Of course, the situation changed when S&W introduced the .44 Magnum 50+ years ago. I used CCI-350 magnum primers with HS-6 and Silhouette powders, but regular primers would work just as well. 5 are top choices for loads that push standard weight (250-grain) bullets between 900 to 1,000 fps. Hornady's new 225-grain Flex Tip eXpanding bullet borrows technology from the company's popular rifle ammo and is a good midweight hunting bullet. The data in Table II was developed in a 2008 Smith & Wesson Model 1950 Target 24-6 revolver with a 612-inch barrel. The Judge has been promoted! .44 Special (Hodgdon Data) reloading data with 130 loads. This also helps powder to ignite properly and usually results in lower extreme velocity spreads and improved accuracy. Although they could not fully duplicate the velocities obtained with classic magnum revolver powders such as Alliant 2400, they were not far behind and are excellent choices for +P loads. We are currently populating the cartridge drop-down menu with updated cartridge renderings, new propellants and bullets, and links to complimentary product pages. Our Price: SWC-JHP, .44 with 250 . Contest void where prohibited by law. With member reviews, stories, and creativity! Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. For this bullet 8.5 grains of Unique results in 980 fps in a 4 barreled S&W while 15.5 grains of #2400 goes up to 1,140 fps. The Hodgdon site lists 8.0 gr of HS-6 as a max load for the .44 Special with a 240gr cast bullet. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. one says 5.0gr of Unique, the other says 5.7gr. The .44 Special was formally introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1907. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. But I'll trade a little sootiness & extra recoil for the added assurance. Federal has created a safer, easier and more reliable way to shoot a muzzleloader. Nosler, the world's finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, & brass. Powder charges used in the .44 Special case seldom require magnum primers, although they are frequently recommended with ball or spherical powders. I have revolvers with longer barrels, but the shorter barrel makes more sense when carried on the hip, and a slight velocity loss is unimportant. IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company. The manuals dont show every type of powder for every bullet weight for the .44 special. 5.2 grains gave 800 fs., so pressure goes up pretty fast. For example, Smith & Wesson N-frame revolvers have historically featured throats that measure .431 to .432 inch, though two L-frame revolvers and a recently manufactured Model 24-6 measured .4285 to .429 inch. The traditional .44-caliber bullet weight is 240 grains, and here we have several proven performers. Were not looking for long-distance hunting or max power. Since I have experimented with case position sensitive powder and found great differences, I now want bulkier powder that will better fill the case. 10grs is a hot load; maybe not unsafe, but hot. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Paper punching, 4.5grs Bullseye under a 240-250gr SWC. 2, Alliant Bullseye and Red Dot. Filled with .44 Magnum cartridges, it is ready for target practice or hunting. They are true magnum bullets, featuring a heavy jacket and 1 1/2% antimony core, yet they will expand reliably at 44 Special velocities. The rifling is EDM (Electric Discharge Machining) rather than the traditional Smith & Wesson cut style that was present on all the companys sixguns manufactured prior to 2000. For those who dont cast, check out the Oregon Trail Laser Cast 240-gr. Winchester Lead Cowboy 44 Special 240gr LFN Handgun Ammo - Winchester cowboy loads with its flat nose, cast lead bullets and target velocities. SWC, 240 gr. Modern Smith & Wesson N-frame revolvers are stout, as they share the same outside cylinder dimensions as the Model 29 .44 Magnum; however, they are slightly shorter. Using bullets from Hornady HP-XTP , Hornady FP-Cowboy, Hornady HP-XTP, Hornady SWC-HP or SWC, Hornady HP-XTP or CL-SIL. Forum; Reloading Tutorials; About; Login.44 S&W Special. However, .44 Special loads are so mild, you can really use whatever you want to. The Oregon Trail Laser Cast 240 SWC shoots every bit as good as carefully home cast bullets. This is not a true Keith bullet and even has a bevel base, however it shoots well. A World Record Attempt and everyone is out at the range shooting and practicing. Taurus Marketing Manager Caleb Giddings highlights the features of the new Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum, a purpose-built revolver with a 10.5-inch barrel and an effective recoil-taming brake, with Guns & Ammo Executive Editor Joe Kurtenbach. . (II) Limit one entry per household. Either 17.0 grains of #4227 or 8.5 grains of Unique will give right around 1,000 fps. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM DIY 2022, P.O. Who knew wild turkey's were so stupid!? Both are N-frames with trim 6 -inch barrels. I reduced it to 6.8/Unique/240 SWC, then to 6.5/Unique/240 SWC, The lighter loads were not as clean-burning, but an intentionally heavy crimp remedied most of that. Not even in a .44 Magnum pistol. The Special's inherent accuracy stems from a previous design. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. I loaded some for a friend's 6" S&W 624. (I) Giveaway ends September 30, 2022. does not engender a reputation as a "hot" cartridge. My standard choice for loading the .44 Special is whats normally known as the Keith bullet. