Specials and magnums

[4t5]

Am I correct in assuming 44 special loads in 44 magnum brass give the same special velocities.?
I’ve got a bunch of 240 jhp’s I want to use up , but I want no more than 900 fps , tired of the mag recoil.
Will use them in a vaquero.

[tray]

Magnum brass loaded with 240gn bullets and enough powder to give 900 fps will have a lot less recoil than a "magnum" load. I would suggest you add some dacron filler to keep the powder back against the primer for more uniform shot to shot performance. Check your loading manual for a powder charge in that velocity range. We are lucky to have many good powders to choose from. Universal clays, power pistol, HS6, Unique, and green dot just to name a few. Good luck with your choice.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Depends on the powder. With Unique it seems like I need a grain or so more in the magnum case to get the same velocity.

No need for fillers with any reasonable charge.

But you generally won’t get in trouble as long as you aren’t using H110 or 296 which both warn against reducing charges too much.

[LeverGunner]

Because of the increased case volume, you will get a lower velocity using a special charge in a magnum case.

When using a special charge in a magnum case, seating the bullets deeper so that the internal volume is the same will give you the expected velocity. But you run into the problem of how do you crimp the bullet in place. With a SWC such as the Lyman 429421, you can crimp over the front driving band since the height of the front driving band is similar to the difference in case length.

[GunnyMack]

Seating deeper may cause feeding problems...

[4t5]

Thanks guys.