Author Topic: .44 Mag, ATI stock, Red dot scope, Hornady LE and UMC 180 gr. JSP (Read 991 times)

petemi · « **on:** June 19, 2009, 11:20:50 AM »

I put the .44 Mag together on an ATI stock....terrible. It was a nasty little collar bone smacker. I swapped it out for the Synthetic MC on my .17HMR Sportster. On the .17 there's no recoil issue and that's where it can stay. End of problem #1. I couldn't make the Red Dot work properly with both eyes open, looking thru the scope with my poor right eye. After considerable frustration, I tried it left handed...Bingo!! There it was, the target and the bright red dot with superb target acquisition with both eyes open. I love it, and I can hit with it. I think my left eye is gradually taking over as dominant. Now all I've got to do is train the rest of my body.

I put the .44 on paper at 35 yards and dialed it in with the Rem UMC 180 gr. JSPs. That done, I pushed a Hornady LE through it. It hit low and right. Another, the same. I zeroed it again with the LEs, and then tried the UMCs again. They grouped 1.5 inches left and 2.5 inches high over the LE's. I somewhat understand the High part, but the left has got me thrown. At this point, I think I'm going to stick with the LEs as my primary ammo.

All in all, it was an excellent afternoon with the .44 Mag.

Pete

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2009, 12:00:09 PM »

Way to go Pete, think of it as a .444 Lite!!

Tim

petemi · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2009, 12:33:44 PM »

Quote from: quickdtoo on June 19, 2009, 12:00:09 PM

Way to go Pete, think of it as a .444 Lite!!

Tim

Thanks Tim, I like that idea

I suppose if I go ahead with the .45LC it would be a .45-70 Lite?

Pete

Oldshooter · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2009, 01:11:25 PM »

Thats remarkable about the poi's going left and right on the different ammo. The le stuff is good, its what I use in my 35 and 44. Just getting the sights on my new 44 marlin on and working out the kinks but I like the 44 rifle after shooting the 44 pistol for years.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2009, 01:40:50 PM »

Quote from: petemi on June 19, 2009, 12:33:44 PM

Quote from: quickdtoo on June 19, 2009, 12:00:09 PM
Way to go Pete, think of it as a .444 Lite!!

Tim

Thanks Tim, I like that idea

I suppose if I go ahead with the .45LC it would be a .45-70 Lite?

Pete

That's the way I wuz thinkin too, 45Colt is a 45-70 Lite.....kinda sorta!!

Tim

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2009, 02:17:32 PM »

Pete, You better not spend toooo much time with that Big Gal or those little twins will get jealous. What grain were those LE's? I looked at some today and they were lighter but I think they make heavier ones too. Do you happen to know if they sell the bullets only? I've not seen any yet. Do you guys mean lite as in litining bolt? Sounds like you will be ready for huntin season.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2009, 02:21:32 PM »

Glad to hear ya got it goin good Pete. Shootin left could be from the barrel twist, barrel harmonics or the barrel gods. Ya just never know till ya shoot em. I've always considered my 45's as lil 45-70's, no weak guns for that caliber so they get loaded up. Ain't a lot of difference in 300+gr of lead at 1600 fps vs 1800 fps on an animal. DP

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2009, 03:35:19 PM »

Quote from: bigvarmnt on June 19, 2009, 02:17:32 PM

Pete, You better not spend toooo much time with that Big Gal or those little twins will get jealous. What grain were those LE's? I looked at some today and they were lighter but I think they make heavier ones too. Do you happen to know if they sell the bullets only? I've not seen any yet. Do you guys mean lite as in litining bolt? Sounds like you will be ready for huntin season.

The Hornady LE ammo is 225gr, does 1760fps in the 22" barrel, lite as in lite beer.

Tim

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2009, 04:14:37 PM »

Tim, The kid that showed them LEs in 44 mag to me said they make them in a couple of weights. I want to know if I can get just the bullets for reloading. Don't know it they sell them for reloaders. Thanks!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2009, 04:20:20 PM »

Hornady only makes one 44mag LE load, the 225gr, they make .430" 265gr FTX bullets too, but they don't offer the 225gr as a component....yet.

Tim

https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session=192a5c5bd1badb078327219b57cbee58&page=shop%2Fbrowse&category_id=8b70739d753dad434e4fa757c2cd5d80

https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session=192a5c5bd1badb078327219b57cbee58&page=shop%2Fbrowse&category_id=705f97c8699d0bf887f31db14bef25c8

http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=789

myarmor · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2009, 05:37:16 PM »

... but cross your fingers

Pete, I am sure you will enjoy your 44Mag, I do not own a 357...yet $:-\$ ... but I love the ease of a 44 Mag in our Handi config. I look forward to shooting some 44 Specials in it... then again I wonder why when the full Mags are such a joy to shoot. I guess my note to those 357 Mag lovers looking for a Handi but not finding it, give a new 44 Mag a chance. It doesn't just need love it demands it

Have Fun

-Aaron

tykempster · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2009, 06:46:33 PM »

Will take a while to shoot left handed, especially when you go to shoot something with considerable recoil. I can shoot skeet, trap, sporting clays all day with my Citori in 12 gauge, but a couple left handed shots for fun will wear me out quick.

