Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Reloading for the 44 mag

Ok I have been reloading for my 270 win. & 300 Wby. for about 2 years now with no problem so I know the basics. Yesterday I ordered a 44 mag. SBH that I intend on reloading for.

Are there any differences in the reloading process that I need to know about when loading for a handgun cartirage?

Also explain to me some of the finer points of crimping?

I plan of getting a Lee Deluxe Carbide 4 die set, Hornady 240 gr XTP, 310 gr LFNGC, and H110 powder.

There's an extra step between sizing and bullet seating when loading for straight walled cartridges. You will use another die to slightly flare the case mouth so you can just finger start the heel of the bullet into the case. This keeps the mouth of the case from snagging the bullet and prevents shaving the bullet and/or collapsing the case wall when doing the full seating.

I prefer to seat the bullets and crimp them in separate steps, even when using a seating die capable of doing both in one press stroke. I seat the bullets with the crimp shoulder in the seating die adjusted away from the case mouths. Once I get all the bullets seated, I back out the seating stem and thread the die body down until it puts on the desired crimp with another stroke of the press ram.

Notice that mathman said "slightly flair". Good advice. You may have to adjust this die, and the crimping die, between the 2 bullets you have chosen.
H110 is a powder that tends to perform best, at near maximum loadings.
Sounds like you have the makings for some smasher loads.

Mathman pretty much described my method.

If he has the Lee 4 die set, he won't necessarily have to readjust the seating die. He could just use the factory crimp die.

I know most folks don't like to seat and crimp in the same operation, but other than a few lost cases here and there, I've never really had a problem with it. Just keep everything trimmed to nearly the same length. Never had too much problem with 44 Mag case stretching either. YMMV

I totally agree with this. For the crimp I suggest using a Lee Crimp Die rather than the seating die adjusted for a crimp. May just be me but I've found it easier to do that way.

You are going in the right direction with sound advice.
Bell the case mouth just enough to get the bullet seated and make sure you have a good crimp after the bullet is seated.

H110 is my favorite powder for the 44 Rem Mag and MAX loads with 240 gr and 250 gr bullets give excellent accuracy for me in my S&W 629 Classic.

JD338

One nice thing about using carbide sizer dies is you don't have to lube the cases.
I've found that my loads tend to shoot more accurately if I seat with one operation and crimp with another. Watch the last cartriage in the gun to see if your bullets start moving forward under recoil. Especially with lead bullets. Without enough crimp, they can do this and tie up the gun.
Try different powder charges at, say half grain intervals. Sometimnes slightly lower charges shoot quite a bit better.
Don't exceed listed data for all of your particular components. Revolvers don't indicate hot loads like rifles do. Loading such cartriages a grain or two over maximum has broken down lots of good guns over time. Not worth it.
Use magnum primers with that powder and don't load either H110 or WW296 below the listed minimums.
If H110 doesn't work well, I've found that one of the 4227's work well.
Have fun. E

Hey, is there room for one more person to say H110 and 240gr XTP's are the whip for the 44? I run them in both a S&W 29, and a Ruger 96 carbine.

I also crimp after all bullets seated.

I use a hand press for all my straight walled cartridges.

For my 44 magnums I prefer 2400 for the powder and my own cast bullets for the bullet. I can load pretty close to 1,000 loads for about $100 when I cast my own bullets. I have shot a lot of 44 bullets and have never noticed any difference in performance between a jacketed and a cast bullet in the 44 magnum. And this includes accuracy and effectiveness on game animals. I just can not justify the expense of jacketed bullets. But to each his own.

I also crimp in a different step. I like the RCBS dies, but I also like the Lyman M-die for belling the case. I also prefer the Redding Profile Crimp die.

Belling of the case is a pretty important step. It is probably more important when shooting cast bullets. You want to be careful and not shave the bullets. But other than that I see no difference between cast and jacketed. Tom.

Thanks guys, you al have been very helpful. Keep any advice you have coming.

For plinking I think you might want some light loads with cast bullets. They really let you get to know the feel of your gun and practice without spending a lot on bullets or feeling a lot of recoil.

With a 240gr cast bullet on top of 8.5gr of Unique, my SBH with 10.5" barrel is a pop can's worst nightmare.

+1, shot quite a few of these, cheap accurate and plenty comfortable to shoot. Just double check the powder charges by eye before seating the bullet to avoid a double charge.

Good advice given. Barely flair, crimp in a separate step, and make sure that the cases are all trimmed to the exact same length so the crimping die is properly set for all cases.

It would be extremely unusual for your gun not to like 110 or 296. Both are excellent for 240gr.

I'm another seat in one step and crimp in another, just as mathman describes.

Probably the one thing you want to watch out for is accidental double charges with faster burning powders. Often they don't fill the case up far enough to avoid being able so seat a bullet over a double charge.

When I'm using a powder that doesn't fill the case up, I'm ESPECIALLY careful to load from one block to another, without distractions, and then visually check the charged cases with a good light before seating bullets. Twice.

Keep in mind that the two bullets you have listed, the 240 jacketed and 310 cast gc, will probably shoot to different points of aim. Find which you like best, then stick with it.

Manny

And you may find you need more front sight to get the 310's to hit to point of aim. Not a simple fix on a blued SBH.

+1 If I screw the rear sight all the way down on mine, I can just get 300 gr bullets to regulate at 50 yards.