44 mag plinking loads ?

[44man]

I find myself needing a break from my usual load of 20 grains of 2400 under my cast 240 grain bullets. i know thats not all that hot but its hot enough to have my hand sore today. i am shooting most of them out of trio of rugers, a super redhawk with the long barrel, 9 inches i believe and a super blackhawk with a 7 1/2 in barrel and another super blackhawk with a 5 1/2 inch barrel. this load shoots well all the time and i will keep loading these for my lever guns since they shoot so well in them.

after 2 weekends in a row shooting 200 rounds a day i find my old hands needing a break before next weekend and would like something a bit milder to try.

i am looking for a load that will shoot accurate enough for paper punching and for the occasional critter that needs dispatching. i want to use my cast 240 grain bullets in most if not all loads combos. i prefer 2400 powder but i have 296 and 231 and tight group and trail boss and a few others available.

i have PLENTY of brass and a fair supply of primers and i even have a few 44 specials brass available if that helps. and like i said i have an almost unlimited supply of my cast bullets.

and yes i know asking this makes me kind of a wussy.

 

[llkoolkeg]

I use .44 spl for "plinking" and .44 mag for sighting in or more serious usage in my Super Redhawk.

 

[fnfalsar48]

Hodgdon has some nice loads on the web site http://data.hodgdon.com/

 

[Biggfoot44]

This is a wide open , and somehat subjective subject. Of your present components , low to mid 6-ish gr of 231 in magnum case should be in same neighborhood of .44Spl factory loads. Hogdon's lists Trail Boss loads for .44 , but in oversimplified terms , at least 50% load density , and 100% L.D. Is still low pressure by .44Mag standards.

 

[rickyp]

sounds like you need some trailboss. it is made for light recoil loads with cast bullets.

 

[John from MD]

11 grains of 2400 or 7.5 grains of Unique gives a nice mild load in the 44 mag or spl. Both of these should have heavy crimps so that the powder burns efficiently.

I use these in my Marlin 1894 and S&W Model 29.

John

 

[damifinowfish]

My pet plinking load is 240 grain cast bullet, 6.6 grains of unique

These are use in a 7.25 in barrel Ruger super black hawk and from a 10 inch contender barrel.

These are mild and still have enough power to knock down 55 pound steel silhouette Rams at 200 meters.

enjoy

 

[PMD354]

Here is a list from the website Handloads .com. You should fine what you are looking for here.

http://www.handloads.org/loaddata/d...&Weight=240&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

 

[Biggfoot44]

Whipping out the 2013 shows Trail Boss with start 6.0 to max 7.3 . There is Titegroup listed for all the way from mild to full power. About 5.0 should be equiv to .44Spl.

Yes , Unique is traditional and works well , I was refrencing the powders you already had.

 

[44man]

thank you gentlemen, i will be trying some if not all of these and i will see how i like them.

again, thank you.

 

[wgttgw]

10 gr of unique Is my second favorite load, first being a heavy charge of 2400. I guess some might not consider it light but I find it rather pleasant in a 7.5” SBH

 

[JasonB]

The word "plinking" seems a little weak to be using in the same sentence as ".44 mag"

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

The word "plinking" seems a little weak to be using in the same sentence as ".44 mag"

Nothing wrong with it. I use IMR 4227 and find the starting load to be quite comfortable. I do use magnum primers because 4227 leaves lots of unburnt particles otherwise.

 

[punchBIGholes]

I load 10.0 gr unique under a 240gr cast swc. Its a great paper and steel load. Ill probably edit this post when i find where my load data book is. it shoots well out of both my S&W 29 with a 8 5/8" barrel and my fathers Mod 29 with a 10 1/2" barrel. its mild in recoil for a 44mag but not a wussie load.

 

[rickyp]

Since you are in some if you want to try some trail boss let me know we can work something out

 

[44man]

Since you are in some if you want to try some trail boss let me know we can work something out

i have some o hand but i appriciate the offer, thank you very much.

 

[44man]

The word "plinking" seems a little weak to be using in the same sentence as ".44 mag"

maybe "practice" would have been a better word.

the bruise on my right hand has now migrated from the palm to the top of my hand so i just want to reduce the recoil and keep shooting.

 

[pop-gunner]

I burn a bunch of Unique in .44 magnum cases plinking. 10 grains under a 240-250gr cast bullet with a heavy crimp gets me right around 1k fps in a 4 inch gun.
This load can be lowered as needed.
Skeeters favorite load first published by Keith in 1955 was 7.5gr Unique under a 250gr cast in a special case.

 

[FlatsFlite]

Clays has always been a "soft" powder for me. Although I have not used it in 44 mag. I shoot reduced loads in my 45acp for target practice. It's extremely accurate and very mild recoil even with a max load of Clays.

 

[Snav]

.44spcl is to .44mag what the 38spcl is to .357 mag and using .38 spcl HBWC is what I use in my trooper for new shooters. One consideration is Hard cast vs soft lead. In my old books higher pressure lead loads usually specified Gas checks so loads under those pressures were very comfortable to shoot.