Home Forums Reloading Reloading Software .44Mag/Spl Load Test Data

OK, I finally broke down and bought a chronograph. I tested various loads to compare to what I had settled on as my "go to" loads for .44 Mag. and .44 Spl. to using Hodgdon Universal powder from Alliant Unique powder.

Gun used was a S&W M-69 4.25" barrel.
All bullets used were 240 gr. Keith style "Hy-Tek" coated lead SWC from Bayou Bullets.
Primers were Remington.
Brass was mixed range pick up.
Powder for each load was individually weighed on a Frankford Arsenal electronic scale.
All cartridges were crimped with a Lee factory crimp die.

Chrono results:

.44 Magnum

Unique 10 gr. 1079 FPS
1119
1113

Universal 10 gr. 1111 FPS
1123
1118

Universal 10.1 gr. 1135 FPS
1120
1128

Universal 10.2 gr. 1132 FPS
1131
1115

Universal 9.9 gr. 1100 FPS
1095
1090

Universal 9.8 gr. 1104 FPS
1099
1100

Universal 9.7 gr. 1090 FPS
1095
1102


.44 Special

Unique 7.5 gr. 947 FPS
959
931
947
937
922
937
918
961

Universal 7.5 gr. 909 FPS
922
957

Universal 7.6 gr. 929 FPS
938
939

Universal 7.7 gr. 933 FPS
946
964

Universal 7.4 gr. 898 FPS
919
914

Universal 7.3 gr. 925 FPS
897
939

Universal 7.2 gr. 900 FPS
898
900

I have found that Universal is cleaner burning than Unique. On magnum loadings, 10 grains of either seem to be equivalent with this combination of bullet and primer. On special loads, 7.7 gr. of Universal seems to be equivalent to 7.5 grains of Unique. However they are pretty close to each other at 7.5 gr. FWIW, in the special loads I found the 7.7 gr. Universal load to be very accurate over the others. Accuracy of all these loads were good. YMMV.