Rossi Rifleman

Just wondering if it is possible to load 44special charge in 44 mag case for plinking

Of course! Same with .38 Special loads in .357 brass.

Not exactly. With the greater case volume, a 44 Spl recipe in a magnum case will have a lower than predicted pressure and velocity. But you can certainly download 44 Mag to 44 Spl velocities.

And please do not use slow powders (1680, 296, 4227... ) to down load.. Powders with burn rates similar to Unique work well.
For fun try a case full of 3F Blackpowder. Change your whole thinking about what BP is capable of doing !
Mike in Peru

I started loading .44 Magnum in '88 and have loaded everything from 123 gr balls with a dusting of Bullseye up to 300 gr, T-Rex Killers, in Magnum brass. Be aware that the listed velocities/pressures for Special loads, will be lower in a Magnum case; larger capacity Magnum case. If going with a light Special load in Magnum brass, watch for squibs.

I tailor my loads for the guns I will be shooting them in; I like a 265 gr, RNFP over WC820 in my Puma and lighter loads, 255 SWC over Universal, in my 629...

I just stick to 6.5 to 7 gr of Trail Boss for my light feeling loads in the .44 mags. Nice case fill and nice soft plinking load.


jd

Oh man! This thread is absolutely relevant to my needs.

I'm a beginner at reloading, and am looking for a reliable load that will be both economical and soft shooting for general plinking in both a 44 mag 16" carbine and a 5-1/2" revolver

I have 1k Xtreme 240gr plated bullets, so that's what I'll be using.

For powders, I'm debating between Alliant BE-86, Unique, Hodgdon 700x, Alliant Blue Dot, and Hodgdon HS-6. A big advantage would be a powder that meters well and reliably since I'll be using a progressive press.

Can anyone give me the pros and cons of any of the above powders? Will I need to use magnum primers, or can I get away with LPP's?

Any help will be appreciated.

I use Unique for medium to light loads using cast bullets in the .44.
It may not meter too well in slider powder measures but it works pretty well in my Redding 3BR, my buddy's Hornady or another bud's old (but not new) Lyman 55.

Winchester primers are good for both standard and magnum loads. Standard primers are fine for Unique.

desertrider wrote:Oh man! This thread is absolutely relevant to my needs.

I'm a beginner at reloading, and am looking for a reliable load that will be both economical and soft shooting for general plinking in both a 44 mag 16" carbine and a 5-1/2" revolver

I have 1k Xtreme 240gr plated bullets, so that's what I'll be using.

For powders, I'm debating between Alliant BE-86, Unique, Hodgdon 700x, Alliant Blue Dot, and Hodgdon HS-6. A big advantage would be a powder that meters well and reliably since I'll be using a progressive press.

Can anyone give me the pros and cons of any of the above powders? Will I need to use magnum primers, or can I get away with LPP's?

Any help will be appreciated.

Just a hint that will help you in the future; find a load (bullet, powder, primer) in your reloading manual before you buy any components. You'll have many fewer delays and headaches this way...

I have been reloading the .44 Magnum for 5 guns since '88 and have loaded everything from 123 gr. balls over a dusting of Bullseye to 300 gr T-Rex Killers over hefty loads of WC820 and 2400. I have used an awful lot of Unique in Special loads and light Magnum loads. I have a very good, accurate load for my 20" Puma with 240 LRNFP over Blue Dot. I think starting with Unique for loading both 44 Special and 44 Magnum is a good idea as you can go from mild to wild. I often load 44 Special loads in .44 Magnum brass for mild shooting (listed velocities for Special loads will be higher than the same load in Magnum brass).

mikld wrote: Just a hint that will help you in the future; find a load (bullet, powder, primer) in your reloading manual before you buy any components. You'll have many fewer delays and headaches this way...

I wholeheartedly agree with you. Which is what I did. I bought 1k Xtreme 240gr plated bullets, a jug of H110, and a box of Winchester magnum primers to load for a 44 mag Desert Eagle that I bought a couple years ago. I realized soon after buying the DE that shooting 44 is expensive when you don't roll your own, so after talking with a few DE owners and gathering info, like I am here, I bought components to reload based on a recipe for the DE.

Now I've expanded my 44 mag addiction to include a 5-1/2" Redhawk and my 16" Chiappa carbine. I'd like to save my magnum primers and H110 for the hot loads for the DE, and try a different powder and LPP's along with my plated bullets for the Redhawk and Chiappa.

mikld wrote: I have used an awful lot of Unique in Special loads and light Magnum loads. I have a very good, accurate load for my 20" Puma with 240 LRNFP over Blue Dot. I think starting with Unique for loading both 44 Special and 44 Magnum is a good idea as you can go from mild to wild. I often load 44 Special loads in .44 Magnum brass for mild shooting (listed velocities for Special loads will be higher than the same load in Magnum brass).

I just may try Unique for the Redhawk and Chiappa. The only downside I've gathered about using Unique is that it's dirty. In your experience, is it so dirty that it results in a lot of residue in the action of a carbine or cylinder of a revolver? I don't intend to use 44 sp brass, so I don't expect the kind of ring that results from shooting 38 sp in a .357 cylinder.

Thanks for your input, I'm always open to advice from someone who's been in the game as long as you have.