Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. The Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Remington Magnum has always been a favorite revolver for sport and pleasure. . Unique is still one of the most versatile powders on the market today. The old balloon-head cases are certainly weaker, and being nearly ancient often display signs of breakdown by becoming brittle or plagued with corrosion, etc. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. 5 as produced by Bowen Classic Arms; at right is the original KEITH LONG RANGE COLT.. Deployed military should use stateside address. Bullets under 200 grains have never given me anything but short-range accuracy. The revolver pictured above is a reproduction Keith No. 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. SWC-JHP, .44 with 250 gr. No purchase necessary. . The sole reason for the low pressure limit on the 44 Special was the existence of those wonderful Spanish copies of N-frame S&W's. ( 6) Write a Review Q&A (4) Our Price: $73.99. SWC-JHP, .44 with 250 gr. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. 44 Special Load Data - Guns and Ammo The authority on pistol and rifle loading data since 1996. The original loading was a 246 grain round nose lead bullet at about 700 fps. I think you are also going to shorten the life of your revolver with Keith Loads. Out of my 5.5" Redhawk I get 828 fps. Required fields are marked *. The 7.5/Unique/240-250 REALLY IS a very nice "general purpose" load for the .44 Special, but I agree that it's too warm for older pieces and GOD HELP YOUR HAND if you shoot it in a Charter Arms ANYTHING! A healthy roll crimp is recommended. (I) Giveaway ends September 30, 2022. 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. A Smith & Wesson Model 1950 Target 24-6 (middle) .44 Special with a 6.5-inch barrel was used to develop the accompanying data. Depending upon barrel length, sixgun and bullet, these loads will be in the 900 to 1,000 fps range. 308 (June/July 2017). If the pressures are too low or powder energy is insufficient, bullets will stick in the bore, so do not reduce suggested starting powder charges. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. Number of Views: 5757, Published on 10-20-2014 09:20 PM 6.8 Western Ammo Options: The Load of Long Yardage, .458 Winchester Magnum History: The Complete Story. IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company. 30 days easy returns; 100% money back guarantee. Guaranteed Safe Checkout. models. and Western, were weaker in construction and have often deteriorated with age and should not be reloaded. Elmer laid down specific specifications for a bullet bearing his name: three equally sized full caliber driving bands, a deep crimping groove between the middle and top bands, a large grease groove between the middle and bottom bands and a flat bottom with no bevel. Reloading The .44 Special - Reload Ammo Published on 10-20-2014 09:25 PM Chris Johnson, FN Senior Product Manager, walks us through two new FN striker-fired pistols at SHOT Show 2023: the FN 510 Tactical, chambered in 10mm Auto, and the FN 545 Tactical, chambered in .45 ACP. They offer moderate recoil and muzzle report, low extreme spreads, and they are easy to shoot accurately while being capable of taking big game. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Therefore, I no longer use the .44 mag cases when loading down to .44 special velocities. Subscribe To American Handgunner No purchase necessary. Unique is a great powder to use and have on your bench. WMR, WSF, WST, WSL, 760, 748, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div. 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. have introduced the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act (H.R. I haven't chronoed these yet but based on my Hornady manual using lead 240 gr data, these should be running between 800-850 fps. 44 special 240gr Hornady HP/XTP 2400 Starting 8.9gr for 600fps Max. For the vast majority of us, the .44 Special will do everything needing doing with the sixgun. Deployed military should use stateside address. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. If any of you have been through this process, I'd love to hear about it. Who knew wild turkey's were so stupid!? SWC-HP is one of the first jacketed bullets offered by Speer nearly 50 years ago. It consists of 5.4 grains of Bullseye with any brand standard primer. RDM, Published on 10-20-2014 09:18 PM 429421 cast bullet to a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. 2 Accurate No. I dont know why. Learn from CBA members that have been casting their entire life. The .44 Special is an ideal cartridge for cast-bullet loads, with literally dozens and dozens of designs and weights readily available. Discussion: I no longer use the same bullets and cases for the special loads as I do the Magnum, since all my rifles and pistols use the magnum round. 