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44 mag W296 vs 2400

PD Gohil

PD Gohil

Loading for my 329 PD, 240g Keith style cast bullet from Missouri bullet company. I have both powders available. In fact I just spent a boatload of money on 2400. But now I have analysis paralysis. I've read so much about both powders pros and cons I can't decide which to use for a big bear defensive load.
The 2400 is supposed to be Elmer Keith pet load that he did most of his work with, but the newer powder is a touch faster but people are complaining about how dirty it is.
H110/w296 is a great powder but it tends to cause problems at the blast cone of this particular pistol. Need to get a load developed right away and several hundred rounds downrange so I feel comfortable with it this fall in grizzly country.

Thanks

PGohil
WV
 
Both are classic powders for high-end .44 Magnum loads. That said, I used to shoot handgun silhouette matches back in the eighties, using a .44 Mag revolver. Lots of load development. Lots of testing. Lots of matches.

I never could get 2400 - the old Hercules formulation - to work for me nearly as well as 296. Yes, it was dirtier than 296. But the biggest problem I experienced with hot .44 loads was the propensity of 2400 to "fall off the cliff" very quickly, going from no pressure signs to a sudden abundance of them. W296 was typically more forgiving.

That was a long time ago, though. I'd give both powders a pretty good look. Developing a 240gr load for either - or both - should be pretty straightforward.
 
I no longer load any magnum handgun cartridges but did for forty or more years. In both the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum, I've used #2400 and 296/H110, almost always with cast bullets. I found both powders, loaded to provide equal velocities, were capable of equally good accuracy. Perhaps #2400 is a dirty powder; hard to tell when using cast bullets that are conventionally lubricated, but "dirty" is of no real concern if accuracy is good and the bore doesn't lead with near maximum loads. However, I realize today's new fastidious shooters wouldn't agree. 296/ H110 has such a horrific flash and muzzle blast in comparison with #2400, I stopped using it, but some like this bang. Again, both powders will provide good results, but I suppose neither is perfect. However, I think #2400 gets a little closer to perfection than 296/ H110.
 
I really hope to push this 240 grain hi-tek coated pill pretty hard. The sole purpose of this gun is predator defense. I need deep penetration (or higher velocity) without wrecking my gun. I have no problem shooting full house loads. I like to practice with what I'm shooting. Some people swear that 2400 burns dirty others say it burns very clean. I suppose as long as I'm keeping my weapon maintained it shouldn't be a problem either way.
 
I know from my use of 2400 the new stuff is faster than the old. I've shot it and 296 a great deal over the years and couldn't see a lot of difference. I finally switched over to Blue Dot for my work and have been very happy with how it worked in both my 44 Mags. It gave me better accuracy at 200 meters.

Greg
 
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I have used both but prefer 2400 as the load can be tuned or reduced more if required. 296/H110 like the full charge weights, which is a problem if you want to reduce the load a bit.
 
Years ago I bought 296 by the 8lb. can. Loaded tons of .44 and .41 mag. w/cast and jacketed bullets. Great stuff for outdoor range shooting, but would blind ya at an indoor range for sure! Mostly shot single action Rugers, and a couple of Redhawks. Real wrist wrenchers; used to love 'em. Rough on the shoulder in a
Marlin 94 .44 mag too. Now I'm a .22 RF guy!
 
In a previous life, when my eyes were better & hands stronger, I tested all of the popular full power 44 mag powder/primer combinations with some 245 GC Lyman 429244 cast out of pure Linotype. Accuracy @25 yds & velocity (c.1450fps) were notably superior with a slightly higher than book max charge of W296 (only jacketed bullet data was given at the time) in WW brass with WLPs with a good roll crimp in my 6" Model 29. Fed. 155s were a close 2nd & gave c.20fps more speed. The load was developed in January in northern PA. As always your stuff is different than my stuff & a shorter barrel may also prefer another powder.
 
Be sure and use a very heavy crimp. In that light weight gun, the bullet pull under recoil will have the bullets locking up the cylinder if you are not real careful. Read about one fellow who ordered one of those. Got the call that gun had arrived. Picked up gun and a box of 44mag ammo. Stopped at range on the way home. Loaded gun. After first shot, he just looked at the gun awhile. Then he pushed cylinder release, emptied gun, putting the unfired rounds and the one empty case back in the ammo box. Drove back to the gun store and traded it in. Apparently it had quite a kick on the backend.

Frank
 
I remember back in the 60's and early 70's after Dirty Harry there lots of Model 29's in the OKC guns hops with 6 rounds through them and the rest of the ammo in the sale cases at one shop. I shot a little 2" hammerless 356 Smith that is one butt kicker. I'm a pretty successful competitive USPSA revolver shooter and can handle it but a rank beginner has no business torching off five of those 125 grain Winchester Super X;s...LOL

Greg
 
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fkimble@charter.net said:
Be sure and use a very heavy crimp. In that light weight gun, the bullet pull under recoil will have the bullets locking up the cylinder if you are not real careful. Read about one fellow who ordered one of those. Got the call that gun had arrived. Picked up gun and a box of 44mag ammo. Stopped at range on the way home. Loaded gun. After first shot, he just looked at the gun awhile. Then he pushed cylinder release, emptied gun, putting the unfired rounds and the one empty case back in the ammo box. Drove back to the gun store and traded it in. Apparently it had quite a kick on the backend.

Frank
Click to expand...
If fact this gun had only 4 shots through it when I bought it. Same thing, guy bought it, 4 shots later returned it. I put a set of x-frame grips on it before I ever tried the first round. I find it incredibly manageable. I've put a couple 50 round sessions through it without any trouble. Although my hand loads I use in my Blackhawk started pulling bullet number 6. So I ordered a reading profile die and will be crimping heavy with it.
 
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