Transcription
,I!IIIBrian PearceIIn spite of being nearly a c nJ tury old, the .44 Smith & W sson Special is still one ofour finest and most versat Ierevolver cartridges, at least ifhandloaded. Introduced in 1907 8along with the first Smith & Wess nN-Frame New Century, commo lynicknamed the "Triple Lock," t eSpecial was created by lengtheni gthe .44 Russian case from .97 in hto 1.16inches.ll IlLL II I HIuII LfIIIRecords sometimes conflict, but it appears tlatearly ammunition was loaded with 26 grains ofblack powder to drive a 246-grain leadroundnose bullet around 780 fps. A smokeless load appeared at about the same timethat drove the above bullet 750 fps. Withthe obvious potential of smokeless powders to boost velocity above the black-powloads, it remains a mystery why the factories diload it to something around 900 or 950 fps. (Anpropriate charge of Unique powder, availabledming this era, could drive bullets past 900 fpswhile staying within recommended pressurelimits.)IIBelow, the .44 Russian (left) was lengthened tocreate the.44 Special (middle), which ultimatelyled to the development of the .44 Magnum (right).II: Ilf34www.handloadermagazine.comHandloader 2-
In spite of today's new factory loads, the Specialcan still be improved through handloading to increase power, accuracy and versatility in smallerand lighter guns than the .44 Magnum. Those whounderstand and appreciate the virtues of the .44Special and the great sixguns chambered for it areindeed sixgun connoisseurs.During the two decades following the .44 Special'sintroduction,many recognized that it could behandloaded with appropriate smokeless powders toachieve substantially greater power than anycommercial cartridge of the era. The cartridge's best-known advocate was ElmerKeith. Keith was in a unique position totry sixgun loads on game ranging fromstringy jackrabbits to elk and was a promoterKeith found he could drive a250-grain bullet 1,200 fps from arevolver fitted with a 5'A-inch barrel.of long-range six gunning as the ultimate testfor accuracy. During the 1920s he developedhis own line of sixgun bullets with .44-caliberLyman mould 429421 (weighing 250 grains) becoming possibly the most popular bullet of all time inthe .44 Special.IBy the early 1930s, with the advent of Hercules(now Alliant) 2400 powder, Keith found he couldI drive a 250-grain bullet 1,200 fps from a revolver fitted with a 5%-inch barrel. For nearly 30 years, hewrote about the virtues of heavy .44 Special loadsfor hunting, accuracy and defense and urged ammunition companies to introduce his load. TheKeith load used 17.5 grains of 2400 behind his 250-I:::eptember 25www.handloadermagazine.com35
Ii"!!ilII''Igrain cast bullet, but factorieswere concerned about revolverssafely handling the 25,000 psipressures this load generated. In1953 Keith visited the Remingtonand Smith & Wesson plants andurged them to bring out a modern magnum .44-caliber sixgunby lengthening the Special case.125 inch. Keith's wishes finallybecame a reality in 1955/56 withthe introduction of the .44 Remington Magnum.The .44 Magnum was a significant development,particularlyfor hunters, but the revolverswere larger and heavier thanSmith & Wesson and Colt SingleAction .44 Specials, which wereso trim and handy for belt carry.Today, with the exceptionofSmith & Wesson's Model 629Mountain Gun, most .44 Magnums are larger and heavier thanever, leaving a legitimate placefor the Special. One prominentgun writer, the late Skeeter Skelton, recognizedthe virtues ofthis round and played a majorrole in its continuedpopularity. During the 1970s and 1980s,he convinced the head honchosMost .44 Magnum dies are suitable for loading the Special.q;m } IECARli 144MG144SP6 p 18612U"',. S cll iohlel "'18REDDING""""""'"44 5P''HIAl-jIli"illjl' IImR,I :: 1 """"'" I. (:l)MFlH SUFEDERAL"'". 