I'm looking to expand my powder choice for the 44 (just got a new one). I've used blue dot, W296/H110, and AA#9. Any thought on a particularly clean powder I could add? I've heard 2400 is quite dirty. Thoughts? TIA.

2400 is like using black powder, there is no way that you can burn all the powder no matter what you do. I've always used Blue Dot. I remember showing my gun to people using 2400 at a metallic silhouette match.I had just fired at least 100 rounds with my Blue Dot load and hadn't cleaned it - they wouldn't believe that it wasn't cleaned !

I like WC820.

I'll be the contrary one and say that I see little or no unburned powder granules with H110 or WW296 or 2400, even in short barrels. These are slow powders that need a fair amount of pressure to burn well. Giv'em the pressure, and they'll do fine. Now if you want a reduced load, that's another story.

Cleanest in my 44 and 480 by far is Hodgdon's Universal. If you want more power...say within 150 fps of H110, try Longshot. Its a tad quicker than 2400 but has a LOT of energy and is quite clean. You will use about 1 grain LESS of Longshot to beat your Blue Dot velocities by 100 fps.

In my Taurus 480 RB 6 inch, I no longer use H110, 296 or Lil'gun with the 275 and 325 gr bullets, and seat them out to 1.794 COL to give more expansion room for the Longshot. This makes or exceeds the factory velocities with less powder and recoil and at a very safe level of pressure. It is CLEAN, and has no little paper blue dots that don't burn.

If you are shooting CAST bullets, most of the "filth" a pistol picks up is actually not from the powder at all....but smoke from the bullet lubricant. Don't get the two confused.

Powder smoke is easy to clean off a pistol in any case. I just spray mine down with WD-40 good and let it sit a few minutes and then wipe her down with soft absorbant cloth. End of problem.

Try Ramshot Enforcer. Very clean burning and a good powder for the 44 Mag. Burns very clean in my 45 ACP 5-shot Taurus Revolver.

Well, I took the advice and tried some 2400 (I also tried some IMR4227). Ran some 2400 through the 41, the 44s, and the 45s. Two things are apparent to me:

1) 2400 is, indeed, dirty, though not much worse than 296.

2) 2400 is capable of outstanding accuracy. My 41, in particular, loves it.

Still, bluedot, 296, and AA#9 are great powders too. In fact, my good luck with them is why I had held off on trying new powders...

HMMM... perhaps some HS-7 and lil'gun would be fun too... so many powders, so little time.