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. Unfortunately, the .44 Magnums greater power pushed the Special from the stage. References: Accurate Arms Co. 1996 Reloading booklet Alliant Powder Co. Reloaders Guide (1995) Hodgdons Basic Reloaders Manual (1996) Speer Reloading Manual, #12 Winchester Reloading Components Manual, 14th edition Lyman Piston & Revolver Reloading Handbook, 2nd edition. The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. The Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun is one of the most popular home defense shotguns on the market. If you have an older revolver this is a good limit. It is a faithful rendition of the original and should quicken the pulse of .44 Special fans everywhere. Bullets under 200 grains have never given me anything but short-range accuracy. A few of their advantages include lower cost especially if you cast your own substantially reduced barrel wear, greater velocities with less chance of sticking bullets in the bore, straight and deep penetration on game with the added shock associated with a large meplat and good accuracy, especially when loads are tailored to a specific gun. SWC+GC, 265 gr. less than a comparable .44 Magnum, and also less recoil while still being more than adequate for any situation which should arise. for 240 gr, bullet for about same results. Join the exclusive reloading community founded in 1996 and be the first to know about our latest news, reviews, and insights. A Smith & Wesson Model 1950 Target 24-6 (middle) .44 Special with a 6.5-inch barrel was used to develop the accompanying data. It is good. Tests have shown, however, that using bullets that are close to throat diameter to begin with usually yield best accuracy while increasing pressures very little, if at all. I have several Smith & Wesson N-frames from different eras that have been used extensively with full-power .44 Special (Category 3) loads without issue. The idea of .44 Special for Everyday Workin' Loads is a relatively lightweight sixgun, around 1/2 lb. But do you know how to properly use them? Accurate 43-257H 260 gr SWC in a 5 1/2 " Special, 4.8 grains Tightgroup gave me 700 fs with low SD and excellent accuracy. The .44 Special is an excellent field cartridge, and when combined with handloads is capable of taking varmints and big game. Even when bullets of this diameter are used in guns that have a tighter barrel groove diameter of .4265 inch to .428 inch (typically found in the Colt Single Action Army and New Frontier SAA), accuracy is still excellent. 2 Accurate No. Took this load form Speer #13 manual and it shot very well in both my 44 mags, very accurate and not even max. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Left to right: 250 gr. 30 days easy returns; 100% money back guarantee. Its a natural outgrowth of half-jacketed bullets, and unlike traditional jacketed bullets, consists of a full-length copper cup with a lead core. 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? The revolver pictured above is a reproduction Keith No. Add .5 grs. Reloading: Powder Comparison .44 Special Loads Rupp's test included IMR Target and IMR Red, both relatively new powders from that company, against the new Winchester 244with tried-and-true Alliant Bullseye for comparison. His loads have been successfully tested and used by others for more than 25 years. Unique is about the best all around powder, but if you want a slower burning powder, I suggest 2400. Is there a preferred source of data? All of the cast bullets shown in the load table were obtained from a local commercial caster and had a Brinell Hardness Number of 15 (the same as Lyman No. Excellent results were obtained with fast-burning powders such as Hodgdon Titegroup, Accurate No. It remains popular in both the .44 Special and .44 Remington Magnum cartridges. The 44 Special shines with a moderately soft 240-250 grain Keith style SWC bullet driven to the 900-1000 fps range. By the 1920s smokeless powders had been significantly improved, which resulted in handloaders developing ammunition that enhanced the performance of the .44 Special to create +P loads. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). I think you are also going to shorten the life of your revolver with Keith Loads. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. These bullets are extremely effective on up to deer-size game. With a resurgence of interest in the .44 Special, along with outstanding new guns, several smaller ammunition companies are now offering loads with bullet weights that range from 135 to 255 grains at a variety of velocities. For these reasons, 240-grain bullets are best when used in conjunction with load data that exceeds industry maximum pressures. I have .44 Specials whose chamber throats are as tight as 0.427 and as large as 0.433, and I just took possession of a Spanish copy of the old S&W Triple-Lock with 0.437 throats. 200 210 grain bullets will hit 800 fps with 5.2 grains of Tight Group or Bullseye. I have listed the Colt Single Action Army and New Frontier revolvers in Category 2 (22,000 psi). When the .44 Mag was introduced in 1955, Hercules 2400 and IMR 4227 soon became the most popular powders for .44 Magnum hand-loads. Post WWII revolvers are stronger. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. 429421 bullet to improve the .44 Specials accuracy and terminal performance. The Hodgdon site on-line has loading data for ~15,500 PSI loads. Using bullets from Cast LRNFP, Nosler JHP, Berry's Bullets FP, Cast LSWC. If economics are important, a one-pound can of Unique (7,000 grains) will fetch you 1,000 loads using a 7.0-grain powder charge. Charges less than those shown are not recommended, however, as there is the very real danger of sticking a bullet in the barrel. