Chronograph testing with .44 Mag plinking loads

[DAVIDF]

Hello, it has been a while since I posted anything. Been concentrating on my AR's and Glocks and started hand loading 10mm recently. I finally purchased a chronograph. That purchase was sped up as I was getting some horrible accuracy with some 10mm loads. I saw huge extreme spreads and standard deviations when testing those loads. Looking into these issues, I found my cheap Lee scale is having major issues maintaining zero. I think loads were varying by 0.3gr up and down with as small a charge as 5.0gr. Fortunately, nothing I was loading was at maximum. The .44 Mag loads I have done with that scale are well away from maximum, so no safety issues.

I decided to do some limited testing of some plinking loads. I prefer a larger sample size, but since I new my scale and these loads that I had loaded this past summer (before realizing the inaccuracies of my scale) were suspect, I decided to do limit the strings to 5 shots. I tested them in my 3.75" barreled Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley and my Henry Big Boy Brass with 20" barrel. I used Starline brass, WLP primers, and Red Dot powder. Each load was weighed on my horrible scale. All of these loads have proved to be accurate in the Bisley out to 15 yards. I have done limited testing with the Bisley beyond that range. Accuracy has been good to excellent with all the loads in my Henry with the exception of occasional fliers. Those fliers may be due to the inaccurate scale.

The best chrono results were with a hard cast RNFPBB 200gr bullet from Penn Bullets. This is their premium bullet with a BHN of about 20. I had them size them to .432 as I had measured the groove diameter of my Big Boy at .431. This load had a charge of 7.2gr of Red Dot, with a medium crimp in the crimp groove, with OAL of 1.568".

Bisley

1 - 1000
2 - 1001
3 - 1003
4 - 994
5 - 1004
AV - 1000
ES - 10
SD - 3

Henry

1 - 1224
2 - 1214
3 - 1236
4 - 1232
5 - 1232
AV - 1227
ES - 22
SD - 8

Despite my horrible scale, these numbers are good particularly in the Bisley. This load has proved to be the second most accurate load in the Henry and perhaps the most accurate in the Bisley. However, I may find this to be the most accurate in the Henry as well once I acquire a good scale.

Next are loads using 200gr RNFP plated bullets from X-Treme Bullets. This load is with 6.8gr of Red Dot, a lite crimp in the cannelure, and an OAL of 1.54". This load has been the most accurate load in the Henry. I have done 5 shot groups as small as 1 1/16" at 100 yards with its open sights. But, occasional fliers either due to my errors or perhaps inconsitent powder charges.

Bisley

1 - 896
2 - 866
3 - 864
4 - 899
5 - 854
AV - 875
ES - 45
SD - 20

Henry

1 - 1055
2 - 1107
3 - 1050
4 - 1072
5 - 1057
AV - 1068
ES - 57
SD - 23

This is an extremely quiet load out of the Henry. People often ask me what I am shooting as it is so quiet. They are amazed that a .44 Mag can be that quiet even with a very lite powder charge.

Next load is the same 200gr plated but with 7.2gr of Red Dot. This load has proved more accurate than the lighter charged load in the Bisley. In the Henry it is very close in accuracy to the lighter charged load.

Bisley

1 - 900
2 - 927
3 - 928
4 - 933
5 - 917
AV - 921
ES - 33
SD - 13

Henry

1 - 1134
2 - 1132
3 - 1145
4 - 1194
5 - 1094
AV - 1139
ES - 98
SD - 35

That is a huge ES & SD from the Henry. It is amazing to me that I am getting good accuracy in general with this load. And, understandable that I am seeing occasional fliers.

Last set is with a 240gr RNFP plated bullet from X-Treme Bullets. This was with 6.5gr of Red Dot, lite crimp in the cannelure, and OAL of 1.58.

Bisley

1 - 831
2 - 836
3 - 839
4 - 827
5 - 843
AV - 835
ES - 16
SD - 6

Henry

1 - 989
2 - 944
3 - 1025
4 - 1016
5 - 1030
AV - 1000
ES - 86
SD - 35

Again, a big ES and SD out of the Henry. As with all of these loads, they have been very accurate at 15 yards out of the Henry. This one has shown promising accuracy at 100 yards, but fliers were more common than with the 200gr plated. Perhaps due to the slow 1:38 twist rate these heavier/longer bullets aren't always stabilizing perfectly at an even slower velocity than the 200gr plated bullets are being driven? But, limited close range testing with heavier charges seemed to result in worse accuracy.

