44 special wadcutter load data


Rimfire Power. Rifle Cartridges. Magnum. My favorite field load in .44 Special cases is 7.5 grs of Unique with a 250 gr Keith cast bullet (this chronographs at about 950 fps with a 6½" barrel). .44 Special load for 215 grain wadcutter; ... as I recall. It was left to handloaders to fill the power vacuum. The standard target load at the time was a 148-gr. Paul tests the effectiveness of semi wadcutter hollow points. That.44 mag wadcutter will smoke most anything. 12 gauge. 45 G.A.P. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type Become a Load Data member, access over 303,171 load recipies. Each month new loads are added to the database. Our other heavy 44 SPL loads … The case while large enough for the .50 cal bullet, has a rim that is the same size as the .44 Magnum. It is unlike any other rifle on the market because it offers features no one else does; those looking for a rifle that fits like a custom-made firearm should look no further than the Benelli Lupo. Cast vs. Swaged While some competitors enjoy casting their own lead wadcutters, there is an advantage in buying factory swaged lead bullets instead—swaging does not leave any voids in the bullet that can cause inaccuracy and … Keith pestered the ammo companies to bring out heavier .44 Special loads, but there was a fear that such powerful loads would blow up an older, weaker revolver. Target shooters flocked to the .44 Special. Powder charges used in the .44 Special case seldom require magnum primers, although they are frequently recommended with ball or spherical powders. Our test guns are both S&Ws: a blue M24-3 made in 1983 and a stainless M624 from 1986. This was the dawn of the smokeless era, and with it came some problems. These two experiences spotlight one of the problems in loading for the .44-40. In this segment of “Cameras Don't Lie,” competitive shooters Patrick Sweeney and Jim Tarr head to the range to put the vaunted loads on record, and then consider the footage. His favorite load … The .44 Special is often ranked as one of the best revolver cartridges of all time. 38 Super Auto +P. data is substantially expanded to include 17 cast and jacketed bullets weighing up to 355 grains. The .44 Russian proved very accurate, and it didn't take long for savvy target shooters of the day to realize its potential. Magnum. I do remember it being a … Hodgdon's load data for the .44 Spl. I used the M24 for jacketed bullet loads and the M624 with cast bullets. $20.00 Contact Us: 210 Grain Round Flat Nose (.430) Ideal choice for Cowboy action shooting as well as general plinking. LOAD DETAILS: GUN TYPE .44 Special: FIREARM: PISTOL: LEAD TYPE : Lazer Cast Bullet: CALIBER TYPE : 44 mag: RATING : 10: LEAD SIZE : 200: POWDER TYPE : Unique: POWDER AMOUNT : 8.3 Gr. Thank you for visiting our site! The Hornady 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) is a "magnumized" 6.5 Creedmoor. Reloading the .44 Special is an uncomplicated delight. For several years I used the M624 in IPSC-type matches, and my ammo was all powered by Red Dot. I have found thru the years that this primer is the best for accurate loads in 44 Special and 45 Colt revolver loads. The .44 Mag. The older loading manuals and Handloader magazine had a wealth of information, however most of this disappeared with the 1960s. 38 Special. HP, .44 with 225 gr. 44 Special Load Data; 44 Remington Magnum Handgun Load Data; 45 Auto (ACP) Load Data; 45 Colt (Single Action Army & Replicas) Load Data; 45 Colt (Ruger & T/C Contender & Encore) Load Data; Cartridge Data; Components by Caliber; Nosler Home; Load Data 44 Special Load Data. 2 alloy), and no leading was noted. Several years ago, a prominent gun magazine asked readers what their favorite powder was for reloading the .44 Special. Charges less than those shown are not recommended, however, as there is the very real danger of sticking a bullet in the barrel. Check out our special ammunition deals below. I have an old two cavity Lee .44 wadcutter mold. In 1870 Smith & Wesson developed the .44 Russian for its military revolver made for the Imperial Russian army, and a civilian model followed in 1878. Whether it's punching paper, whacking steel, hunting or protecting what's yours, the .44 Special makes a lot of sense. With 5.5 to 6.0 grains of Red Dot, that same bullet does yeoman service in target loads, too. Although the new S&W large-frame Hand Ejector revolvers of 1908 were fully capable of handling stiffer loads, the Special was never factory loaded to its full potential. As to the heavier, 240-grain lead bullets, … Let us hope that for the next century, the grand old .44 Special continues to make as many shooters happy as it already has. For others, the debate goes on. By Bryce M. Towsley. Our range of pistol powders have added … More Gun Reviews. 