Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 2400 and 44 mag loads

So what loads do folks shoot with 2400 in a 44 mag? Never tried this powder before, educate me.

In my Redhawk I like a 240gr XTP and 21 grains of 2400.
If I feel the need for a bigger bullet I pull out a .45colt and It gets fed 2400 as well.

Unique for lighter loads and 296/H110 for max loads with heavy bullets.2400 for everything in between.

I've used 2400 in the 44 maggie for over 45 years, 99% of the time its been a 250 gr Keith & 21 grs, that load has taken deer, elk & bear with great results.

Dick

My load uses the old 2400. 22 grains and a 240 bullet.

unique and 2400 are somewhat i think traditional powders for 44magnum, depending on what you want to do.
i just did some, and about to do some more with the 310 grain Lee gascheck bullet and 13.5grains of 2400, which is backing off a lot from the first few i did.

Back when I used 2400 in the 44 mag I loaded 22 grains behind the 240 grainers

you might find the links useful

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=44%20Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun

http://www.handloads.org/loaddata/d...dgun&Order=Powder&Source=Alliant

http://www.handgunsmag.com/2006/04/27/reloading-the-44-magnum/

http://www.reloadammo.com/44loads.htm
Ive personally found BLUE DOT was generally more accurate in mid range loads with lighter weight bullets and H110 gave a bit more velocity and better accuracy in both my 44 mag marlin carbine and 44 mag S&W revolvers, but 2400 certainly worked fairly well, but i can,t help but feel 2400 had noticeably more muzzle flash in dim light than either, and while thats hardly a major flaw, in a hunting load its a bit annoying in some indoor ranges

Elmer Keith's classic load was 22.0 grains of Hercules 2400 with his 250 grain cast bullet.

The Alliant 2400 available today is a bit faster so 21.0 grains is about tops for a 250 gr. cast or 240 gr. jacketed bullet. It will kick some butt on either end at that level.

The nice thing about 2400 is that it can be loaded down a smidge and still maintain good accuracy. I've loaded down to 18.0 or 18.5 grains for a bit less recoil but still maintaining top accuracy. It meters well and while it's not quite as clean as some newer powders it is still the classic .44 Magnum powder.

Use standard large pistol primers with it, no need to use magnum primers.

I love 2400 for two reasons. 20 grains gives me just the right cast lead load in my Ruger Flattop and 17 grains gives me a perfect load in my 8mm Mauser when shooting cast lead bullets for target work.

I like using 2400 as well in my .45 Colt for medium loads.....

240gr "Keith" from Missouri Bullet Company, 20gr 2400, standard primer = 1200fps from a 4" barrel.

I should of added that I use 14 grains with a 245-250 grain cast bullet, for a nice lite load. I never have had issues with egnition either.

2400 is very dirty, and that is an understatement in all pistols that I have shot it in. Cylinder and barrel looks like you dumped corn flake crumbs in there. I used up my supply in 3" mag 12ga loads.

Seems a bit cleaner, the hotter you burn it. But you're right, it is dirty.

I remember as a lad, handloading .38 spec. for my K-38. I don't remember the load, but you can believe it was pretty hot. I'd eject a cylinder of empties and there was enough residue that the ejector wouldn't seat fully and I couldn't close the gun. I had to get a tooth brush and clean the granules of residue from under the ejector before is would full seat, allowing the cylinder to close.

2400 is the only powder that caused that problem.

DF

I have had the same issue, worked up a hot 38 special load consisting of 12 gr 2400 and 160 gr lead flat nose bullet. However in my 44 mag 10 gr of 2400 and a 240 swc seems to burn much cleaner.

this is a very correct assessment in the usage of 2400 powder.

a little over 30 years ago, i had selected 296/110 as my specific choice for magnum loads. however, since "everyone who was in the know" said that 2400 was "the powder" for .44 mag, i listened to their advice and i decided to try it too, and immediately abandoned it due to various issues that i had discovered, one of which DF has noted above.

i had also briefly used hs6 for midloads in .44 mag (and .454 casull)--a fabulous powder, but those granules--if unburned--were like tiny ball bearings under the ejector star, making it very difficult--and in some cases impossible--to close the cylinder in the reloading sequence...

while 2400 can be a serviceable .44 mag powder--there is much better to be had. i would liken using 2400 to something like employing an old remington typewriter to draft a paper, when a computer with word is readily available.

I like your typewriter analogy...

Elmer made 2400 the .44 mag powder. He liked it, but don't you know, ole Elmer used smokin' hot loads. Maybe burning it "Elmer hot" resulted in less residue...

In the Ruger .44's, residue was less of an issue. It definitely could get critical, accumulating under an S&W ejector star.

It would be really interesting to see how the gun writers of old would take to all the new powders we now have...

DF

aside from granules under the ejector star, two of the things that really bothered me about full charge loads with 2400 powder were;

that when run at full throttle thresholds--i noted somewhat sharper recoil with the 2400, as contrasted to 296. in addition, at the edge of those "ain't no more" power levels, the cases would often stick--whereas i've never experienced that situation with 110/296.

for a brief time, i tried blue dot powder in magnum loads. in my experience, it is definitely not a full power .44 mag propellant--due to it's peculiar tendency to exhibit pms. when consulting manuals, i noted that there were very significant differences for full charge recommendations in those differing manuals--(if i recall correctly), from about 14 grains in one manual to around 19 grains in another. conversely, it can be an excellent powder for mid-loads in the .44 magnum.

like tetracycline or ampicillin when faced with severe bronchitis--heavy pills and high doses of 110/296 propellant are great medicine in .44 mags...

Interesting that you say that as I have noted it as well. 296 has a different burning profile and spreads the recoil out over a few more milliseconds. They both have some decent recoil but 2400 recoil always felt faster at same velocity levels.


Trivia question: Who knows how 2400 got its name? No fair googling.

I could be wrong but I heard years ago it produced 2400fps in a hornet with 45 grain reloads

now just out of curiosity Ill look for the real info......

bingo ! I was right!

http://www.lasc.us/taylorpaco22hornet.htm

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...mp;Weight=All&type=Rifle&Source=

http://www.nosler.com/22-caliber

http://www.shootingtimes.com/2011/01/04/ammunition_22hornet_082306/