The Versatile And Capable 44 Special: General Purpose Skeeter Loads
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- A good general purpose powder coated load in the 215 - 240 grain range would be very useful for our 44 Special. Once worked up, we could load up a lot of these in our progressive press for use at the spur of the moment...
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One neat feature of the hex powder funnel/neck expander plug retainer is that a Lee powder funnel will fit right into the top of it. You can grab the pan from the powder dispenser and dump it into the funnel.
I just came back from the range, where I was shooting Skeeter loads (with the Lyman 429421), and this is the first video in my feed. Outstanding! Good shooting to ya Mr. FC!
I absolutely love Lyman 429421. Amazing bullet. I also love the skeeter load and regularly use it. I also like IMR SR4756 powder for heavier loadings.
My favorite load for the 44 Special. My details are, 429421 Lyman cast at 255 grains and either 7.5 grains of Unique for about 970-980 fps, or 8 grains of Power Pistol for about 100 fps in a 4 5/8" Ruger Bisley 44 Special. Accurate, easy shooting loads that will easily kill an elk at short to moderate ranges.
I appreciate our friendship Cookie. I like how you have opened the door of powder coating for not only the experienced shooter's and reloader's, However the people that are Just starting out. Powder coating has been drastic in cost savings in comparison to the investment that I have made over the years. The availability of the PID unit and the low cost of the Lee pro-20 can give store bought quality and versatility as you can adjust you material for the needs of the end product all at a huge cost savings Manufacturing it yourself. Btw.. Unique is one of my favorite powders for straight wall cases, I too have bought an 8 lb keg.. Good shooting to ya, I can't wait to see your results at the range. The .44 Special is a wonderfully accurate pistol cartridge and leans it's self to one of the few general purpose loading's available. I believe that their isn't much it wont do. Dave.
Thorsaxe777 - And our friendship is my privilege...We really did choose the subject for our video book well...Have a great Poulsbo day, FC Steve
Again sir! Great info! I really enjoy your videos! Thanks again! Keep up the good work!
kyle lusk - And thanks to you for commenting kyle - Best to ya, FC
LOL.. I cut my teeth on articles from the likes of skeeter. His loads were amazingly safe and useful. I really like the "M" die for expanding. Thing was.. there were no 44 spl guns around. so I went to 44 mag. Now with a SAA gun I really like shooting 44 special loads. Very comfortable and fun to shoot if kept under say 900 fps. I think this velocity with 250 grain bullets is really what the 44 spl is all about.
Doran Maxwell - When the 44 mag came along in 1955, didn't take long for all the 44 Spl guns to disappear - reason? Everybody felt the 44 magnum also shot all 44 Spls interchangeably so why but a 44 Special? Took work by Skeeter Skelton and John Taffin among others to keep the 44 alive and even bring it back...But that happened later...there was that window where 44 Specials just weren't being made. Good shootin' to ya, FC
yeah... I am probly around your age. I remember looking for 44 spl guns... to me the tripple lock was a mythical gun... never seen one. Finding a SAA Colt in 44 spl was just as hard. The first 44 spl I owned was a Bulldog. Not exactly a target gun. My only 44 spl now is my Cimarron SAA and I love that gun. Maybe cause it reminds me of old skeeter? funny tho... I had to order it.. there were none on the shelves.
Doran Maxwell - That your Cimarron (Uberti) SAA is in 44 Special just makes your gun so very special...tons of 'em in 45 Colt and 357 / 38, some in 44 - 40. But the 44 Special, today - that is much prized... Best to ya, FC When Shooting Times announced the passing of Skeeter Skelton in 1988, all I could say in dismay was, "Awww, Skeeter...!!" Best to ya, FC
Hello Fortune Cookei 45LC. I'd like to see a video on reloading the 44-40 wcf! Nobody wants to load it! There are practically no videos out there! I'm always thankful for the information and educational videos you provide. Thank you.
That's all right! Thank you for the astonishing story!
I have a great question for ya. Getting ready to load some 44spl. My Winchester primers say standard or magnum. I found some old cci 350 large pistol magnum primers. Can I use mag primers for 44 spl?
How do you feel about flaring before priming in case of split cases? Primers are expensive these days! I'm rather OCD and use a hand primer and check each one. My RCBS Rock Chucker press is supposed to have the means to prime cases, but I don't know how to set that up. I believe I am missing the parts. I also have a universal decapper die so that I don't have to worry about breaking the pin when resizing crimped brass (I use the Rock Chucker for 223 Rem as well).
I know I'm adding steps, but once I flair a case, I can charge it and then seat the bullet so that I don't spill powder. Then I can run the sizing die as the last step.
Any 240 grain bullet? A plated bullet of the same weight uses the same Unique powder charge as a LSWC? I purchased 200 Berry's plated 240gn FP. Now I'm not sure of the bullets I bought. Shoot.
I bought plated bullets so I can shoot the .44 special at the indoor range, they don't like shooting lead bullets indoors
Can a large pistol primer be used in this load or large magnum pistol primer mandatory?
Large pistol is just fine. Unique is a easy to ignite powder, faster burning powder. It’s the small grained slower burning powders that have fairly large powder charges that magnum primers are recommended for better ignition.
Standard primer will work just fine
I just started loading 44 special using Lee carbide dies. My crimps look good, but I get hair like circle of brass trimmed off the case each time. What does this mean? Thanks F.C.