4SWBUFFALOHEAVY 44 SPECIAL".,7'-litali :.i,'Ii wmaat Smith & Wesson and Colt tooffer revolvers so chambered.For newcomers, Skeeter's standard .44 Special load consistedof 7.5 grains of Alliant Uniquecombinedwith the 250-grainLyman cast bullet 429421 atabout 950 fps.The .44 Special offers sufficientperformancefor hunting biggame with Keith-style cast semiwadcutter (SWC) bullets drivenfrom 900 to 1,200 fps. A numberof years ago, I planted two 250grain cast bullets (from LymanThe .44 special offerssufficient performancefor hunting big game.That same year I trailed a blackbear that had been wounded withll36www.handloadermagazine.com-'4SWlAbove, the original 246-grainroundnose factory .44 Specialload remains available, but somecompanies have increased velocity using lighter bullets. BuffaloBore offers a 255-grain cast SWCat 1,000 fps for post-World War /Iguns only. Right, the original .44Special 246-grain factory load(left) is advertised at about 755fps. The handload contains a 250grain Keith-style cast bulletloaded to 1,200 fps.mould 429421) through the lungsof a bull elk at over 100 yards.They were driven 1,200 fps froma Colt New Frontier with a 7 inch barrel. Both bullets exitedthe offside, and the bull ran 20 or30 feet before going down.liBORE@7;a .338 Winchester Magnum. Mtergetting above the bear on thesteep hillside, a 250-grain .44 Special bullet was planted squarelybetween his shoulders, cuttingthe spine and exiting betweenthe front legs. Several muledeer have fallen to the same bullets that were traveling 900 to980 fps.In spite of this modest velocity,bullets completely penetrate onbroadside lung shots, and deerusually drop within 20 to 50yards. I once shot a mountain lionin the chest, as it faced me, usinga .44 Special fitted with a 5Y2-inchbarrel loaded with 250-grainKeith-style bullets at 950 fps. Theslug traveled straight as an arrowlengthwise, then broke the backbone and exited. Total penetration was around 30 inches.Having used the Special for avariety of applications, includingtarget and hunting, I appreciatethe blend of caliber, bullet weight,velocity and comparativelylowpressure.Handloader 236
The .44 Special has always hadroundnose bullet driven an adunder SAAMI recommendationa reputation for being accurate. Itvertised 755 fps. Regardless ofof 15,500 psi. We can only specuis doubtful it is more accuratethe advertised velocities, in relate'why this load has never beenthan other similar straight-walledcent decades it is difficult to findupdated to give just a bit morerevolver cartridges, as long asa given lot number of ammunivelocity, but it is likely linked tothey are loaded correctly, but ittion from either company thatthe steels used in the early S&Wtakes a rather unreasonable loadwill go much faster than 700 fpsNew Century revolvers.to make it misbehave. If careIn an effort to boost theis taken in the selection ofSpecial's velocity, WinchesTheSpecialhasalwayshadcomponents and in assemter offers a 200-grain Silbling ammunition, it oftenreputation for being accurate.vertip hollowpoint(HP),produces extreme spreads ofFederal a 200-grain lead20 fps or less for 10-shot strings.from revolvers with 4- to 71f-inchSWC-HP and Remington a 200barrels. In fact, a trained eye inFactory loads most shooters aregrain lead SWC, each driven 900good light can usually watchfamiliar with as offered by Winfps. One can't help but noticechester and Remington for thethese bullets in flight. I don'tthe ballistic similarity of thepast 97 years include the previknow what the pressures are runabove loads to the .44 WCF in aously mentioned 246-grain leadning, but they are low and wellrevolver, a cartridge that gener-.44a.44 S&W Special "Category One"Table I(15,500 psi or