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Posted: 11/14/2014 12:01:17 AM EDT
| I would like to make up a load somewhere between a 44 special and a magnum, like a special plus P. This will be shot through a ruger super RedHawk 44 magnum pistol. I'm looking to use something like a 200 grain plated slug. Would it be best to load this into a special or a magnum case? I have a couple of pounds of blue dot that I would like to use if possible. Any recipe's that the collective might have would be appreciated too. |
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May be no difference but the 44sp cases may not be up to the task
At any rate I own both 44sp and 44 mag guns (as do some of my shooting friends) so any of my hotter than factory 44 sp loads will be going into a 44mag case . I realize that 44 sp factory loads are pretty mild and many folks over the years have stepped them up a reasonable amount . Note for beginning reloaders : case volumn is important . A certain powder charge in a 44 mag case that proves to be safe would be hotter when put into a smaller 44 sp case . Another note : Some loads published years ago by my hero Elmer Kieth and others were made with older style 44 sp cases that had larger internal volume and some of the powders used back then (even with the same name) are not the same as what we have now. Never used plated bullets in 44 but a 200 gr lead loaded with Unique to about 1000fps is quite accurate in most guns and is quite a bit flatter shooting than factory level 44 sp Folks on the web love to dog pile on Unique claiming it is too dirty but I have found it to be a de3cent powder that will give decent results with everything from 380 acp to 44 m and many cast bullet loads in rifle . The black carbon more or less wipes off. |
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My second centerfire handgun was a Ruger Redhawk in .44. I learned how to reload just so I could shoot .44 specials. There are better powders than Blue Dot for cooking warm loads. However since most of us cant run down to the local store and buy exactly what we want, I will list a couple loads for Blue Dot. If you have any detailed questions, I will try to help. Loads listed below are in .44 special cases.
From Lyman #49 using a 205 LSWC which will be where you want to load your 200 grain plated bullet...Starting load 10.5 grains blue dot max load 12.0 Hornady 9th Edition shows the following data for jacketed 200 XTP starting load 7.6 max 10.3 (Please note Hornady's test gun is a charter arms bull dog...your Ruger can go a lot hotter) As you venture into 44 magnum territory using .44 magnum brass-Lyman list the 200 grain HP starting load 15.7 grains of Blue Dot with Max at 18.7 |
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I would load it in a Magnum case, only because I also have .44 Special only revolvers that could not handle a "+P" level.
I also have some balloon head .44 Special cases that date back to probably before WWII. I was given them by an old friend who started reloading with his dad's old stuff in the 1950s. Those were the kind of cases that Elmer Keith used when he was busy blowing up .44 Special revolvers in his quest for the .44 Magnum. 
I have never loaded Blue Dot in either a Special or Magnum .44, so I can't help you there. |
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I haven't shot .44 Special in 30 years but I still remember my old Keith loads which would be considered +P loads:
18.5 grns. of Hercules 2400 and 7.5 grns. of Unique, both under 240-250 grn. cast semi-wadcutters. Lyman mold was 429412 which came out to about 245 grns. with the linotype I used to get. |
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Quoted:
if you look at 44spl vs 44 mag in load manuals you'll see that 44mag powder charges start where 44spl charges end. go with the start load listed for 44 mag (in 44mag cases) and you will get the moderate loads you are looking for. Good advice for a start point. Thanks |
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IMHO the .44 Special is one of the best kept secrets as well as one of the most misunderstood subjects in the revolver handloading world.
In the proper firearm the .44 Special can pretty easily me loaded to the level of typical .44 Magnum loads from the Big 3 ammo companies. These would include the old S&W Model of 1926 and 1950's, S&W Model 24, Colt New Services, FA 97 and of course the new Ruger Flat Top Blackhawk. I have a NMBH in .44 Special and have on many occasions run a 260 gr. cast SWC a little over 1200 fps. A couple of common (and rightly so) misconceptions: May be no difference but the 44sp cases may not be up to the task I trimmed some R-P .44 Magnum cases to .44 Sp length then weighed them side by side and they were virtually the same which indicates identical construction. Those were the kind of cases that Elmer Keith used when he was busy blowing up .44 Special revolvers in his quest for the .44 Magnum.
I'm on the last chapter of Elmer Keith's "Sixguns". He did not blow up any .44 Special revolvers and contrary to the belief of most, he only destroyed one revolver which was a Colt Single Action chambered in 45 Colt. He attributed the blow up to an old balloon head case whose head had been weakened from loading with black powder. Most assume .44 Special loads that are within SAAMI pressure specs are anemic, but really isn't the case. Powders such as AL Power Pistol allow a handloader to run a 250-ish gr. cast SWC right up close to the 1000 fps mark. Anyhow, back to the OP's question... I know it's not exactly what you asked for, but I've worked just a little with Blue Dot and 260 gr. cast SWC's, but maybe you can extrapolate some of the info for use with a 200 gr. bullet. From a Uberti 4 3/4" SA: Blue Dot------- Velocity 10.0---------------869 10.5---------------923 11.0---------------1000 11.5---------------1066 From a Uberti 5 1/2" SA: Blue Dot------- Velocity 9.5------------------851 10.0-----------------923 10.5-----------------992 11.0----------------1069 11.5----------------1100 |
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