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II have a Uberti made Cimarron 44 special with a 7&1/2 inch barrel. All my reloading manuals list loads with quick burning powder for 750-800fps with 250 grain bullets My problem is the gun shoots 6-8 inches high at 25 yards. I don't believe I can make/attach a higher front sight. I believe the problem is the low velocity is allowing the recoil to raise the barrel before the bullet is out. My 4&3/4 inch Ruger shoots these loads maybe 2 inches high. I use 250 grain cast bullets which may be on the heavy side, but I have a 4 cavity mold for it and the availability of 200 grain bullets is nonexistent. I tried 12 grains of 2400 and it shot 5 inches high but was very dirty. I like 16 grains of 2400 in my Ruger which burns clean but I'm afraid to try it in the Uberti so I no longer load it. The recoil of the above loads is very mild. I would like a higher velocity load that is safe in the Uberti. Does anyone know how it compares to the Ruger strengthwise? I'm sure Brian Pierce could answer my questions but I don't know how to contact him. Thanks,Mike


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I've been shooting .44 Special for more than 40 yrs. now, the load I've used for years is the Skeeter Skelton load of 7.5gr. of Unique. I always used it with a 200gr. RNFP bullet although is is safe to use with 245 - 250gr. bullets. You might give that load a try.

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I have used 7.5 grains of Unique or Universal with a 240 or 250 hard cast in new model vaqueros with no problems

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I had a 3rd generation Colt SAA for years and I still own 2 S&Ws, a 24 and a 21. I use a 250 grain bullet and 8 grains of Unique in my S&Ws and I used the same in the Colt. I can't say for certain about the strength of the Uberti, and rumors say their cylinders are not made of the same steel as a real Colt or a S&W, and I have been told they are very soft. I can't confirm that myself, but it may be true. If so I would not go as hot as may load, but who to ask about "blow-up tests" I have no idea.

The 8 grains of Unique load with a 250 grain bullet was/is very good in all my 44 specials and the cases would just about fall from the guns, but it is over the max loads according to some manuals. I believe this is because back at the turn of the century the 44 special and the 44 Russian shared the same ballistics and the pressures were set because of existing parameters of velocities and bullet weights from the Black powder days, not because of the safe upper limits of the guns they were chambered in. E. Keith used 18.5 gr of 2400 with 240 grain bullets for many years in S&W 44 special revolvers and did fine, and the old colts, even the 2nd Generation colts were known to be as strong or stronger then the S&Ws. That load is WAY hotter then any spec set by the makers of the ammo, which were written down in the days well before WW1.

All that aside, I can say that in every 44 Spl I have ever used this load in including about 6 others that belong to friends of mine, the accuracy is simply outstanding, with ragged hole groups at 20 yards being common.

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Originally Posted by szihn
I had a 3rd generation Colt SAA for years and I still own 2 S&Ws, a 24 and a 21. I use a 250 grain bullet and 8 grains of Unique in my S&Ws and I used the same in the Colt. I can't say for certain about the strength of the Uberti, and rumors say their cylinders are not made of the same steel as a real Colt or a S&W, and I have been told they are very soft. I can't confirm that myself, but it may be true. If so I would not go as hot as may load, but who to ask about "blow-up tests" I have no idea.

The 8 grains of Unique load with a 250 grain bullet was/is very good in all my 44 specials and the cases would just about fall from the guns, but it is over the max loads according to some manuals. I believe this is because back at the turn of the century the 44 special and the 44 Russian shared the same ballistics and the pressures were set because of existing parameters of velocities and bullet weights from the Black powder days, not because of the safe upper limits of the guns they were chambered in. E. Keith used 18.5 gr of 2400 with 240 grain bullets for many years in S&W 44 special revolvers and did fine, and the old colts, even the 2nd Generation colts were known to be as strong or stronger then the S&Ws. That load is WAY hotter then any spec set by the makers of the ammo, which were written down in the days well before WW1.

All that aside, I can say that in every 44 Spl I have ever used this load in including about 6 others that belong to friends of mine, the accuracy is simply outstanding, with ragged hole groups at 20 yards being common.


Lead 250gr bullet? If so, cast by you or bought? Gas check? Hardness?

I’ve been shooting the 200gr XTP, but my supply is drying up. I have a boatload of Unique. Thanks for your time.

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Yes cast by me. Lyman 429244 with Gas Checks.

