A question for any experienced reloaders

[Preacher357]

I accidentally undercharged quite a few rounds of .44 Magnum.  I thought I had set the scale properly, but I was 5 grains off.   Instead of loading 19.5 grains of Accurate #9 with a 230 grain XTP bullet, I only loaded 14.5 grains.  In the expert opinion of the experienced reloaders on this forum, would this load be safe to shoot?  I have heard the stories that light loads can explode, but most of what I have heard about were in rifle calibers where the case was loaded well below half full.  Even in the pistol calibers that I have heard of, it was a light .38 special load put into a .357 case, so that again, it was loaded well less than half full.  14.5 grains loads the .44 mag case over half full.  I am thinking that the worst I could expect would be a squib, but I would like some feedback.  If it had just been a few then i would just pull them apart, but there are quite a few that I misloaded that will take a lot of time to separate back out into components.  What do you guys think?

[Photoguy67]

I don't believe undercharged cases can explode. What can happen is a bullet can become lodged in the barrel (squib) and subsequent rounds if fired can burst the barrel. That being said, I doubt you are in that much danger with the load stated. It's not that much below recommended starting load. 

[xsubsailor]

Pull the bullets, The impact (hammer type) bullet pullers are cheap and I can guarantee that you will need it again in the future. 

[runco]

How many did you make?

[Preacher357]

Pull the bullets, The impact (hammer type) bullet pullers are cheap and I can guarantee that you will need it again in the future.

I have one. I just did not want to pull that many bullets. I messed up about 75 rounds before I realized it.


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[Jonnin]

Shoot them.  That should exit the barrel just fine!

They may not cycle the autos but should make a 44 specialish round for your revolver.

[frankmako]

i load lite loads all the time.  i have never had one explode on me.  with a very lite load you can have a bullet that does not make it out of the rifle barrel.  then the next shot you will have a problem.  but that has to be a very, very lite load.  you are not far off from the starting point with their load data.  18.5g @ 1256 fps is their low start point.  so your 14.5g load should run around 1,000 fps by looking at the load data low/high points.  if you got a chronograph i would test a few.   this load should make some great easy shooting loads.  

Edited February 21, 2016 by frankmako

[gregintenn]

Some powders work great with reduced loads, while some others are just as dangerous underloaded as overloaded. I personally have no experience with Accurate #9, so I'd advise not firing these rounds if they are below the minimum load found in reloading data. It probably wouldn't cause a problem firing them, but why risk it?

[Omega]

Just pull them; what benefit will you get by shooting them except to hear them go bang?

[Currently]

Look at .44 Special loads.

I agree with the 950 to 1000 Fps assessment putting it in the "powder puff" load category.

Personally, I'd pull them as that bullet is the most expensive component of the load.

I know powder is still kind of scarce and getting to choose what you want is still problematic, as an FYI I'd use Alliant/Hercules 2400 for the 44.

[Preacher357]

Shoot them.  That should exit the barrel just fine!

They may not cycle the autos but should make a 44 specialish round for your revolver.

That is what I am hoping.   I shoot .44 special more than magnum anyway, so I don't mind if it is not magnum power.  I just want to make sure it is safe before I try.  I just started loading with Accurate #9 so I don't know how it will work with that light a load.  I am hoping someone on here has some personal experience with that powder that they can share.  

[Caster]

Generally your slower powders do not tolerate reduction. h110/296 gets squirrely when under charged. Some powders will get you a SEE condition. Secondary Explosive Effect. When that happens, you get some real nice kabooms usually with some nice shrapnel from what was left of your gun.


I'm not familiar enough with #9 to give you an honest recommendation. Sorry. At the end of the day though, 75 rounds ain't near as valuable as your gun or your hands and face, so........

[DWARREN123]

I would try one or two and if the bullets left the barrel I would shoot them all.

[Jonnin]

Generally your slower powders do not tolerate reduction. h110/296 gets squirrely when under charged. Some powders will get you a SEE condition. Secondary Explosive Effect. When that happens, you get some real nice kabooms usually with some nice shrapnel from what was left of your gun.


I'm not familiar enough with #9 to give you an honest recommendation. Sorry. At the end of the day though, 75 rounds ain't near as valuable as your gun or your hands and face, so........

 

Its a good thought.   This seems to happen when the powder burns instantly instead of back to front.   Caused by less than 1/2 full cases of slow stuff.    9 is their slowest...   but its also their bulkiest?  Look again, if its less than 1/2 full by a decent margin, pull them.

[Preacher357]

The cases were roughly half full, so I don't believe there would have been a problem; but I finally decided I did not want to take a chance.  I was hoping someone else had done the same thing with this powder and could share their experience, but since no one had, I just went ahead and pulled them.  I had several other bad cartridges that needed to be pulled as well, so I just bit the bullet, spent and hour or so, and pulled them all.  I hate pulling bullets worse than just about anything, but in the end it was better safe than sorry.  

[Omega]

The cases were roughly half full, so I don't believe there would have been a problem; but I finally decided I did not want to take a chance.  I was hoping someone else had done the same thing with this powder and could share their experience, but since no one had, I just went ahead and pulled them.  I had several other bad cartridges that needed to be pulled as well, so I just bit the bullet, spent and hour or so, and pulled them all.  I hate pulling bullets worse than just about anything, but in the end it was better safe than sorry.

Good call, you should of recovered everything so no loss. Much better losing a little time than a gun, fingers or worse.