44 factory ammo chronograph data

[Squatch]

Just like with the 22lr. A few weeks ago I shot some factory ammo over my Chronograph. I shot it in both my Ruger Super Blackhawk with 10.5" bull barrel and my Henry brass Big Boy. I thought it would be a nice baseline to compare reloads against. So I posted it here instead of the centerfire sub-forum.

**********************************44 Magnum*********************
**Remington, 180gr, JSP
>SBH
1594 fps
1589
1457

>BB
2060 fps
2086
2089
2057
2051

**Federal American Eagle, 240 gr JHP
>SBH
1520
1516
1516

>BB
1642
1289
1683
1711
1696

**Old Reload from 1991, WIN case, 240 gr JHP, 23gr H110, CCI 350 primer.
>SBH
1384
1493

>BB
1646
1685
1702

**Hornady LeverEvolution "I only had 2 left: For what it's worth this shot from the BB was 1 of 2 Bullseye's at 50 yds.
>SBH
1503

>BB 1614

**old Winchester Super X, 240 gr, HSP
>SBH
1455
1444
1447

>BB
1537
1644
1620
1626
1629

**A lone 240 gr PMC "Might have been an old reload but think it's old factory"
>BB
1455

**Hornady XTP Critical Defense, 300 gr XTP "In the SBH this really didn't kick any harder than 240's."
>SBH
1170
1191
1214

>BB
1289
1302
1336
1350

****************************************44 Specials**************************
**Magtech 240 gr, Cowboy, LSWC
>SBH
737
735
737

>BB
829
843
822
818
767

**Hornady FTX Critical Defense, 165gr FTX "These shoot nice! , Accurate and reasonable recoil. I really like them in both guns. One of my reloading goals is to get close to these but with 240 gr bullet"
>SBH
1178
1148
1115

>BB
1216
1249
1241
1263
1250


All the rifle shots are on this target. Shot at 50 yds. The ones off the top right are the REM 180's. My BB isn't found of 180's and is dialed in for 240's.

[Travlin]

Thanks for posting the results of your shooting of these and also the .22 rimfires.

[adirondack]

great post! lots of data to digest.

[Squatch]

Thought I'd bump this back to the top. Feel free to add any data you have!

[JEBar]

as noted in another thread, we are in the process of building up a stock of practice and full power 44 mag loads .... I hope to be able to run some more rounds through our Chrony on Saturday .... I'd like to get some numbers on the same loads fired through our Ruger Redhawk and Henry

[DWD445]

Great info, Squatch, thanks

[JEBar]

in recent days we have had the opportunity to work on both practice (paper punching) and hunting 44 Mag loads --- our results are similar to those shown in post 1 --- our hunting load (a 240 grain Nosler JHP pushed by 23.8 grains of W296 or H110, per Nosler's manual) that was developed back in the 1960's has served us well --- it was originally developed for use in a Ruger Blackhawk with a 9” barrel --- we never ran it through a Chrony and judged it by use in the field …. bottom line, it has never failed us while putting some venison. boar, and bear meat in the freezer --- it didn't take me long to realized I didn't like the way the Blackhawk handled so it was replaced with a 44 Mag Redhawk with a 7.5” barrel which remains our primary revolver of choice ---- per our Chrony, our hunting load tested in our Henry to be an average of 1850 FPS at 10' from the muzzle --- per Nosler's Vol 3 Reloading Manual sighting it 1” high at should yield an impact point about 1” low at 100 yards …. needless to say, we would be very happy with that --- our 44 practice loads (240 grain Missouri Bullet Co. lead RNFP pushed by 7.2 grains of Bullseye) fired from our Henry, averaged 1250 FPS at 10' from the muzzle --- per the same ballistics source, sighting it in 2.5” high at 50 yards will make the impact point about 2.5” low at 100 yards --- our Chrony shows that the muzzle velocity of the same hunting and practice loads will be about 225 FPS higher out of our Henry than out of our Redhawk --- for all practical purposes that limits our paper punching with the Redhawk to 75 yards --- with it dead sighting it for 50 yards will bring it in about 3” low at 75 yards …. after that the 240 grain bullet drops rapidly to where the impact point would be just under 9” low at 100 yards --- with the hunting ammo shown above, the sighting in the Redhawk a little over 1.75” high at 50 yards will produce an impact point about 1.75” low at 100 yards --- for our use that has been pretty much academic info because we are comfortable using the Redhawk out to about 50 yards (the last deer taken with it was at 40 – 45 yards) .... some folks tend to believe that a big 240 grain bullet out of a 44 Mag must have a big arch in its trajectory to get out to 100 yards .... while certainly not perfectly flat, that simply isn't the case

[RiverRat]

Squatch, nice posted data. I thought that your BB 44 would do better with the lighter 180gr bullet due to the slow twist on that rifle. The fps data clearly shows that the gains over the Ruger were significant, way more than the heavier bullets. I have the BB in 44mag also and accuracy is better with the 180's. I reload all my shooting ammo. I am hopeing to come up with a accurate 240gr load.

