Handloads: .44 Magnum

posted on October 8, 2019
hand44.jpg

lightweight .44 Magnum revolver is handy and easy to carry. Recoil is brutal, though, when shooting full-power loads in sub-2-lb. guns such as the Smith & Wesson 329PD. Using a 240-gr. bullet loaded to a mild 1000 f.p.s. may prove much easier to handle.

A mid-weight charge of 22.5 grs. of Alliant Power Pro 300-MP fired Speer 240-gr. DeepCurl bullets at a velocity of 1060 f.p.s. That relatively slow velocity significantly reduced muzzle flip and removed some of the recoil sting when shooting the 329PD.

“Bullet pull” can result from the hard recoil of a lightweight revolver, and refers to a bullet jerking partially out of its case when other cartridges in the cylinder are fired. Excessive bullet pull can bind up cylinder rotation and change ballistic performance. A standard roll crimp may fail to hold bullets in place when shooting hard-recoiling cartridges such as the .44 Mag.

Speer DeepCurl revolver bullets—and others, such as Hornady’s 225-gr. FTX and 240-gr. XTP, Swift’s 240-gr. A-Frame and Cutting Edge’s 240-gr. Handgun Solid—are made with an extra-wide crimping cannelure that allows a handloader to apply a stronger neck-down crimp, ironing a step in the case mouth that nearly fills the cannelure. Such strong crimps can be applied with RCBS seating dies (rcbs.com) made since 1984, which can be adjusted to incrementally increase the crimp. For this recipe, a neck-down crimp applied to DeepCurl bullets resulted in the sixth cartridge’s length remaining unchanged after firing the five preceding cartridges in the 329PD. The neck-down crimp also contributed uniform ballistics with an extreme spread of velocity of 27 f.p.s. over 15 shots.

Latest

Century BFT 01
Century BFT 01

New For 2024: Century Arms BFT74 & BFT556

Century Arms expanded its AK-style BFT rifle line in 2024 with two new models chambered for 5.56 NATO and 5.45x39 mm, respectively.

Preview: Armaspec SRS AR-15 Kit

This Armaspec upgrade to the AR-15’s standard buffer and spring includes a trio of interchangeable buffer weights that allow the user to tune it to his or her rifle/load.

Gun Of The Week: Davidson’s Exclusive KelTec KS7

Join American Rifleman staff on the range this week with a unique version of KelTec's KS7 bullpup shotgun.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 1, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Hydra Weaponry Expands To New Facility

Hydra Weaponry—the designer and manufacturer of the modular Marck-15 Hydra Weapon System and Maine’s largest firearm employer—has expanded into a larger facility.

Review: Bushmaster M4A2 Patrolman's Carbine

The M4A2 Patrolman’s Carbine from Bushmaster Firearms is the first in a line of AR-15s designed to bring back the standard, carbine-length firearms that have long been a staple of American shooting enthusiasts.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.