ready to start reloading

my order from Grafs should be in today.

Lee 3 piece carbide die

1# of W296 and I have a 1/2# of unique at home

100 starline 44 mag brass

100 255 grain LBT WFNPB

Now what lol, thinking I want to push it 1,200 - 1,400 fps. whats a good load?

This is where I go for data:

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

There is also some good info from forum members under the Member Services tab above.

read this somewhere else.... is this true?

"296 and H110 have to always be loaded to the max, with a very strong bullet crimp and/or a magnum primer, otherwise you can get hangfires or squibs."

Thanks, they didn't have 255 marked as a available bullet weight.

You don't have to load to absolute max but you do want to be right in the neighborhood. Hodgdon has pretty tight windows, within 2 - 3 percent from min to max usually. Those powders like a full case and you don't want to download. Use your Unique if you want light loads.

Ya, they don't have 'em all. Sometimes you have to extrapolate from available data, but one or more of our members should have something to go on for you.

They don't have to be loaded to the maximum, but you'll find your velocity consistency and accuracy will improve the closer to the maximum you load.

well I hope the load data that comes with the Lee dies have something for 255 grain. Thanks guys

anyone load 255 grain slugs?

Sam86,

This is an excerpt from an article by John Taffin of Sixgunner...

"For years the standard heavy load with the .44 Magnum has been a 250 grain hard cast Keith bullet over 22.0 grains of #2400. Elmer Keith designed this bullet back in the 1920's for use in his .44 Special at 1200 feet per second and it made the transition to the .44 Magnum admirably well. Keith always decried the use of gas checks on sixguns but I have found that gas-checked .44 bullets normally shoot better than plain-based bullets. No better gas-checked bullet has been found that that designed by Ray Thompson for Lyman nearly forty years ago. Lyman catalogs it as #431244GC and it is a 255 grain semi-wadcutter bullet with two shallow grease grooves as well as a gas check.

This bullet shoots superbly with the `standard' #2400 load of 22.0 grains for 1480 feet per second; 25.0 grains of WW296 or H110 or 24.0 grains of H4227 for 1400 feet per second; or 21.5 grains of AA#9 for a slightly milder shooting 1365 feet per second. All of these loads will do less than one-inch at 25 yards with a good sixgun in good hands backed up by good eyes."

Ok so I should be ok to load a few up with 25.0 grains. Make sure the overall length is 1.60 or slightly less. Put a crimp on it and see how it shoots. Right?

Thanks by the way!

based on rifle reloading they always talk about working up to a load and never starting at the maximum published load. I will often start ~ 10% low and work towards max watching pressure signs.
I'm not sure how this relates to reloading for pistol or powders that like to be shot at full or near full loads. I would see if an experienced pistol reloader responds with more knowledge then I have.

ok

So some of the bullets don't have lube all the way around them. Can I use bees wax or do I need to buy some of the lube that's on them now?

If you don't already have one or two you should buy a couple of diffferent reloading manuels. I have Lee, Hornady, Speer ,Nosler and all are full of very good and useful information.They are all good reads and and are the first thing any new reloader should purchase and read before he starts loading. If you are going to shoot cast the Lyman cast bullet book is excelent.

I cast and load the Keith Type" 240 grain SWC, I will put 25 grains of IMR 4227 behind it for @ 1600fps out of a 10" bbl. Have killed 6 deer with this load so far.
Try 23 grains of IMR 4227..I think it will suffice for the 255.

I use 8 gr Unique behind CP Bullets hard cast 240 for a light load.

23 gr 296 gets a 255 GC Montana Bullet Works cast bullet to 1600 with 7.5 in Redhawk. Same load gets 1400 with 240 XTP. Always use heavy crimp! The cases are Federal from a supply many years ago when they tended to be thicker than Winchester.
Today I go to Starline when new cases are needed.

Have Fun!