less)bulletpowder(grains)200 RCBS 44-200-FN castI240 Hornady lead SWC-HPI245 Lyman 429383 cast round noseRed DotUniversal ClaysBullseyeRed DotW-231BullseyeIUniqueI250 Lyman 429421 KeithRed DotISR-4756IPower PistolIAAC-5IUniversal Notes: A Smith & Wesson New Century (Triple Lock) Target revolver with a 6lf-inchcases and CCI 300 primers used throughout.200 Speer Gold Dot HPIUniqueAAC-5240 Hornady lead SWC-HPW-231249 Lyman 429383 cast round nose250 Lyman 429421 KeithBullseyeBullseyeW-231SR-4756Power PistolPower PistolI255 Lyman 429244 299809838.0low recoil-cowboyactionsame as 1908 factory loadgood small game loadgood small game loadexcellent general purposemaximumbarrel was used to fire the above loads. Winchester242225234013maximum or leading may occuraccurate, small game load19Notes: A Freedom Arms Model 1997 with a 4X-inch barrel was used in aI/the above loads. Winchester cases and eel 300 primers used throughout.Be Alert - Publisher cannal accepl respansibilily far errars in published laad m37
ally had a good reputation for defense and even hunting gamewithin practical limits.Buffalo Bore Ammunition offerstwo loads designed specificallyfor American manufactured .44Special revolvers produced afterWorld War II. While they exceedSAAMI pressure recommenda-Before retiring to the loadingbench, it's important to understand safe working pressure limits for a given gun. It seemsprudent to divide popular .44Special revolvers into categories:the first consisting of standardpressure loads that don't exceed15,500 psi, the second category isfor guns that can digest loadsthat develop up to 22,000 psi,while the third category is heldto a maximum of 25,000 psi.Above, jacketed .44-caliber bul.lets measuring .429, .4295 and.430 inch are suitable for the .44Special. Left, a variety of powderswas used to develop .44 Specialhandloads.the gun. Certainly some will disagree how these revolvers havebeen rated in terms of strength,to which no offense is taken.I'Itions, they are safe in appropriaterevolvers. The first load drives a185-grain jacketed hollowpoint(JHP) 1,150 fps, while the secondpushes a 255-grain cast SWC1,000 fps. In spite of the factoriesgenerally using non-canisterpowders, their ballistics can nonetheless be duplicated throughhandloading.Just because a gun has digesteda given load doesn't mean it willstand a steady diet of such. Whena gun is fired continuously withloads that are stressing it, metalcan become fatigued and eventually becomes dangerous. Thepoint being, loads must have asufficient margin of safety toallow a reasonable life span forA variety of cast bullets was used in compiling load data. Left to right:RCBS 44-200-FN, Lyman 429215220 grains, Lyman 429383 245 grains,Lyman 429421 250 grains, RCBS 44-250-K 255 grains, Lyman 429244255 grains and Dry Creek SWC 307 grains.The first category (15,500 psi)includes the Smith & WessonNew Century, Second ModelHand Ejector and all importedclones of the Colt Single ActionArmy revolver. Contrary to whathas been printed by many authors, the New Century/TripleLock revolvers are not particularly strong. The third lock at thecrane certainly helped keep theguns tight and chambers in alignment with the bore but did nothing to increase their strength.The steels and heat-treatingmethods of these early Smith& Wessons were not advanced(and some were not even heattreated). They can probably takemore pressure, but their life spanwill be shortened ndloader 236
