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Joined: Jan 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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I'm very new to reloading handgun cartridges so am seeking some advice. I want to develop a 44 mag load for my S & W Mountain Gun oriented mostly to lighter (200 - 225 gr) jacketed bullets at relatively modest (i.e. 1000 fps) velocities. The use would be shots of opportunities on coyotes or cougars. I've read that a number of the 44 mag powders are best when at higher pressures (and therefore velocity). Unique (which I have) is listed as one powder that is very flexible as to be able to download to lower velocity and still retains decent accuracy. Are there other powders that should be on my list?
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2001
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A lot of folks like anywhere from 8-11 gr Unique under cast 240s.
I use 9.0 gr Unique under jacketed 240s and cast 240/250s. Shoots well at about 1000 fps.
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Joined: Sep 2014
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Unique would be my choice. Use it in 44 for cast bullets. Have been wanting a 45 mountain gun for awhile and passed up a 44 about a year ago. Regret that. The plan is to shoot cast at 900 or so. Should make for a pleasant but effective handgun. Universal seems to duplicate unique fairly well and may be cleaner. But i think the newer unique is clean enough, never minded the old stuff.
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Campfire Outfitter
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I prefer Accurate #7 to Unique as it burns cleaner; for really light loads in magnum brass I like Hodgdon Trail Boss.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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For loads as you describe, any of the faster to medium powders should work quite easily. Things like 231, HP38, Universal, Unique, Power Pistol, Accurate No 5, or HS6 would work.
I've personally had great luck with HP38 and 200-250 grs cast bullets or 200-240 gr Jacketd bullets running in the 950-1050 range in 4" 44 Mags. Unique is a classic for this too.
Mark in GA
Last edited by MarkinGA; 12/27/14.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire Tracker
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I use both Unique and Universal for lighter loads in 44 mag brass. Loads are a 250 gr. Keith over 8.0 to 8.5 gr. of either powder. Velocity is 875 to 975 fps. depending on barrel length and is very pleasant to shoot. If you decide to go hotter, I'd recommend H110/W296 or 2400 with H110/296 only used for near max loads. A lot of guys load more Unique up to 1100 to 1200 fps. but for my use, that is too hot for this powder.
I actually prefer Universal, but it is generally not available now due to a fire at the manufacturing plant. I intend to try some Power Pistol as soon as I can lay my hands on some.
If we live long enough, we all have regrets. But the ones that nag at us the most are the ones in which we know we had a choice.
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I'm very new to reloading handgun cartridges so am seeking some advice. I want to develop a 44 mag load for my S & W Mountain Gun oriented mostly to lighter (200 - 225 gr) jacketed bullets at relatively modest (i.e. 1000 fps) velocities. You can get 200-210 grain cast lead bullets that will do the job at 900-1000 fps. Two reasons why I think they'd be more useful to you than jacketed. One, they are cheaper. Two, they are both your practice and your hunting loads, which means that when your opportunity arises unexpectedly, you don't have worry about your sights being out of adjustment for the opportunity. At that velocity, leading shouldn't be much of a concern.
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Joined: May 2007
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Back when I used to play with .44 mag quite a bit. My favorite down size load was blue dot. I found it burned fairly clean unlike Unique which IMHO is one of the dirtiest powders I have ever used. And I got good accuracy out of it. It did not wrench my wrist like W296, or H110. Was just a good mild mannered powder. Again this is just MHO, but I think it would be worth a try for you.
Last edited by j2dogs; 12/28/14.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I use both Unique and Titegroup for my light loads, depending on what I can get...
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Most people don't want to believe the truth~they want the truth to be what they believe.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2004
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I'm very new to reloading handgun cartridges so am seeking some advice. I want to develop a 44 mag load for my S & W Mountain Gun oriented mostly to lighter (200 - 225 gr) jacketed bullets at relatively modest (i.e. 1000 fps) velocities. The use would be shots of opportunities on coyotes or cougars. I've read that a number of the 44 mag powders are best when at higher pressures (and therefore velocity). Unique (which I have) is listed as one powder that is very flexible as to be able to download to lower velocity and still retains decent accuracy. Are there other powders that should be on my list? Nearly any pistol powder can be used so don't start off hung up on some ancient, dirty-burning, poor-metering, Abraham Lincoln endorsed Unique. But since you already bought some of it - all is lost as you are now another Unique-droid. It is hard for me to think of a fast or medium burn rate powder that won't work great for your stated purpose. Although I personally would carry a 45acp instead of downloading to 44Wussy. Seriously, ANY powder used for 45acp will do what you want. I don't feel like typing them all out. Personally I would tend towards the faster stuff as it will top-out burning cleanly at 1000fps and good ignition with regular primers.
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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... poor-metering, Abraham Lincoln endorsed Unique. Unique meters very well in my Dillon. Very consistent. Somebody mentioned Blue Dot. I know someone who uses a lot of Red Dot in the .44 magnum. Don't know where he finds it, though. I haven't seen any for ages.
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Joined: Feb 2007
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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200 gr bullets around 900 to 1000 FPS?
My vote would be Trailboss.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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In .44 mag, for "heavy" loads, I like H110, for lighter loads, Universal, for really light loads with cast bullets only, Trail Boss. I have both Unique and Power Pistol, but have not tried them in .44 yet. Have just started to use Titegroup in both .44 and .45 LC, and it seems to do OK with 300gr + Hard Cast bullets at 900 - 1000 fps or so.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Hodgdon "Longshot" ( if you can find some) powder can fill the gap between Unique and the slower 44 Mag powders. I have loaded 11.5 grains using a hard cast 250 gr Keith bullet for about 1200 FPS.
Doc
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I have tried several powders and all preform very well when vol is 800/1000 fps With a 240 gr kieth bullet.. Latest thing I have been playing with is trail boss.. Works just fine.....
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Campfire Outfitter
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I've run a few thousand rounds thru my 629, with 9.0 grains of Unique under a 218 grain Cast Bullet. Very accurate and pleasant to shoot. A jacketed bullet should perform similar! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
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Campfire Regular
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I switched over to Unerversal Clays for lighter loads. It is much cleaner and is easy to get accurateloads with. That said the new Unique is much cleaner than the old stuff. 9grs U-Clays under a Magnus 240gr SWCBB will work wonders.
.264 barrel current number of shots:2122
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I use 5-6grs of bullseye or red dot with 240 cast for light plinkers.
8.5grs Unique works well too.
When I die I hope I don't start voting democrat.
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Joined: Jul 2007
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I've shot literally 10s of thousands of rounds of light to mid range loads using unique in the .44 magnum.
Between unique and H110, you have all bases covered. Both powders meter great in my Dillons.
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