Barnes 44 Mag Loads for Redhawk

[bafrank3poc]

I am going pig hunting with my Redhawk. In the area I will be hunting I am restricted to non-lead bullets. I have acquired some Barnes 225 gr. bullets and got load info from Loaddata.com. Listed load for the 296 powder I am using is 21-22 grains. Certainly that is not a load related to the weight of the bullet as a 220 gr JHP lead core bullet can be fired over as much as 24+ gr. of 296. The limits appear to be based on the lack of space in the case dictated by the cannelure placement on this long bullet.

But with the length of the Redhawk cylinder I can seat the bullet so that there is room in the case to load 24 grains of 296, a good load for a 225 gr JHP lead core bullet. My question is, is there any quirk or oddity about the Barns bullet, such as higher rifling engraving resistance, that would make it inadvisable to set the length of the cartridge long like this to allow a greater powder charge? I would not hesitate to change depth of seating with JHP lead bullets. I shot silhouette for years and used the full length of the cylinder for bullets as heavy as 320 grains (which is about the same physical dimension as the Barnes 225 gr copper bullet).

This is my first experience with a solid copper bullet.

 

[flatgate]

Welcome to Ruger Forum!

I'm not much of a jacketed or solid bullet shooter. My only concern is long seating of said bullet may introduce "bullet jump" due to the lack of a cannelure.

Perhaps increased "neck tension" could help?

JMHO,

flatgate

 

[bafrank3poc]

Thanks for the welcome. I didn't know this group existed until last night. I have been shooting silhouette and hunting with Ruger revolvers since the first year Ruger produced the Redhawk.

Though there isn't a cannelure groove at this point on the bullet a light crimp (not enough to distort the case) grips so tightly that it takes the same force to pull the bullet as when crimped in the groove. As I work on the load tomorrow at the range, that is what I will be looking for...that the bullets in the rest of the cylinder don't move under recoil.

If this configuration works, I guess I'll have to invest in a tool to create a new groove in the bullet.

 

[maxpress]

welcome to the forum and glad you found us.

2 options i can think of is order a channelure maker though i have seen them i have never paid attention to the price (lead shooter). or you could single shot for the pig hunt. since these are solid bullets i dont think a crimp will hold outside a channelure.

you dont specify what caliber so i will assume .44 or .45. in this case 22gr of 296 gives about 1400fps with most 225gr loads which is used around here to take any big game desired. IMHO this is plenty to take a pig especially with a barnes solid.

good luck and let us know how it goes.

this post should be in the reloading section maybe

 

[bafrank3poc]

My subject line says 44 mag. As I said I will be looking at whether there is bullet movement in the cartridges in the other chambers of the cylinder as I work up loads.

I just called Barnes in Utah. Talked with a helpful tech guy, think he was the same one I talked to before, about using powder charges intended for jacket lead bullets. He said that the consideration is that the solid copper bullet has more bearing surface in the bore, thus more resistance to being pushed down it, rather than just the weight of the bullet.

He liked my suggestion of producing the 225 gr. 44 cal. bullet with a second cannelure groove allowing a long crimp for guns that can handle the length. He suggested I work up the load rather than using 225 gr. jacketed lead bullet data directly. He also noted that the Ruger Redhawk is a well made and very strong gun so I'll likely have no problems.

If I run into no over pressure indications, as I work up the load, it may be possible to get this bullet up from the original suggested load producing 1200 fps, to about 1500 fps. Judging by the reported difficulty in taking down these feral hogs with a head-on shot (shoulder armor and skull thickness), I want that extra velocity.

 

[Ruber]

Welcome to the forum, I was in the same boat, my typical hog spots are in the condor range and I believe this was my first question also...

One thing I did was contact Barnes, they have been great at explaining the ins and outs of anything "non-standard" that I wanted to do. Real good relationship with those guys.

Brian Pearce has a great article on loading the Barnes XPB bullets and they do work pretty well. In a 5.5" blackhawk he gets 1,402 fps from 21.5gr H110 and gets excellent penetration and still has the proper COL for that bullet (1.595). I've used the Ramshot Enforcer load recommended by Barnes with great success as well as the 2400, Enforcer seems to fit the case a bit better with that full copper bullet at max load.


The other thing I did, was follow Brian Pearce's data for the 250gr 45 cal bullet for .45 Colt which will run about 1,350 out of my 7.5" Blackhawk. That is what I now use for hogs up there.

As a side note, I have not been super happy with the Barnes 225gr .44 and now load up the 200gr .44 for deer in the lead free zone (works well in both my SBH and Model 94) saving the 225s and 250s for heavier critters...

 

[bafrank3poc]

Ruber,

What was the problem with the 225 gr. Barnes? I went with that because state source recommendations were against using a 44 Mag on pigs. The Barnes tech said that it will likely punch all the way through, but in a full expanded condition...good for pigs... he hunted pig with it. I am using 7.5 inch barrel Redhawk.