.44 S&W SpecialTable II"Category'I'wo"(22,000 psi or less)and the margin of safety that werecommend is narrowed.bullel(grains)200 Hornady XTP-HP1,1In addition these revolvers display remarkable fit and finishand should be used with care toassure their preservationandlong life. Colt Single Action Armyrevolver clones have been imported for decades and havebeen manufacturedby severalcompanies. The quality, types ofsteels and heat-treating methodshave varied considerably. A breakdown and discussion of theseguns could fill chapters, so itseems prudent to place themall in this category for safetyreasons.IIIIIIIIIIII,III,The second category (22,000psi) includes the Colt Single Action Army, New Frontier SAA,Charter Arms Bull Dog andUnited States Fire-Arms SAA-pattern revolvers that are U.S. manufactured.(Early USFA gunswere manufacturedoverseas.)The Colt SAA and New Frontiermodels have been used successfully with loads that generate25,000 psi, but these have provedjust a bit warm for some gunsand accelerate wear. For everyday tin-can shooting, I wouldsuggest using loads that are between 15,000 and 18,000 psi, butthe occasional use of loads thatrun up to 22,000 psi is safe, assuming the gun is in good mechanical condition. The CharterArms Bulldog has proven strongenough to handle these loads,but to prevent premature loosening, they should be used somewhat sparingly. Besides, heavyloads in the Bulldog are unpleasant and difficult to control inrapid-fire, double-action shooting.The third category (25,000 ,0914230200 Speer Gold Dot HPUniversal Clays9.51,14228225 Speer SWC-HPIMR-4227Blue DotUniversal Clays19.512.58.01,0921,0981,079347419I220 Lyman 429215 GCUnique8.51,05850240 Nosier jacketed SPBlue Dot11.093339250 Lyman 429421 2HS-6AAC-7Blue -4227Unique18.08.51,0491,0415628IUniversal ClaysVV-3N37I2400I255 Leadhead RCBS 44-KeithElmer Keith's excellent250-grain SWC wasdesigned in the 1920s.powderI255 Lyman 429244 GCI* Maximum, accurateNotes: A Freedom Arms Model 1997 with 4X-inch barrel used to test fire the above loads.Winchester cases and eel 300 used in all loads, except Federal 155 Magnum used withIMR-4227 and H-4227 powders.200 Hornady XTP-HPIUniqueHerco9.09.51,1291,127200 Speer Gold Dot HPUniversal Clays9.51,184225 Speer SWC-HPIMR-4227Blue DotUniversal Clays19.512.58.01,1221,1421,1308.51,114I220 Lyman 429215 GCUnique240 Nosier jacketed SPBlue Dot11.0984250 Lyman 429421 ue que18.08.51,0951,080IUniversal ClaysVV-3N37I2400I255 Leadhead RCBS 44-KeithI255 Lyman 429244 GCINotes: A Colt Single Action Army with 7)j-inch barrel used to test the above loads. Winchester casesand CCI 300 primers used throughout, except Federal 155 Magnums used with IMR-4227 and H4227 powders.Be Alert - Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published foad data.Handloader 236
Brian suggests sizing bullets to correspond withthroat size. The throats of this Colt Single Actionmeasure .431 inch, while the groove diametermeasures .428 inch.includes Smith & Wesson ThirdModel Hand Ejector (or Model of1926), 1950 Target, Model 696and 396 Titanium, Colt New Service and Shooting Master andFreedom Arms Model 1997. TheRuger .357 Blackhawk convertedto .44 Special is also suitable forloads in this category. The S&WModel of 1926 and 1950 Targetfeatured better steels than previous versions and have the sameoutside cylinder diameter as theModel 29 .44 Magnum. The S&WL-Frames feature five-shot cylinders with bolt notches locatedbetween chambers, resulting instrong chambers. The factoryconducted some rather strenuous torture tests wherein theModel 696 easily endured pressures well beyond anything wewill present here.H&/ sizing dies are available in .427, .428, .429 and.430 inch, allowing cast bullets to be sized accordingly.44 Special revolvers, such as theFreedom Arms Model 1997, therecould be a fourth category withpressures that run up to 36,000psi, or the same as current .44Magnum loads. To me such loadsdefeat the purpose of the Special,and for this reason have beenomitted. Even if we are using oneof the stronger guns, most shooters will find loads in the 15,000-to 22,000-psi range