Dug out some older 44 special rounds for a rossi 720 I recently traded for. Noticed the first cylinder full was a little stiff to eject. Didn't think about what might be happening. Didn't shoot it much that day. Noticed after getting back home they were loaded with Skeeters 7.5 grain unique load. How close to a +p would that be? Didn't think to check that before hand and should have. Been loading 44 mag and special for years to shoot in a ruger SBH. This rossi is my first special only. Hope the couple of cylinders worth of ammo didn't beat it up too much. Check your older stuff when shooting in new to you firearms.

With a 240gr LSWC, Alliant lists 7 gr as max load with unique for 44 Magnum.

With a 225gr LSWC, they list 7.8 gr as max load with Unique in 44 Special.

Pretty large spread when loading JHPs too.

What bullet are you using?

ETA: Make sure those chambers are polished and clean.  I would not be surprised if a Rossi or Taurus had some rough chambers.

Keith style 250 grain lswc.

6.9gr for 44 Special

11gr for 44 Magnum

So +p, but just barely.

For 44Mag. I had a 6 cavity Lee 240gr RNL mold flat bass and 2 grease grooves. Cast with mixed WW and a bit of softer lead added. Lubed up with plain RCBS green lube and sitting on 8 gr Unique was my light plinking load.

Hardcast SWC would get 10gr.

JHP or JSP get a much hotter load.

I have loaded up 44 spl - but it was always shot in 44 mag guns.

Yeah, that load is pushing it a bit but then again 44spl has some pretty mild limits because there are some older weak guns out there.

I wouldn't expect you did much of anything to the Rossi but if you have more of them I would shoot them up in your Ruger.

I also agree with the guy who suggested you polish a bit on the chambers as Rossi's are not exactly known to be real smooth.

I generally suggest that if folks need or want more power they are better off going to a bigger more capable cartridge instead of going crazy at the loading bench

My main plinking load in 44 Mag is 7.5gr of Unique. Condense that down into a 44Spl case and it's a little more on the hot side.

Loaded up a box with 6.4 grains of unique. (Lee disk)
I'll give them a whirl later. Need to get the SBH out anyway. I'll shoot up the rest of the hot stuff in the ruger.

I don't know how strong the Rossi's are, but I've shot a bazillion cast 255-260 gr. SWC's from 950-1000 fps out of my Uberti's with loads ranging from 7.5 grs. of Unique and up. If you're not going to hunt with the load, 6.0 - 6.5 grs. are great target loads. With a 255 +/- gr. cast SWC 6.0 grs. of Unique is going to run around 800 fps and 6.5 around 850 fps, depending on barrel length. Either load has been very accurate for me.

ETA- I watched a video review of the Rossi 720 and those chambers walls are quite thick, plus the bolt notches aren't situated over the chambers so the don't take from the thickness. The difficult extraction may have more to do with the condition of the chambers than anything.