Author Topic: how much and what kind of powder in 357 and 44  (Read 645 times)

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Offline hesco

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how much and what kind of powder in 357 and 44
« on: December 19, 2009, 02:14:54 PM »
do i use ffg ffg or fg for 38 357mag and 44 mag how much and what kind of primer, crimp the same as smokeless i presume, also what velocities should i get, how is the case life compared to smokeless.

Offline Nobade

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Re: how much and what kind of powder in 357 and 44
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2009, 02:02:44 AM »
The choice of FFg or FFFg depends more on what you have in stock. Either works, FFFg will give slightly more velocity. As for that, you don't mention if you're shooting a rifle or revolver. Look for 1100 or so FPS in a rifle and 850 fps or so in a revolver. Nothing absolute, but that'll be in the ballpark. Pistol primers work fine. Normal crimp. As for powder charge, in those cases I set it up for about .100" or so compression. It's not critical as long as you have some compression. I use the belling die to compress the powder, I have a shim to allow it to do that and also bell the case in two different operations. Case life seems to be forever, as long as you clean them well. I deprime and wet tumble cases in a Thumbler model B to clean. BP will cause cases to stretch, so ocasionally you have to trim them to length.

Now, the important thing. Bullets. They need to be soft, no harder than air cooled wheelweights and preferably lead:tin mix. 1:20 or so works fine. Soft, black powder compatable lube. SPG or homemade, no nitro lube and really no hard crayon type lube. As big a lube grooves as possible, especially in the rifle. You want to keep that fouling wet. If the muzzle is showing hard dry fouling the accuracy will go to heck. There are lots of designs that work, but Dick Dastardly's "Big Lube" bullets are some of the easiest to make work well. I recommend his designs highly. Don't go using commercial hard cast bullets or you'll be very unhappy with the results.

Beyond that there's nothing to it. Load, shoot, and have fun! 
"Give me a lever long enough, and a place to stand, and I'll break the lever."

Offline Cuts Crooked

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Re: how much and what kind of powder in 357 and 44
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2009, 02:29:27 AM »
Go down and ask this question in the Cowboy Action forums. You get a lot more information!
Smokeless is only a passing fad!

"The liar who charms and disarms and wreaths himself in artifice is too agreeable to be called a demon. So we adopt the word "candidate"." Brooke McEldowney

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Offline John Boy

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Re: how much and what kind of powder in 357 and 44
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2009, 03:41:42 PM »
Hesco, all your Q's are answered here except for:
Goex Black Powder Loading Data ...  http://www.goexpowder.com/load-chart.html

Primers - Same as those used for smokeless loads
Crimp -  A hard crimp
Case life - no worse than shooting nitro loads

And Cuts is correct.  Most folks on this forum talk about rifle big calibers.
Regards
John Boy