Need .44 Magnum Reloading help

[amboy49]

I just acquired a Ruger 77/44 that I plan to use for Indiana whitetails and hopefully on an out of state hog hunt. I need to acquire some .44 magnum empty cases to start the reloading process when I can also track down some bullets. If I attend the 1500 this weekend I plan on trying to see what may be available.

I'll check my reloading manuals for load data - but my manuals are several years old and don't have much information about loading for a .44 magnum rifle vs pistol. I'd welcome recommendations re: bullet selection and load data - perhaps ballistics I should be aware of for hunting loads. Once some loads are developed I plan to bench the gun for not only grouping but also bullet drop.

Would like to hear from folks who have worked up loads for deer hunting and any first hand feedback on success on wild game.

Thanks in advance.

 

[HuntMeister]

I may be able to help you out with some components. Send me a PM if you are interested and we can go from there.

 

[sbcman]

Hodgdon Reloading | Home

Check out the Hornady 225gr loads, especially lil'gun. That's the load I hunt with and it's done incredibly well. Gotta cut brass down, but no big deal

 

[phatgemi]

A lot of reloading manual don't differentiate between the 44 pistol load and rifle load. But the pistol loads will work just fine with the velocity gain. Luckily the 44 magnum is a great deer cartridge whether using factory or reloaded ammo. Factory wise, you probably can't beat plain ole winchester whitebox 240 grainers. For me on reloads, I like the 240 grain hornandy xtp's. Lots of guys will like the 225 grains and I'm sure they work fine. I'm just partial to the 240 grain. I must extend the obligatory caution on using anybodys reload recipes. Start low and work up with what is best for your guns. I use the 240 gr xtp over 23.5 grains of H110 and it's a real butt kicker. Nice accuracy and loves to lay deer low. Good luck. You will find plenty of good help on here.

 

[hammer24]

240 xtp on top of a stiff dose of H110 gets me 2" groups at 100 yds. During the load work up my groups got smaller as I neared max loads. I've taken three deer at 120+ yds with this load and have no complaints.

 

[shawnba67]

23.5 of w296 lit with wlp primer under a nosler 240 sporting handgun has proven accurate in several rifles. (I'm running on memory on that 23.5 but I seem to remeber being .5gr under max if 23 aint right.)

 

[tenring]

22 gr. of 2400 with a 240 XTP puts a serious hurt on a Whitetail deer.

 

[Leo]

Hornady XTP over a substantial (but still within specs) charge of AA#9 has been my go to. It has been proven in 7-1/2 and 9 inch revolvers as well as feeding flawlessly in the old Ruger semi auto rifle.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I used a 240gr hard cast lead semi-wadcutter from Missouri Bullet Co with 7.3gr of Titegroup and took my first deer with a .44 this year. It was a 70 yard shot with an H&R Handi-Rifle. It absolutely destroyed the shoulder (bone fragments EVERYWHERE). He ran about a hundred yards and was dead by the time I got to him about 10 minutes after the shot.

Now, why Titegroup? It's not the best for .44mag, but it's a very economical powder and more importantly I had traded a friend some for another powder because I have a lot of powder (I mean, a LOT) and like to keep my friends supplied when stuff is short like it is now. I had just gotten the Handi-Rifle in August as a birthday gift from the girls, and then I bought a .44mag revolver as a companion so I figured it was a good opportunity to use up the Titegroup, and that combo gives me about 950fps in the revolver and 1060 in the Handi-Rifle and I'd been happily plinking away for months with it.

I hadn't intended to really hunt with it as I had spent all sorts of money building the .458 socom I have been hunting with the last few years, but it was the last day of the first firearms season and I had pretty much given up until late season as I hadn't gotten anything yet. I was out practicing with the crossbow off the porch when I saw two deer on the next rise over watching me. Too far away for the xbow, so I snuck back inside and grabbed the nearest thing that was legal which happened to be the Handi-Rifle. Walked bit down the drive until I had a clear shot and took it.

Was I worried that this plinking round wouldn't be enough? Nope. I had been practicing with it on a 4" steel at 100 yards and knew it had plenty of energy at that distance and as long as I got a solid hit it really didn't matter what I hit it with.

