Who loads .44 Special?

[Mike Irwin]

I just got myself one, a 6.5" Model 24-3, the reintroduction of the Model of 1950 Target .44 Spl., so I'll be setting up to load for it.

Any tips?

What powders do you use?

I'll probably stick with lead bullets and moderate velocities for this one.

[C.R.Sam]

You might give Weshoot2 a buzz. I think Tim uses some of the same powders as you.

I don't.

Sam

[birdman]

I have a .44 Spcl. SAA Colt and it likes 8.0 gr SR4756 with a Keith 240 SWC. The classic "Skeeter Skelton" load is same bullet in front of 7.5 gr. of Unique. regards, birdman

[Mike Irwin]

Thanks, Birdman.

I'm likely not to start using 4756 anytime soon. I've got some Unique left over, but I never liked how it metered through my Lee measure. I may, however, dust off the cannister and give it a try as I have heard good things about it in the .44 Spl.

[dick w. holliday]

all i ask of my 44spec with a 240gr RN is that it ring the plates at the cowboy game and 5.0 grains of 231 does just fine.....Dick

[maxwayne]

I load lots of 44 sp rounds in magnum cases. I like Unique the best, but have also used Red Dot, 231 and 700-X. Try 6.0 of Unique with a lead swc. Should give about 750 fps.

[zeke]

6.2 grains HP-38, or 5.6 gns Red Dot under 200 lrnfp, with bullet dia appropriate to chamber mouth. These are about 800 fps from 3 in 696. The HP-38 load has been very accurate in 696,624 and AWA Peace Keeper.

[Northwest Cajun]

I do,
I use 4.7 gr Bullseye in a ported 2" Taurus 445.
I havent checked the speed yet but I'm guessing about 700 fps with 180 gr Berrys plated flat nose. My next time to make some more I'll back down .5 gr or so, The brass gets a little smokey with 4.7. This load is about the same recoil as my carry load with factory Hornady 180 XTP's

Cajun

[JimmyDee]

with a 240gr cast SWC try (5.3gr W231) or (5.3gr HP38) or (5.8gr Unique)

[wood dog]

I use 5.5 grains of Unique behind a 240 grain SWC by E and E Bullet Company. Its a little dirty but you can shoot it all day without feeling any pain.

[WESHOOT2]

W231, Universal Clays, HS6.

Redding Profile Crimp die, medium/medium-heavy crimp.

[C.R.Sam]

Wondered if you were going to see this thread Tim.

Sam

[Norm Lee]

Hey Mike:

I have put a round or two through a 6.5 inch 624 of about your model 24's vintage. Spent a deal of time looking for the positively sweetest load. Mounted a honkin big scope on it for a while to help reduce the variables. When we got to where there was nothing left to say or do, we had concluded that the Lyman acuracy load (46th edition) of 6.9 grains of Unique was pretty hard to beat. If you can get a Keith style bullet at 245 gr. that's a good thing. Works OK with the readily available 240 gr SWC too and proved to be fine with bullets up to 255 or so gr. Turned out to be pretty good medicine for bowling pins, as well. You can substitute same weight of Universal here for a starter and then tune for accuracy if needed.

7.7 or less of Unique pushes a 215 SWC to good effect (about 885 fps)

I wasn't real happy with 231 or HP-38 at first but I was working near the envelope's edge. They are fine for target loads. 6.0 gr. of either one under a 180 gr. bullet is decent. I used a TC shape.
Also tried 5.3 gr. under a 180 DEWC. Accurate up close but pretty severe drop at 50 yds. You've gotten good recommendations already for heavier bullets.

If you have some other powders available:

14.0 gr. 2400 pushing a 190 gr. SWC (675 fps)
16.5 and 18.5 of 4227 under a 240 SWC were the sweet loads. Slow powder, recoil signature pretty friendly.
15.5 of 2400 showed good accuracy at just over 1100 fps.

Also tried some Vihta Vuori N320 and N350. Didn't seem to be a good reason to buy the premium powder for this cartridge.

Fooled around with compressed charges of 4759. Just burned a lot of powder.

I tried some H110 but saw no reason to continue development especially with all sorts of dire warnings about reduced loads. This powder did work fine though if the brass were properly resized and an adequate crimp applied. Otherwise bullets would occasionally not exit the tube.

Have fun with your new toy. These are some sweet revolvers.

Cheers,

Norm

[Unkel Gilbey]

My personal favorite uses the old standby - Unique. I use 6.1 grains.

My own personal twist is to use Hornady's swaged bullet with the knurling on it. There is little difference that I've seen between the hollow point and the solid point, performance-wise. Lately I've been using the HP version.

Both weigh 240 grains. Use standard pistol primers - I prefer CCI 300 standard primers.

Ensure that the cases are all of equal length, trim them all to a uniform length. Then seat the bullet until the shoulder is almost flush with the case mouth.

A light roll crimp and you are there. My brother shot a ragged one hole group (6 shots) with this load out of a short barrel M29. Awesome load - shoot her all day long.

U.G.

[Edward429451]

I load .44 Specials. Elmer Keith was right on the money about 2400, its an excellant powder with excellant results, even if it does burn dirty. I was loading 6.0 gr of Unique for awhile but switched to 2400 and haven't been disappointed. I'm currently using 12.0 to 15.0 gr depending on which gun I'm loading for.

Happy Shooting!

[Mike Irwin]

Thanks for all of the insight, guys.

Most of you who have seen my post know that I load virtually exclusively with WW 231 and 296, so that's where I'm going to start for now.

I did just buy some AA No. 7 for 10mm and .41 Mag. loads, and that may come into play for the .44 Spl. as well.