17 Rem Fireball. Favorite Loads Hot off the Press .44 S&W Special. 17 Caliber.172” Diameter . 44 S&W Special. Range Life. 44 Special Load Data. A long-time favorite powder for big bore sixguns,.44 Special,.44 Magnum and.45 Colt, has been Hodgdon’s #4227. From 1996-2020 M.D. ANTI-PERSONNEL 44 Special Ammo 200 gr. 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. Took a break for supper, and the lightbulb came on! I can't agree more. The traditional .44-caliber bullet weight is 240 grains, and here we have several proven performers. FN Awarded U.S. Army Contract for the M249 SAW . ANTI-PERSONNEL 44 Special Ammo 200 gr. WC over 2.7 grains of Bullseye. The story of a confederate sniper’s revenge and an exclusive look at his rifle. long-nosed semi-wadcutter. An excellent assortment of expanding jacketed bullets is available in .44 caliber these days. A good, hard 240-grain semi-wadcutter at close to 1,000 fps will take deer, elk and black bear. A charge of 5.5 to 6.5 grains of Red Dot with just about any decent bullet - jacketed or cast - almost always results in adequate velocity, uniform ballistics and terrific accuracy. PRESS RELEASE FOR BUFFALO BORE ANTI-PERSONNEL 200gr. The Hornady XTP, Sierra JHC, Speer GDHP and Nosler JHP and JSP versions are all suitable for the .44 Special. It's best to shoot all lead bullets outside to avoid lead fumes. Experimenters such as Elmer Keith proved that a heavily loaded .44 Special was very effective on big game. Range Life. Wadcutters loaded over W-572 narrowed velocity spread by 53 fps compared to the semiwadcutters loaded over the same powder. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. Before the readership has a collective coronary, let me quickly point out that the .44 Special can live happily ever after on a steady diet of ammo loaded with quality cast bullets. Still, velocity spreads remained high using W-572 with both bullets. 44 S&W Special. Although it's a bit longer than the hollowpoints, loads with it fit comfortably in the S&W's cylinders. dard .44 Special load consisted of 7.5 grains of Alliant Unique combined with the 250-grain Lyman cast bullet 429421 at about 950fps. The age-old question, 9mm vs .45 ACP. While this powder is supposed to be ideal for 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 Special, I was in the process of developing a .44 Special load using Oregon Trail’s Lasercast 240-grainers for my Ruger GP100, with the Smith & Wesson 629 in there so I could compare speed from a three-inch barrel versus a five-inch. LoadData.com is a powerful search engine that allows you to search an ever-expanding database of loads. Because they are so easy to control in a small… Skip to content. I used CCI-350 magnum primers with HS-6 and Silhouette powders, but regular primers would work just as well. Latest. Dies are made by virtually everybody, and for years they have been configured to accommodate both Special as well as Magnum cases with minor die adjustments. JHC. 45 Auto For the mild .44 special loads, I recommend all lead bullets and loads that produce 700-850 FPS speeds. By Lane Pearce. This Ruger GP100 1761 in .44 Special represents a recent resurgence of the .44 Magnum’s parent cartridge. With a small... From the "Guns & Ammo" April 1982 issue: The .223 Remington, a NATO cartridge, and the 6mm-223... Give a Gift   17 Caliber.172” Diameter. PRIMER : CCI: BRASS : Remington: BARREL LENGTH : 5 1/2: F.P.S : Approx 1050-1100: GROUP SIZE : 3/4 five shots 15 yards: OVERALL LENGTH : seat in the crimp grove light crimp: GUN DETAILS : Ruger Redhawk 44 … For a while .44 Magnum cases were not easy to come by, so the only shooter I knew who owned a revolver chambered for it at the time mostly used .44 Special cases. It is a faithful rendition of the original and should quicken the pulse of .44 Special fans everywhere. For defense purposes, a lighter 180- or 200-grain HP bullet makes sense. (WC= WadCutter, SWC= Semi-WadCutter, HP= Hollow Point, RN= Round Nose), (JHP= Jacketed Hollow Point and if GC indicated, means Gas Check at bottom of lead bullet) Loads for .38 special: (Note: These are near maximum loads (in some cases ARE MAXIMUM), you should use 10%. Buffalo Bore makes several .44 Spl. Shooting .44 Spl Full Wadcutters – Thanks to Thor’s Axe. The .44 Mag. less to start.) It's superbly accurate and extremely versatile when handloaded to any of several power levels for plinking, personal defense or hunting. The .44 Associates and several industry notables helped influence Smith & Wesson and Remington to ultimately develop the .44 Magnum, though it was primarily Elmer Keith that was the ultimate … A healthy roll crimp is recommended. A popular Cowboy bullet is the 200-grain RNFP. Gun Reviews. The 180-grain hollowpoints from Sierra and Hornady offer reliable expansion, and Speer offers a 200-grain "personal protection" version of its Gold Dot Hollow Point specially designed for the .44 Special. 