Zuke Dog - Know what you mean...especially if magnification is used to inspect the crimps - that stray brass is there. Can be wiped off to a great degree. Sometimes is hard to see it. Happens because either the collet or crimping shoulder is rubbing the brass as the crimp is applied. Makes no difference in the shooting or the longevity of the brass... Good shootin' to ya, FC Steve
Why does Hornady list their MAX for the 240 gr. XTP at 5.7 grains of Unique while every other manual lists 5.8 gr. as the 'Starting Load' for 240 gr. jacketed bullets?
The design of their bullet could factor into it. It could be it starts to shred the bullet because it has a thin jacket or other factors. Work your way up and if there's no problem there or at the other published loads you should be good.
i didn't know napolean dynamite had a youtube channel
Do you still need a gas check for 240 grain lead cast on a 44 Spec?
@JMazterV112 i never use a gas check , as long as the lead is very hard , very slight leading may occur , I will fire a jacketed bullet or 2 through , it will usually get rid of any excess . Hope this helps
@@robertsr.249 You don't need very hard lead for a 44 special. Elmer Keith used 20:1 lead/tin, which has a Brinell hardness of about 10, and is fine up to about 1000 fps.
I load my .44 special loads on Magnum cases so I don't get any stuck cases should I switch to shooting magnums before cleaning.
Watch GunBlue on reloading. He mentioned it's not good to load special loads in magnum cases, because it needs a certain amount of volume. But if you have no issues, I guess you are good to go.
CHEECHMUN there’s a difference between just using 44 special data in Magnum cases and making special equivalent loads in Magnum cases. But the difference is rarely greater than .4 grains in .44. Any low charge weight bullseye/titegroup/231 it doesn’t matter whether it’s a special or magnum case. Of course trailboss or slow ball powders are an exception
@@HughesEnterprises So have you , or is it possible to load .44 special, to equal, or surpass .357 magnum loads?
There really isn't any info on this.
Thank you.
CHEECHMUN I see you haven’t heard of Elmer Keith. There is 40 years of reloading history in books and magazines just on this subject and at the end after a couple blown up guns Keith got the .44 Magnum created. He was loading 44 special hotter than modern 44 Magnum in a black powder frame Colt single action army in the 1920’s through 50’s. Brass is stronger now but that also means you can’t pack as much powder in. Keith 44 special loads are recommended only for large steel frame guns and should only be constructed by experienced reloaders. Buffalo Bore makes factory .44 Special loads that are what you’re after.
@@HughesEnterprises Yes, I know of Elmer. Who also was behind the .41 magnum, my favorite, with 25% less recoil than the .44 magnum. Shoots a bit faster also. I have a S&W model 57 in nickle finish. I also have the Ruger Super Blackhawk 3 screw in .44. I wish Paul Harrell would do a meat test with the .357 magnum & the .44 special.
How do you determine when you should or should not use a gas check? That may be a noob question but over the last several months of reloading I haven't seen gas checks noted in load data.
If your pushing them decently hot then put gas checks on them. He also powder coats them so they don't lead the barrel out very much ether.
Riley Allen Cool, I don't do any really hot rounds at the moment but I will def make note of that. I do want to try powder coating my lead though.
@@macewen1 yeah that's a great way to reduce leading in your barrel.
SpaceRanger42 - Gas checks were the forerunners of fully jacketed bullets. We went through the half jackets, 3/4 jackets on swaged bullets made on CH presses. Then the factories made fully jacketed bullets HPs and SPs. With our lube systems and powder coating, leading control does not fall onto gas checks any longer. If no PC, GCs do help prevent leading at higher velocities. However, gas checks may very well make the bullet base more uniform yielding improvements in accuracy. We owe it to ourselves to test our bullets with and W/O gas checks. Good shootin' to ya, FC Steve
@FortuneCookie45LC
I thought powder coating negated the need for gas checks, but still allowed for higher lead bullet velocities without excessive leading? What am I missing here?
FC,the red looks like male lipstick. (as finished)
Walter Palmer - Who would have guessed that bullets would look like this back when we first casted? And it takes a bit to get over the hurdle of doing these. Have a great day, FC
Unique doesn't list this load. I guess the attornies decided it was too hot.
45 colt reloading cast bullets
I only have a Dillon 550 , old style case cleaner, hand tools & basic scale . I'm surprised with all your tools you don't have a multi stage press , it can be used single stage or ways Other than fully auto , I hand weigh most powder & try to have a small air gap when possible . I don't go for speed but I can load a good amount in an hour , the tool heads don't need too much adjusting , I tend to do many test loads & try to do it in a way to do the least adjusting .
Dan O'Neill - Thanks for your good comments. I have two Dillon 550Bs set up - one for small primers, one for large. For doing load development and testing videos, the single stages are best used so the Dillons have not been featured lately... Best to ya, FC
Wish I could find a revolver chambered for it, The one I have doesn't shoot worth a crap, It's a auto world
Old Reliable................ : )
gman77gas - Sounds like a cartridge and ammo outfit in Wisconsin..!! Have a great day, FC
they sure are pretty but.. why powder coat and gas check? at 44 spl velocities the plain lead is fine for me. the plain pc is more than fine. I really really do not like Unique tho.. dirty.. leaves flakes.. meters poorly..
Doran Maxwell - As you may have deduced, I hate gas checks as they raise the cost of cast bullets by 4 - 5 cents a bullet...plus, their only use is that the bullet so adorned may possibly be more accurate than without...this can only be determined by accuracy testing. This particular 215 grain SWC bullet was not that good a performer in 44 magnum for me many years ago, so I thought I'd give it a try in 44 Special Skeeter loads this time around. And the GCs were added to give them the best chance...Ordinarily I avoid GCs like the plague. The other bullet is the RCBS 240 grain Silhouette bullet - a fine shooter. Have a great day, FC