44 Special Load Data - Nosler 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 loaded some for a friend's 6" S&W 624. On the other hand, when pressures are held to 15,500 psi, most powders cannot push various 240-grain jacketed bullets fast enough to expand reliably. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). If you have a fixed sight revolver 250-260 grain bullets will probably shoot close to the sights. Though the .44 Magnum is an offshoot of this cartridge, the Special was based on the older black powder .44 Russian. If you drop a bullet into each chamber in your cylinder, if it falls through any/all of them, it is too small and will probably lead the barrel and not shoot all that well. Give a Gift This load significantly increased the effectiveness of the cartridge while still being easily managed when shooting fast with double- action sixguns. The .44 S&W Special - CHUCKHAWKS.COM I have listed the Colt Single Action Army and New Frontier revolvers in Category 2 (22,000 psi). Reloading: Powder Comparison .44 Special Loads - Handguns 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? Of course, the situation changed when S&W introduced the .44 Magnum 50+ years ago. 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. With variables, this load generally produces around 18,000 psi and is a +P load. It's superbly accurate and extremely versatile when handloaded to any of several power levels for plinking, personal defense or hunting. The new-for-2023 lineup includes ultralight hunting stocks and a VGA 2-pound adjustable vertical-grip stock. Just saying. For maximum velocity in .44 Mag ammo reloads, slow-burning powders are recommended. As smokeless powders progressed and improved, by the early 1920s handloaders began developing loads that enhanced the performance of the .44 Special. Do not leave Tightgroup in your powder measure, even overnight. They are true magnum bullets, featuring a heavy jacket and 1 1/2% antimony core, yet they will expand reliably at 44 Special velocities. NOTE: Velocities are lower in the larger cases so speeds and pressures are different. The new rifle is built on an aluminum billet chassis with carbon-fiber forend and cheek riser featuring V-block bedding. Ammunition Reloading. All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. JHP 250 gr. I use that load extensively. we are talking about. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Rafe Nielsen of Browning to take a look at a new X-Bolt series rifle. The Skeeter Load (7.5 grains Unique and a 250 -260 grain cast bullet) is widely used because Skeeter Skelton promoted it in many articles. Since then, even the .44 Magnum's performance has been eclipsed by several bigger bore and more powerful handgun cartridges. To duplicate vintage factory loads, the 245-grain roundnose from Lyman mould 429383 is a top choice that is fine for small-game hunting. I am using it to knock down steel targets from 20 to 50 yards. Hodgon only shows HP38 for the .44 special loads. Guns were Ruger GP100 (three-inch barrel) and Smith & Wesson Model 629 (five-inch barrel). Just stick to near-maximum loads to keep up the velocity and ensure adequate expansion. It is important to note that the .44 Special has an industry overall cartridge length of 1.615 inches, while the .44 Magnum is actually shorter at 1.610 inches. Revolver Is Back, A World Record Attempt: Practice Round and Media Day, Interview with Israeli Defense Forces, Part 1. (This was prior to the organization of SAAMI in 1926, resulting in the standardization of ammunition specifications and pressures.). While in the past fancy Goncalo Alves grips were standard, now weather-resistant neoprene panels are standard. All this resulted in changes in muzzle velocity with many loads. .44 Special is a fun caliber to shoot. Modern solid-head cases, such as the Starline case (right), handle loads of all pressure levels. Besides, a carry revolver can always be charged with four .44 Specials and a pair of .44 Magnums. HP, .44 with 225 gr. To use a yet larger case, like the .44 mag with only a .44 special load in it, would make the matter much worse. If you have an older revolver this is a good limit. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. The .44 Special was formally introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1907. Stick to 200 grain load data with these bullets since all the lead is seated flush in the case. .44 S&W Special (Pet Loads) | Handloader Magazine 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. Instead of using it in my lighter weight .44 Special sixguns, I mostly use it in .44 Magnums. Skeltons favorite handload consisted of the 250-grain Keith bullet pushed around 950 fps (4-inch barrel) using 7.5 grains of Unique powder. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). bullet at 900 fps left little to be desired. cast SWC; Hornady 200-gr. With a 51/2 barreled sixgun, 9.0 grains of Unique is just under 1,200 fps. For Cowboy Shooting, I used a lite load right out of the Hodgdon Cowboy Action Data pamphlet. of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News.