 

[Pembertont]

I'm new to INGO, but I do reload 44 mag for a 77/44 rifle. Like a couple guys above, I get great results out of 240gr XTP's on top of 23.5gr of H110 powder. I load for my father in law too but he likes 225gr FTX over 18.5gr of H110. But like the guy above said you have to trim the brass with the 225's so they will fit in the mag. I also had to get a special seating stem from RCBS to avoid smashing the polymer tips while seating the bullet. They did send it to me for free though! Both loads shoot well and we have both dropped deer over 100 yards with them. He likes a little less recoil though and his gun seems to like the 225's better. We both use Winchester large pistol primers and starline brass. You will love the 44 mag in the Indiana deer woods. We have six guys in our deer camp using them now...four of them are Ruger 77/44's. Good luck!

 

[Maddog1]

You should have no trouble finding components at the 1500 with the exception of powder. That is always hit or miss.

 

[Leadeye]

You can get a lot of practice in with cast bullets for very little money.

 

[45fan]

As others have said, it is hard to go wrong with XTPs. H110 is also a good choice to start out a rifle load with, as its a slower powder than the typical pistol powders. Lots of 240 grain fans, I have had better luck in my rossi lever gun with the 300 grain variety. If your rifle shoots the 240s with acceptable accuracy, it will let you get in more practice for cheap using cast bullets instead of the regular XTPs.

The flex tip bullets arent a bad choice either, lots of guys I know use them with great results, but I dont want to cut brass and end up with cases dedicated to just one bullet.

 

[BE Mike]

I like 240 gr. bullets, either hard cast SWC or JHP. I'm of the old school. Elmer Keith liked 2400 in .44 mag. and so do I. It's a shame that all the irrational panic buying and speculating has made components so hard to get for folks just wanting to load ammo for hunting or target shooting. Hope you find a bullet you like.

 

[kolob10]

44 mag rifle loads

I get good results with the Hornady 225gr lever rifle bullet using stiff load of W296 or H110. The cases must be trimmed undersized when using this bullet for proper functioning and safety. Lil Gun powder has a tendency to flame cut the top strap on my revolvers so I no longer use it in revolvers but it seems ok in my rifles. Don't discount the 240 gr gas checked cast bullets. They leave a great blood trail with whitetails. Good hunting and shooting.

 

[spaniel]

I use the 240gr XTP in a Ruger Deerhunter. I can't recall the charges without looking it up, but I run either H110 or 2400 at a similar velocity...I believe both are about a grain under book max. The rounds perform well on deer, though at close ranges it is pretty clear that these bullets are at the upper end of their design parameters being thrown out of a carbine length barrel.

Not that the deer could tell.

 

[Broom_jm]

In addition to the ubiquitous 240gr XTP and H110/W296 load for deer (can't beat it), I also create lighter recoil practice loads with 200gr cast or XTP and a mild charge of Power Pistol.

 

[Max Volume]

I also picked up a 77/44 last fall and had the same questions. After much searching I found the previous answers to be the norm. Hornady 240gr XTP over 23.5 or 24.0gr of H110/296 to be the generally agreed load. The Hornady manual states 24.8 grains of H110 and 25.0 grains of 296 to be the max for a rifle load. They do have separate sections for rifle and handgun loads. Some people like Alliant 2400 and the manual states 21.5 grains to be the max of that. I have primed brass ready to load with 240 and 300 grain XTP's and H110 powder. From my research most people have had bad accuracy results with lighter bullets due to the fast twist of the 77/44. I would also like to try a cast Keith bullet. As for factory loads mine prefers Federal American Eagle over WWB. Based upon the distance a .44 is good for, I mounted a Leopold 1x4x20 shotgun scope. I have not shot it with the scope but it appears to be a perfect combination.

 

[rjhans53]

+however many of a 240 xtp sitting on 23.5 of H110. My ruger will clover leaf or better at 50 using this load

 

[dye]

I have the same Ruger 77/44 rifle. It likes 240gr XTP over top of 24 gr of H110 best.

Kills deers dead!