to be mostpleasant and useful.Modem .44 Special cases, manufactured within the past halfcentury,are of solid headconstruction and share similarhead and wall thickness as the.44 Magnum. In short they areeasily strong enough to handleany of the loads listed. Folded orWith that said, most shooterswill find these revolvers mostuseful (and pleasant) using loadsin the 15,500-psi range. At just 19ounces, the titanium/aluminum396 Mountain Lite producesrather fast recoil with heavyloads. For those carrying a handgun for defense, bullets weighing200 to 220 grains driven 1,000 or1,100 fps or bullets weighing 240to 250 grains traveling around800 to 850 fps have considerablepunch (and are under 15,500 psi).The ability to fire fast follow-upshots would be preferred to aheavier load that increases recovery time between shots.With some of today's .com41
oI"The Lyman 429383 245-grainroundnose bullet, seated over4.8 grains of Bullseye, essentiallyduplicates original .44 Specialfactory loads.Brian used four revolvers to establish load data including (topto bottom) Smith & Wesson NewCentury Target with 6'b-inch barrel, Colt Single Action Army with7lh-inch barrel (the frame is inthe "white" in preparation to receive new case-colors), Smith &Wesson Model 24-3 with 6'h-inchbarrel and Freedom Arms Model1997 with 4'A-inch barrel.I'IIIIIIIties of 900 fps or more, makingthem good choices in appropriate categories. Heavyweight jacketed bullets can be used but mostweighing 300 grains cannot bedriven fast enough in the Specialto offer reliable expansion.many worthy choices,somebeing classics in the purest senseof the word. Examples includebullets that resemble the 246grain roundnose factory versionand include Lyman mould 429383or ReddingiSAECO 442. In spiteIn the cast bullet field, there are(Continued on page 96).44 S&W Special "Category Three"balloonhead cases are now oldand probably brittle, so theyare best retired to a cartridgecollection.Table IIISuitable jacketed bullets aremany and include those designedfor the .44 Magnum measuring.429, .4295 and .430 inch. Themost useful weights generallyrange from 180 to 250 grains.Speer has introduced a 200-grainGold Dot HP specifically for theSpecial. It features a large hollowpoint and an appropriatejacket to help ensure expansionat velocities as low as 850 fps.200 Hornady XTP-HP200 Speer Gold Dot HP210 Winchester Silvertip HPAnother good bullet is the Winchester 210-grain Silvertip HP,which is available as a component. In spite of being designedfor midrange .44 Magnum factoryloads, it also offers reliable expansion at velocities of 1,000 fps.The 180-, 200- and 240-grain Hornady XTP-HP bullets generallyoffer reliable expansion at veloci42www.handloadermagazine.com(25,000 psi or less)bulletpowder(grains)I220 Lyman 429215 GC240 Hornady XTP-HP240 Speer JHP250 Sierra Silhouette FPJI250 Lyman 429421 KeithI258 RCBS 44-Keith255 Lyman 429244 GC307 Dry Creek cast SWCchargeFreedom ArmsvelocitySmith & 10I18.019.02400HS-7240017.013.517.0Blue 771,1841,0592400H-1101,2821,1481,2311,235Notes: A Freedom Arms Model 1997 with 4X-inch barrel and a Smith & Wesson Model24-3 with a 6\f-inch barrel used to fire the above loads. Winchester cases and eel 300primers used throughout, except Federal 155 Magnum primers used with H-11 0 powder.Be Alert - Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.Handloader236
