Best Smokeless Powder for .44 WCF

[Pee Wee #15785 21]

I use FFFg in my .44 WCF rifle and pistols but need some rounds using ssssub that don't smoke.  The range I am going to shoot at said black hurts the steel beams that are exposed.  So what smokeless powder is best to use in the .44-40?  I do reload and have several books but would like to know which powder other than black is the best over all: I have Red Dot, Clays, Universal, and etc.

Edited November 29, 2019 by Pee Wee #15785
sp

[The Original Lumpy Gritz 5,387]

Unique and WW231.

OLG 

[Tyrel Cody 3,315]

Ive found IMR SR4756 to be the best for 44WCF, BUT it's not made anymore. 

 

You have Clay's and Red Dot and both of those are fine.

 

How on earth I'd BP going to hurt a steel beam? Paint the dang things if he's worried about rust.

[Yul Lose 4,534]

I use 4.5 grains of Red Dot behind a 200 grain boolit in 44-40.

[G W Wade 704]

12 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

I use 4.5 grains of Red Dot behind a 200 grain boolit in 44-40.

Great place to start.   I am using 5.0 Promo with 200         GW

[Savvy Jack 137]

1 hour ago, Pee Wee #15785 said:

I use FFFg in my .44 WCF but need some rounds using ssssub that don't smoke.  The range I am going to shoot at said black hurts the steel beams that are exposed.  So what smokeless powder is best to use in the .44-40?  I do reload and have several books but would like to know which powder other than black is the best over all: I have Red Dot, Clays, Universal, and etc.

 

Red Dot is listed in Lyman's 49th Edition with the Lyman 427098 bullet.

For revolvers Unique is very good but dirty....but you are use to it right?

Others are Green Dot, Bullseye, 700X, 2400 and even IMR4227

Don't forget Trail Boss, it is actually an accurate powder at 6.4gr.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Savvy Jack

[Buckshot Sheridan 35]

Smokless in a 44-40?  Blasphemy!!!! Next thing we know you'll be shooting .38s as well.

 

[Michigan Slim 2,387]

Just ignore Lumpy. He says Unique for everything. 

 

But, yeah, Unique would be great for you. 

[watab kid 268]

i use the 5 grn red dot in 45 colt pretty much similar and transferable +/- a couple tenths to satisfy your personal preference , 

can use clays , 800x , and a few others of the same or similar burn rate here with minor adjustment that our speed/pressures dont exclude , 

[Pee Wee #15785 21]

 I had an unopened pound of IMR SR4756 but now some is in 200 rounds of .44WCF.  I had forgot it was in the powder locker.  Will load another 200 for a Wild Bunch shoot in Ohio on the 30th.  When it is gone I may cry in my beer as I do like it and know of no other powder to replace it.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 638]

Trailboss

[War Grizzly 13]

I have loaded with all three of the powders you listed. All work fine. Pick your poison. I chose Clays because I'm cheap and it burns clean enough. If I want to step up the power a bit then universal or unique are better suited. I used to hunt with 44wcf 200 grain jacketed and a stiff load of unique. Most accurate hunting load. Best plinking load I found was a book minimum charge of Clays.

[J-BAR #18287 3,141]

No one has mentioned Titegroup yet, so I will.  The .44-40 case is almost as big as the .45 Colt.  Titegroup was designed for small powder charges in large cases and has worked well for me in .45 Colt, .357 and .38 Special.  It can also be used in 12 gauge 1 oz loads, although it is not as versatile as some other powders in shotshells.

[John Boy 555]

Quote

Unique and WW231.

WW231 (RQ 32), a Unique (RQ 34) equivalent burn rate ....is much cleaner than Unique

[Boulder Canyon Bob# 32052L 266]

I use Red Dot, it works for me.

[Colorado Coffinmaker 2,218]

 

PLUS ONE to J-BAR.

 

TiteGroup works a treat!!

[Bugler 97]

Have used 6 gr. of Unique and my 200 gr. RNFP cast bullets for many years with great success!

 

Bugler

[Rye Miles #13621 3,785]

I used 5.6 grs of Tite-Group it worked pretty well. I use it for .38’s and .45 acp 

[Three Foot Johnson 1,546]

There is no best smokeless powder for .44 WCF.
There are a dozen or more that will work well, another dozen at the edge of the envelope will work just fine, and another dozen just outside the envelope that will work if nothing else is available.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Three Foot Johnson

[Joe West 26]

Unique, Titegroup, and VV N 340 worked well for me.  

