If you're unsure, or just want options, check as many boxes as you'd like. For the mild.44 special loads, I recommend all lead bullets and loads that produce 700-850 FPS speeds. The handloads listed on this page encompass a suitable range of performance from plinking to personal protection. There was a load mentioned using 8.5 gr Power Pistol under a 240 gr lswc. Subscriber Services. It's best to shoot all lead bullets outside to avoid lead fumes. 45 Colt. From Smith & Wesson, the M&P Shield M2.0 is a great option for a carry gun with optics option. It is now my favorite gun. James Tarr runs through the 3-Second Headshot drill. 357 Sig. A very similar to 44 Russian load. 1.615 in. Great accuracy with 8 grains and aforementioned bullet with less than 16K pressure. However, as factory loaded with a 246-grain lead roundnose bullet at approximately 750 fps muzzle velocity, the .44 Spl. Find what you need in four easy steps. It actually began with the .44 Russian cartridge, which drove a 246 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. I have lots of red dot, clay dot, and promo from shotgun loading and have found loads around 5.5 … could legitimately claim top gun performance. 44 S&W Special Desperado 200 gr lead RNFP Federal 1.45 5.5 Fed 150 Bullseye 6.2 883 - 44 S&W Special Desperado 240 gr lead RNFP Federal 1.45 5.5 Fed 150 Bullseye 5.2 805 - Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide For Blue Dot: Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide You should be able to find more data and plenty of bullets and molds for your .44 Special. Trimmed 44 Special brass to less than an inch, Lee 215 SWC in COWW, and about 6 grains of Unique. 44 S&W Special Desperado 200 gr lead RNFP Federal 1.45 5.5 Fed 150 Bullseye 6.2 883 - 44 S&W Special Desperado 240 gr lead RNFP Federal 1.45 5.5 Fed 150 Bullseye 5.2 805 - Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide For Blue Dot: Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide You should be able to find more data and plenty of bullets and molds for your .44 Special. There are plenty of good .22 rimfire rifles under $300 on the market. SWC-JHP,.44 with 250 gr. 80 powder. It measures like water and is clean burning, similar to, but a wee bit faster than Olin WST. Power Pistol ® Handgun Powders. I use 5.5gr of Win-231 for my .45's like Michael. A ball powder, it metered very well through my RCBS Chargemaster Lite, which threw every charge in the test. I saw a thread earlier on Skeeter Skelton's load for the 44 special using Unique. ©2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Several years ago, a prominent gun magazine asked readers what their favorite powder was for reloading the .44 Special. The .44 S&W Special was originally loaded with a 246-grain lead RN bullet over 26.0 grains of black powder for a muzzle velocity of 780 fps, which was a ballistic improvement over its parent cartridge, the .44 Russian. Keith’s early .44 Special loads contained the 250-grain cast bullet pushed 1,100 fps using DuPont No. ISS Prop House gives us the rundown on the guns used in Enemy at the Gate. However, as factory loaded with a 246-grain lead roundnose bullet at approximately 750 fps muzzle velocity, the .44 Spl. 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. does not engender a reputation as a "hot" cartridge. 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. Rifle Cartridges. Even the potent .357 Magnum delivers less muzzle energy than a 240/250-grain cast SWC on top of a case full of 2400 or 4227. All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. 429360 mold. 44 S&W Special. I did find published data in an older Alliant manual which gave me a starting point. The .300 Blackout is here to stay, and we take some time to look at new technology surrounding this cartridge. I do measure every power charge in a single stage press after blowing up a S&W 29. Winchester WinClean 244 is a relatively new powder, one produced under license by Hodgdon. It was - and still is - a great choice for reduced-recoil .44 Magnum practice loads. However, with its excellent metering, I think 244 is going to be my go-to powder for .38 Special practice loads with Hornady 125-grain XTPs. 38 Special +P. 44 Special Load Data. My first pistol loads were for a German Commision revolver. Then select your bullet weight, powder manufacturer and powder type. 44 Russian loads would be nice plinkers. 380 Auto. I’m not sure whether Winchester 244 will be my trail load. 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. All Handguns subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. 