.44 S&WSpecial(Continued from page 42)of more modern designs largelyreplacing them for hunting anddefense, this bullet offers accuracy and is an excellent choicefor taking small table fare, asthey damage little meat.by Robert MermelsteinThis uniquenarrativefocuses onthe evolution ofmetallic cartridgesfrom their earlybeginnings tomodern dayapplications.The book alsocompiles facts from previous works on shootingand reloading. Full of interesting facts, trivia,and fascinating, behind the scene stories aboutthe pioneers who developed the cartridges,Mermelstein's book explores the developmentand history of cartridges used in hunting, targetshooting, military applications, self-defense, etc.Available in soft cover format - 191 pages. 16.95IIVTERIVA96TIONALElmer Keith's excellent 250grain SWC was designed in the1920s specifically for high-performance Special loads. It wassimple and practical with someimportant design features. It hada flat nose (meplat) measuringbetween .270 and .300 inch to deliver shock and create a permanent wound channel. There werethree full-caliber driving bandsthat were each of similar width.The front band is seated forwardof the case mouth and rests inthe chamber throat to help alignthe bullet with the center of thebore. Being .100 inch wide, it engages the rifling with little skidding, helps prevent leading andaids in accuracy.The crimpgroove is beveled and deep toallow a positive/heavy crimp, anda square bottom grease grooveholds a healthy dose of lube.The square bottom groove alsooffers a fault line, so to speak,that allows the bullet's base toobturate,or slug up, and fillchamber throats.This last feature was importantfor revolvers that had throatsmeasuring larger than bullet diameter - at least as long as bullets were not cast too hard. (Somecurrent commercial bullets aretoo hard and fail to obturate attypical .44 Special pressures,which can cause leading anddoes nothing for accuracy.) Thenose was long at .430 inch, somuch of the bullet was seatedout of the case to increase capacity for heavy powder charges.This is probably the most popular .44-caliber cast bullet everused.Although they differ slightly inspecificdimensions,bulletmoulds featuring Keith's specifications are offered from Lyman(429421) and RCBS (44-250-K).Another worthy cast bullet, designed by Ray Thompson,isLyman mould 429244, a 255-grainSWC with a gas check. While Iprefer using plain-base bulletswhen possible, the Thompson design is accurate and equals theKeith bullet when used on game.If a revolver is prone to leadingand the problems can't be curedthrough experimenting with alloys, lubes or polishing/recuttingthe forcing cone, using this SWCgas check bullet will likely solvethis annoyance.Bullets of 240 to 255 grains willserve most needs that are tackledwith a .44 Special, but for greaterpenetration on game and ultralong-range shooting, revolvers inthe third category can handle280- to 300-grain cast bullets.They can be driven 1,050 ips andshould be considered if tacklinglarge game with the Special.The groove diameter of .44 Special revolvers has varied considerably with bores that measuredfrom .426 to .431 inch. In the late1970s, I purchased a new thirdgenerationColt Single ActionArmy so chambered. The groovediameter slugged .427 inch, butthe throats ran .433 inch. Througha series of trials using Keith bullets and sizing them in H&I sizerdies measuring .426, .427, .428,.429, .430 and .431 inch, the bestaccuracy came from bullets sized.430 and .431 inch. Since then, ithas been observed in many revolvers with throats larger thangroove diameter that best accuracy is often achieved with bullets that are closer in size to thethroat diameterrather thangroove diameter. Regardless ofthe bullet size chosen, the die ex-www.handloadermagazine.comHandloader 236
