What particular type of Vectan are you going to use.
Tomorrow I pick up my model 29 and the delivery of powder, caps and mould are due. I have two probably daft questions:
1: I am using a Lee round nose 240grn bullet, I am going for a soft firing .44 special but can find no data on the vectan site for this bullet.
1a) Can I use the data for another 240grn bullet (jacketed soft point)
1b) in a magnum rather than special case
2: The figure given for the starting load with the jacketed is around 250 ft-lb. Does that mean it gives the same recoil as a similar power .38 special, albeit with a heavier pistol?
I hope those make sense
What particular type of Vectan are you going to use.
I just checked my old vectan manual and BA9 isnt listed for 44 special in there either.
If I was you, I would buy a tub of BA10 and use that for your powder puff loads.
In pistol days it was a go to powder for 38 special/44 special, 45acp and 45colt for target loads.
BA9 is more for mild magnum loads.
I still use both. Excellent powders.
Yes you can use the data for the lead bullet
By using the magnum cases you will get lower pressure & velocity because of the larger case volume
I would suggest starting at the min recommend powder and go up in .5 increments up to the max for the listed 44sp (which is quite a bit lower than the min load for 44mag)
You should be looking for acceptable recoil and accuracy of groups (so don’t ‘bother’about ft-lb energy).
The use of jacketed rounds would minimise lead fouling but for target loads all lead will be fine .
Hope this helps
Thank you all!
I've picked the gun up and am currently giving it a rub while I wait for the powder etc to arrive.
I bought 100 factory magnums which are totally unnecessary for me, but I will use one box for the cases, and the other for friends to use. The online vectan data shows Ba9 from 4.9 all the way to 11.5grns, so I will start low and work my way up. I've bought a 2kg tub so would rather not buy any more just yet.
My only problem now is these factory loads are a bit much for my home range, I'll have to wait til I get to the one in town before I can get some empties
The lead bullet will probably give lower pressure and maybe higher velocity than jacketed. You may need to up the minimum load in a magnum case to make them consistent.
I made boolits! I've only loaded a few with 4.9grn to use in my indoor home range, but omg! What a lovely gun!?
The recoil is there, but pushy not snappy, a real joy to shoot.
Thursday I can stretch it's legs and see what's what, but when I went back to the .357 it was kind of "Aw, aren't they sweet" kinda like .177