460 S&W Magnum. Bullet at about 750fps. conversions on Three-Screw Ruger .357 Blackhawks are so popular; this . For the older S&W's, this is a useful load, giving adequate power for just about anything in the lower 48 without the severe recoil (and with a slightly more … table#specialTable {padding: none;background: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica, sans-serif;text-align: left;font-size: 11px;}table#specialTable tr {color: red; background:blue;}#specialTable td {margin: 2px; padding: 2px; background: #cccccc; color:black;border-right: 1px solid black; border-bottom: 1px solid black;}#specialTable td.noright {margin: 2px; padding: 2px; background: #adadad;color: black;border-right: none;border-left: none; border-bottom: 1px solidblack;}#specialTable td.noleft {margin: 2px; padding: 2px; background: #adadad;color: black;border-right: 1px solid black;border-left: none; border-bottom:1px solid black;}#specialTable td.noborder {margin: 2px; padding: 2px; background: #669966;color: black ;border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid black;}#specialTable th {margin: 2px; padding: 2px; background: #ffffff; color:black;font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;text-align:left;font-size: 9px;}#specialTable tr.offcolor td { background: #ffffff;}#specialTable tr.footer {}#specialTable td.footer {}#specialTable h3 { margin: 0; padding:0;font-size: 15px; border-bottom: 2pxsolid #669966;}.bottom { 2px solid black;}. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type Primer Notes; Alliant - Power Pistol: 250 gr. 32-20 Win. Reloading: Powder Comparison.44 Special Loads Rupp’s test included IMR Target and IMR Red, both relatively new powders from that company, against the new Winchester 244—with tried-and-true Alliant Bullseye for comparison. Since then, even the .44 Magnum's performance has been eclipsed by several bigger bore and more powerful handgun cartridges. ... 44 S&W Special 240 LSWC 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 200 GDHP SB 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 210 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 240 LSWC 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 270. does not engender a reputation as a "hot" cartridge. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Federal Premium Punch Defensive Handgun Ammo - TESTED, Product Warning and Recall Notice for Winchester .38 Special 130 Grain Full Metal Jacket, Norma ENVY - Dedicated 9mm Ammunition for Pistol Caliber Carbines, Reloading: Powder Comparison .44 Special Loads, KelTec CMR30 22WMR Review - Compact, Versatile & Fun to Shoot, The New Speer Gold Dot G2 Duty Handgun Load. Out of the blue, the company sent me a can to try, and, hey, I never look a gift horse in the mouth. That’s good enough for me. It comes out of the box as you see it, including Magpul sights and ambidextrous, non-reciprocating dual operating handles. 38 Special. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. 3-9) Heavy .44 Special loads using the NEI 260 Keith bullet show why .44 Special . Left to right:-- 250 gr. 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. Effective, efficient, and affordable, the .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger are two of the best... Berry's product line is extensive; in addition to making over 60 types of bullets, the firm... Give a Gift   Keith’s early .44 Special loads contained the 250-grain cast bullet pushed 1,100 fps using DuPont No. CCI 300 Large Pistol or Winchester's WLP primers work well for .44 Special handloads. If you are looking for softer loads use .44 special. ©2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. 10mm Auto. Fast burning and consistent ; Economical and accurate; Principal Purpose: High performance 9mm, .40 … When your life depends on it, you can rely on these seven 9mm defensive loads. When Hercules 2400 powder (now Alliant) became available in 1932, he switched and was able to reach 1,200 fps in a Smith & Wesson New Century and a highly customized Colt Single Action Army, which was significantly greater power than any other period sixgun load. Revolvers have experienced a surge in popularity recently. At the basic level, we're talking loads that run at .44 Special or .45 ACP pressure levels. 8.0 gr. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Lead loads are sooty to begin with, and at least anecdotally I thought the Winchester loads were cleaner than the others. Six were 5.1 grains, two were 5.0 grains and two were 5.2 grains. |   45 Auto. loads, but maybe with … I also threw 10 charges of 5.1 grains (0.1 grain under max) through my ancient Lee volumetric measure. In most … Smokeless pistol powder. 327 Federal Magnum. Fast burning and consistent ; Economical and accurate; Principal Purpose: High performance 9mm, .40 S&W and 10mm The .44 Special cartridge is the result of cartridge evolution initiated by Smith & Wesson. Power Pistol: Select A Caliber or Gauge Below To View Recipes. This article is a MUST READ if you want to pursue warm 44 Special loads in the FlatTop. JHP Looking for a lower limit load data for red dot in 44 special. Subscriber Services. Lov Power Pistol under a Keith SWC, load research via Brian Pearce. Check... Handguns Online Editors - February 28, 2019. Handgun calibers range from 7 MM TCU to the .500 S&W Magnum. 500 S&W Magnum. 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. Designed for high performance in semi-automatic pistols and is the powder of choice for 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. I've used to for 45 ACP and 38 Special loads, but what about 44 Remington Magnum? This same bullet over 6.0 gr. