When loading .44 Special loads in .44 magnum brass I've always seated the bullet to the crimping groove and applied the same amount of crimp as I do when loading magnum loads. Why should a .44 Special load require a different amount of crimp ?
The crimp is of less importance than is the internal capacity of the cartridge case. Handgun cartridges are very sensitive to changes in case capacity. Seating a bullet deeper or more shallow will change chamber pressure and velocities drastically.
Often time "special" loads will not develop enough pressure to burn completely or uniformly when loaded to magnum internal capacities. It behooves us to duplicate the internal capacity of the case the load was developed in. At least to some approximation.
