44 mag Gas Checks

[SilverZuk]

Anyone have pet loads for them.

I run magnum loads with jacketed rounds, and lead bullets at cowboy action velocities.

The gas check will allow me to run a little more speed with a lead bullet to get somewhere between.

I have 215 gr and 240 gr gas checks.

[Norm]

Originally Posted by SilverZuk

Anyone have pet loads for them.

I run magnum loads with jacketed rounds, and lead bullets at cowboy action velocities.

The gas check will allow me to run a little more speed with a lead bullet to get somewhere between.

I have 215 gr and 240 gr gas checks.

For plinking rounds I use jacked 240gr with 9.5 - 10gr of unique, that should be around 1000->1100 fps. I've played with some 2400, but it's pretty dirty so I usually go with unique unless I'm loading full tilt loads with H110.

[the stinky truck]

if you just want a plinking load don't waste your gas checks.you can get magnum vel. with gas checks.did you cast these or buy them?

[Sturgell]

I will have some in the next few weeks, my Lee 310 RNFP gas check mould is coming from Natchezss and I have an RCBS 225 gr gc mould that I traded for. All of the loads I have seen for gas checks that are loaded to magnum pressures exceed the velocities achieved with jacketed bullets.

I am hoping for 13-1450 fps out of my 7.5 inch Redhawk with the 310. Will report back.

[the stinky truck]

Originally Posted by Sturgell

I will have some in the next few weeks, my Lee 310 RNFP gas check mould is coming from Natchezss and I have an RCBS 225 gr gc mould that I traded for. All of the loads I have seen for gas checks that are loaded to magnum pressures exceed the velocities achieved with jacketed bullets.

I am hoping for 13-1450 fps out of my 7.5 inch Redhawk with the 310. Will report back.

way less friction,bout 150 fps.on average.

[afroman006]

What is the actual "check" part made out of? I have zero experience with case boolits BTW...

[Vortec_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by afroman006

What is the actual "check" part made out of? I have zero experience with case boolits BTW...

Copper, brass, zinc or aluminum.
Usually copper.

[SilverZuk]

These are copper checks.
I bought them back in winter from gunbroker. The price was right.

Norm,
Who said anything about plinking loads?
I load plinking loads 500 at a time with tite group powder and a 200 gr cast.

The gas checks are cheaper than jacketed and I can run similar velocities.
I have some data on 240 gr gas checks, but none on 215 gr.

I'll probably start with a Unique load, but was wanting to see what others have used.

[TNToy]

Originally Posted by SilverZuk

plinking loads... with tite group powder and a 200 gr cast.

Oof! Those are smoky.

You can always spot the guys running N310 or Titegroup under a lead/moly bullet. Unless it's windy, they disappear for a minute after the gun is empty.

Sure is cost effective, and soft-feeling, though.

[SilverZuk]

In my match guns I shoot black powder - I don't ever notice smoke in a smokeless round.

I did notice it is a dirty in revolver. I shot 50 rounds one evening last week and my hands looked like I had been working on a car.

[TNToy]

Originally Posted by SilverZuk

I don't ever notice smoke in a smokeless round.

Oh yeah - forgot about that. Compared to what you're used to...

[SilverZuk]

This is normal to me

[Norm]

Originally Posted by SilverZuk

These are copper checks.
I bought them back in winter from gunbroker. The price was right.

Norm,
Who said anything about plinking loads?
I load plinking loads 500 at a time with tite group powder and a 200 gr cast.

The gas checks are cheaper than jacketed and I can run similar velocities.
I have some data on 240 gr gas checks, but none on 215 gr.

I'll probably start with a Unique load, but was wanting to see what others have used.

A lot depends on the bullet hardness, too fast and you will foul your barrel in short order. I'd be tempted to try 2400 and H110/W296. The problem with H110/W296 is you can't really load it down, you need a case full. That being said 22-25gr of H110 is what I would try with the 215gr if it was me, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without trying it first because it could be dangerous .

My speer manual shows 225gr SWC GC ( no 215gr loads)

H110 22gr-24gr 1512FPS
2400 19gr-21gr 1482FPS
Unique 9.0gr -11.0gr 1259FPS

[Sturgell]

So I finally loaded up some of the 310 grainers with 22 and 22.5 grains of H110. The 22 grain load averaged around 1300 fps and the 22.5 grain load 1350. The primers are all still normal looking and once budged with the extractor all 6 cases will fall out.

I am going to load some more with 23 and 23.5 of H110 and see if I can get 1400-1450 out of them just for shits and giggles. I am already a grain above max according to Hodgdon.

The recoil is sharp but not uncontrollable, however I wouldn't hand it to a kid or someone not experienced with handguns for them to shoot.

Also worth mentioning that my gay pink lube and these boolits do not lead at all in my 7.5 Redhawk.

NOTE: I did this with CCI 300 primers because it was all I had, these loads may be dangerous in your gun so work up from your manual.

[TheRedHorseman]

Originally Posted by Sturgell

So I finally loaded up some of the 310 grainers with 22 and 22.5 grains of H110. The 22 grain load averaged around 1300 fps and the 22.5 grain load 1350.