[Squatch]

Pretty much everything I've loaded in 44 mag 240 gr has been accurate from my rifle. 2"-3" at 50 yds. Good enough for my shooting.

[JEBar]

Pretty much everything I've loaded in 44 mag 240 gr has been accurate from my rifle. 2"-3" at 50 yds. Good enough for my shooting.

as noted several times, for hunting I prefer Nosler bullets .... I have every loading manual they have published since their 2nd one .... for each caliber and their applicable bullets they indicate what they have found to be the most accurate load .... I've found that when I use that load I get very good results

[DWD445]

I like following this thread, I've been reloading with some H110 and mostly CFE Pistol. Be nice to see more info on reloads. I need to invest in a chrono. Been very happy with accuracy of CFE and last time I had some at 11.4g & 11.9g with 240g JFP Berry's bullets. .5g makes a HUGE difference w CFE Pistol, did not try hotter loads in Henry yet, but no notice in accuracy in DW 10".

[Squatch]

Thought I'd add some handloads to this data. As always check any web info against published data for your load, gun, bullet. Load and use at your own risk.
240 gr Alpha Bravo SWCBB lead.( i had bad leading with these bullets in my guns) WLP primer.
7.5 gr Unique

Big Boy
1119
1099
1088
1089
778
AVG=1034 fps. Nice groups.

Ruger SBH 10.5" barrel.
1024
1026
1010
1038
1007
AVG=1027

Same bullet and primer 8.5 gr Unique

BB
1215
1222
1226
AVG=1227

SBH
1106
1123

Same 240gr bullet and primer 10 gr Unique

BB
1314
1353
1363
1366
AVG=1349 fps

SBH
1269
1248
1238
1260
1225
AVG=1248

I stopped loading these bullets due to leading.

44mag
240gr Berry's copper plated rnfp
WLP primer
6.5 gr Unique

BB
675
796
763
758
759
763
758
759
763
758
759
763
778
794
782
780
773
AVG=764

Same bullet and primer 7 gr Unique

BB
868
887
868
923
864
867
932
937
873
AVG=891 2" groups at 50yds w/Skinner sights.

Same bullet and primer 7.5 gr Unique
1008
986
1013
971
978
950
995
957
971
AVG=981 2.25" group

Same bullet and primer 8 gr Unique

BB
951
1044
1042
1040
996
995
1016
1044
1086
AVG=1,023 3' group

Same bullet and primer 8.5 gr Unique

BB
874
1077
1121
1134
1152
1040
1092
1142
1106
1116
AVG=1,085 3.5" group

44 mag
240 gr Berry's RNFP copper plated
7 gr Trailboss

BB
720
804
837
813
784
792
810
819
830
800
780
815
811
AVG=801

44 mag
240gr MBC lead RNFP
WLP primer
7 gr Trail Boss

BB
945
956
947
981
943
961
957
935
964
968
942
AVG=954

240gr Berry's target HP copper plated
WLP primer
8 gr Unique
954
1013
1012
1040
1001
945
995
1005
1099
992
AVG=1,005

240 gr Berry's copper plated RNFP
8 gr Unique

BB
1072
1010
1011
1032
974
968
1034
991
1020
972
AVG= 1,008

240gr MBC coated RNFP
8 gr Unique

BB
1180
1111
1152
1169
1170
1168
1168
1164
1156
1171
AVG=1,160

Same 240gr MBC RNFP but plain lead not coated.
8 gr Unique
1196
1167
1190
1190
1176
1179
1204
1174
1177
1175
AVG=1,182

For the most part these are all low recoil light loads. Often comparable to 44 spl. No real reason why I shot more of some than others.

Assume WLP primer on all loads where I didn't specify. All cases trimmed and sized, and expanded with .430 M style "cowboy" expander instead of .429 jacketed expander. All cases roll crimped.

Some data includes data for the revolver most doesn't. I no longer have access to the private property range that allowed me to shoot both on the same time and range. All the BB Big Boy data is a standard length brass Henry.

Data in this post was collected at various times over the last couple of years.

[JEBar]

interesting info, thanks for posting .... I'm close to finishing the development of hunting and range rounds for our 45-70 and once that is complete, I plan to move to doing the same for our Henry 44 Mag ....

[Squatch]

As always feel free to add your info to this thread!

[JEBar]

excellent idea .... the more info we can get in a single area, the easier it will be for folks to find down the line

[Squatch]

For the most part the data I use comes from: The manufacturer of the powder I'm loading.
The latest edition Lyman's cast bullet book. or other bullet books.

The really light stuff comes from here: http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

I also check web posts to see if numbers of people have used a certain load and their impressions.