 

[Trailrider #896 1,093]

7.5 - 8.0 gr. of Unique or Hodgdon's UNIVERSAL behind a 200-213 gr hardcast bullet. 

[Rooster Ron Wayne 1,299]

20 hours ago, Pee Wee #15785 said:

I use FFFg in my .44 WCF but need some rounds using ssssub that don't smoke.  The range I am going to shoot at said black hurts the steel beams that are exposed.  So what smokeless powder is best to use in the .44-40?  I do reload and have several books but would like to know which powder other than black is the best over all: I have Red Dot, Clays, Universal, and etc.

Universal and Unique are very very close in load data .

I have run them load for load .

For your listings I would use Universal Powder .

When I load smokeless  powder  I use Unique Powder First and Universal 2nd .

Rooster  

[Pee Wee #15785 21]

I loaded SR4756, 8.5 gr behind 200 gr Origan Trails LRNFP.  I had forgot just how sweet the powder was.  I could even see the targets.

[Hoss 705]

Bullseye. Cheap, available, works well. 

[Cholla 561]

To put a slightly different twist on this, which powder, other than Trailboss, takes up the most space?

[Cholla Bob 66]

When I shoot the heathen powder I like unique and trail boss in my 44-40s just depends on which I have sitting on the reloading table at the time.

[Pulp, SASS#28319 195]

45 minutes ago, Cholla said:

To put a slightly different twist on this, which powder, other than Trailboss, takes up the most space?

Accurate 5744 comes close, but you will find unburnt powder in your gun barrel.  No biggie, it cleans right up though.  If memory serves it rather costly too.

 

[Savvy Jack 137]

 

To put a slightly different twist on this, which powder, other than Trailboss, takes up the most space?

Reloder 7

[Roscoe Regulator 138]

Lyman's 700-x load was so accurate that I haven't tried anything else in a Uberti 1875 Remington. I might not call it a CAS load though.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Roscoe Regulator

[Savvy Jack 137]

Interestingly enough, Bullseye and Unique pistol powders date back the furthest for the 44-40 from what I can find.

DO NOT USE THE LOAD DATA ON THESE POWDER CANS
Bullseye - Since 1898

Unique - Since 1900

 

Smokeless Powder, The Transition Years

Edited November 27, 2019 by Savvy Jack

[John Boy 555]

what smokeless powder is best to use in the .44-40? 

Pee Wee - since you didn't post the bullet weight (which HAS TO BE KNOWN) - pick one:

Published Recommendations

200 gr - 2400 From 14.4 grains to 20.0 grains

240gr - AR-2205 From 16.0 grains to 20.0 grains

Edited November 27, 2019 by John Boy

[Savvy Jack 137]

Careful on those published recommendations. He also did not specify what weapon, rifle or revolver. If a revolver, 20gr of 2400 is not recommended.  Lyman only lists a max of 16gr of 2400 for revolvers using a 200gr Speer JHP #4425. 20gr of 2400 with the 200gr speer JHP is only recomended for Group II strong action rifles like the Winchester 92 and Marlin 1889/94's. This 20gr, according to Lyman, produces 19,000cup @ 1,638fps and in the chart below, my tests resulted in 16,000psi @ 1,672fps which my psi data correlates to about 17,000-19,000cup. Since Lyman is more than likely going to list a safety buffer...and me not..., I feel confident that the numbers I have are acceptable. 

The black tabs at the bottom of the chart are powders I have tested myself with great results.

 

Pressure Testing Information and Test Results

 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Savvy Jack

[Kid Rich 220]

 

Lyman's 700-x load was so accurate that I haven't tried anything else in a Uberti 1875 Remington. I might not call it a CAS load though.

Although Hodgdens does not list a load for 700X Lymans lists it as the most accurate load.

kR

[Savvy Jack 137]

Reloader 7, 200gr lead @ 100 yards in a revolver....and I am blind as a bat! The second group "High Velocity" not recommended for normal frame revolvers was IMR-4227.

 

100 yards, Revolver and Reloder 7

Edited November 29, 2019 by Savvy Jack

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 918]

"To put a slightly different twist on this, which powder, other than Trailboss, takes up the most space?"

 

Unique.

 

I don't know if it takes up the most space, but it takes up a lot. That is why Unique was always my choice for 45 Colt or 44-40. It takes up a lot of space in the case, and an accidental double charge should be really noticeable.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283