Reply With QuoteYes I’m using unique in my .44mag, I’m loading 8.6gr with 240gn cast heads, shoots great and got some kick too
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Anyone using unique for light gallery loads? Our range limit is 925fps for 240gn and the lightest load of unique is over by a few fps on average. It is 6.2gn. I've loaded up some magnum cases with upper special loads 6.0,5.9 & 5.8 to try.
I know this is lower than stated but I don't think I'll get a squib with this level of charge.
Anyone else loading with Unique have some insights for me?
I have a mold here for 215gn but not tried them yet.
Donald
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Yes I’m using unique in my .44mag, I’m loading 8.6gr with 240gn cast heads, shoots great and got some kick too
Sako A7.270,b14hmr 6.5cm,Weatherby vanguard.223,Browningt-bolt.17hmr,Ruger American.22l,M1903 30/06,Marlin.44 and a fireball throwing m44
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Ouch! Unfortunately I'm only shooting on a 25m indoor range and that load is wee bit too stout for me 😂
Donald
Remember that most book values for .44mag/spl will be for a pistol barrel unless specifically stated otherwise. In a rifle barrel, the same load will produce a faster MV.
The Lyman 49th edition book lists load data for .44mag for both a 4" pistol barrel and an 18" rifle barrel.
For Unique with a 240grn lead RNFP it lists the same minimum charge for both - 10 grains - in the pistol barrel this load is recorded as doing 937ft/s, however in the rifle barrel the same load is recorded as doing 1,332ft/s.
However in regards to using .44special loads, I would strongly look at articles on the web coming out of the US... people report the loads working out of pistols (I have not yet seen a rifle report I stress) but because of the increased case size you get a slower velocity out of the .44mag than published for the load in .44spl - one article I saw suggested increasing .44spl loads by 1 grain to achieve the same velocities in .44mag cases. Of course you take any published online information at your own risk.etc.etc.etc.
Hope that is of help.
Andy
Registered User
Take a look at .44 Special data. Whilst the .44 Magnum cartridge case is longer than .44 Special, the maximum overall length of the cartridge is the same. So the powder volume is the same for both, for a given bullet and given OAL.
Lyman 48th edition lists starting loads from 5.2 grains of Unique (1.570" OAL).
So you can be confident that there won't any ignition problems using this data in your firearm. (If that is what you mean by getting a squib load?).
I don't think you're correct.Originally Posted by Dogbert
Lyman 49th using the same 240grn RNFP (Lyman #429667) states the OAL at 1.500" for its use in .44spl however, the OAL stated for .44mag is 1.645".
The SAAMI spec (from Quickload) for the cases in .44spl is 1.153" where as .44mag it is 1.275".
This is further corroborated by Quickload that lists the capacity of a .44mag case as 2.565 cubic cm.... yet for a .44spl case it lists 2.273 cubic cm.
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I think it's maximum overall length, they can be shorter.
Donald
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Thanks Boff and Dogbert, for the info. I'm using the 'Reloading Assistant' app on android which gives values for rifle and pistol, indeed, my results from initial loads last week concurs that pistol powders are tested with pistols and the for data is published as such, which is no use for us rifle shooters.. I don't have any internal ballistics software to crunch numbers before testing, so it's a bit of a drawn out process.
One asked which is drawing my attention, is, that even with 6.2gn of unique (low end of magnum load) , I'm getting a fair bit of rooting on the case. I'm wondering if it's the light load.
I've heard of people annealing their pistol brass which helps it blow out in the chamber with light loads and helps make a better seal, reducing soot. The specials I fired were also very dirty, which seems to confirm that for clean burn, a combination of the magnum case and a stout load will reduce rooting, so the annealing makes sense to me. Users of this method also report extended brass life.
I'll report back with my data once I fire these 3 loads. I've loaded 10 of each, 5 for the chrono and 5 for off the bench.
Donald
Registered User
try a faster powder.
just checking my 44 marlin data:
n310 with 200gn rnfp ave 1026 fps
n310 with 200gn rnfp ave 1100fps
hp38 200g rnfp ave 1120fps
vectan a1 with 200gn rnfp 6.6gn ave 1000 fps
vectan a1 with 240gn tc 6.3gn ave 1000fps
vectan as and maxam csb5 240gn and 5.5 to 6.0 gn give similar results.
I would try something different to unique or bullseye - both can be dirty.
n310 or n320 should be available. or try lovex powders.
I cant think of any us powder maker that list target loads in 44 mag cases for use out of a rifle.
marlins are truck guns for slotting bambi.
200gn bullets in a 44 marlin are pleasant to shoot and accurate to 100 yds.
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I have been looking at faster powders, burn In most cases it's a toss up between speed and density. I don't want to try something that's got such low volume per charge that rooting is still going to be an issue, not to mention misfires. Hodgdon clays and red dot are contenders so far. I just wish I could get my hands on some trail boss... stupid EU regs!
Donald
Try Viht N32C, previously known as Tin Star.
It’s a fast burning high volume powder specifically designed for cowboy action - it’s their equivalent of Trail Boss.
I use 7.8grn and that fills most of the case volume. A lower charge of that might be what you’re looking for? Say 6.5grn?
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Thanks boff, ill look into that. Cheers
Donald
Registered User
I am correct. Probable that my explanation was not sufficiently clear.
As you have noted and as I stated in my post, the .44 magnum case is longer than the .44 Special case (1.245"/32.64mm vs 1.160"/29.46mm, where the SAAMI specs are in inches and the CIP in mm). So of course the .44 Magnum case has a higher volume; it's longer.
However I said ".... the powder volume is the same for both, for a given bullet and given OAL....". What I meant from this is that if you load a .44 Magnum cartridge case and a .44 Special cartridge case with the same bullet and to the same Cartridge Overall Length, then the powder volume will be the same.
So using your example load above, i.e. a .44spl load with a 240gn RNFP (Lyman #429667) loaded to 1.500"; the load can be safely duplicated in .44 Magnum cases, by loading the same powder charge and the same bullet to the same overall length of 1.500".
The original poster appeared concerned about ignition problems with small powder charges in large volume cases. The purpose of my original reply was to offer a source of published loading data (.44 Special data) that could safely be used to assemble loads that would (a) not exceed his range limits and (b) because it was published data it would give him confidence that there would not be any ignition issues.
Obviously, a .44 Magnum case will have a very tiny bit smaller volume than a .44 Special case loaded with the same bullet and same overall length, because the .44 Magnum case will have thicker walls, because it is designed to operate at much higher pressures. At the load density we are discussing, i.e. small charges in a large case, this tiny difference in volume will have no practical impact at all. Case wall thickness can be an issue in maximum loads in high pressure rifle cartridges, but that's getting a bit off topic.
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Quick question for you Donald you say the range limit for muzzle velocity is 925fps but is there a limit on the range regarding muzzle energy, or is it just 240gn head weight and max speed of 925fps ?
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Yes, there's a chart and for the 240gn bullet, 925fps is my limit... IIRC this equates to 400 odd fpe
Donald
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