Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting loading for a 44mag rifle,which powder?

Would it be better to load a 44 rifle with a different powder than for a pistol?The gun in question is a lever.

H110 / WW296 is about perfect for a .44 Magnum in either a carbine or a pistol. Most books that show rifle loads only show the loadings with the slower powders (that I've mentioned), plus others such as Vitha N110, IMR 4227, Alliant 2400, and Accurate #9.

You can use either but I would use something along the lines of a rifle powder like 3031

I like to use 2400 powder for my 44 Magnum and 45 Colt loads. I use the same powder for rifle and handgun loads. However for a rifle I definitely prefer a heavy crimp. I prefer a heavy crimp for handguns as well. But I find the heavier the better in long guns.

I only shoot bullets that I cast. Tom.

If you want full throttle jacketed bullet loads for hunting H110 is hard to beat.

Use the same powders, the extra velocity gain comes from the extra length of the barrel, not from different powders. If your .44 MAG rifle is a semi-auto make sure you load for full power, don't use reduced loads or you may not cycle the action. My choice is 2400, but 296/H110 are hard to beat for maximum velocity.

Ps Tom264 - you must be thinking .444 Marlin and not .44 REM MAG - as much as I like IMR 3031 in long straight wall cases like the 45/70, I don't think it will work well in a .44 MAG - even if safe there are far too many better choices.

The last thing I want to do is have separate loads for my Super Redhawk revolver and Browning B92 carbine.

H100 all around, same bullets and charge.

Tom,

I've never tried it, but I don't think one could get enough 3031 powder in a .44 Rem Mag case to do any good. I've used 4227 in .45 Colt for pistol and long gun, but I think 3031 is more bulky than 4227.

DF

H110 works like a charm. Clean burning too. I can't say as that 2400 is so clean.

Another vote for H110. Top velocities in both my rifles and my pistol. And though I have very little experience with it, Li'l Gun is a very close second, depending on bullet weight.

Dirtfarmer and Odessa you both are correct there are better choices out there for a rifle powder and I used that one as an example but you can load 26-27 grains of that behind a 240 grain bullet.

I do see much better choices though.

3031 is waaaay too slow for the 44 Mag.

H110 is one of the best for top performance in the 44 Mag.

H-110/WW296

+1

Elmer Keith loved 2400, but I always found it to be dirty with a granular residue that sometimes got under the ejector on an S&W. Too much of that and the gun closed hard, or wouldn't close. I think the above are ("is" as it's the same stuff) better and cleaner burning.

DF

Top Pick: H110/296.

Honorable Mention: Lil'Gun, AA#9.

Also Ran: 2400, both 4227's.

Any of the above will work well enough IME, but H110/296 is my preference for the same reasons others have mentioned. If you have one of the others on the bench, by all means run it. Heck if you have Blue Dot try it.


Waiting in the Wings: Ramshot Enforcer & 300-MP.

Haven't tried these yet, will if I ever burn up all the H110 I have now.

My favorite .44 mag lever action load was a 300 grain XTP over 20 grains of Win 296. I have a rack hanging on the garage wall from a nail. The hole was bored right between the horns ... but not with a drill bit.

That there right there was the epitome of "DRT" and "lights out". He was doin' the death wiggle before he hit the ground.

I remember something about Blue Dot causing pressure spikes, I'm not sure if it was with a reduced load or what. Just check it out if you want to go that route. I've used Blue Dot in a Texas Longhorn Arms, .45 Win Mag with good results, if fact it was the most accurate load in that revolver.

DF

H/IMR 4227 and the 250 Partition is what my old Ruger Carbine sees. Can't shoot cast in it.

I don't buy 2400, 296, or H110 anymore...

Put a tighther crimp on that 2400. That cleans up 2400 very well. I can't tell you why-because I don't know. But it works. And for me it also gave the most consistent SD's. Tom.