I'm not looking to turn the 44 Special into a 44 Magnum; I already have one of them. However, I would like to know what the upper limits are with regard to handloads with the 44 special in a new Ruger Flattop. I have some Cast Performance 255 gr. bullets but I can't find any loading data for it.

Any ideas out there? Or at least, could you point me to a credible loading data source?

Thanks,

Landrum

The hottest loads for the 44 Special that any of my loading manuals show are the Speer No6, and the Speer No7.

They both show the following, with a 250gr cast bullet.
2400 starting load 16 grains for 985fps.
Max load 18 grains for 1074fps.

This would be with the old style 2400, some say that the newer 2400 is a little faster burning.

Unique starting load 7 grains for 790fps
Max load 9grains for 1043fps.

Barrel length 6 1/2 inches.

Hope this helps.

FWIW.....and this is not a boast because I'm no great hangunner by any stretch, but usiing 7 grains of Unique out of my flat top last year, I shot an 8 point buck that weighed 150 lbs through the right shoulder and the bullet exited behind his left. He ran about 50 yards and dropped. I was shooting a 240 gr lazercast bullet. The range was less than 20 yards.

In the 44 SPL (converted M28 S&W) with modern cases I have used 7.5 gr of Unique (Skeeter Skelton's "classic" 44 SPL load) under the 429421 to kill deer and 16.5 gr of 2400 (pretty much equal to Keith's 18.5 gr 44 SPL load in balloon head cases) under the same bullet. Both are excellent loads with the 2400 load running right at 1060 fps out of the 4" barreled revolver being the most powerful and the Unique load running 850 fps, the second.

The 429421s were cast of WWs and penetration in the black tail and mule deer was through and through with reasonable brodside shots through the heart/lung area.

The 7.5 gr Unique load worked very well under the Hornady 240 HPLSWC or the Speer LSWC HPP'd with the 1/8" Forster HP tool. Penetration and expansion were very good in the deer I used that load on. Only recovered 1 bullet (under the far hide) and it exhibited excellent expansion.

Both loads with work with your Cast performance bullets in the Ruger FT.

None of the deer shot in the heart/lung area (not "behind the shoulders" BTW) went farther than 50 yards with most just staggering a small distance and going down. The 44 SPL with either load will certainly do the job on deer to a reasonable distance if you put the bullet in the right place.

Larry Gibson

How thick is the chamber wall of your 44 spl cylinder? Compare that to the chamber wall of the 45 Colt Ruger cylinder and maybe a 44mag Ruger Cylinder also. We know the pressure limit of 45 Colt Ruger loads. If the wall thickness is similar, then the same pressures might be acceptable.

I remember reading some stuff on Linebaugh's site about the pressure limit for a Ruger in 45 Colt. He said the cylinder thickness was some percentage compared to the 44mag. I think it was around 80%. They blew the cylinders on both a 44mag and 45Colt and the pressures were aproximatly the same percentage. So they could use that to help determine a reasonable max pressure for the 45. All of this is assuming they used the same steel in all of the cylinders. The pressure of a 44mag is 36k, 80% of 36k = 28.8k and the Ruger 45 loads are around 28k.

Does anyone have chamber wall measurements on a 44mag and 45 Colt Ruger cylinder? What is the thickness of your 44spl cylinder?

If we could run the 44spl at 28k, you should be able to get a 240gn bullet going over 1300fps.
The 16.5gn 2400 load should be around 22k (atleast that's what Quickload spits out)

So the 7.5 grain load with a 250-255 grain bullet should be considered the upper limits for loads using Unique in a new Flattop Ruger 44 Special?

Thanks,

Landrum

quote:

Originally posted by Landrum:
So the 7.5 grain load with a 250-255 grain bullet should be considered the upper limits for loads using Unique in a new Flattop Ruger 44 Special?

Thanks,

Landrum

Don't know about that being an upper limit but it shoots very well out of my 4 5/8" Bisley flat top.

It should probably be considered the PROPER load with Unique, considering the number of people successfully using it.
BTW, I wouldn't go over 16.5 gr of new 2400 either.

I am using 7.5 of Universal with a Leadheads 250 grain Keith style. Pretty much the same load as with Unique.

I don't have a chronograph but I loaded up some of those 255 gr. CP bullets a full grain below the load we are talking about here and they seemed pretty stout. They shot well, too. I might just leave it at that.

Landrum

I recently obtained a Ruger Flattop in 44 sp and then did my usual research. Brian Pierce did an article in Handloader when the flattops came out. Some of his loads listed were the Skeeter load of 7.5g Unique--with a max of 8.5g and 8g of Power Pistol. If you look in this forum, 7/14/2011, there is a link to a Ross Seyfried article on the Flattop that also contains load data.

Or, just look at RJM's post above mine !

I've always preferred the .41 Magnum but have had a few .44 Magnums and Specials over the years...the best being the 3" Lew Horton 24/624 Combat Specials... Also had 24s in 6.5" and 4" and a 7.5" Colt SAA....

Some "old" data from the 1980s...use with caution please...

Winchester case/180 Sierra JHC/11.0 SR4756/1280 12.0 grains/1320 -6.5" 24

RP case/Lyman 170 grain spire point (gas check base milled off and cast from linotype)/12.0 SR4756/1458 13.0/1520 from the 6.5" 1340 from the 3"...

RP case/200 cast SWC/7.0 HP38/975 6.5"..accuracy load...

The last years I was on Dallas PD I carried a 3" M24 stoked with 12.0 grains of SR4756 with the now sold to Federal original Hydra-Shok 180 grain JHP bullet. Just loved the balance of that gun...only wish the .41 Magnum 657 3" balanced as nice.

The Ruger Flat Top and the Freedom Arms 97 are probably the most perfect .44 Specials ever made. It was like those guns were built around that cartridge....

Bob

I shoot more 44 special than any other handgun cartridge. I have Bisley and standard flat top Blackhawks as well as an original flat top 357 converted to 44 special by Jim Stroh. Most 250 KT actually weigh around 260 +/- if they are cast properly. I shoot nothing but 7.5gr of Unique and a KT bullet and have never had a problem. I have never had a deer or hog stop that bullet.

I run the 44 Spl in my RSBH 7 1/2" at 7.5-8grn of Unique. Great load and accurate.

The article by Brian Pierce on the Ruger .44 Special is in Handloader #260. He also wrote an article on the .44 Special with three groups of loads, from standard factory loads to high pressure loads, in Handloader #236. Both articles have a lot of good information.