Is there a link to Brian Pearce's article?

 

[Ruber]

I'd go with the 225s for pigs in the 44, penetration's great, I just never got them to be as accurate as I like, especially in the model 94. They're just inbetween the 200 44 mags and the 250 45 colts, and the 250s worked so nice.

When I get back home tonight, I'll try to work out something on the Pearce article.

 

[bafrank3poc]

Well, I will have to say that accuracy is just about the most important thing in my book. The Redhawk was NOT my favorite gun for many years though I had taken Muleys and whitetail with it. It languished while my Dan Wesson 357 max became my hunting gun. A gun that with a 4 power scope would consistently hold a 1.5 inch group at 100 yds.

Recently I installed a top rail on the Redhawk, a gun bought before Ruger added the scope mount cuts on the barrel, that allowed me to move the scope forward. I also switched to Nosler bullets. Suddenly the Redhawk went from a 5-6" group to less than 1.5" at 100 yds off a rest.

Some people think a 6" group at 100 yds from a hunting revolver is good, but my 29 shot 3" and the Dan Wesson was half that. The 6" groups of the Ruger had it collecting dust. Now it has become my favorite gun.

If the Barnes won't hold similar accuracy, not sure what I'll have to do short of turning my own.

 

[maxpress]

haha sorry bout that i was so busy whatching a 2yr old and reading your post that i didnt look at the subject line.

 

[Ruber]

If the Barnes won't hold similar accuracy, not sure what I'll have to do short of turning my own.

Give 'em a try since you've got 'em. I just found the sweet spot earlier with the other sizes, the 250gr in the .45 Blackhawk with a max load of H110 seems to hit the mark each time and I never got there with the 225 gr in the .44. I'll tell you what I did try...

I ran .2 gr increments of Enforcer from 20.5 to 22.5 and had the best results right around 21.7. I tried Pearce's load of 2400 (didn't experiment much at all there) and liked the Enforcer loads better. I then went to H110 and worked up to what Pearce mentioned and got good results close to max, but ran outta money and patience. A great bullet, just expensive to dial in.

ps. PM sent

 

[bafrank3poc]

Well, I'll get a chance to see what works Saturday at the range. And they will be expensive to work up if I don't luck into a good combination early.

 

[M'BOGO]

There is an article in the new June Handloader magazine, on the Barnes 225 gr .44 slugs. I havn't had a chance to read it yet, don't know how it stands against Pearce's articles. Just a heads up.

 

[Ruber]

M'BOGO,
Thanks! I'll need to check that out.

bafrank3poc,
Let us know how your rounds work out...

 

[bafrank3poc]

Sorry I have taken so long to get back with some results. Loaded two versions. One was 21.5 gr of 296 crimped in the cannelure. The other was 24 gr 296 with the same Barnes 225 bullet lightly crimped with the bullet set at just about to the end of the cylinder.

I am surprised to say that both shot to virtually the same point of aim. I didn't have my chronograph at the range but the 24 grain powder loads seemed to have lighter recoil. Neither loading showed any pressure signs.

Because of range restrictions I could only shoot at 50 yds. Both loads shot overlapping holes clusters with groups averaging about 3/4 " . The 24 grains of 296 loads may, hard to tell, have clustered about 1/2" higher than the 21.5 grain loads.

Both showed accuracy well within my criteria for a good hunting load. I will be loading more rounds for the pig hunt using the 21.5 grains of 296 crimped in the cannelure. Wish I had opportunity for 100 yd sight-in. Maybe a chance before the trip this weekend. Hope we find pig.

BTW, our intended destination, Ft. Hunter Liggett, is closed to hunting until end of June due to troop training. Bummer!. We are heading for BLM land south of Hollister.

 

[Divernhunter]

I have used the 200gr bullet with great results on deer and a friend used it on wild boar with great results alo. The 225 gr bullets would work well on pigs also I would think but prefer the 200gr and a hot load of H-110 myself

 

[bafrank3poc]

I will try the 200 gr Barnes when I can get some. We are in a bit of a rush to make this hunting trip come together this weekend. Later I'll have a chance to refine the loads. I have most of 8 lbs of 296, my favorite big bore pistol powder, so that will be my powder for a while.

 

[Ruber]

Thanks for posting the results, sounds like you did well. You've peaked my interest to start working up some of those 225s again...

PM sent.

 

[bafrank3poc]

Sorry to say, I didn't get a shot at a pig with the 44. I did get a shot at nearly 300 yds with my Remington 308 Varminter. Steep down hill angle with a classic over the back miss.

Oh, well, there is next month!

 

[WESHOOT2]

And I don't hear much about Hunter Liggett (I was stationed there in the early 70's....).