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). The original loading was a 246 grain round nose lead bullet at about 700 fps. My favorite load with this bullet is 7.5 grains of TiteGroup for a modest velocity of 745 fps, light recoil and one-hole groups. Hodgon only shows HP38 for the .44 special loads. Manufacturer #: 44B (50) UPC #: 754908168118. These bullets are long for their weight and seat deeply into the case, so only select powders are suitable based on their volume density. The accompanying data has been listed in tables at 22,000 psi (Category 2) and 25,000 psi (Category 3) loads, with 15,500 psi standard pressure (Category 1) loads suitable for all revolvers covered in Handloader No. JHP 250 gr. Joe Kurtenbach, Executive Editor of Gun & Ammo, and John Myles from Smith & Wesson discuss features of the Equalizer 9mm micro-compact pistol and new-for-2023 M&P 5.7. 5, #2230, and #2460 are products of Accurate Arms Company 2 to the slow No.9. The Hodgdon site on-line has loading data for ~15,500 PSI loads. Unique is still one of the most versatile powders on the market today. Bullet fit is key for accuracy. It is just a guide and the reason you should start under these charges and work up. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. 240: Cartridge Case: Brass: Muzzle Velocity: 750 FPS: Muzzle Energy: 300 FT LBS: Pack Quantity: 50: Product Line: Super X: Use: Range: . JHC. No purchase necessary. For maximum velocity in .44 Mag ammo reloads, slow-burning powders are recommended. cast RNFP; 240-gr. Depending upon barrel length, sixgun and bullet, these loads will be in the 900 to 1,000 fps range. Bullets as heavy as 300 grains are available, but it's difficult to get enough velocity out of the Special case to make them useful. SWC, 240 gr. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. The 240-grain cast bullet loads shown also offer potent protection. I also drool in my sleep. ( 6) Write a Review Q&A (4) Our Price: $73.99. Many other manufacturers, including USFA, Freedom Arms, Ruger and several foreign companies have offered good-quality sixguns. Granted, with modern revolvers the .44 Special can be loaded close to magnum standards for serious hunting duties when needed. With variables, this load generally produces around 18,000 psi and is a +P load. 15,500 PSI is the maximum SAAMI pressure. 7 Accurate Solo 1250 For a bit more horsepower, including hunting deer-sized game, the load I prefer consists of 8.2 grains of Alliant Power Pistol with the 250-grain Keith bullet, which generally produces around 1,000 fps in most revolvers with barrels of 434 to 612 inches (or 950 to 975 fps with 4-inch barrels). Other popular revolvers in Category 3 include the Ruger New Model Blackhawk, USFA SAA-pattern guns manufactured after 2001 and Freedom Arms Model 97. Since I cast my own, I have a choice of H&G #503, Lyman #429421, NEI #260.429 and the RCBS #44-250KT bullets. It is important to note that the .44 Special has an industry overall cartridge length of 1.615 inches, while the .44 Magnum is actually shorter at 1.610 inches. I can't agree more. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Just stick to near-maximum loads to keep up the velocity and ensure adequate expansion. The Russian case is but .970 inch in length and just couldn't hold enough of the bulky new powder to achieve the desired velocities, so in 1907 Smith & Wesson lengthened the older case by .190 inch and a star was born. It's superbly accurate and extremely versatile when handloaded to any of several power levels for plinking, personal defense or hunting. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. Tried TB, "didn't fit my pistols". Do not leave Tightgroup in your powder measure, even overnight. If you drop a bullet into each chamber in your cylinder, if it falls through any/all of them, it is too small and will probably lead the barrel and not shoot all that well. A favorite load of mine using a 240 grain cast bullet is in 44 Magnum cases, not 44 Special. Brass and some other items can be shipped via USPS Flat Rate Priority Mail. You can follow the Elmer Keith trail up to 1200 fps with 250 grain bullets, but the pressure is 22,000 - 25,000psi and bullet diameter, seating depth and alloyare critical. 240 gr. 44 special 240gr Hornady HP/XTP 2400 Starting 8.9gr for 600fps Max. We use cookies to make your experience better. Purchase A PDF Download Of The American Handgunner Nov/Dec 2020 Issue Now! U.S. Reps. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas.) .44 Special NEVER! The Hornady XTP, Sierra JHC, Speer GDHP and Nosler JHP and JSP versions are all suitable for the .44 Special. Full Metal Jacket projectiles are the ideal choice for training, target shooting and general range use. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Jorge Spat to learn all about it. Learn from CBA members that have been casting their entire life. XTP; Hornady 240-gr. Start load of 7.8 shot very well for my friend. (Ret.) For the mild .44 special loads, I recommend all lead bullets and loads that produce 700-850 FPS speeds. SWC, 240 gr. Skeeter Skelton was perhaps most influential for helping to renew interest in the .44 Special, with articles appearing in the late 1960s and 1970s that ultimately helped influence Colt to reintroduce the Single Action Army and New Frontier during the late 1970s (both of which are currently available again), while Smith & Wesson produced its Models 24 and 624 (1950 Target) during the mid-1980s. Cast bullets work well in the .44 Special, including the original Lyman/Keith No. Standard pressure loads are suitable for all guns and are within SAAMI specifications of 15,500 psi. Associated taxes and fees will be the responsibility of the winner. 7, Ramshot True Blue, Alliant Unique and Power Pistol. On the other hand, when pressures are held to 15,500 psi, most powders cannot push various 240-grain jacketed bullets fast enough to expand reliably.
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