First 50 (Range update!)

[7075-T7]

My first 50 reloads.

44 Magnum, Remington Brass, 200gr XTP, 16.4gr Blue dot, CCI 300 primer, 1.6" OAL., roll-crimped

Measured every powder charge just to make sure there will be no

I've saved about $15, only $500 something more to go to break even

[SeaHawk]

Congratulations!!!

I started reloading in 1971. I still haven't broken even because my saving just keep getting invested in more components and guns.

I hope you get to enjoy it as much and for as long as I have.

[7075-T7]

Congrats - and they look decent from what I can see, too!

Think of us when you drop the hammer on your first round - we'll be cheering you on (from way back yonder behind the sandbags)

I've saved about $15, only $500 something more to go to break even

Think "Lead bullets" - the .44 lurrrrves lead bullets

Thanks! Too bad I can't join ya'll behind the sandbags

What kind of lead bullet is good for the .44? I'm kinda confused between the "cowboy" bullets and the "magnum" bullets and what velocities to drive them at/ how much and what kind of powder.

[Jumping Frog]

What kind of lead bullet is good for the .44? I'm kinda confused between the "cowboy" bullets and the "magnum" bullets and what velocities to drive them at/ how much and what kind of powder.

Cowboy bullets are meant for low velocity, typically in the 750-800 fps kind of range. Usually uses a near-minimum charge. Meant only for putting holes in paper with minimum recoil.

"Magnum" bullets are a harder alloy; pushing them about 1200 fps is reasonable. Useful for putting holes into things that need holes. They'll be closer to a maximum charger. I'll also use gas-checked bullets at around 1500 fps.

Your load manual will give velocities associated with various powder charges.

[MoJo]

Seriously, you need to be behind the sandbags. Alliant's online data states for a 200 gr jacketed bullet 16.0 grains of Blue Dot is max!
I would seriously consider breaking them down and go to a starting load of 14.4 and work up from there. There have been numerous reports of guns being blown up using Blue Dot so much that Alliant stopped publishing Blue Dot data for .357 Magnum 125 gr JHP and all .41 Mag Data. A guy I know Kaboomed has .357 using Blue Dot. Based on Alliant's recommendation and what happened to my acquantence's gun I do not even keep Blue Dot any more. There are other powders that work as well or better without the Kabooms. Please be careful you only have two hands and two eyes and one life.

[Jumping Frog]

Seriously, you need to be behind the sandbags. Alliant's online data states for a 200 gr jacketed bullet 16.0 grains of Blue Dot is max!

Boy, I hadn't even looked at the load.

As mentioned, Alliant says 16.0 gr max, but that is for 200 gr Speer Mag JHP. That prompted me to pull my Hornady 6th Edition off the shelf and look. Hornady lists their 200 gr #44100 HP-XTP using Blue Dot as MIN=13.8 gr, MAX=17.1 gr.

I didn't bother checking my other manuals.

So you probably won't go Ka-Boom with 16.0, but I'd suggest starting lower and working your way up. What are these loads for? Target or Hunting? If they are target loads, there is no need to make them hot.

[7075-T7]

Seriously, you need to be behind the sandbags. Alliant's online data states for a 200 gr jacketed bullet 16.0 grains of Blue Dot is max!

Boy, I hadn't even looked at the load.

As mentioned, Alliant says 16.0 gr max, but that is for 200 gr Speer Mag JHP. That prompted me to pull my Hornady 6th Edition off the shelf and look. Hornady lists their 200 gr #44100 HP-XTP using Blue Dot as MIN=13.8 gr, MAX=17.1 gr.

I didn't bother checking my other manuals.

So you probably won't go Ka-Boom with 16.0, but I'd suggest starting lower and working your way up. What are these loads for? Target or Hunting? If they are target loads, there is no need to make them hot.

I made them from the newest Hornady manual and used the 10% lower than max load they had listed. They're for target but I like recoil. The New Lyman manual lists 18.7gr as maximum and 15.7gr as starting with the 200gr Hornady XTP COL of 1.610". So I went for the middle

The pistol is a Ruger Super-redhawk, which they apparently love full mag loads.

The alliant online lists a 1.59" OAL, hornady is 1.60" so maybe that's the difference in the loading? Lots of variation in charge weights between the manuals!