The old 429421 plane base (245 grain) works just fine too, and at the velocity I get with 8 gr of unique no gas check is needed. I used the 429244 a lot in the Specials because I have a 4 cavity mold and in the old days gas checks were REALLY cheap and over 1/2 of them went through my 44 magnums loaded hot, so I did all the bullets the same way. But today I would use the plane base bullet, cast hard and lubed with LBT Soft in my 44 specials. I don't load anything hotter for my 44 Specials because I see no need to. If I want more I have some 44 mags and a 454 Casull. I use 8 grains with a 245 or 250 in my 44 specials and nothing else. This load in a 44 Spl will do about 98% of all the things anyone would ever call on a revolver to do.

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I'll second the nomination for the Skeeter Skelton load. I run a 250 gr BHN level 11 Lyman 429421, ie the Elmer Keith bullet in my S&$624. Mild recoil and hits hard enough for any use I put it to. Should work just fine with you gas checked bullet as well.

Before I forget, the 18.5 gr. 2400 load was used in balloon head cases. It's too hot for current .44 Spl. brass.
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Look up the Brian Pierce article in Handloader from a few years back, lots of good loads for all strengths of guns in his tables. As much as I love Unique that article made me go buy a big jug of PowerPistol.

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2400 leaves unburned powder in lighter loads. The faster burning powders are better. I've had good results with Unique, W231, Power Pistol, Trail Boss, 700X..

The 200gr bullets should be easier to move fast.

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Originally Posted by gunswizard
I've been shooting .44 Special for more than 40 yrs. now, the load I've used for years is the Skeeter Skelton load of 7.5gr. of Unique. I always used it with a 200gr. RNFP bullet although is is safe to use with 245 - 250gr. bullets. You might give that load a try.


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If you want it to shoot lower, try a 180 grain bullet at a higher velocity. It should shoot several inches lower


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Thanks for the replies. I will look through my old handloader magazines. I would like to try the unique load and/or lighter bullets but they are not available to me at this time. I have tried 231, 700X, 800x, Accurate #5, Red Dot, 4227 and 2400and all shoot high in the longer barrel.

Mike


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Not a gunwriter, but I've loaded a few .44s.

As others have said, lighter and faster will almost certainly shoot lower. I suggest you place an order to a caster for some 200 gr now so you will have them sometime this year. Even if you wait 3 months you'll still be on the waiting list and it may be that long before you find light weight jacketed. Actually Brazos was claiming a 2 week wait not long ago, don't know what it is now.


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The Uberti is safe with loads that are appropriate for a Colt SAA. It is not suitable for the "Ruger/FA only" loads. A lighter bullet is the simplest way to bring the group down. I have a .44 Spl. Colt SAA and use 2 different loads in it, both with 240 grain SWC commercial hard cast bullets; 5.0 grains of Red Dot for about 750 fps, and Skeeter's load of 7.5 grains of Unique for about 900 fps. Both loads shoot to the sights from my revolver.

One way to raise the front sight that I have used in the past may scare you a bit. I had a 4 3/4" Colt SAA .44/40 with an extra .44 Special cylinder that shot unacceptably high with all loads in both calibers. There was a large vise at work with smooth faced jaws. I placed the front sight fully into the jaws and squeezed it hard in the vise. I ended up with a significantly thinner, and significantly higher, front sight. My revolver then shot to point of aim. I thought that the thinner front sight made it easier to get a good sight picture than in it's original, wider configuration. The smooth jaws of the vise did not mar the sides of the sight, at least not enough to notice. If you are feeling adventurous, this method worked for me. But use it at your own risk.

Last edited by wildhobbybobby; 04/17/21.

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My favorite variation of the "Skeeter" Skelton .44 Spl "+P" load is a 240 Gr. coated cast lead SWC over 7.7 Gr. of Universal. It just works (and burns cleaner than Unique).


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I sure agree that lighter bullets may solve the problem and you can do this by removing some weight from your current bullets.....try putting them in a lathe and turning them into large cavity hollow points....there are other ways as well but hollow points are the easiest to do. If this don't work, and depending on your love for the gun and special arts you can have the front sight welded up and then recontoured by filing a new higher front sight. You need about .058 increase in your front sight height and a bit of oxpho blue to touch it up. A good man with a tig torch can do this fairly well, the recontouring is artsy but can be done. You can confirm the .058 number by lightly tapping a lead BB shot until it's that height and then using some CA glue and accelerant lightly attach it to the existing front sight. This can be removed fairly easily later by lightly tapping it off. (or use a wood chisel) I've done this twice with good success.

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If you are just shooting for fun, try a lighter bullet. I had to drop from 255 down to 180 in a Remington 45 Colt replica. In another gun, a Ruger that some dumba$$ had filed the sight down I had a buddy tig weld material on top of the sight and then I filed it down to get it on at 25 yards with rear in mid position. A little hotter load might help as it will cut the barrel time.


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