Here is an interesting question:
I reload .44 magnum for both my revolver 6.5" barrel AND Winchester model 1894 lever action rifle. Should I charge the loads differently and which should be heavier, the rifle or the handgun? What will the differences be in flight characteristics with the same powder charge?

I just load for my pistol,it is 41 mag.
The same load that is safe in a pistol will be faster in the rifle.

I load for the pistol then shoot them in the rifle.

Are these for hunting, plinking, or Cowboy Action? If hunting I would probably keep them separate but if plinking or CAS I would find a load most accurate in the rifle and see if it shoots well enough in the pistol.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I load for the pistol then shoot them in the rifle.

Me 2.

I just did this (again) for my model 94 and Ruger in .45 Colt. IMR 4227 and 2400 have given stellar results.

I was shocked at what those loads did to a bowling pin at 100 yards! I wouldn't bat an eyelash at taking a deer with either gun & load at that range.

I also have a 44 Mag 1894 Winchester and several revolvers. I just use the book max in both, 24 grains of H110 behind a 240 grain bullet. Wouldn't bother with different loads for each unless you are going for maximum accuracy. And by the way the 1894 is plenty accurate with that load. I got second place in a local cowboy action shoot with it.

Thanks everyone.
I really appreciate the feedback.

Oh, by the way, it is just for target shooting / plinking.

I load for both a Ruger Super Blackhawk and a Ruger .44 carbine (early 70s vintage). The carbine only gets fed jacketed bullets, loaded to maximum with 240 grain bullets to insure accuracy and functioning as I hunt with this rig. My SA revolver gets commercially cast bullets and loaded to .44 SPL velocities for informal plinking and target shooting. Full house loads quickly become unpleasant for sustained firing in the Super Blackhawk.

I'm using 6.2 grains of Trail Boss in my M94 with ANY 240 grain cast lead bullet.

Bear in mind that the M94 cycles best if the OAL of your loaded round is longer rather than shorter.

Speer's 245 grain SWC mould casts a good accurate bullet in BOTH revolver and rifle as does Lyman's new 240 grain RNFP designed for CAS. And both when crimped on the crimp groove give stress free cycling in my M94.

General rule of thumb is that you load exactly the same for rifle and pistol with the 44mag.
Max loads of either 760 or H110 seem to work the best, but I had a shortfall with my lever gun when I had stiff extraction with the same load I was running in my pistol, so i just dropped the load down and used the same load in both.
I have never run wadcutters or all lead bullets in either, only jacketed hunting types.

If you are willing to live with full power loads in both the rifle and the pistol there is no reason why you cannot shoot both.

Elmer Keith’s classic load was a 250 gr LSWC in front of 22.0 grains 2400, and that was in a handgun. It is still an excellent full power load.

As mentioned, H110 is an excellent full bore powder.

I tested some of my loads in both my Marlin and my S&W. See for yourself:

M1894 Marlin Ballard Barrel


240 Speer JHP 22.0 grs 2400 CCI 500
21-Dec-01 T = 54 °F

Ave Vel =1747
Std Dev =21
ES =68
Low =1717
High =1785
N =7

240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1725
Std Dev =7
ES =21
Low =1715
High =1736
N =5



240 Rem JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1719
Std Dev =10
ES =29
Low =1705
High =1734
N =10



S&W M629-4 5" Barrel

250 LSWC 22.0 grs 2400 Midway cases, Fed primers
1-Oct-95 T = 75 °F

Ave Vel = 1336
Std Dev = 39
ES = 108
Low = 1286
High = 1394
N = 6

240JHP R-P 24.0 grs H110 Midway cases WLP
9-Oct-05 T = 66 °F
Ave Vel =1228
Std Dev =21.47
ES =70.16
Low =1268
High =1197
N=22








Incidentally, old factory ammunition was very hot. The Remington ammunition I shot in this 1967 three screw, it might have been original to the pistol. And it was smoking.


Three Screw Super Blackhawk 1967 mfgr 7.5" Barrel

240 JHP Old Remington Factory ammunition
23-Apr-11 T = 80 °F

Ave Vel = 1416
Std Dev = 13
ES = 31.56
Low = 1434
High = 1402
N = 6

Hope this helps, loads chronographed, 3 Jan. 2012 using TRAIL BOSS. All through my 20" barrel 1973 vintage Winchester 94:

Load: 6.2gns TRAIL BOSS - Bullet 245gns SWC CAST RCBS MOULD - 922fps AVERAGE VELOCITY. REMINGTON 2 1/2 PRIMER.

Load: 6.7gns TRAIL BOSS - Bullet 245gns SWC CAST RCBS MOULD - 934fps AVERAGE VELOCITY. REMINGTON 2 1/2 PRIMER.

I also tested the same powder charge weights with cases loaded with a 240gns CAST TRUNCATED CONE BULLET. Not RNFP but TC. I found that this from the five round test series gave an average velocity 10fps faster, 945fps, than the slightly heavier 245gns SWC CAST RCBS MOULD.

Extreme spread with the 6.2gns load was 29fps and with the 6.7gns load was 17fps.

Standard Remington Large Pistol 2 1/2 primers were used except one series of five using standard CCI Large Pistol, 6.2gns TRAIL BOSS and the 245gns SWC CAST RCBS MOULD. These were SLOWER than the same load using the Remington primers at average velocity 904fps.