I appreciate the help and concern! If the first cyl is too hot I'll be sure to stop shooting them and reload

[Jumping Frog]

I made them from the newest Hornady manual and used the 10% lower than max load they had listed. They're for target but I like recoil. The New Lyman manual lists 18.7gr as maximum and 15.7gr as starting with the 200gr Hornady XTP COL of 1.610". So I went for the middle

Sounds reasonable.

I'd look at it similarly. 90% of Hornady would be a 15.4 gr starting load. 90% of Lyman is 16.8 gr. The difference between those two is 1.4 gr, so you picked about the 70% point in the range. Personal taste, I'd have gone a little lower, but I cannot fault your logic. I also noticed the Lyman manual also used the same Hornady bullet for their 200 gr JHP load.

[SeaHawk]

I only checked the Lyman 49th edition when first looking at your load. Since you had used exactly the same brass, primer and bullet your load didn't appear to be too far out of line. It was a little above starting charge but still in the low side.

Alliant data: 16.0 gr BD gave them 1495 fps.

Lyman: 18.7 gr BD from a 4 inch barrel 1245 fps and 35,100 CUP.

There seems to be a great deal of variation in data between loading manuals which makes me wonder if a more suitable powder should be selected.

[7075-T7]

There seems to be a great deal of variation in data between loading manuals which makes me wonder if a more suitable powder should be selected.

I noticed that the hornady and Lyman manuals don't agree on a lot of powder, especially blue dot and H110.

I'll give everyone a range report this week. If I don't, then something didn't go right

[ghostrider]

There seems to be a great deal of variation in data between loading manuals which makes me wonder if a more suitable powder should be selected.

you'll find that problem with a lot of powders and manuals.

[talltex]

Glad you've started loading your own...in addition to saving money, you can make a world of difference in accuracy. Every gun will perform differently with different loads, and you will be shocked in some cases at the difference just a few grains of powder can make in the way a particular gun shoots. Years ago, I had a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44mag I bought to use for deer hunting (had already shot deer with .357 and .45 acp, but wanted to extend my 'take the shot" range out closer to 100 yards. I was dissapointed in the accuracy of the gun with all the available factory loads, and the reloads I had tried...could not consistently hit paper plate at 100 yards shooting from benchrest with open sights. Had about given up on it, but happened to read an old article of Elmer Keith's where he talked about his favorite hot .44 mag load and how accurate it was in one of his guns. It was a little over the max loadings in the Lyman manual, and he recommended only using it in the S&W M29 or the Ruger Super with the heavier frame. I loaded some up and tried it...VERY hot...leaded the barrel ( wasn't using gaschecks)...heavy recoil...but it DID shoot! I was hitting paper plate with all 6 rounds each cylinder...a couple of 6"-7" groups (open sights). I used that gun and load strictly for hunting with one shot kills at 75-90 yards for a couple of years. Still have the gun, although I haven't hunted with it in 30 years. I've experienced even more dramatic changes in target rifles...I have a model 70 Winchester Varmint Special in 22-250 with heavy bull barrel...factory ammo it would shoot 1.5"-2.0" groups...after alot of experimentation I found a bullet /powder combo that would shoot 1" or better. I then separated cases and bullets into groups based on weighing them individually to eliminate as many variables as possible and started hand weighing the powder charges and loading 10 rounds in tenth of a grain increments. The group size would vary by as much as 2" on a couple of tenths of a grain of powder. On about the 7th load group, I hit the best combo for that rifle...that load would shoot a 5 shot group making one ragged hole the size of a dime. An increase of one tenth grain up or down and it would expand to 3/4". Of course for practical shooting purposes it makes no difference..anything that shoots under minute of angle is considered extremely accurate, but it was still amazing to see what it was capable of with just the right combination.

[7075-T7]

Well, I just got back from the range I can say that everything went without a hitch!

The 16.4 of blue dot over 200gr XTP was a nice magnum level but not too stout. The 23-24gr of H110 over 240gr XTP was a nice fireball maker as the grain weight was increased

No signs of pressure problems at all.

The wife said that the roof over the bay was shaking when I was firing, All in all an awesome day at the range and a great start to the hobby of handloading!

Now I gotta clean brass after work