Favorite +p 44 Special handload and factory ammo

[Friesland]

Favorite factory 44 S&W Special ammo and +p 44 Special handload (Skeeter?)

for those that handload; which bullets and powder are the most popular?

Recommended reloading dies for 44 Special/ 44 mag. Probably will shoot very few mag (type) rounds but would be trying for 44 Special +p performance somewhere between 44 Special and 44 mag. Not intended for boar hunting but plinking/target fun. A bit hotter than the Charter Arms Bulldog should be feed.

Thanks

[Dooder]

Coincidentally I loaded a batch of 44spl the other day. I used 4.3gr Clays and an Xtreme 200gr projo squished to the cannaluer. I may have a chance to chrono today and I'll post the numbers if I do. I was always interested in how much velocity I'm bleeding off with a 3" 624 haaha.

Need to switch to faster powders when using shorter barrels

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

[Friesland]

"I was always interested in how much velocity I'm bleeding off with a 3" 624 haaha."

Great timing

[hambam105]

Clays Powder works great and burns clean, it was primarily designed for shotgun shooting. However, I
was warned not to use clays for revolvers because there is zero margin for error. Dang-It.

[Friesland]

I would be a hand loading beginner. Thanks for the caution/advice

Originally Posted by hambam105

Clays Powder works great and burns clean, it was primarily designed for shotgun shooting. However, I
was warned not to use clays for revolvers because there is zero margin for error. Dang-It.

[Dooder]

Originally Posted by hambam105

Clays Powder works great and burns clean, it was primarily designed for shotgun shooting. However, I

was warned not to use clays for revolvers because there is zero margin for error. Dang-It.

Clays is a fantastic powder and one of my primary, go to powders. A lot of shotgun powders double as pistol powders as well as rifle powders. Take a look at the Hodgdon manual. Hodgdon prints many revolver loads with Clays. They're even printed on the bottle itself. For short barrel revo you have to move to faster powders. Need to match burn rate to muzzle length. Anyways, it is flexible and has room to play with. Follow the same rules as loading in general. I guess one can say its less forgiving...but any powder is unforgiving when you cross the line.

I use Clays for heavy bullets in 38 Short Colt, 38 spl, 44spl, 9mm, 40sw, 45acp, 45 colt, 12ga... and thats just off the top of my head. Not just blaster ammo either. The 38 Short Colt, 40sw major, 45ACP, 9mm 147gr loads are my go to USPSA and match loads.

Found this picture of a jug. Interesting that says handgun and includes a recipe for 44spl right on the lable.

The OP is a new loader, don't give him hearsay and bad info.

[Elgatodeacero]

Whoever said Clays should not be used in revolvers, and that it "has zero margin for error" is spreading false information.

Also, slower burning powders will give higher velocities than fast burning powders in short barrels, just like they do in longer barrels. All that is lost is efficiency.

Here is a collection of articles to get you started:

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4...%20Special.pdf

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4...%20Special.pdf

[Friesland]

Tagged

Originally Posted by Dooder

Clays is a fantastic powder and one of my primary, go to powders. A lot of shotgun powders double as pistol powders as well as rifle powders. Take a look at the Hodgdon manual. Hodgdon prints many revolver loads with Clays. They're even printed on the bottle itself. For short barrel revo you have to move to faster powders. Need to match burn rate to muzzle length. Anyways, it is flexible and has room to play with. Follow the same rules as loading in general. I guess one can say its less forgiving...but any powder is unforgiving when you cross the line.

I use Clays for heavy bullets in 38 Short Colt, 38 spl, 44spl, 9mm, 40sw, 45acp, 45 colt, 12ga... and thats just off the top of my head. Not just blaster ammo either. The 38 Short Colt, 40sw major, 45ACP, 9mm 147gr loads are my go to USPSA and match loads.

Found this picture of a jug. Interesting that says handgun and includes a recipe for 44spl right on the lable.

The OP is a new loader, don't give him hearsay and bad info.

[Friesland]

Tagged

Originally Posted by Elgatodeacero

Whoever said Clays should not be used in revolvers, and that it "has zero margin for error" is spreading false information.

Also, slower burning powders will give higher velocities than fast burning powders in short barrels, just like they do in longer barrels. All that is lost is efficiency.