Well, what does all this show? I am not sure since all of these powder charges are suspect. The 200gr hard cast load does show some real promise. I am acquiring a tuned Ohaus M-5 scale from Scott Parker. He tunes them so that they are sensitive enough to read a single kernel of powder. He has a back log so it may be a while before I receive it. If I am lucky around sometime around late December. Once I recieve that I will load some more with the same bullets and powder charges and retest both for accuracy and with the chronograph.

[JEBar]

looking forward to your continued reports

[DAVIDF]

Yesterday I chronographed a .44 Magnum load from my 3 3/4" Ruger Super Blackhawk and my 20" barreled Henry Big Boy Classic. I used Starline brass, WLP primers, 7.1gr of Red Dot, and a 240gr RNFP hard cast coated bullet from Missouri Bullet Company sized at .432. I was encouraged by Squatch to try their bullets so I called them last week and they had some already sized at .432 from a previous special order. These loads had an OAL of 1.57" and a light crimp. The powder was measured using a very simple and not extremely accurate 1.0cc Lee powder scoop. I measured a few scoops and they were all within .1gr of the listed 7.1gr charge. However, those were weighed on my inaccurate Lee scale.

Bisley

1 - 957
2 - 955
3 - 985
4 - 959
5 - 944

H - 985
L - 944
AV - 959
ES - 41
SD - 15

Henry

1 - 1159
2 - 1152
3 - 1154
4 - 1154
5 - 1154

H - 1159
L - 1152
AV - 1154
ES - 7
SD - 2

The ES & SD out of the revolver were not anything special, but I don't think I will be able to do any better out of the rifle even once my tuned scale arrives. I may have gotten lucky and pulled 5 loads that had identical powder charges.

This load seems very accurate out of both the rifle and revolver. I was keeping all shots from the revolver in a 3" circle painted on my steel plate at a distance of 15 yards. That was with multiple 5 & 6 round groups so it was very repeatable. I tested the load off a bench at 50 yards and got 3" 10 shot repeated groups. However, I think it is much more accurate and probably capable of that at 100 yards. I did not see any fliers and I would describe my bench rest skills yesterday as somewhat mediocre. I probably didn't keep the most consistent sight picture. I will test this load for accuracy at 100 yards this Wednesday.

This may be the load that I settle on as an only load for my revolvers and Henry. It can pretty much do anything that I will want of it. And it even meets the velocity constraints if I decide to do some Cowboy Action matches. A bit heavy on recoil for the revolver for that, but I would not be there for anything for fun and try to be accurate. Thanks to Squatch for encouraging me to try bullets from Missouri Bullet Company.

[DAVIDF]

Yesterday I chronographed a .44 Magnum load from my 3 3/4" Ruger Super Blackhawk and my 20" barreled Henry Big Boy Classic. I used Starline brass, WLP primers, 7.1gr of Red Dot, and a 240gr RNFP hard cast coated bullet from Missouri Bullet Company sized at .432. I was encouraged by Squatch to try their bullets so I called them last week and they had some already sized at .432 from a previous special order. These loads had an OAL of 1.57" and a light crimp. The powder was measured using a very simple and not extremely accurate 1.0cc Lee powder scoop. I measured a few scoops and they were all within .1gr of the listed 7.1gr charge. However, those were weighed on my inaccurate Lee scale.

Bisley

1 - 957
2 - 955
3 - 985
4 - 959
5 - 944

H - 985
L - 944
AV - 959
ES - 41
SD - 15

Henry

1 - 1159
2 - 1152
3 - 1154
4 - 1154
5 - 1154

H - 1159
L - 1152
AV - 1154
ES - 7
SD - 2

The ES & SD out of the revolver were not anything special, but I don't think I will be able to do any better out of the rifle even once my tuned scale arrives. I may have gotten lucky and pulled 5 loads that had identical powder charges.

This load seems very accurate out of both the rifle and revolver. I was keeping all shots from the revolver in a 3" circle painted on my steel plate at a distance of 15 yards. That was with multiple 5 & 6 round groups so it was very repeatable. I tested the load off a bench at 50 yards and got 3" 10 shot repeated groups. However, I think it is much more accurate and probably capable of that at 100 yards. I did not see any fliers and I would describe my bench rest skills yesterday as somewhat mediocre. I probably didn't keep the most consistent sight picture. I will test this load for accuracy at 100 yards this Wednesday.

This may be the load that I settle on as an only load for my revolvers and Henry. It can pretty much do anything that I will want of it. And it even meets the velocity constraints if I decide to do some Cowboy Action matches. A bit heavy on recoil for the revolver for that, but I would not be there for anything but fun and to try to be accurate. Thanks to Squatch for encouraging me to try bullets from Missouri Bullet Company.