The difference in Special and Magnum case lengths is .125 inch, and Redding includes a washer of that thickness to use under the die lock ring that makes switching calibers easier. I recently read the .44 Special cast bullet is standardized at 0.430. With variables, this load generally produces around 18,000 psi and is a +P load. The .44 Special was introduced in about 1907 and is an extremely accurate cartridge. Most modern jacketed bullets must be traveling at least 850 to 900 fps to achieve reliable expansion, a velocity that was easily reached with most 200-grain bullets using standard pressure loads. These bullets are extremely effective on up to deer-size game. Who knew wild turkey's were so stupid!? Fun, accurate and economical load. If you have an older revolver this is a good limit. The original loading was a 246 grain round nose lead bullet at about 700 fps. less than a comparable .44 Magnum, and also less recoil while still being more than adequate for any situation which should arise. It is within industry pressure guidelines at 15,500 psi, while offering moderate recoil and good accuracy. Here you will find load data for some of the most recent cartridges on the market, with more being added each week. Just depends on what kinds of loads you plan to shoot. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not get near the FPS charted. Powders include Winchester, Hodgdon, IMR Both are N-frames with trim 6 -inch barrels. No purchase necessary. If any of you have been through this process, I'd love to hear about it. Left to right:- 250 gr. The .44 Special is really anything but special in terms of performance, as least as factory loaded. 44 Special Load Data - Nosler 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). Either 17.0 grains of #4227 or 8.5 grains of Unique will give right around 1,000 fps. You want a light push fit through the cylinder throats. Most casting companies use hard alloy, it casts better and ships better. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. No purchase necessary. I am using it to knock down steel targets from 20 to 50 yards. Thats slightly more than the original .44 Special loading from more than a hundred years ago. Shooter's Reference Load Data for .44 Remington Magnum During the past 40+ years, I have shot dozens of big game from pronghorn to black bear and elk with the .44 Special, all with handloaded ammunition. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Joseph Von Benedikt visits with Aaron Oelger from Hodgdon about the unprecedented demand on the shooting supply industry. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. 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. The Hodgdon site on-line has loading data for ~15,500 PSI loads. Our goal is to bring you everything you need to accurately reload your own weapon of choice, along with all the accessories to go with it. The Cast Bullet Association is an organization of shooters who enjoy shooting cast lead bullets in rifles and handguns for competition, hunting, or informal target shooting. VihtaVuori Oy Company, reloading booklet (1995) Numerous magazine articles on reloading special calibers and personal loads where noted. High-performance .44 Special loads can reach 1,200 and 1,300 fps, closely crowding .44 Remington Magnum performance. and the special requirements for residents of these states; CA, CT, IL, MA, NJ, and NY. Jacketed Bullets in .44 Specials - GUNS Magazine Reloading The .44 Special - Reload Ammo Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. It is safe in any good post WWII Special, anddependably accurateif you usesoft alloy bullets, ~BHN 9,correctly sized for the revolver. 1,200 fps. In spite of the frequent criticism of the .44 Special for being somewhat underpowered, it can be amazingly accurate, has been chambered in many top-notch guns and when handloaded offers power and unusual versatility that make it capable of hunting big game, defense or target work. Welcome to The Cast Bullet Association Forum, TC Contenders & Other Single Shot Handguns. Put one through the slats of a snow shoe bunny and you have an instant "stopper" and no lost meat. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. Since many shooters shoot Specials in their .44 Mags for practice and plinking, I also chronographed some representative Special loads in a six-inch M29-3. 5 by Clements Custom Guns, (5) factory-engraved USFA PreWar SAA, (6) custom Colt Flattop Target pattern, (7) original Keith Long Range Colt and (8) a USFA factory engraved SAA. Lyman "Cast Bullet Handbook" #4. The revolver pictured above is a reproduction Keith No. Toggle navigation . 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? .430" 200 Grain RNFP bullet. This was the dawn of the smokeless era, and with it came some problems. ($0.15 per bullet) Ships today from MidwayUSA. No doubt, several long trainloads of .44 Special, loaded with Bullseye, 700-X, and other fast-burning powders have been safely shot, probably before I was born! While in the past fancy Goncalo Alves grips were standard, now weather-resistant neoprene panels are standard. SIG Sauer Announces New P320-XTEN 10mm Pistol, Federal Ammunition History: 14 Things You Didn't Know, Revic Optics BR4 Ballistic Rangefinder: Review, SCCY DVG-1 Sub-Compact Striker-Fired Pistol: Full Review, SIG Sauer P322 Rimfire Pistol: First Look, Springfield Armory Hellion 5.56 NATO Bullpup Rifle: Tested, Silencer Central Streamlined Suppressor-Purchasing Process Shakes Up Industry, 5 Best Red-Dot Optics for SIG Sauer P365X & XL Pistols. Using 2400 in loading 44 Special - RugerForum.com It's just a personal thing with me, but I'm very VERY hesitant to put light charges of fast-burning powder into large capacity cases, like the .44 Special, for fear of double-charging a case and missing it. ), (See note on Powders below or read all about various Powders.). WMR, WSF, WST, WSL, 760, 748, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div. _________________________________________________. It's best to shoot all lead bullets outside to avoid lead fumes. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Concealed Carry 2023, P.O. 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. Light 44 mag loads w/ 231, Titegroup, Bullseye For lead bullets near 900 FPS, I recommend a GC (Gas Check), the little copper bottom on the lead bullet as below (5th item from left). For those seeking rapid expansion, the Rim Rock 240-grain HP-SWC with a gas check (cast with a BHN of 11 to 12) will expand at around 950 fps, a velocity that can be surpassed with select standard pressure data. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. Groups run 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" at 25 yards with this load if a decent bullet is used and accuracy follows to 50 yards, which is the maximum distance . Shooter's Reference Load Data for .44 Smith & Wesson Special RDM, Published on 10-20-2014 09:18 PM Charges less than those shown are not recommended, however, as there is the very real danger of sticking a bullet in the barrel. I am not casting, but order cast bullets on line. Tightgroup is an excellent fast pistol powder. The Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun is one of the most popular home defense shotguns on the market. I replicate that load with a Lyman 246 grain round nose or a Magma 240 grain round nose and 5.0 grains of Bullseye in my Ruger Bisley Flat Top. Post WWII revolvers are stronger. HS-6 and Blue Dot are excellent choices for such applications. All Rights Reserved. SWC+GC, 265 gr. This revolver is equipped with the usual target trigger, target hammer, and adjustable target sights complete with a red insert on the front blade and a white outline on the rear notch. 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. What kind of gun? You will notice the standard Keith load is conspicuous by its absence. 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. Select medium-burning pistol powders often gave outstanding accuracy while offering low extreme spreads and a modest muzzle report. and Western, were weaker in construction and have often deteriorated with age and should not be reloaded. They are accurate in Smith & Wesson and other guns with a .430-inch groove diameter. SWC, 240 gr. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. Also, as previously indicated, the chamber throats measure a comparatively snug .429 inch. SWC, 240 gr. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Keith bullets from H&G, Lyman, NEI and RCBS loaded in .44 Special brass. The Oregon Trail Laser Cast 240 SWC shoots every bit as good as carefully home cast bullets. Please note that many of the starting loads in Category 2 are within industry pressure guidelines of 15,500 psi. The 250-grain cast bullet can be loaded up to 1,400 fps for big game hunting. This bullet is still widely popular. Then there is the question of what do you expect to use it for. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Theyre certainly capable of doing everything we expect the sixgun to do. Berry's Preferred Plated 44cal 240 Grain Flat Point Reloading Pistol 9.9gr for 750 fps The test gun was a 3" Charter arms Winchester cases Winchester WLP primers COL-1.500" Edit to add Link to Alliant load data. Depending upon barrel length, sixgun and bullet, these loads will be in the 900 to 1,000 fps range. Using Unique in .44 special - Gunloads.com If you have a fixed sight revolver 250-260 grain bullets will probably shoot close to the sights. Ruger Redhawk 44 mag 51/2 barrel & Ruger 44 mag Super Blackhawk old model 71/2 barrel. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Our 6204 members have posted 87352 times in 5929 discussions. Available in different sizes and red dot ready, it'll fit your needs, whatever they are. Cowboy Action has recently given the .44 Special a shot in the arm, and the lighter cast bullets further broaden the Special's appeal. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. 44 Caliber: Diameter.429: . The idea of .44 Special for Everyday Workin Loads is a relatively lightweight sixgun, around 1/2 lb. My experience shooting those behemoths suggests they exceed my limit. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. * (IV) Winners must undergo a background check and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Smokeless-powder ammunition soon appeared, and velocities were eventually standardized at 755 fps with the same bullet. It is easy to load and shoot while being easy on the budget. Federal has created a safer, easier and more reliable way to shoot a muzzleloader. With the Oregon Trail 240 SWC over 26 gr. For everyday "working" .44 Special loads, I find 240- to 255-grain cast bullets at around 1,000 fps to 1,050 fps especially useful. 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. Additionally, their charge weights are lighter (reducing powder costs) and also offered a notably reduced muzzle report, which makes them especially pleasant by comparison. What bullet weights? This also helps powder to ignite properly and usually results in lower extreme velocity spreads and improved accuracy. The .44 Special is often ranked as one of the best revolver cartridges of all time. . Pistol Loads | Rifle Loads | How to Reload | Reloading Gear | Contact, Pistol Loads | Rifle Loads | How to ReloadReloading Gear | Contact, Pistol LoadsRifle LoadsHow to ReloadReloading GearContact, Copyright 2023 Reload Ammo Built with by Edward KadoPrivacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms of Service | Amazon Affiliate Disclosure, Copyright 2023Reload AmmoBuilt with by Edward KadoPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms of ServiceAmazon Affiliate Disclosure. http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4%20Special.pdf, Vintage Boxes - Gear, Shell, Case, Primer, Group Buys Design, Active , Waiting and Archives, Closed Buys/Waiting for delivery/in shipment, If this is your first visit, be sure to You can reduce the charge for still lighter recoil depending on the individual revolver. However, .44 Special loads are so mild, you can really use whatever you want to. View attachment 127055 View attachment 127056 Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. I use that load extensively. It's superbly accurate and extremely versatile when handloaded to any of several power levels for plinking, personal defense or hunting. We typically ship within 7 days, 2 weeks maximum if there is a delay in paper works. Let us hope that for the next century, the grand old .44 Special continues to make as many shooters happy as it already has. A Colt Model P will probably not blow up, but it will loosen up pretty quick. With member reviews, stories, and creativity! The idea of .44 Special for Everyday Workin' Loads is a relatively lightweight sixgun, around 1/2 lb.