Light 44 mag load with Winchester 296?

[BNE]

I have a few pounds of 296 and I want to work up a light load for cast bullets (Just got my mold!!) Can anyone suggest where to start?

I have a S&W 629 with a 6" barrel.
Regular or Magnum primers
The mold is the Lee 240 grain, tumble lube mold.

I am hoping to get something in the 1,000 to 1,100 ft/sec range.

I also have Titewad and Clays if 296 is a no go.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Hickory]

NO, DON'T DO IT.
296 is not ment to be used for reduced loads.
At least no more than 5%…

[BruceB]

Hickory is absolutely correct.

296 (and its identical mate, H110), are designed and intended for FULL-POWER loads. As Hickory notes, some VERY SLIGHT reductions in published loads may be alright, but not "reduced loads" as we use the term.

By all means, keep the 296 and use it for its intended purpose.... but you will need a quicker powder for "reduced loads".

[Larry Gibson]

Use the Titewad and Clays as they will work for what you want. The 296 is a definite "no go" for what you want.

Larry Gibson

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Read and heed those words written above!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[475BH]

"H110 and Winchester 296 loads should not be reduced more than 3%.

Reduce H110 and Winchester 296 loads 3% and work up from there. H110 and Winchester 296 if reduced too much will cause inconsistent ignition. In some cases it will lodge a bullet in the barrel, causing a hazardous situation (Barrel Obstruction). This may cause severe personal injury or death to users or bystanders. DO NOT REDUCE H110 LOADS BY MORE THAN 3%. "

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

Nuff said. Reddot is a good one for plinkers/wadcutters.

[hamour]

2400 is much better than 296/110 if you want to back off of the max loads and still use the same powder. 16-17-18 grs of 2400 will give you a powerful load that is not Maximum.

Leave the ball powders in the can until you need sure fire maximum loads, that is where they shine.

[Sasquatch-1]

I use 7 grns of Unique for a very lite load in my 44 wheel guns. As mentioned I save the 296 for full house loads.

[fredj338]

As noted, W296/H110, same powder, do NOT download well. One reason I moved back to 2400, a broader load range & I only lose maybe 50fps on the top end. Clays, not for me, pressures spikes are quite common w/ heavier bullets & pushing the top end, which you would have to do for 1000fps loads. Unique, WSF, Universal or other medium burner is what you want for 1000-1100fps 240-250gr lead bullet loads.

[DougGuy]

+5 to the DO NOT DO IT advice with W296/H110

2400 is great for both magnum and less than magnum loads in the .44 magnum, and almost any powder that will serve for a .45 Colt standard pressure will propel a .44 magnum into the same sub 1100f/s velocities. Unique, Red Dot, even powder for the .45 ACP works good but DO NOT use 296 for this.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Powders like H110, 296, AA #9, 4831, and other rifle and handgun powders are not bad just because they should not be used at reduced loads!!!!!! It's just like a lot of other "do nots" the caution is there for a reason, usually safety and that is exactly why it is there with slower powders, handgun or rifle.

So, personally I use the slower handgun powders because I desire to shoot magnum loads in those firearms. If I want to shoot a .38 level load in a .357 or .44 special load in a .44 mag, there are many powders that will fill that need. However, unless I have a reason to do shoot the light loads and I do shoot more of those in the 357 then the mag loads, then why would I want anything less then Mag performance, and therefore I use the best powders available to provide that level.

Same with my hunting rifles. I use what provides the best level of performance for that firearm, and there are plenty of powder that will provide, safely, reduced loads if that is the need.

Just use the correct powder for the desired level result.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Nickle]

Just use the correct powder for the desired level result.

And, THAT is the bottom line. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, no matter how hard you try and plead.

If you're reducing loads, then simply use an appropriate powder.

That way you still end up with 2 eyes, 1 nose, 2 ears, 2 hands and 10 fingers and everything still works.

[dnotarianni]

I have a few pounds of 296 and I want to work up a light load for cast bullets (Just got my mold!!) Can anyone suggest where to start?

I have a S&W 629 with a 6" barrel.
Regular or Magnum primers
The mold is the Lee 240 grain, tumble lube mold.

I am hoping to get something in the 1,000 to 1,100 ft/sec range.

I also have Titewad and Clays if 296 is a no go.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Don't do it is good advice but it can be done. The problem with lite loads and 296/H110/Lil-gun is air space in the case. The powder lays flat in the case and the primer either does a fizzle or a detonation. Fizzle gets you a stuck bullet and detonation costs you a gun and maybe some fingers. If you really want to use 296 get some .410 felt wads and fill up the space so you have no air space in the case. It works for me in 500 mag but it's your gun and face. You need to make sure the powder is packed against the bottom of the case and you use mag primers for good ignition with ball powder.
Dave

[Duckiller]

Hogden makes it . Hogden sells it. Hogden says DON'T reduce more than 3%. Do what you want to do,but don't bother posting a picture of a destroyed revolver that you don't understand how it happened.

[BNE]

Hey guys, I appreciate the replies. Please understand, I DID NOT DO THIS! I asked to learn why you do not do this. I especially appreciate the replies that explained WHY not to down load this powder. My problem is I can't find any of the powders to do this, (All sold out) so I was wondering if I could use what I had. I have been reloading for 14 years and still have all my pieces and parts! (And I plan to keep them) I recently started casting and this site has been GREAT help.

Thank you again!

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

BNE, Sounds to me like your good to go. ---------- I don't recall seeing an explanation of what would be my biggest concern with the use of reduced powder charges with slow handgun or rifle powder, but it is the fact that this situation has been known to blow up nice firearms and along with it do some real damage to the shooter. ------------ Didn't make a lot of sense of course, saying that less of something caused more and dangerous pressures and it was a long time before it really was pinned down. --------- For quite awhile - years - all that could be said was that when reduced loads of slow powder was used, it SOMETIMES caused real damage. ------------ Didn't happen all/every time, and of course that brings on the thought that the handloader is at fault, having goofed and over charged or used the wrong powder or ???? etc. ---------- Finally it was pinned down and became a recognized fact and known danger. ---------- Sooooo, that is what brings on all the "Don't Do it" statements -------- might not happen every time, but reduced loads of slow powders can be a very bad thing! ------------- Hope you find some powder soon! -------- Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[mtgrs737]

10 grs. of Unique makes for a very nice shooting mid-range loading with 240 gr. cast boolits.

[Sven]

Hodgdon does not list .44 mag loads with Titewad. It's a pretty fast powder. clays is fast, also, but at least they list data for it. I personally don't like small charges of fast powder in the .44 mag because an accidential double charge is not very noticable.

Unique was mentioned. I like Universal Clays. 8 gr. of either will get you where you want to go. Powder is starting to get easier to find. Be patient. I'd wait until you can find something in a medium burn rate like Unique or Universal. Or a bulky powder like Trailboss. http://www.hodgdon.com/burn-rate.html Lots of on-line data from the manufacturers.

[Outpost75]

In revolvers with barrel length not exceeding 6", a charge of 8 grains of Alliant Bullseye provodes a highly satisfactory load about 1050 fps with 240-gr. Cast lead or JHP bullets. Have used it for years.

[dilly]

So this is what "consensus" looks like. I've heard rumors that it existed somewhere on the internet, but I've never seen it before. I always thought when someone posted a question the natural response was for two people to take opposing views and bicker about it.