9x18mm Makarov. 44 Special Load Data. We also have loads for all kinds of handgun bullets, from FMJ and XTP to Spitzer Boat Tails and wadcutters. The .44 Special was introduced in about 1907 and is an extremely accurate cartridge. SWC, 240 gr. For more than 100 years it has served the shooting public, the military and handgun hunters with distinction. Only if you see more than one load, is it less than maximum. data … The Sentry 12: A New Kind of Shotgun. 44 SPL WADCUTTER, STANDARD PRESSURE, LOW FLASH (ITEM 14E) This load was developed to be used in ALL/ANY 44 SPL firearms including Charter Arms. The .44 Smith & Wesson Special, also commonly known as .44 S&W Special, .44 Special, .44 Spl, .44 Spc, (pronounced "forty-four special"), or 10.9x29mmR is a smokeless powder center fire metallic revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1907 as the standard chambering for their New Century revolver, introduced in 1908. ANTI-PERSONNEL 44 SPL. I am including a great deal of data concerning heavy loading of the .44 Special with several warnings. Be sure to bookmarkthis page to quickly see whatever we've currently got. However, .44 Special loads are so mild, you can really use whatever you want to. It was - and still is - a great choice for reduced-recoil .44 Magnum practice loads. He began creating YouTube videos in 2017, and built The Reloaders Network in 2018. Rifle Cartridges. Whether you want to reload your own ammo for competitive or recreational purposes, we have a vast selection of reloading data to find that perfect pistol load. Like the classic .38 Spl. An occasional trip through the case trimmer will result in more uniform crimps - a big part of consistent ballistics - and better accuracy. A database of .44 Remington Magnum handloads. A database of .44 S&W Special handloads. I also cast a 200 gr full wadcutter and it also works well with 4.0 grs of Bullseye in .44 Special cases. cast RNFP; 240-gr. A 195 grain.44 mag wadcutter at modest velocity will have a serious terminal effect. Suitable powders for the .44 Special run the gamut of burning rates, depending on the bullet weight and velocities desired, but one stands out, and it is well known to the round's legion of fans. Left to right:-- 250 gr. You can reload wadcutters to the first … We have data for the 250 gr Full Wadcutter 44 bullet from Matt's Bullets - 8.5 grains of Unique in 44 Magnum cases gives us a clean shooting accurate load. Like the classic .38 Spl. The .44 Special offers sufficient performance for hunting big game with Keith-style cast semi-wadcutter (SWC) bullets driven from 900 to 1,200 fps. 429421 cast bullet to a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. XTP; Nosler 240-gr. Velocities are modest, typically ranging from 650 fps to around 1,000 fps. Unique was also popular for .44 Magnum, but a maximum load produced lower velocities than the other powders. comprises a half-dozen mostly flatpoint or semiwadcutter cast bullets weighing from 165 to 240 grains. With my two new .357s, I wasn’t too interested in target shooting, however, I did load thousands of rounds of .38 Specials using Elmer Keith’s recipe — 13.5 grains of #2400 under his 168-gr. JHP Select A Caliber or Gauge Below To View Recipes. The .44 Special created a wave of enthusiasm that resulted in a group forming during the 1930s known as “The .44 Associates” that shared load data, bullet designs, hunting experiences, etc. SWC-JHP, .44 with 250 gr. 20 … The overwhelming answer in the avalanche of replies was "Red Dot!" Springfield … Wadcutter bullets cast from a SAECO 62944 mould and loaded with 5.0 grains of Red Dot make an easy-recoiling load for the .44 Special. – Taylor”, This is the Desert Storm Cartridge. In a pair of S&W 83/8″.44 Magnums, this load clocks out at about 1,067 fps with 7/8″ groups. 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. 44 Rem. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. ... “The Versatile and Capable .44 special ... Loads of Bacon enjoys bullet casting, reloading, hunting, and most other outdoors activities. HS-6 and Blue Dot are excellent choices for such applications. The old barrel came off, was replaced by a seven and one-half inch .44 Special barrel of .426" groove diameter and that old Bisley has given groups of one-half inch using 9.0 grains of Unique and the Lyman #42798 .44-40 flat-point bullet. The. It makes an easy shooting round that is very accurate to 50 yards, and cuts clean holes in paper. 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. ammo is loaded to a maximum average pressure (MAP) of about 14,000 CUP, while the .44 Mag. Factory .44 Spl. Most reloading manuals provide few Red Dot loads for jacketed bullets. The following data is from Lyman's 45th edition of their "Reloading Handbook" for 44 Special. Velocities are modest, typically ranging from 650 fps to around 1,000 fps. The Guns of James Bond: Roger Moore . A.38 Special 148 grain wadcutter at around 700 fps will shoot through 18" of ballistic gelatin. Either weight can be driven over 1,000 fps and provide about all the power that can be comfortably housed in a medium-weight revolver. 38 Special. For some, this has been asked and answered already. Sponsored Post. The cartridge was the fine, old .44 S&W Special stoked with hand-loads that pushed the 250-grain Lyman/Keith No. wadcutter target load, this bullet has a large, flat frontal face but carries some serious mass and generates relatively high velocity. (Cowboy Action) 44 Russian (Cowboy Action) 44 S&W Special (Cowboy Action) 44-40 Win. In this segment of “At The Range,” Handgunning Editor Jeremy Stafford and contributor Patrick Sweeney compare the visibility of red and green lasers in outdoor, sunny conditions. Both are N-frames with trim 6 ½-inch barrels. XTP; Hornady 240-gr. PRESS RELEASE FOR BUFFALO BORE ANTI-PERSONNEL 200gr. Rounded up was a selection of bullets from Hornady, Remington, Sierra, Speer and Winchester. 45 Auto. Handloading Notebook Personal reloading notes. 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. 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. 01; Favorite Loads Hot off the Press .44 S&W Special. Four .38 Specials pose for comparison; (l.-r.) jacketed hollow point, lead round nose, lead semi-wadcutter and full wadcutter. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. 380 Auto. 45 Colt. All right are Reserved RELOAD AMMO, Reloading The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), No Thanks I Don’t Believe in 2nd Amendment. 44 Special Load Data; 44 Remington Magnum Handgun Load Data; 45 Auto (ACP) Load Data; 45 Colt (Single Action Army & Replicas) Load Data; 45 Colt (Ruger & T/C Contender & Encore) Load Data; Cartridge Data; Components by Caliber; Nosler Home; Load Data 44 Special Load Data. ©2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Hard Cast Wadcutter (1,000 fps) 20 Round Box . 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. It came to market as a commercial cartridge in 1991. Many .44 Magnum shooters actually shoot .44 Special loads in their bigger, heavier sixguns and would get along quite well with a .44 Special. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type 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. Gary 01-02-2013, 07:59 AM #9. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Factory ammunition has never better, but there's always room for improvement. 44 Rem. Except for one inconsistency, the .44 Special produced fairly even velocities with Rim Rock 200-grain wadcutter and RNFP July 12, 2017. Handgun calibers range from 7 MM TCU to the .500 S&W Magnum. These are our best ammo deals which we update this page regularly with our lowest-priced ammunition. Red Dot, Green Dot and Blue Dot shotgun powders, and HS-6 and Unique excel with these lighter bullets. Copyright. 45 Colt. Subscriber Services. A very pleasant everyday load is assembled with Oregon Trail’s 240 SWC over 18.5 grains of #4227. First and … in handguns magazine dated march 1990 theres a write up on the Lee 215 WC in the 44 special. 