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. Next, we pit subsonic rivals against each other before stretching the legs of this CQB round out to 600 yards from a short 9-inch barrel. For the older S&W's, this is a useful load, giving adequate power for just about anything in the lower 48 without the severe recoil (and with a slightly more mild report) of the full on Mag loads. 45 G.A.P. The wildcard gun here is the L-frame Smith & Wesson Model 69 .44 Mag. I’ll report back on that in a future issue. I load Alliant Power Pistol for 200 and 240 grain JHPs and H2400 (old stock) for 255 grain Hardcasts using Pearce's loads -- very accurate and brings the 44 Special up … Olin Winchester, LLC is recalling three (3) lots of 38 Special 130 Grain Full Metal Jacket... Norma has announced the introduction of ENVY -- a new line of 9mm ammunition. The wildcard gun here is the L-frame Smith & Wesson Model 69 .44 Mag. It would also be a very handy gun when using .44 Spl. Click "Get Data" to view results. CCI 300 Large Pistol or Winchester's WLP primers work well for .44 Special handloads. HP,.44 with 225 gr. I like to load the .44 Special using moderate amounts of powder thus providing a very economical cartridge to use any time in any .44 Magnum. Guns are fun, and cheap guns are even more fun. Magnum. 8.0 gr. The .44 Special was introduced in about 1907 and is an extremely accurate cartridge. I have a Harton 44 special conversion on an It shot well, with the exception of that outlier with the 4.8-grain charge, but I’m looking for more velocity. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type Frank and Tony from Gallery of Guns spice up the Glock test using their non-dominant hands. does not engender a reputation as a "hot" cartridge. When the longer case.44 Special arrived it was a dead ringer for the.44 Russian with the same bullet at the same muzzle velocity and was even loaded with black powder. 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 … 17 Caliber.172” Diameter. The SAAMI ceiling for the .44 Magnum is 36,000 psi. I have not tried it in the .44 Special, specifically, but have with wonderful results in the .455 Mk2, .45 AR, .44-40, .44 Magnum and ,45 Colt. Standard loads for the.44 Russian used a lead bullet of about 250 grains at 750 feet per second. This somewhat-odd loading had an interesting history, and much of its reputation was based on... Big bore semiauto or a lever gun? As I dug around in various forums and web pages, it became clear that some people like Power Pistol quite well in their 44 Magnum handguns, but I wasn't able to come up with any actual recipes. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. The KelTec CMR30 is a .22 Magnum carbine that holds 30 rounds in each of its two flush-fit magazines. The .44 Special was introduced in about 1907 and is an extremely accurate cartridge. 429421 cast bullet to a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. Smokeless pistol powder. My experience shooting those behemoths suggests they exceed my limit. A database of .44 Remington Magnum handloads. 44 Rem. 43-10) Whether shooting Skeeter’s load or the standard .44 Special load, this 3 rd Generation Colt Single Action does all anyone could expect. 480 Ruger. Of course, the situation changed when S&W introduced the .44 Magnum 50+ years ago. Designed for lightweight, low recoil accuracy, the CMR30 .22 WMR features a nice, single-action trigger, ambidextrous dual non-reciprocating operating handles, ambidextrous safety and heel catch magazine release. Speer's Jared Hinton shows OSG's Lynn Burkhead the new Speer Gold Dot G2 Duty Handgun load. The limited-edition Anti-Venom revolvers from North American Arms are unique collector's items... HK's accurate, soft-shooting and customizable VP9SK is aimed at the concealed-carry market. 454 Casull. She's a straight blow-back tack driver that delivers a ton of fun. Using 180g bullets. of Unique is one of my standard loads at around 800 fps, however my most used.44 Special load is the 260 grain Keith bullet over 7.5 … A 240 grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter over 8 grains of Power Pistol … I’d already tested IMR Red and IMR Target, so when the Winchester showed up, I added it to the test and included Alliant Bullseye, too. But the difference between a 15,500-psi .44 Special load and a 23,000-psi .45 ACP +P load is nothing to the .44 Magnum case and the firearm for which it is chambered. Pistol and Handgun Reloading Data. That's a lot of firepower for a 3.8-pound, semi-auto, collapsible truck gun. That changed when Elmer Keith and the other .44 Associates of the 1920s and 1930s began handloading it to its maximum potential; then, the .44 Spl. Now that Speer is selling the Gold Dot G2 commercially, you have another quality option for... Give a Gift   Power Pistol ® Handgun Powders. Re: Light .44 special loads, any suggestions? 