Updated on post 13. Questions on loading Extreme 44 Mag 240 Gr bullets.

[Skernie]

I am new to reloading 44 Mag, and would like to know how hot you load your plated 44 Mag 240 Gr bullets? How much past 1200 FPS if any, can they be loaded to, at what point will they cause problems, and what problems will I run into if I load a plated bullet too hot (Barrel leading, stripping the copper plating off the bullet), anything else?

These will be plinking rounds, but I would like to get as much of the 44 Mag effect as possable out of them.

I have loaded up some Hornady XTP's with Winchester 296 for the full 44 Mag experience, but I can't shoot those all the time.

If it makes any difference I will be shooting these out of a S&W 629 with a 6" Barrel.

Thanks in advance for helping me out,
Skernie

[357magnum]

I love my H110 for big magnum bang.
If you want lighter loads, for plated bullets, try Unique or W231, these powders are not as pressure sensitive as H110.

[chknlyps2]

I have used Extreme plated 240 grain with H110 and had no problems. The window between min & max is pretty narrow with 296 & H110 and I stayed just at min. Nice round holes on paper and can hit a steel plate 2 or 3 times out of 6 at 100 yards so the plating is still in tact and they are flying straight. For plinking I like 18 or 19 grains of 2400, way softer but still has a good bang and you can shoot 100 rounds and not make your hand numb.

[hawks]

This is from their web site;
Load Info

Our Copper Plated Bullets can be run at mid-range jacketed velocities or higher end lead velocities. We do not recommend velocities over 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and only a light taper crimp.

Any velocities over 1200 FPS we recommend either our Heavy Plate Concave Base or Hollow Point products for superior accuracy. We do not recommend velocities over 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and only a light taper crimp.

[maxx03]

I run plated 357 bullets at 1500 fps out of my Henry Rifle with no Ill effects, using Winchester 296 and Magnum primers. I also use the same load for my 4"686 at 1200 fps. YMMV.

[Skernie]

Thanks guys, this is the exactly the type of information that I am looking for. I am trying to see how hot I can reload plated bullets, and still keep the fun of the big boom.

[357magnum]

Another option for plated bullets, are PowerBond plated bullets.
240gr flat point, I load these the same as Hornady 240gr XTP = 23.0gr H110
I get the same performance and accuracy with the PowerBond vs Hornady XTP.
PowerBond plated bullets have a thicker plating than most other plated bullets, yet still cost less than jacketed bullets.
Hope this helps.

[Skernie]

Thanks 357magnum, for the heads up on powerbond bullets. I have been donig some research on them, and I like what I am reading. I think I will give them a try.

[rm1911]

I run plated 357 bullets at 1500 fps out of my Henry Rifle with no Ill effects, using Winchester 296 and Magnum primers. I also use the same load for my 4"686 at 1200 fps. YMMV.

This is good to know. Looking for something to run through my gp100 and have some fun with.

[mike100]

8-ish grains of Unique works well with plated 240 grains. I think once i started going over 9 grains the plating started to tear off the bullets. Never had the opportunity to chrono them, but the 8 grain ones kick nicely without the boom or big flame out the front.

[TeirHawg]

I recently started loading the X-Treme .44 240gr plated over 21 grs IMR 4227. I don't have a chrono, but it should be around the 1150-1200 FPS mark. It is very accurate, and a nice "medium" 44 magnum load. I'll save my limited 296 supply for jacketed bullets.

I've loaded their .357 125 gr plated over a max dose of Power Pistol. It is well over the 1200 FPS mark, and is a fun load to shoot in a short barrel revolver. I've had no signs of plated jacket separation, or poor accuracy. When I'm finished with my supply of the 125 gr bullets, I'll be ordering the extra thick HP plated bullets just to be safe.

A side note about Unique and 240 gr .44 mag bullets. I've used 9 grs of Unique under hard cast lead SWC. It is a "mild" load, and not much faster than a 44 special. Depending on which load book is referenced, its about 1000 FPS. I would think X-Treme's plated would be around the same speed. Should be a mild load, and much less "Smokey" than the LSWC bullets.

I think the X-treme plated bullets can be pushed up towards the 1500 fps mark, but with caution. Their heavy plated, or HP heavy plated just gives a better margin of safety. As always, YMMV.

[Skernie]

Thanks for all the replies to this thread, I now have an idea on where to start with my loads, and watch for pressure signs, and other problems.

[Skernie]

I finally got to work on my 44 Mag 240 grain Extreme reloads. After reading hours, and hours of write ups on the net, I was hesitant to load them using my Winchester 296, with the Extreme bullets.

So what I decided on was to load 11 grains of CFE Pistol, with a CCI 300 primer, and a COL of 1.620, as I was just about finished loading these rounds, I decided that I was going to load 23.1 grains of 296, with a CCI 350 primer, and a COL of 1.610.

The 11 grains of CFE Pistol was a very nice shooting load, my friend, and I really liked it a lot. It had a very nice kick to it, and was very accurate.

For the 23.1 grains of 296, oh my god that load was a lot of fun. I was not sure if I would get any leading in the barrel, so I checked after every shot for lead deposits with a borelight. We only shot 4 rounds each of this load but it was great fun, and the best part, there was no lead in the barrel at all after we shot these loads.

Shooting the 44 Mag was the best part of shooting tonight. The gun, and this round are beasts.

So with all being said, and done. I will be loading many more Extreme 240 Gr bullets with 23.1 grains of Winchester 296/H110 for the big bang effect. I will also be using the 11 granis of CFE Pistol load as my go to load.

Thanks everyone for your input, and for reading this thread,
Skernie

[CGT80]

How is the recoil with the 296/110 in that gun?

That is a sweet revolver. I fondled one in the gun shop and really liked how well it balanced. I ended up getting the Smith 460 XVR 8 3/8" instead.

296 is great for balls to the wall loads. Win 231, red dot, and herco all all good for plinking loads with cast or plated bullets in the 44. My grandfather and I used red dot for his 44 mag. The cool thing about the revolver is that you can shoot just about anything you can dream up vs. a semi auto. In my 460, I run loads from 750-1900 fps. I use 45 colt cases for real light loads, but in the 44, it seemed better to just run 44 mag brass for all loads rather than running two sets of dies or readjusting. I suppose you could run the spl brass for your light loads and mag brass for the 296 to keep track, but the length is so close it is hard to tell if you don't have them side by side. It isn't worth running 454 brass in mine, even though it is possible.



Lets see that beautiful revolver and some of those extreme bullets!