Here is a collection of articles to get you started:

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4...%20Special.pdf

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4...%20Special.pdf

[Dooder]

Originally Posted by Elgatodeacero

Whoever said Clays should not be used in revolvers, and that it "has zero margin for error" is spreading false information.

Also, slower burning powders will give higher velocities than fast burning powders in short barrels, just like they do in longer barrels. All that is lost is efficiency.

Here is a collection of articles to get you started:

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4...%20Special.pdf

http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/4...%20Special.pdf

Those are some great links you provided. Thank you for that. Just for fun I ran some numbers through QuickLoad.

You're correct that slower powders will provide higher FPS with the detriment of efficiency. The loss of efficiency is tremendous. I went as slow as Universal and I had unburnt flakes get under the star and jam up the whole works and would have flakes of unburnt powder on my hands after shooting, so I stick to fast powders with a 100% burn rate.

The charts show that Clays offers 100% burn rate with a charge of 4.6gr. H110 while it is 110fps faster, takes 20.3gr with an efficiency of 46%. So that means that's going to be NICE fireball, using 4x more of a more expensive powder for 110fps gain.

[9mmepiphany]

Originally Posted by Friesland

Favorite factory 44 S&W Special ammo and +p 44 Special handload (Skeeter?)

In my 3" M-696, I keep it loaded with Blazer Al 200gr Gold Dots.

Soft shooting and very accurate. No issues with reliable ejection

[Friesland]

9mmepiphany, Thanks for posting. As a non-handloader that's where I'm leaning.

Now, where to get the best deal on the Al Blazer 200 gr Gold Dots?

[200Apples]

You won't find much book-published data on .44 Special "+P" because of it's higher pressures being unsafe for older revolvers.

That said, Elgatodeacero posted *the* link to Brian Pearce's Levels 1, 2, and 3 loads for the .44 Special. Simply said, look no further, and start loading.

I shoot Ruger flat-top Blackhawks chambered in .44 Special, using Skeeter's 7.5 grains Alliant Unique (and 8.0 grains for a bump to 1000 fps in my 4-5/8" gun) under a 250-grain lead semiwadcutter bullet.

The powders you might use first are Unique and 2400. I lean toward heavy-for-caliber slugs, so I can be of no help with any lighter-bullet-weight loads. Too, those are slightly less efficient.

Good luck! The .44 Special is truly special. Good call.

[at_liberty]

Originally Posted by Friesland

Favorite factory 44 S&W Special ammo and +p 44 Special handload (Skeeter?)

for those that handload; which bullets and powder are the most popular?

Recommended reloading dies for 44 Special/ 44 mag. Probably will shoot very few mag (type) rounds but would be trying for 44 Special +p performance somewhere between 44 Special and 44 mag. Not intended for boar hunting but plinking/target fun. A bit hotter than the Charter Arms Bulldog should be feed.

Thanks

Are you talking about doing this in a 44 Magnum gun? That would be best rather than figure you can ignore the rating of the gun and the load data. You implied that your gun will shoot either/or, while some replies are focusing on 44 Special guns and getting way off the books.

[Friesland]

Considering a 44 S&W Special only revolver

[hambam105]

Dooder

Glad to read you are having success using Clays with the Calibers you mentioned. When the time
comes I plan on leaning on you for your 38 Short Colt pet loads.

And for all those that throw the yellow flag of reloading, remember you have my permission
to shoot & load Clays in any caliber of your choosing.

[Friesland]

Taged and Thanks

Originally Posted by 200Apples

You won't find much book-published data on .44 Special "+P" because of it's higher pressures being unsafe for older revolvers.

That said, Elgatodeacero posted *the* link to Brian Pearce's Levels 1, 2, and 3 loads for the .44 Special. Simply said, look no further, and start loading.

I shoot Ruger flat-top Blackhawks chambered in .44 Special, using Skeeter's 7.5 grains Alliant Unique (and 8.0 grains for a bump to 1000 fps in my 4-5/8" gun) under a 250-grain lead semiwadcutter bullet.

The powders you might use first are Unique and 2400. I lean toward heavy-for-caliber slugs, so I can be of no help with any lighter-bullet-weight loads. Too, those are slightly less efficient.

Good luck! The .44 Special is truly special. Good call.

[9mmepiphany]

Originally Posted by Friesland

Now, where to get the best deal on the Al Blazer 200 gr Gold Dots?

Best price I've seen recently was $35/50 from SG Ammo...if you buy 20 boxes