310 gr in 44 special....?

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  • Last Post 03 October 2012
The Black Spot posted this 17 June 2012

Anyone shoot heavier boolits in the special? Wanting loads kept aroumd saami pressure specs. Thanks.

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CB posted this 17 June 2012

Boolit? Everybody I know with 44 Specials calls it good at about 260 gr due to the limited case size. Still, I suppose you could seat the bullets long, into the throats, and experiment from there. That might get you enough capacity to accomplish something. I'm assuming you want to use LEEs 310 gr in a special?

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The Black Spot posted this 17 June 2012

Yes, the lee 310, I use it in my 444 marlin. Thought maybe I,could keep to one bullet for “all” needs so to speak.

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raytear posted this 17 June 2012

Off hand--no pun intended--I have not used the Lee 310 grn GC in anything but .44 magnums loaded well below the suggested starting charge. Sorry, but I don't have the notes at my fingertips to give specifics. I do know that shooting them in a TC Contender bruised the top of my middle finger from its making violent contact with the trigger guard no matter how tight I tried to hold the pistol.  Was much more comfortable in a Smith M-29 and quite accurate, but, again, plenty of recoil for hands that are becoming arthritic.  Can't remember if Lyman's manuals list 310 grn bullets in loads for the .44 Special. I would check there first, then make needed adjustments.

Again, accuracy was not an issue if properly lubed and sized, etc.   I would not be afraid to use that Lee bullet on anything I might be tempted to shoot with a .44 magnum. If it will stabilize in a .44 Special, I expect the same would hold true for anything you might want to shoot with it.  The wide flat front is probably .40 caliber, if not more.

:dude: BTW, Happy Father's day to all you fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers.

Good shooting! RT

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tturner53 posted this 18 June 2012

My copy has two crimp grooves, could be lube grooves I guess. IIRC the idea was to be able to crimp for two different cartridges, but I don't recall if it was .44 Mag./.44 Sp. or .44 Mag/.444 Marlin. Anyway, the idea of 'one mold' is doomed from the start so might as well give in now. If you can hold it to one mold per gun you're an oak. Dale 53 knows this bullet best, maybe he'll see your post and chime in. The guy does .44 big time.

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The Black Spot posted this 27 June 2012

well, i tried 6.8 gr of blue dot with the 310 in my special. mild recoil just not accurate, about 5” groups at 25 yards.

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gunarea posted this 28 June 2012

Hey Black spot

   Don't know what model of handgun you may be trying to run the big bullet through. Some of them have too little twist to stabilize the big slug. In a Ruger, 4.9 up to 6.2 gr of Red dot takes pigs and rams in NRA Hunters pistol consistently. Big bore iron sights at state level with these loads got gold two consecutive years. There was a time when the Lyman cast 315gr semi wad took pigs for me regularly. Pushed at subsonic velocities, the Rugers and Smiths gave very good accuracy. Arthritis has reduced me to 38s now. Try some light Red dot loads.

                                                                                                       Roy 

Shoot often, Shoot well

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CB posted this 28 June 2012

Black Spot

I'm not an expert, but I think you'd be better off with Unique. I use 7grs in my 44 mag with 270gr cb with excellent results. Mild load. The Blue Dot, 2400, and similar powders like W296 are only good for magnum loads and like the others say, you may have trouble trying to shoot the heavy 310gr in the special. You could possibly start at 5grs of Unique?

I used to shoot a 44 mag a lot. I had to load down the 245gr, but lost velocity with the big 320gr JDJ I had. For an all around 44 cb, I have settled on the Saeco #430, a 265gr cb..........Dan

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Ed Harris posted this 28 June 2012

The Black Spot wrote: Anyone shoot heavier boolits in the special? Wanting loads kept aroumd saami pressure specs. Thanks.  

What are you shooting these in?  Rifle, revolver, what make and model?

The heavy bullet is going to shoot WAY high in a revolver and its point of impact might not be practical with your existing sights.

In a rifle with 20 inch twist you can stabilize a 310-gr. bullet down to about 800 fps, but pressures will exceed SAAMI recommendations for the .44 Special.  In my H&R Handi Rifle I use .44 Special cases to reduce airspace and use the Saeco bullet with 11 grs. of #2400 in the .44 Spl., vs. 15.4 grs. used for a full load in .44 Magnum brass.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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The Black Spot posted this 03 July 2012

i am wanting to shoot these in a uberti cattlemen. so far 9.5 gr of 2400 wasn't bad, no pressure signs. about 5” high at 25 yards, groups ran about 2.5-3"

trying to stick with blue dot and 2400 as that is what i have on hand. thanks.

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The Black Spot posted this 19 July 2012

I tried 6.8 gr of blue dot behind a 310 wheel weight cast lead bullet. No signs of high pressure. Accuracy stunk at 25 yds. (5” group). I will try 7 gr, but that Is as high as I will go.

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The Black Spot posted this 30 July 2012

Tried another load with 310 gr bullet. 9 gr of 2400. No signs of pressure. 4” group at 18 yds, shooting freehand(two hand hold). Used lyman #2 alloy with this load.

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The Black Spot posted this 10 September 2012

did some more testing. all shots were freehand at 18 yds. no signs of high pressure in any load tested. bullet was whell weight cast 310 gr gas check. 9.2 gr of 2400 - group ran 2.5” for five shots 7.1 gr of bluedot - group was 2.5” for five shots.

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The Black Spot posted this 03 October 2012

think I will settle for the 9.5 gr 2400 load,with the 310 gr gc ww cast sized .430. continues to shoot 2-3” groups from 18-25 yds even seated to the lower crimp groove. out of,my 7.5” cattleman these probably going 675-700 fps. plenty good for close range deer/black bear.

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CB posted this 03 October 2012

Hey that's great. Thanks for letting the rest of us know how your results were doing and what you settled on. I think you made a good choice with 2400. Be sure to give the case a fairly good crimp.

I remember when Sierra Bullets came out with their 300 grain JSP. Their only load data for the 44 mag was 2400 powder.......

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