I've got about half a pound of Unique around the house, so I may dust that off, but I was never at all happy how Unique metered.

[444]

I have only used one load ever in .44 Special. 15 grains of 2400 and a 240 grain cast SWC in .44 Special Brass. I wanted a moderate load for my Jack Weigand tuned Model 29 and chose this load as a good starting point. I chose 2400 simply because I have a lot of it. This load proved to be so accurate in my gun that I never saw any reason to experiment. I load in the .44 Special brass because I don't want to shoot any of my blockbuster Super Blackhawk loads in my Model 29.
However after reading all the good stuff about Unique, I am going to give that a try. IMO, you can never go wrong trying Unique. Certainly one of our most versitile powders.

[John DR]

I do,
I use 4.7 gr Bullseye in a ported 2" Taurus 445.
I havent checked the speed yet but I'm guessing about 700 fps with 180 gr Berrys plated flat nose. My next time to make some more I'll back down .5 gr or so, The brass gets a little smokey with 4.7. This load is about the same recoil as my carry load with factory Hornady 180 XTP's

Cajun


__________________
Laizzes Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Cases that are getting Smokey are from to light of a load.
Your not getting a good seal in the cylinder do to low pressure,
to get away from this go up .5 at a time until it clears up.
A little more pressure will push the cases against the chamber walls
for a tight seal, there for no soot.
Keep an eye at checking for excessive pressure always!!!!!



Hope This Helps

[Johnny Guest]

CAUTION: The following contains loading data beyond currently-published maximums, though it was published in years past. Neither writer nor the Administration of The Firing Line accept any responsibility for damage resulting from use or misuse of this information.

My best load for .44 Special is the old 7.5 gr. Unique with a 240–255 gr. LSWC bullet. Mag primers NOT necessary. Plenty of power, yet still pleasant to shoot in a large frame revolver. It is a bit too brisk for a Charter Bulldog, though. (I tried. It hurts, and I'm sure it would shake the little gun to pieces in no time a-tall.)

Lots of folks like 18 gr. 2400 with the above bullets. I never found this to be as accurate as the Unique load, though a bit more powerful. Please: If you try this load, work up to it gradually. It is WARM!

***Later edit---Went back to some old notes--That last load is really TOO HOT for the SAA in which I shot it. Backed off to 17.5, and this was still abusive for the Colt. I stopped using 2400 in .44 Spl cases after that.***

Above information as a result of use in:
an S&W 1926 3rd Model Hand Ejector
two different Model 29s,
Ruger Super BKH
Colt New Service.
Colt SAA

Mike, I hope you enjoy shooting the .44 Special as much as I have.

Best,
Johnny

[Bacchus]

I also load 44 special with a 240 SWC lead bullet and large pistol primers and Unique.

BTW--I did notice the fireball out of the porting on a 4" barrel!

[Mike Irwin]

Uh, Johnny?

You SURE you used those .44 Spl. loads in a 1926 vintage Outdoorsman?

Only problems with that is that the Outdoorsman was a .38/44 Heavy Duty.

And it wasn't introduced until 1931.

You were probably using a .44 Hand Ejector Third Model (Model of 1926).

[Edward429451]

Mike, when you get bored with the other powders or if, I should say, keep that 2400 in the back of your mind as an alternative. Its awesome and should be considered. One pound will convince you if you like it or not.

[Johnny Guest]

Dunno why I stuck the "Outdoorsman" tag in there. I am not a student of Smith & Wesson history by any means, but I have enough references to avoid that particular mistake. W. H. B. Smith's Book of Pistols and Revolvers, as revised by Joseph E. Smith, is my authority for most of this stuff. I went back and edited earlier post.

Roger on the "Outdoorsman" being a .38/44. Really, this was the tag for the .38/44 with adjustable sights. Gotcha on the date of intro, though: Smith & Smith show mfgr beginning April 1, 1930. The fixed sight version was simply called the .38/44 Heavy Duty.

AXSHULLY, I didn't say a 1926 VINTAGE S&W--I was, indeed, referring to the model. Mine was a very late one--Probably right around 1950, the last year of production of that model. It was a factory nickled five-inch, in probably 95% condition. It came with the later "Magna" style stocks. Yet another fine firearm I let go away. I later lined up two friends with the assigned duty of kicking my bu++ any time I contemplate such folly.

Later--
Johnny

[Mike Irwin]

Johnny,

Supica and Nahaus show date of itroduction/cataloging to be 1931 -- quite frankly I'll trust their data over Smith & Smith. I've found too many errors that shouldn't be in that book in the past.

If you want to see a REAL Outdoorsman, go to the revolver forum and check out the thread by RogerC on the incredible Outdoorsman he just picked up. Essentially it's a 60-year-old brand new revolver with box, papers, etc.

[Johnny Guest]

- - - One of the greatest finds I've heard of in recent years. Just fantastic!

I've only noted a couple of glitches in the Smith & Smith handguns book, but I'm probably not nearly as knowledgeable as you on matters of firearms history. I tended to accept their April 1, 1930, date, simply because it is so specific. They undoubtedly got that information from some credible-sounding source.

Of course, one problem with any "revised edition" is that it's difficult to tell whether any mistakes are due to the revision editor, or the original source. Walter Henry Bingham Smith (?) was an astounding source of firearms knowledge--He used to come up with information about foreign firearms before anyone else ever heard of most of them. I keep looking for a complete biography of him. Seen a couple of articles, though. Something like, "W.H.B.Smith--Man of Mystery." I think that was in a Guns magazine about 30 years back.

What is the full title of the Supica and Nahaus book? I've heard of it, of course, but haven't looked at a copy. Guess it's about time to start hunting for a copy for myself.

Thanks for the info - - -
Johnny