Im trying to find the best load for a ruger superblckhawk the gun is new for me and im trying to get the best grait to give the best preformance for target
thanks
mike

If it were me I would try a medium hard 429421 or some 250 grain cast bullet with:
7.5-10 grains Unique

10.5- 14.0 AA#5
(10.5 is below their recommended starting load but is the most accurate load fired in the 2 SBHs I have tried it in. CAREFUL in a Dillon 550 you can double charge this one with much bad Mojo!)
18-20 2400

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
If it were me I would try a medium hard 429421 or some 250 grain cast bullet with:
7.5-10 grains Unique

For an accurate paper load, it's a good place to start. For more vel w/ good accuracy, I like 2400. Work upto 21gr under the same 245gr-250gr bullet.
For best accuracy w/ lead bullets, check the cyl throat diameter. Many Rugers have smaller throats than gorrve dia of the barrel. This distorts the bullet on firing & accuracy will suffer as well as increased leading.

Hodgdon H110 is specifically compounded for use in 44 magnum and similar. I think Unique is too hot.

240 gr. LaserCast Oregon Trails SWC, and whatever the Hodgdon pages list -- And it fills the case so there's not a chance of double charging.

quote:

Originally posted by 0X0:
Hodgdon H110 is specifically compounded for use in 44 magnum and similar. I think Unique is too hot.

240 gr. LaserCast Oregon Trails SWC, and whatever the Hodgdon pages list -- And it fills the case so there's not a chance of double charging.

What? There are no powders formualted for one specific cartridge, but usually for range of carts. Many are adapted form one original need to others (most SG powders make great pistol powders). H110 is a full power powder. It is NOT recommended for downloading thus a poor choice for anything but max effort loads. Maybe by saying "hot" you mean fast for Unique? Yes, Unique is quite a bit faster than H110 or 2400 but that makes it useful for midrange loads that you can not do w/ H110. In fact, you will have a hard time finding a lead bullet load that doesn't do well w/ Unique powering it. It is not so fast that you can not get some good vel. loads out of it. A 250gr bullet @ 1100fps is not a poofy target load by any stretch & easily/safely done w/ 9.5gr of Unique. If you wnat much more vel thann that, then you go to a slower powder like 2400. Save the H110/W296 for full power, non reduced loads for safety reasons.

It depends on what you want from your .44.

I've shot exclusively the .44-250 Keith bullet from an RCBS mould, very similar to the Lyman 429421. At 0.431"+, it fits the chambers of my Redhawk perfectly. Whatever cast bullet you use, you need to make sure it just fits the chamber.

My normal shooting load, one that my teen-age daughters would shoot, is either 6.6 gr. of HP38 (W231) or 8.0 gr. of Unique. Maybe 850-950 fps, comfortable to shoot a lot while plinking.

When I upped the load to 9.3 gr. of Unique (probably just over 1000 fps), the girls wouldn't shoot it anymore. They said the recoil was uncomfortable.

20.0-20.5 gr. of 2400 duplicates the old Keith load. I shoot that load very little, but the velocity is probably 1300+ fps, great for hunting.

H110 can be loaded a little faster if you really think you need it.

Clarence

Alliant Unique @ 10.0 gr. with a 250 gr cast lswc works well for me. Its a mid-range loading.

I would suggest that you come up with two loads. One for the plinking stuff and that can be any of the faster burning powders, pick a clean burner, that would produce a velocity around 750-825 fps with a cheaper lead cast bullet.

Then a high steppin' rascal that will be the ticket for hunting, with a recommendation of looking at H110 for this upper end duty.

I have a Ruger Vaquero Bisley in a stainless 5.5" barrel that thrives on this combo. An added benefit to your pistol shooting accuracy will be to shoot that reduced loads at distances of 150-200 yards. If you flinch or dip the barrel down in anticipation of the recoil at that distance, you'll miss the target by 30 feet.

I have shot the loads listed in my Super Black hawk, but did not chronograph them at the time. So my data is in a S&W M629-4

For a “target” load let me recommend the 8.5 grain Unique load. It is accurate and the recoil is not excessive. You could cut it down to 7.5 grains and would not hurt anything.

Target shooting is impossible with full power 44 Magnum loads. Full power loads are capable of target grade accuracy but the blast and recoil are such that it is not long before you are flinching.

Two powders that I have used for full power loads that have worked well are H110 and 2400. H110 cannot be reduced in charge. It is either full power loads or nothing. 2400 is far more flexible, I have shot thousands of rounds of 240 L 17.5 grs 2400. That will push the 240 just at 1200 fps in my SuperBlackHawk.

S&W M629-4 	Stainless, 5" Barrel
						
						
						25-Nov-04
240 LSWC 8.5 grs Unique  thrown, Midway Brass WLP		T = 58 °F
						
Ave Vel =	1023				 	
Std Dev =	25				 	
ES =	99				 	
Low =	958				 	
High =	1057					
N = 	30					
 						
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					


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	

I load 10 gr of unique with a 240 gr swc and shoot it from a 7 1/2 in. sbh and it works fine for me. It is comfortable for me to shoot and I have killed one moose at 50 yds, complete pass through.

Mine aren't Blackhawks . My Ruger Redhawk and Smith both prefer IMR 4227 about 23.5-24.2

grains with 225 jacketed bullet makes nice groups at 100 meters an under .

I also use 296 and 2400 . However 4227 is my ticket puncher .

I tried the 4227 in my Bisleys(7&1/2's) and it was FILTHY. Performed well enough, just dirty as Hell.

quote:

Originally posted by KY Jim:
I tried the 4227 in my Bisleys(7&1/2's) and it was FILTHY. Performed well enough, just dirty as Hell.

Yes it is, but accuracy cn be extremely good, but I find 2400 or H110 to do equally well.

quote:

im trying to get the best grait to give the best preformance for target

I always found it interesting that people buy a big handgun and try to down load it to something smaller. If you can’t run with the big dogs than stay on the porch with the puppies. My favorite Target load for the 44 magnum? 26.5-grains of 2400 behind a Sierra 180 grains JHC with a medium crimp. It shot great out to 100-150 yards and it worked well in 3 different guns.

I have been shooting the 44 Mag since 1970.

I still use the same loads.

For light fun/plinking/small game/defense loads, use a 240/250gr Cast SWC, start with 7.5gr of Unique and work up to the most accurate load in your gun, balanced by how much recoil you want...

For a more powerful load, take a 240/250 gr hard cast, or a 240 gr jacketed and start with 19gr of 2400, and work up.

In a 6" or longer 44 Mag with 240/250 cast or 240gr jacketed start with 22 gr of H110 and work up... I used 24gr of H110...

For bear and BIG big game, take a 280 to 310gr hard Cast bullet, and start with 20gr of H110, 21.5 should be about max.