got my 265 WFNs in from BTB last week and want to start doing some loading for them
whitetails and hogs within 75 yards (max) (if using the scope, less if not)

it's a superblack hawk hunter stainless with the 7.5" barrel
it shoots about a 2" group at 100 yards (scoped off a bench) with Hornady 240g XTPs factory loads

what I am looking for is something that is pleasant to shoot and will get the job done
thinking 1000 to 1200 FPS max

bullets are sized .431 per Marshall's recommendation and I will be using 2400 for powder

thanks in advance

I'd start with 13.5 grains of 2400 and work up from there. My standard hunting load with the 44 mag was a 255 grain Kieth at 1250 out of a 5.5 inch Redhawk and 1350 out of a 7.5 inch Super Redhawk. Excellent killer and easy to shoot and accurate.

what I am looking for is something that is pleasant to shoot and will get the job done
thinking 1000 to 1200 FPS max

It's not fashionable these days, but Unique, and Herco will both produce velocities in that range. Pressures are mild, and powder consumption, in an age of pretty expensive powders, will be considerably less.

Both will burn cleaner than 2400.

If you are willing to ignore some powder fouling how low can you go velocity wise with 2400 and still get consistent velocities? Fast powders that pressure spike fast tend to recoil fast and "smack" my hand more than slowing burning powders.

Iron Addict

If you are willing to ignore some powder fouling how low can you go velocity wise with 2400 and still get consistent velocities? Fast powders that pressure spike fast tend to recoil fast and "smack" my hand more than slowing burning powders.

I like and use 2400, probably because it was pretty much the best magnum powder around when I started handloading, about 40 years ago. I still think it's more predictable than W296 & H110, especially with the .357 Mag loads. But working with reduced loads, 2400 is just not the best choice. You will see noticable differences in primer condition, and some brass will not obturate consistantly below loads listed in handloading manuals. I have had the same problem with Blue Dot, another favorite.

Unique and Herco are still my favorite powders with cast and swaged bullets. The pressure pulse is enough to get the base of the bullet to seal in the barrel, with velocities low enough to minimize leading, 1000-1200fps. As far as recoil goes, 9gr of Herco, with a 265gr bullet, in my 4 5/8" SBH is a pussycat, 19gr of W296 under a 300gr Sierra, is not.

my 7.5 inch SBH shoots a 262 gr wheel weight cast real well with 17 gr of 2400, velocities are around 1100

try some blue dot. works well with cast. should get you to fps you lookin for. a couple of others would be 800x,aa9,and tru blue. good shootin dan.

I really like Blue Dot in my .357 Mag and 2400 in the .44 Mag.

This statement comes from master gunsmith/builder John Linbaugh and is why I was suggesting 2400 or even something slower than unique (he uses a lot of HS-6 in low velocity loads). I like taking advice from someone that has built, actually pressure tested thousands of loads and blown up guns on purpose to see where the line actually is. This statement changed my way of thinking about fast poweders as I have always "felt" the recoil pulse from a heavier load of slow powder "felt" better on my hand than light loads with slow powders. We all perceive recoil different--go figure.

Quote

For a moment think of your cylinder and barrel frame area as a stack of washers with chambers and bores through them. If pressure was exerted through the whole stack, say for nearly 2", wouldn't that be stronger and safer than trying to apply the same amount of pressure on only the first few washers?

Thousands of rounds of testing here has proven to us that gun life is better with safe heavy loads using slow powders than it is with light loads using fast powders. Case life agrees. The fast powders "hit" the gun very quickly and the slow powders "take up the slack" so to speak, slower and with less hammering effect.

http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/high_pressure_loads.htm

Iron Addict