Just wondered how many of ya'll are shooting a 44mag SSP? If you are, do you crimp your reloads?
Or do you let the bullets extend out past the crimping groove as to get closer to the rifling?

I use a heavy crimp due to the powders used in these straight wall cartridges. I have never tested any ammo without so i cannot speak for consistency from shot to shot without a crimp....

[ 02-23-2003, 01:23: Message edited by: MSSmagnum ]

MSSMagnum is 100% correct. Bullets used with powders like 2400, WW296, H110, etc., in pistol cases ALL have to be crimped to get uniform ignition, even in single-shot weapons.

Jules
Same here for me with the 45Colt barrel. I use a good crimp as well. I remember shooting the 300 Grain xtps & seating them out to the second crimp groove & still didn't reach the rifling with them. That was on a Bullberry barrel.
Rich Jake

I have two factory TC .44 Mag barrels, a 10" and a 21". My load for both is the Hornady XTP 300 crimped on the second cannelure. I load these on top of 22.5 gr. H110 for 1650 fps in the 21" (I've not chronoed the 10"). A friend who uses this same load in his Super Redhawk, failed to adjust his die to crimp properly and we had 5 rounds, uncrimped, to compare. These got 50 to 100 fps LESS than the properly crimped rounds. Note that the spread, max to min, was much greater as well.

The nice heavy roll crimp also aids in loading the straight wall case as there is no case mouth to snag on the chamber.

Thanks guys, I figured that was the case. I'll crimp them on the groove like I always have been and see what bullet works best.

Jules,

Best I got out of my 10" 45 LC was with no crimp. That was with 230 grain Hornady XTP .451 dia and 11.0 grains of Unique. I got the bullet jumping maybe .010 max before it hits the rifling.

FWIW,

[QUOTE] by mbmco:
Best I got out of my 10" 45 LC was with no crimp. That was with 230 grain Hornady XTP .451 dia and 11.0 grains of Unique. I got the bullet jumping maybe .010 max before it hits the rifling.

Well only .010 of bullet jump? Ain't no TC barrel now was it. My last 44 TC barrel I had to crimp heavy to get good accuracy. If I did not crimp with the fast pistol powders the FPS spread was too much resulting in poor groops.
Fireball

While I have only ever loaded for one Contender Barrel in .44 Mag., I have reloaded many, many rounds for the .44 Mag. in revolvers. W-296 has long been a favorite powder for Magnum Loads, and with this powder I have learned to crimp them about as hard as I can without deforming anything. This has always resulted in the best accuracy and uniformity.

Larry