First I went to reloadingammo.com and they gave a load of 25 g.
Next to data.hodgdon.com and theirs shows a starting load of 23 g and a maximum of 24 g. That means that reloadingammo.com's data is above maximum if Hodgdon is true.
I went to Winchester's site and emailed them for the correct data. If they get back to me I'll post the data. This shows how you can get into trouble getting data off a website. If you have data for this load, please post it to Comments. As always, use anything that you read on this site at your own risk. Thanks!
Hi Bob,just looking over your post about loading the 240 LSWC for the 44 Mag. A couple things W296 and H110 both sold by Hodgdon are the exact same powder,just sold under different brand names. Hodgdon along with there brand of powders own's Win. and IMR also.
ReplyDeleteW296 and H110 are not your best choice for cast bullets because you cannot shoot reduced loads with either of these two powders,the starting charge and max charge are always very close together usually within a grain or two and are near or at max velocity which is pushing the envelope for non-gas checked bullets. W298 or H110 are best suited for full house Jacketed bullet magnum loads.
If you look back at the Hodgdon site you will see the data you listed in your post is for the 240 gr. Nosler JHP not the 240 gr.LSWC you have,the Unique and 2400 you have is better suited for cast bullet loads.
If you end up going with Unique or 2400 contact Alliant for some data,they have some load data on there site for the 240 cast LSWC but it like under 900 fps,which is pretty mild,you should be able to get 1100 to 1200 fps with that bullet on average in the 44 mag.
On a side note the 240 gr. bullet you have posted is a common design that just about every commercial bullet caster sells they all use a common brand of casting machine and molds to produce the majority of the various calibers they sell,9mm/38/44 and 45-70 to name a few.
Here is a good article you might enjoy reading and a post from Hand loaders forum.
http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/44mag_081005/index.html
http://forums.handloads.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=25118&PN=1
Thanks so much Ronnie. I'll read this better when I get home from work. I bought the 296 when I just started reloading and there was nothing else on the shelf. I just want to use it up. I wasn't aware of its properties then. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteSo much for contacting Winchester powder at help@wwpowder.com. The email returned. Did you ever get the feeling some companies don't want to be bothered?
ReplyDeleteBob if you have a safety concern call Hodgdon directly 7:00am to 5:30pm Central Monday-Thursday: 913-362-9455.
ReplyDeleteSome Companies or there ISP's and personal email programs are so highly filtered now days because of SPAM or certain PC related words they block and kick out your emails. I always call the powder co. directly if I can't find the answers in my load manuals or make safe judgments from previous experience.
I like to get load data in writing.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Ronnie said about 296 for heavier magnum loads. I've always found Unique and 2400 suitable for a wide range of .44mag applications, especially SWC's. I just received an email from a contact at Alliant who gave me infro on those 200gr cast RNFP bullets I purchased from CBBullets.com. His name is Ben Amonette and he's been very helpful with specific data questions I've had. For that particular load he recommended 9 -12 grs of Unique and 19-21 grs of 2400 for the Henry and my S&W 629 using standard primers. Here's his direct email in case you ever have a prob getting through to Alliant.
Sincerely,
Joe D
Ben.Amonette@ATK.com
Interesting. Thanks for the info Joe.
ReplyDeleteI was able to locate small pistol magnum primers for the .375 mag Henry today, so I'm back in business. Tomorrow I'll be shooting some various 38 Special rounds I've been loading. I'm going to shoot them through both the Henry and the S&W airweight. It should be fun if it isn't too hot. I think it will be pushing 90 and humid. I personally prefer Alaska. Have a great day tomorrow.
Hi Bob looked up some load data in my Lyman #49 Manual and Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. The load listed for H110 can be used with W296 they are the same powder made by Hodgdon just sold under different labels.
ReplyDeleteIf you look on the Hodgdon online reloading guide you will see both powders have the same exact date listed for a given bullet weight,also make sure you use Magnum pistol primers when using H110 or W296.
