I was working up another in my Contender with 300 gr. XTPs. The Hornady book I have stops at 20.5 gr. of H110. I worked up to 21.5 w/o any pressure signs. I'm seating the bullet to the 2nd groove. Has anyone else worked with this combo and what has your experience been? Just curious?

Actually, you should be able to get another 2.5grs. with that powder bullet combo, I've got an old Shooting Times that delves into shooting heavy bullets in the 44, one of the bullets is the 300XTP with 2 crimp grooves, and the bullet I use in my Redhawk, the SSK type hardcast 330grainer, which I use 21grs. 296 for a velocity of 1400fps, the guys at Hornady got mad at me for asking about that second crimp groove and a load for it, they said thats only for rifles, BULLFUNKY! The extra space in the case by using the 2nd crimp groove affords the use of more powder while getting the same pressure as with the first crimp groove, and giving you more velocity and better accuracy in the Redhawks, Super-Redhawks and Dan Wessons, because your bullet is closer to the lands, these bullets only work if you have a cylinder thats long enough, of course your contender won't have any problem with that, Shooting Times has a max of 24grs. H110 for a velocity of 1340fps in a 7.5" Shilen barrel, BTW, I use a Redding Profile crimper for my loads, and works really well at keeping the rest of the bullets from creeping forward under recoil. Jay

Brewtcl. Please be careful with the above post. There IS a difference between cast bullets and jacketed bullets. I have certainly exceeded 20.5 grains of H110 with a 300 gr. CAST bullet. This does not mean I can do so with a jacketed bullet.
Peter.

I agree with Jay Gorski.
I have used more than 21.5 with both the 300 sierra and 300 xtp at the 2nd groove.

Work up your loads. Each gun is an individual.