Hee dawgy.

That sounds like a wild ride.

[Sturgell]

The weird thing is that it has more left before being a max load in this gun. I will see where the top is then load 6 in half grain increments and see which one is the most accurate for a hunting load. Then I start with the 225 SWC GC bullets I have that drop around 235-240 with H110 and HS-6 to find an economy plinking load. Even though with 23 grains of H110 I have a total of $.10 a round in them with my boolits cast with free wheelweights.

[Sturgell]

The thunderstorm that drenched me on my way home from the first chrono session has moved on and I couldn't take it anymore.

Took my 23 and 23.5 grain loads out to launch over the chrony and I can honestly say I don't want to load it any higher.

23 grains
1428 1382 1389 1401

23.5 grains
1441 1447 1430 1436


The recoil is abusive, the primers are slightly flattened however, extraction is still easy. Creeping up on the 1500 ft lb mark is someone else's job now.

[TheRedHorseman]

Originally Posted by Sturgell

The recoil is abusive, the primers are slightly flattened however, extraction is still easy. Creeping up on the 1500 ft lb mark is someone else's job now.

Did that with some 300 grainers in my .454 casull, it was a tad energetic.

[the stinky truck]

those numbers rock.Don't have a crono but wish i did,I've got some 44 stuff like that but when shot out of a smith it really hurts the hand.So i really got smart and bought a freedom arms model 83 in 454.I have a lbt wide flat nose that weights out 335 grains,ouch!I loaded this at 31 grns of h110 could only imagine what the velocity is.You can't really call this a plinking load.My all day load is 22grns. of aa#9 i'm guessing about 1200 fps.

[Norm]

Those are some peppy loads . The Redhawk is a pretty stout gun so you may get away with more pressure than some other models. My favorite pack gun is a 2" Taurus Tracker I load with 300gr Uni-Core behind 22gr of W296. I just wouldn't trust that gun with above book loads, but I think it's stronger than the titanium wheel guns and only 2oz heavier.

[Sturgell]

Originally Posted by Norm

Those are some peppy loads . The Redhawk is a pretty stout gun so you may get away with more pressure than some other models. My favorite pack gun is a 2" Taurus Tracker I load with 300gr Uni-Core behind 22gr of W296. I just wouldn't trust that gun with above book loads, but I think it's stronger than the titanium wheel guns and only 2oz heavier.

The Rugers are probably the best deal out there for an incredibly strong gun that will digest a steady diet of really heavy loads. I like Taurus guns, I carry a 605 and had a 608. Both are great guns but for heavy loads I will stick with Rugers.

[Sturgell]

Matt,

I loaded some of my bullets that I cast from my RCBS 225 SWC gas check mold. The finished bullet weight is 232 grains plus or minus .5 grains. I loaded some over 11 grains of HS-6 which were well above 44 spl but below 44 mag maximums, I couldn't find any data for a 225 grain gc so I used data for a 240 jacketed bullet and loaded them to the minimum load, I will run some over the chronograph but I would feel comfortable shooting deer sized critters with this bullet and load.

[SilverZuk]

Originally Posted by Sturgell

The thunderstorm that drenched me on my way home from the first chrono session has moved on and I couldn't take it anymore.

Took my 23 and 23.5 grain loads out to launch over the chrony and I can honestly say I don't want to load it any higher.

23 grains
1428 1382 1389 1401

23.5 grains
1441 1447 1430 1436


The recoil is abusive, the primers are slightly flattened however, extraction is still easy. Creeping up on the 1500 ft lb mark is someone else's job now.

I've been out shooting since last Wednesday, I just got back last night and checking OSR this morning.

Those are some smoking loads, and IIRC about where I stopped on jacketed bullets. It was a compressed load of H110.

The big kick is the crimp. Stuffing a case full of H110 is tolerable, once you start tightening the crimp the pressures sky rocket.

I played with the crimp and got the point where I shot 3 out of 6 and threw the rest away. It was like a grenade going off in your face with each shot.
My cousin was observing and he was dumbfounded why I shot the other two rounds after the first. He said his ears were ringing even with ear protection.

I've pushed the limit, now I like to shoot. I still like a hot load, but most of the time shoot 200 or 210 gr bullets. So recoil is not as brutal.

Most of the time I am shooting lead bullets with tite group or unique. Loads that most anyone can shoot one handed.

[SilverZuk]

I loaded 215 gas checks yesterday and tried them out.

The load was
215 cast lead gas check bullet
25 gr H110 powder
Remington 2 1/2 primer
New federal brass.

The recoil was par for a magnum load with 215 gr bullet. The accuracy was good. I consistently hit a 3" dot at around 40 yards from a rest. There were no signs of pressure on the spent case or primer. I was pleased with the load.

I went home and cleaned the pistol, and notice some lead build up for about the first 3/4" down the barrel. So I am pushing them a little too hard, because I am getting lead build up. Time to chronograph the remaining loads, record it, and back down the charge a little.