Shot my first full batch today

[Maddog5150]

I shot at the Riverside Magnum Range. I loaded for a 44 mag.
240 gr lead SWC
6.0 gr Uni Clays
CCI Magnum Primers
Hornady manual said it will shoot 800fps

I also shot 45acp
230 gr lead RN
5.6 gr Uni Clays
Wolf lg Pistol Primers
Hornady manual said 800 FPS

The 44mag shot like a dream. Kicked less than a 38 which made it really fun and a blast (no pun intended) to shoot.
The 1911 kicked pretty good though which puzzled me.
Both had a TON of smoke though. Is that the clays? Is it just a dirty, smokey powder? Any recommendations for pistol powder that runs clean?
Thanks

[buffybuster]

I shot at the Riverside Magnum Range. I loaded for a 44 mag.
240 gr lead SWC
6.0 gr Uni Clays
CCI Magnum Primers
Hornady manual said it will shoot 800fps

I also shot 45acp
230 gr lead RN
5.6 gr Uni Clays
Wolf lg Pistol Primers
Hornady manual said 800 FPS

The 44mag shot like a dream. Kicked less than a 38 which made it really fun and a blast (no pun intended) to shoot.
The 1911 kicked pretty good though which puzzled me.
Both had a TON of smoke though. Is that the clays? Is it just a dirty, smokey powder? Any recommendations for pistol powder that runs clean?
Thanks

That "44Mag" load is less than 44Spl....... very mild.

[Maddog5150]

Yeah I know. I just wanted it for fun and plinking. Also my dad is handicapped so I was testing the waters for a nice load for him to go out and have fun with. I did let my best friend shoot it. I loaded five of my reloads and one factory load he jumped like two feet in the air haha

[Chief-7700]

I shot at the Riverside Magnum Range. I loaded for a 44 mag.
240 gr lead SWC
6.0 gr Uni Clays
CCI Magnum Primers
Hornady manual said it will shoot 800fps

I also shot 45acp
230 gr lead RN
5.6 gr Uni Clays
Wolf lg Pistol Primers
Hornady manual said 800 FPS

The 44mag shot like a dream. Kicked less than a 38 which made it really fun and a blast (no pun intended) to shoot.
The 1911 kicked pretty good though which puzzled me.
Both had a TON of smoke though. Is that the clays? Is it just a dirty, smokey powder? Any recommendations for pistol powder that runs clean?
Thanks

Part of the smoke is the bullet lube.

[WileyWilly]

The majority of the smoke is from the lube on the lead bullets. Not much can be done about that.
Different powders smoke differently, different loadings of the same powder smoke differently. Sometimes varying the loading slightly to try to find a "less smoke" load works, sometimes it doesn't.

[Maddog5150]

Cool thanks guys. I'm a very much a noob when it comes to reloading and so far I love it. Makes way more satifaction when I hit a target as I did both hit the target and made the round

[dskell]

Pretty nervous squeezing off that first round? Such a good feeling when it goes off and doesn't blow up in your hand haha.

The smoke is just because of the bullet lube. I'm using a nearly identical load for .45ACP and it's a smokey one. But to me it is a very soft shooting load compared to factory .45ACP.

Which Turner's do you work at? (You can PM me if you want.)

[Maddog5150]

I work at the Corona one.
I have to admit that I havent shot a factory load in a LONG time lol. I'm a cheapskate so I've been shooting "factory" reloads for a while. I still have a ton of the miall gunshow crap and thats waaaaay light compared to my reloads but very very inconsistant with a hard kicking round once in a while. I should buy some regular factory loads and see how they compare
Also doesnt help that I havent shot a .45 or anything other than a 9mm in more than a year (wasting ammo NOT action)

[dskell]

I work at the Corona one.
I have to admit that I havent shot a factory load in a LONG time lol. I'm a cheapskate so I've been shooting "factory" reloads for a while. I still have a ton of the miall gunshow crap and thats waaaaay light compared to my reloads but very very inconsistant with a hard kicking round once in a while. I should buy some regular factory loads and see how they compare
Also doesnt help that I havent shot a .45 or anything other than a 9mm in more than a year (wasting ammo NOT action)

I've been the same way. Yeah I bought a batch of the Miwall reloads and while they did go bang every time, they were really inconsistent. I couldn't shoot them very well.

Been shooting pretty much the same load you described for a while and the other day I function tested some JHP's, they surprised me. I had clearly forgotten the recoil of a full power load.

[bsg]

Cool thanks guys. I'm a very much a noob when it comes to reloading and so far I love it. Makes way more satifaction when I hit a target as I did both hit the target and made the round

congratulations on your accomplishment.

[f4tweet]

Congratulations. FWIW, with a magnum cartridge beware of a double charge when you are using minimum powder charges. Ask me how I know....

[Maddog5150]

I was really really scared of that also. I tested my dillion though try to force it to double charge and couldnt. I KNOW it could still happen because I have horrible luck after murdering that leprechaun but I feel a little better about the blue press. What happened with your double charge?

[f4tweet]

Thank goodness it was an OM Blackhawk. It was in .41 Magnum with Titegroup. The recoil came straight back and my hand felt like it was hit with a rebar. Several bullets came out of cases and jammed the gun.

[Maddog5150]

wow. with it being a blackhawk, was it ok?

[f4tweet]

Blackhawk was fine. I sold all my Smith wheelguns. I'm sure they would have opened up.