80 powder. His favorite load was 7.5 grains of Unique and bullets cast in a Lyman No. It's becoming my goto 44 Spl load and has taken over the Skeeter load. 44 caliber (429, 430 dia) 44 S&W Special 200 44 S&W Special 240 LSWC 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 200 GDHP SB 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 210 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 240 LSWC 44 Remington Magnum Handgun 270. In essence, this is a near clone of the "Skeeter" 44 Special load, only adapted to the 44 Mag. The affordable price, reliability and shootability of the Taurus G3c make it a perfect choice... A look at eight optics-ready pistols for just about any application or budget, including... Federal Punch ammo is designed for the concealed-carry and self-defense pistol market. It is one of the newer powers that is fast and low volume but maintains accuracy. 6 Best Classic Pump-Action Shotguns Ever Made, Best .22 Magnum Revolvers Available Right Now, Improved Ballistics a Key to Accurate Long-Range Shooting, .375 Ruger & .416 Ruger — Big Bore Cartridges, Berry's Bullets: Reloading Equipment, Shooting Accessories & Bullet Accuracy Tests, Favorite Loads Hot off the Press .44 S&W Special. 45 caliber (451, 454 dia) 45 GAP 185 GDHP 45 GAP 185 TMJ 45 GAP 200 45 Automatic 200 LSWCM 45 Automatic 230 LRN 45 Automatic 185 GDHP WinClean powders have a copper-fighting agent, which I didn’t test here, and also promises cleaner burning. We ping steel with a .300 WinMag at over a mile. 45 caliber (451, 454 dia) 357 Magnum. It would also be a very handy gun when using .44 Spl. All Rights Reserved. This same bullet over 6.0 gr. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. Favorite load was suggested by Brian Pearce in the Handloader magazine issue #260 (June 2009). 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. Designed for high performance in semi-automatic pistols and is the powder of choice for 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. Has been years since I loaded any, so the charge may have been a little more or less. I use Win-296 24gr for my .44 magnum it's right on the border of being uncomfortable to shoot and around 1400 fps. Maybe .45 ACP +P. I used to load down the .44 mag cases to .44 special … Smith & Wesson wanted to develop a similar cartridge that would make use of the relatively new smokeless powder, which seemed to be the wave of the future. But there are limits to the bigger-is-better scenario, based upon your tolerance to recoil. Reloading the .44 Special is an uncomplicated delight. Nine grains Universal clocks out at 1,080 fps with a 3/4″ group. The cartridge was the fine, old .44 S&W Special stoked with hand-loads that pushed the 250-grain Lyman/Keith No. 6.0 gr. This in effect turns a .44 Magnum revolver into a sweet shooting lower recoil gun for practice shooting when stepped down to the .44 Specials. pair was done by Hamilton Bowen. Select your cartridge type from the drop-down list. 9mm Luger. When Hercules 2400 powder (now Alliant) became available in 1932, he switched and was able to reach 1,200 fps in a Smith & Wesson New Century and a highly customized Colt Single Action Army, which was significantly greater power than any other period sixgun load. An 83/8″ S&W.44 Magnum using the NEI 260KT bullet over 8.5 grains of Universal yields 1,060 fps and a 5-shot 20-yard group of 1″. However, as factory loaded with a 246-grain lead roundnose bullet at approximately 750 fps muzzle velocity, the .44 Spl. This handgun lives up to what Ruger wanted to build: a solid, dependable, easy-racking carry/home defense pistol at a better-than-reasonable price. 200g swc on top of 6 grains TG in 4 5/8 Vaqueros. We look at the futuristic .450 Bushmaster and how it compares to the tried and true .45-70. Set your sights on pistol reloading data. 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. of Unique is one of my standard loads at around 800 fps, however my most used .44 Special load is the 260 grain Keith bullet over 7.5 gr. |   Like titegroup for light to med 44 loads. I have been using trail boss at 4.9g, but it has resulted in inconsistent rounds. I just purchased my first .44 special, a Ruger Blackhawk flat top with 4 5/8 barrel. Here you will find load data for some of the most recent cartridges on the market, with more being added each week. I’m not always locked into the 10.0 grain load and often used 8.5 to 9.0 grains of Unique or Universal with the 250-260 Keith bullet. 40 S&W. However,.44 Special loads are so mild, you can really use whatever you want to. I like to load the .44 Special using moderate amounts of powder thus providing a very economical cartridge to use any time in any .44 Magnum. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet … of Unique for around 950 fps. Normally, you use the 44. special cases in guns chambered for the .44 special cartridge. The .44 Special was introduced in about 1907 and is an extremely accurate cartridge. SWC, 240 gr. 32 Auto. Guns were Ruger GP100 (three-inch barrel) and Smith & Wesson Model 629 (five-inch barrel). In essence, this is a near clone of the "Skeeter" 44 Special load, only adapted to the 44 Mag. All Rights Reserved.