240 gr. SWC or RNFP
Unique
Start 10.0 grs. MV 937
MAX. 11.7 grs. MV 1133
Alliant 2400
Start 18.5 grs. MV 1101
MAX. 20.6 grs. MV 1258
H110/W296
Start 22.6 grs. MV 1204
MAX. 23.5 grs. MV 1266
AA9
Start 18.2 grs. MV 1009
MAX. 20.2 grs. MV 1217
Excellent Ronnie! Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteHave you had any issues with leading in your Henry Big Boy .44 using 2400 (or Unique)with the cast bullets you purchased from Friendswood? The company I purchased my cast bullets from (CB Bullets) only offered a 200gr RN. I was looking at Friendswood's site and they provide a 240gr RN which I prefer. They claim an 18-19 BHN but I was just curious what your experience was using their bullet (SWC or RN).
Thanks,
Joe D
Joe,
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any leading problems from the Friendswood bullets, and I've shot quite a few of them. I'm wondering if it could have something to do that I usually shoot a variety of ammo every time I go out. I don't think I've ever shot only lead.
In general you should always make sure your pistol or rifle bore has all the copper fouling from shooting jacketed bullets removed before shooting lead or hard cast bullet,a dedicated copper remover or a home made mix of 10% janitors strength ammonia mixed 4 pt. ammonia to 1 pt. water will do fine. If any copper is present it will turn your patch blue/green.
ReplyDeleteThe copper fouling especially if it's built up from long term shooting of J bullets will strip lead from the cast bullet as it travels down the bore causing lead buildup and accuracy problems. The lead or cast bullet needs to ride on clean rifling. Worse case scenario lead buildup can cause pressure problem when you switch back over to jacketed bullet if the bore is leaded.
Now if you start with a clean bore and shoot your lead and get no leading problems it's perfectly fine to shoot your J bullets,some shooters claim they just shoot a few J bullet loads and remove the lead,other will say all it does is iron the lead out in the bore and makes it harder to remove later. I've seen a few occasions where if you has some very ,very light smears of lead in the grooves of the bore the j bullet loads will remove it any more than that I just clean it.
Bob I suspect that in your case the amount of J bullets vs. cast you shoot is so few between switching over from one to another that your not experiences any major problems,also the cast 44 bullet your using are probably a good fit dia. wise to the rifles bore,the only sure way to know is clean the bore as I described shoot a bunch of cast bullets and then inspect the bore for leading before shooting any J bullets.
On a side note the cast bullet you have pictured is a common bullet with most commercial bullet caster offer they are cast on a Magma Engineering bullet casting machine using the Magma bullet molds,most commercial caster all cast there bullets with the same alloy which gives the bullet a BHN of around 18 although most cast bullets don't need to be that hard for pistol caliber rifle cartridges they hold up better for shipping and handling purposes. If the SWC is giving you feeding problems in the lever gun Missouri Bullet Co. has a nice 240 gr. RNFP or TCFP that will feed better in the lever gun.
http://www.magmaengineering.com/
Thanks Ronnie. I've been told by others as well that the lead in these bullets is hard, so maybe that's why I'm not having a problem. They've been feeding nicely through the 44 magnum. I will keep in mind to shoot them prior to the FMJs.
ReplyDeleteAs it stands right now, I don't think I'm going to bother with bullet casting unless it becomes impossible to purchase bullets or they get really expensive. Really nice Hornady hollow points go for about $16 a box of 100, which isn't bad. 44 mag on the other hand go for around $28, so lead is an alternative that I plan to take advantage of. The commercially manufactured bullets are so inexpensive that I don't think it's worth the trouble to cast them myself. I'm sure it opens up new possibilities like reloading does, but right now the thought of lead fumes, buckets of lead and molds hanging around doesn't interest me. Maybe someday. Thanks again for that info Ronnie.