A little advice here, please.
I reloaded some .44 spl.ctg. using 240 gr. JSP bullets and IMR 4227 powder. I was looking for a reasonably soft shooting load. The loading data for that combination was 13-14 grs. and a large mag. primer. One of my loads was 13 grs. and one was 13.8 grs. In both instances accuracy was fine and the loads were soft shooting but I was getting a fair amount of smoke coming from unburned powder. If I tapped the cases after firing I would shake out unburned grains. Now I realize I could just go to another powder but does anyone have any suggestions as to why, with near min. - max. charges, this is happening. I can't imagine going to the max. recommended 14 grains and changing anything.

Well, that powder is just not ideal in that use. It works, but I suspect that with that limited case volume, it simply never gets up to its "happy place" of pressure. I note unburnt kernels of 4227 in my .45 Colt even when I use the "Hank Williams Jr" load of 21 grains, mag primer and a 260 SWCL.

The unburnt grains aren't a problem unless they make you go nuts, but the solution is to switch powders, as you said. Even 2400 will leave a few orphan kernels behind, and it's faster than 4227. I'd drop all the way to Universal/Unique, AA#5 or even W231 if such things bothered me.

Well, that powder is just not ideal in that use. It works, but I suspect that with that limited case volume, it simply never gets up to its "happy place" of pressure. I note unburnt kernels of 4227 in my .45 Colt even when I use the "Hank Williams Jr" load of 21 grains, mag primer and a 260 SWCL.

The unburnt grains aren't a problem unless they make you go nuts, but the solution is to switch powders, as you said. Even 2400 will leave a few orphan kernels behind, and it's faster than 4227. I'd drop all the way to Universal/Unique, AA#5 or even W231 if such things bothered me.

Totally agree. My best loads in .44 Spl are built with Unique or 231.

All above is correct. Acceptable .44 Special peak pressures are just too low to burn this powder completely. It's even a tad slow for .44 Magnum for full-house loads, but that is what I would do with it if you have one? QuickLOAD shows you're only going to 8,000 or 9,000 PSI, and, in a 6" tube, would only burn 42-44% of the the powder (the 13.0 and 13.8 grain loads, respectively)

All that unburned powder can get into the cylinder pin and crane and gum the gun up. I would bite the bullet on this one and get another powder. This 4227 load is only getting you 769 fps from a 6" tube. 5.0 grains of Bullseye will do that well under the SAMMI pressure limits. You get the same performance as the hotter load for 36% of the powder cost. And you don't need magnum primers to do it.

Another powder you could load in there for these velocities is Trail Boss. A bit less economical than Bullseye, but super clean, IME.

Kinda what I had assumed but since that was the only powder I had that was close to suitable, cheapness took over. However, now I know. Heck, I could use some more powder anyway! And some more guns,with different calibers, so I can get some more dies etc.etc.

These guys are right, I use 5.5 gr. of W231 behind a 240 gr. rnfpl bullet and standard pistol primers. Works really well as a plinker load. If you're into shooting paper targets would suggest you switch to some lead bullets as they are less expensive than jacketed and still very accurate. My .44 doesn't know the difference.

mcg, I recommend you pick up a pound of Hodgdon Universal. It does everything that Unique does, but measures a bit better and burns cleaner. Both powders are miracles of adaptability, being usable in a very wide range of handgun cartridges and they even some rifle uses.