Using 44 special loads in 44 magnum case?
- Thread starter FoghornLeghorn
- Start date
black mamba
New member
Yep, times 2 . . . certainly good to go!
If you crimp a 44 Mag case into a crimp groove intended for a 44 Special case, and if the bullet is a round nose design, it will be too long for a S&W 29 chamber and will stick out, but if you have a Ruger 1.750" long cylinder it won't. This is the reason Ruger makes the long cylinders. It gives you extra powder capacity with a 44 Special crimp groove.
Seating the bullet that way has the penalty that the standard 44 Special load will tend to underperform starting in the long case, but there are some funny exceptions to this, so you have to start low and work up just to be sure. Generally, though, it will need more powder seated long.
To check for compatibility with the shorter 44 Mag cylinders, just measure your finished COL. 1.610" is the maximum for 44 Mag for a gun you don't have. Your cylinder length is the maximum for a gun you do have, though be aware that recoil can back bullets out a little during firing and jam cylinder rotation, so I like to stay at least 0.010" short of the cylinder length to let the bullet start to move. In a heavy gun with 44 Special level loads, this won't likely be an issue. In a light gun it still can be.
Seating the bullet that way has the penalty that the standard 44 Special load will tend to underperform starting in the long case, but there are some funny exceptions to this, so you have to start low and work up just to be sure. Generally, though, it will need more powder seated long.
To check for compatibility with the shorter 44 Mag cylinders, just measure your finished COL. 1.610" is the maximum for 44 Mag for a gun you don't have. Your cylinder length is the maximum for a gun you do have, though be aware that recoil can back bullets out a little during firing and jam cylinder rotation, so I like to stay at least 0.010" short of the cylinder length to let the bullet start to move. In a heavy gun with 44 Special level loads, this won't likely be an issue. In a light gun it still can be.
If you use Lee tumble-lube bullets, you have your choice of lots of crimp grooves. 
Should make it easy to use .44M brass and crimp to the OAL specified in your .44SPL data. They are good bullets; I like the round nose flat points in .38 and .45 and I assume they make one for .44 too. They have very wide noses and cut clean (slightly undersized) holes in paper. They should also punch clean holes in varmints.
Should make it easy to use .44M brass and crimp to the OAL specified in your .44SPL data. They are good bullets; I like the round nose flat points in .38 and .45 and I assume they make one for .44 too. They have very wide noses and cut clean (slightly undersized) holes in paper. They should also punch clean holes in varmints.black mamba
New member
I've loaded LOTS of swc bullets to 1.68" in a pair of S&W model 29s with room to spare in the cylinder.