44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

Anyone have a good 180 grain-200 grain 44 special level load using the Magnum brass? Do some powders work better for reduded loads. I don't want to run into a dangerous under load. Thanks. Probably a lead bullet.

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

I shoot lighter loads with 2400. I have read where you need to be careful in the 44 magnum. But I have never had any problems with 2400. I use the loads in my Titanium 44 329 PD(about 800 fps). However I shoot a 240 grain bullet that I cast, so the load would not be of any help. Tom.

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

Yes 2400 is a good choice for powder...

Get yourself a manual---NEVER go by other peoples load
information..Manuals are a must for reloading....

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

James you definitely qualify for having manuals. I have a cartridge specific reloading manual for the 44 magnum. But it is basically a compilation of all the manuals you have there on your shelf. The Lyman book gives somegood down loads, but the problem is(as a I am sure you already know) the loads are for the 240's. I was going to list a few out of the Lyman book, but I see you already have them. Go to the Cast Boolit's forum and do a search. You will find exactly what you want there. Tom.

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

Check out the Hodgdon website. The start loads for the 185 cast bullet are very similar to the max loads for the .44 special.

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

Thanks to all. I do have a lot of manuals but none of them really get into reducing loads for the 44 Mag brass. I once had a bad expirience with under loads in the 30-06 and have been pretty leary since. I would like to use 44 Mag brass rather than 44 special. I have a 28 OZ Taurus Ultralite which I love to shoot but full power loads in it are not pleasant.

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

Hello
FIRST OFF, I'M A BEGINNER AT THIS RELOADING. So confirm this for yourself. I have a little book on the 44 mag. that is basically a composite of different manuals. I have 180 grain bullets, Semi-JHP Remington from Midway USA. Since the manual doesn't cover that bullet, I find one comparible (by weight, bullet dia.) and look at the recipe it calls for. I found one that uses 6.9 grains of Unique for 1200 fps (Hornandy HP-XTP) and loaded a bunch of these up. I used CC1 Magnum Large Pistol primers. These shot great with little recoil and I plan on using these for plinking. I just loaded some up using the same primers, just not the magnum, but haven't shot them yet. However, I shoot iron sights and I'm still practicing a lot to become good at shooting a revolver, so this load may not be an accurate load because I'm not at a level to determine any of this.
Again. let me point out the fact that I'm new at this and what I've done may be totally wrong, (Im sure somebody will point this out if I am, which is good).
Good Luck
Dan

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

JB, Doing this can be quite dangerous. Due to the lengthened brass the powder has a tendency to lay in the bottom half of the horizontal case and the primer when ignited will throw the flame across the top of the charge. This will casue pressures to rise quickly and create higher pressures than a normal 44 mag load. If you must do this I would recommend taking a small tuft of cotton and stuffing it in each loaded case. This will keep the powder in the base of the case, creating a more controlled burn. I would say you are better off using 44 spcl brass in your gun instead, or trimming your 44 brass down to spcl OAL's to accomodate the reduced loads.

RE: 44 special level loads in 44 Mag brass
 

Look into using Trail Boss. It has a large volume to density ratio that will fill the case so you don't have to worry about stuffing additional medium (i.e. cotton) ontop of the powder to ensure a proper burn. I am shooting 240 grain hardcast bullets for plinking; the bullets are cheap and Trail Boss was created for the cowboy action loads that you are looking for.