44 SPL WADCUTTER, STANDARD PRESSURE, LOW FLASH (ITEM 14E) This load was developed to be used in ALL/ANY 44 SPL firearms including Charter Arms. There are plenty of bullet weights and styles available for reloading the .44 Special: (from left) 180-gr. loads in this category, but the one of most interest for self-defense is their 200-grain lead wadcutter at around 1,000 fps. Cases for the .44 Special are straight-walled, so carbide sizers further streamline the loading process. This makes LoadData.com an … cast SWC; Hornady 200-gr. 38 Special +P. loaded in 44 special case, WLP, Lee 215gr WC, COL 1.215, ill give you the best loads. While M.D has passed the reins on to me, I hope to continue the legacy of the site and provide readers with accurate information on the useful hobby of reloading ammo. And below is for 44... $20.00 Contact Us: 200 Grain Full Wadcutter (.430) Full diameter wad cutter. Not sure what the bullet weight is. If you think I'm an unabashed fan of the old round, you're right. 44 Special Handgun Cartridge by Nosler Inc. TECHNICAL INFORMATION: When loading for the 44 Special, as with any revolver cartridge, bell the case mouth just enough to reliably guide the bullet into position, seat the bullet so that the top of the cannelure is just visible above the case mouth and then give it a good roll crimp. 9mm Luger. |   One drawback of the wadcutter is that it is often (perhaps always, in factory ammunition) loaded as a flush-seated wadcutter. 40 S&W. 17 Rem. In this segment of "Cameras Don't Lie," a subsonic-ammo showdown, 9mm vs. .300 Blackout fired from AR rifles. Pulsar Thermion XG50 Thermal Riflescope - First Look, Leupold DeltaPoint Micro Red Dot Sight for Pistols: New for 2021, Swarovski Z5(i) P BT L 3.5-­18x44mm Scope Review, Leupold DeltaPoint Micro Red Dot for Pistols: TESTED, The Story of Civil War Sniper Jack Hinson and His Rifle, RCBS Rebel Single Stage Press – First Look, How to Shoot Better: Tools and Tips to Improve Factory Ammo Accuracy, [RETRO] .223 and 6mm-223 Load Data for Long-Range Handguns, Cameras Don't Lie: Subsonic 9mm vs. .300 Blackout, Red vs. Green Lasers: Visibility in Bright Light, Guns & Ammo TV: Cameras Don't Lie: 9mm vs .45 ACP. January 04, 2011 By Lane Pearce. Hodgdon's load data for the .44 Spl. JHP; and Sierra 240-gr. cast FP; 200-gr. All Rights Reserved. Hard Cast Wadcutter (1,000 fps) 20 Round Box . To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. There’s been more than one accident from a novice shooter or unauthorized user firing a flush-seated 38 wadcutter that they thought was an empty case. When I first started shooting the .44 Special it was very easy to find heavy load data, much heavier than what I have included. Fortunately, S&W has recently reincarnated the M24 in its Classics series. 's MAP is about 2.5 times greater. The "38 caliber" 0.357" to 0.359" wadcutter is most common wadcutter, at least in the CONUS. JSP; Nosler 240-gr. 2020. 32 S&W Long (Cowboy Action) 32-20 Win. Looking at the accompanying data table, it is obvious I made the choice to use the .44 Special at lower velocities and work toward loads with jacketed and lead bullets that would be fun to shoot. The winning combination of a 38 Special case is why. The 240-grain cast bullet loads shown also offer potent protection. The Special's inherent accuracy stems from a previous design. Bullet weights ranged from 180 to 240 grains. 38 Special +P. https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/reloading-the-44-special/250248 All the loads are developed by the staff of Handloader magazine and the archives of Handloader and Rifle magazines. Development … Designed with a protruding rim for use with a revolver, it was not intended for a semi-automatic pistol like the 1911. Loading the venerable .38 Special wadcutter – The .38 Special cartridge case is much longer than a .45 ACP cartridge case. 5.0gr BE @838fps, 1.5" group 6.5gr Unique @924fps, 1.84" group Cowboy Action has recently given the .44 Special a shot in the arm, and the lighter cast bullets further broaden the Special's appeal. These can be too easily mistaken for fired and empty cases. (Cowboy Action) 38 Special (Cowboy Action) 38-40 Win. If there is only ONE load… Haven't shot wadcutters in .44 for many years having found it easier to cast a SWC that I could use in a .44 special as well as a .44 mag. Just stick to near-maximum loads to keep up the velocity and ensure adequate expansion. A charge of 9.5 grains of Blue Dot produced 880 fps and consistent accuracy with the FTX. comprises a half-dozen mostly flatpoint or semiwadcutter cast bullets weighing from 165 to 240 grains. But in 1956 Keith's efforts culminated in the introduction of the .44 Magnum. Smith of Huntsville, Alabama has shared his plentiful knowledge of reloading ammo with our nearly 4 millions visitors! A number of years ago, I planted two 250-grain cast bullets (from Lyman mould 429421) …