180 grain Hornady XTP w/2400?

[FoghornLeghorn]

I'm loading for a Henry 44 mag lever rifle for range of 100 paper plinking. One of my Alliant books says 23.3 grains for 1750 fps. This site:
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=44 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun

seems to indicate that as a maximum load. The starting load at that site is 20.7 grains.

Suggestions? I always like to load on the milder side.

BTW, there's not much published info for this combination. The Hornady 180 grain hasn't been out long?

 

[Marco Califo]

Alliant shows 21.4 for 225 gr @1526 7.5 handgun.
Hodgdon's reloading center (not for your powder), for 44, does not show ANY velocity gain by going from 225 to 180 gr projectile . .. So, WHY?
180 gr is great for 40 pistol. Why do you want to shoot that weight in a pistol/rifle caliber when it does not get you any faster, nor harder hitting?
Alliant (current website data) shows only one faster (180 44 with BE86 (1525 fps). I think 2400 is far too slow for going light for your bore. Older Alliant load data is available. The current website narrows down in favor of newer powders.

 

[Yosemite Steve]

I would not get my loads from Handloads.com. One of my go to handbooks that is older but has consistent data with what I shoot is the Hornady 4th edition. It's old but it jives with what I've been chronographing.

It says:
200 gr. bullets 1700fps 1800 fps 1900 fps
2400 21.5 gr 22.8 gr 24.2 gr

Lyman's data: 1603fps 1880fps
200gr - 2400 start 19.5 gr 23.6 MAX



At first glance I would think you could go with a slightly larger charge with a 180 grain bullet but Quickload is giving a max charge of 24 grains with a velocity of 2132 fps and a pressure of 35,065 PSI which is full house. Because you are using a faster powder for your gun you have a tad more safety at a lower starting load. That is just a software program and may not be reliable!

I am not going to suggest any loads to you as there is no load data out there that I can find for a 180 grain rifle application. If it were me you can bet I would be working up loads for it. The information I gave you is NOT a suggestion to try anything. I am no gun expert and do not own a 44 caliber rifle. I think there exists safe loads for what you want to do. You can figure out what they are! I hope that you do so safely.

 

[Nick_C_S]

Hornaday's Rifle Data

Hornady's 9th shows 44 Mag rifle data (pg 634) using 180 XTP's from 21.6gn (1700 f/s), to 27.5gn (2100 f/s). Their test gun was a 18" bbl Ruger w/ 1:38 twist. OAL: 1.600"

So that's Hornady's data; the maker of your bullet.

Which brings me to a couple eyebrow raisers on my part . . .

First, why are you using a top-end hollow point bullet to punch holes in paper? Of course, it's your money, but it strikes me as unusual. I'd look for a bargain soft point, like Everglades or something. Or maybe a silhouette bullet (too bad Hornady discontinued theirs - they were incredibly accurate). XTP's are just a little pricey, that's all. It's not like you've committed a sin requiring atonement .

Second, if you're punching holes in paper, why do you want to drive them so darn hard? Myself, I'd give up a good sized helping of velocity and tend my ammo toward consistency. That would tend me to move to a propellant that's a little faster and consistent burning (especially given your light 180gn bullets). I'm thinking like Unique, or Power Pistol - something in that burn rate range.

My two cents.

I have a Marlin 1894 20" lever action. And I just punch holes in paper at 50 or 100 yards. I've had great luck with HS-6 under my 240 grain Everglades soft points (1444 f/s). HS-6 might work for you too. But the only reason why I didn't mention it as a suggestion, is that I have found that HS-6 seems to run much better under heavy bullets - not so sure how it'd do under your 180's. And it also prefers a magnum primer.