there could be some tears shed!

I started reloading shotshells in 1965, and used Red Dot. LGS had a keg in the back, and you told 'em how much you needed. Fellow went in the back for a minute, then came out and handed you a brown paper bag, stapled shut w/ a handwritten "Red Dot--x lbs" on it.

1x was $3.00... which would also buy 10 gallons of gas! I 'spose most powder's a "bargain" today if we use THAT comparison... ;)

Rick C
 

sailorb

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
154
Location
Indianapolis, IN USA
I tend to go the other way with the .44 Spec and load light. I save the .44 Mag for the heavy stuff. Somewhere around 5.0 gr of either W231 or Titegroup with 240 gr LSWC shoot very well out of my guns. Universal Clays does a very good job as well. I just shot my first batch loaded with it and got good results. I didn't have the chrono with me, so I don't have numbers, but the groups were darn respectable.
 

Rclark

Hunter
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Jan 1, 2009
Messages
3,533
Location
Butte, MT
My heavy is 15.0 of 2400 with the same bullet.
Had to try this load. Note the magnum primer. 2400 was a new bottle... So ran it over the chronograph, and this was my results (46F outside) :

15.0g 2400, 240g SWC, CCI-350 : 1152 Average, 22 Stdev, 84 spread (30 shots)

Seemed to be accurate at 15Y as when all was said and done there was just one hole in the target with a couple of flyers. :) .
About as hot as I would ever want to run the 44Spec. :lol: I'll stick with my 7.5g of Unique load for 'general purpose' :) .
 

Bucks Owin

Hunter
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
3,196
Location
51st state of Jefferson
Rclark said:
My heavy is 15.0 of 2400 with the same bullet.
Had to try this load. Note the magnum primer. 2400 was a new bottle... So ran it over the chronograph, and this was my results (46F outside) :

15.0g 2400, 240g SWC, CCI-350 : 1152 Average, 22 Stdev, 84 spread (30 shots)

Seemed to be accurate at 15Y as when all was said and done there was just one hole in the target with a couple of flyers. :) .
About as hot as I would ever want to run the 44Spec. :lol: I'll stick with my 7.5g of Unique load for 'general purpose' :) .

Pretty stout! Hard on the heels of some .44 mag factory loads I bet...Cool beans :wink:
 

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