ander ball should measure ateast .004 inch smaller than theullet diameter.uitable powders for handloadng the .44 Special seem nearlyountless with many giving espeially good results. In the firstategory, examples include fasto medium bum rate propellantsuch as Alliant Red Dot, Bullseye, Power Pistol, Unique, Hodgon Universal Clays and Accurate-0. 5. In the second category, Alliant Unique, 2400, Hodgdon Uni-ersal Clays, H-4227, HS-6 and-ihtavuori 3N37 were top perormers. Naturally powders inhe third category are the sameones often selected for magnumrevolver cartridges (such as the.357 and .44) and include Hodgdon H-llO, HS-7, H-4227, Accurate No.9, Alliant 2400 and BlueDot.Generally a Large Pistol primeris preferred, even for loads in therhird category, as they will giveless pressure than a Magnum andtill ignite reliably. With loadscontaining H-4227, H-110 andIMR-4227, a Federal 155 Magnumprimer was used to assure reliable ignition.Data compiled in the accompanying tables was obtained usingseveral revolvers including aSmith & Wesson New CenturyTarget with a 6Y2-inchbarrel, aS&W Model 24-3 with a 6Y2-inchbarrel, a Freedom Arms Model1997 with 4X-inch tube and a ColtSingle Action Army with a 7Y2inch barrel. In referencing loads,watch carefully the maximumpressures listed and the revolverand barrel length used in obtaining that data.In spite of being nearly a cenrury old, the .44 Special remainsone of our most versatile andbest sixgun cartridges for hunting, defense, target shooting oras a companion when kickingaround the hills. It has been 29years since I began using thisround. With any luck I'll enjoy itfor a few more decades. August-September2005Littleton Shot Make .Manufactured by Burlless Bullets leaders in"At Home Shotmakmg Equipment"The only way to make tin, lead,or bismuth shot at home!. . Tired of the gun fight? . Let's win it for good! .Burgess Bullets - Dept. HL1. When you buy always ask for . 10651 N. Spokane Ave.Marana, AZ 85653 . The NRA Percent . www.littletonshotmaker.comIlk. . . . . . . . . . Hours: 9:00 am -5:00 pm PST, Mon. -Fri.QUICK, QUALITY REBARRELlNG!Standard,Big Bore, Wildcat,Bench rest. Accurate, quality rifles.Rebarreling/rechamberlng for wildcats. Ackley Improved & .17 cal.specialties. Reasonable prices,short shop time. 100% guaranteed.#10 SASE for info. VISA & Me OK.RAY MONTGOMERY, 3199 Elm Ave., Grand Junction,CO 81504 Tel: (970) 434-6162 Fax: (970) 434-3452 r www.ballisticproducts.comnw . c:a .-. . ::::.S The right side usedNew Product!12ga.Eo -- .: - u;S,;;;';:tt t ;;;:;r -- / "::;"- "':;:"""" 1 nuiX. "'7;w-: . "","" . """'1.4", . , 'The X- ue"",l ; a::"':"dTPS Huntingrij W"d K.o" V Q :,tyC .IINkk l-P!a eaBuckshot r- I o;:.;@; .,:-:.: ;; :.;; 7.:,:?,:.:S:"::." 1-888.Z7SoS6.lJ .As"eItf'Myot.H' .Z4",",,".7d ys. BALLISTIC PRODUCTSEverything for the Shotgun CatalogWe guarantee an improvementin the consistency of flat basebullets with less gun cleaning.500 c.c. - 25.95 plus 4.00 S&H1500 c.c. - 54.95 plus 6.00 S&HFOR QUESTIONS, ORDERS OR FAXES CALL:800.369.4:518 orwww.pufflon.comPUFF-LON, 344 LCR 759, Groesbeck, TX 76642If it's for the shotgun, it's available at Ballistic Products. Since 1974, the world's finest shotgunnershave counted on the Ballistic Products Catalog forthe finest hard-to-find shotshell ammunition components and a library of published loading guides,recipes and ballistic information. Ballistic Productsis known for their knowledgeable technicians, commitment to R&D and after-the-sale support. Getyour BPI catalog by calling 1-888-273-5623 or visittheir website at www.ballisticproducls.comBallistic Products, Inc.20015 75th Ave. North - PO Box 293Corcoran, MN 55340Tel: 763-494-9237 Fax: 763-494-9236E-Mail: info@ballislicproducts.comPRODUCTS FOR: SHOOTING RELOADING GUNSMITHING HUNTING OUTDOORSOVER61 ,419*" .PRODUCTS! www.handloadermagazine.com97
Special246-grain factory load (left)isadvertised atabout 755 fps.Thehandload contains a 250-grainKeith-style castbullet loaded to 1,200fps. at Smith & Wesson and Colt to offer revolvers so chambered. For newcomers, Skeeter's stan-dard .44 Special load consisted of 7.5 grains of Alliant Unique combined with th