Lefty Dude · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2009, 07:24:34 PM »

Shooting to the Left with the 180's could be that the short 180 is not engaging the rifling enough to stablize properly. I use only 240's in my 44 Handi and have good accuracy.

petemi · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2009, 03:47:34 AM »

Quote from: Lefty Dude on June 19, 2009, 07:24:34 PM

Shooting to the Left with the 180's could be that the short 180 is not engaging the rifling enough to stablize properly. I use only 240's in my 44 Handi and have good accuracy.

That's a good thought about shooting left. The accuracy is fine. All the shots were grouped nicely high and left, and when first dialed in with the 180 UMCs they were grouped center of the bull. It is consistent with them.

Pete

JerryKo · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2009, 04:28:05 AM »

Nice going Pete,...

Dad left me alot of nice rifles and muzzleloaders when he past, being he was righty and me lefty has been an issue though. I've shot his muzzleloaders right handed, and surprised myself how well I did at a 25yd paper target. I slowly started stringing them to the right after about five shots. So I guess I agree with Ty on getting them muscles used to that activity.

I have had POI change both windage and evelation when changing loads. Just harmonics I agree. With pistols it is more pronounced for me, espicially the 454 casull. I can feel the torque of the barrel twist change between light and heavy loads. Maybe same thing there.

Good Luck,

Jerry

petemi · « **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2009, 05:11:29 AM »

Yeah Jerry, it's not going to be easy. I've got to work with it until the rifle come up naturally to the left shoulder if I'm going to hunt lefty. In most hunting situations you don't have a lot of time to sit around and decide whether to shoot right or left handed. Thank God the Handis are ambidexterous.

Pete

blind ear · « **Reply #16 on:** June 20, 2009, 07:29:42 AM »

PETEMI:

The way you described the impacts when you rezeroed they reflect they strike where zeroed, to your squeeze. The problem could be your trigger squeeze. Zero the gun in a vice, cold zero. After you have done this fire at rest or free handed, how ever you have been shooting it. If it's PI is off it could be your sqeeze. I have had some good shots borrow my rifles (vice zeroed) and bring them back rezeroed to thier squeeze, (nephews and close friends). The ones that learned to squeeze without pulling off useing the vice zero became better shots overall. (They and my guns could out shoot me anyway.)

Something else to consider is cold to hot barrel if you haven't already. Shoot a fast group of three then shoot a few more rounds at another target to get the barrel heat built up then shoot at another target with a hot barrel for group again. Check for PI change. You can let it cool to stone cold and see if it goes ack to original zero(no scope adjustments). IF so barrel stress or bedding could be the problem, even with the difference of PI between the two rounds. might not be heating but barrel harmonics with pressure points.

Don't feel I'm talking to you like "Ned in the first reader", stuff you already know about can sneak on you, they sneak up on me all the time.

This may not be the problem but it will eliminate the posibility. I have seen it with very good "instinct" shooters more than once. If I offended you I apologize.

eddie

blind ear · « **Reply #17 on:** June 20, 2009, 07:34:52 AM »

PETEMI:

As I understand it you are shooting left handed now due to your eyes.

eddie

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #18 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:13:03 AM »

As Jerry said it could be a mater of torque. I never considered that much until several years ago when I was shooting a 4" 629 I'd purchased. The recoil up and back didn't bother me but the twisting feeling I had when it tried to come out of my hand sideways was something I'd never experienced before. I didn't car much for the gun so I sold it to a co-worker. He was a big guy and pretty strong, but later when I asked him how he liked the 629 he fessed up that upon firing it for the first time he actually dropped the gun.

tiger yat · « **Reply #19 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:14:12 AM »

What is an ATI stock and why did it cause a painfull recoil? I know the 44 mags with the standard stocks give a nice sweet nudge.

I'm glad you got it shooting well, the 44 is a great woods deer gun and a fun plinker.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #20 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:25:52 AM »

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00019HRN4100

petemi · « **Reply #21 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:39:51 AM »

Thanks Tim.....there ya go Tiger. It's not ergonomically correct for me. It is very light and has no recoil pad. It just is not a fun thing in the .44 mag. The H&R MC synthetic is just fine. The ATI will be happy on the .17 where it can't get into any trouble.

Eddie, my trigger squeeze is slow and consistent. If it were squeeze, I'd have flyers with both types of ammo. The two types of ammo perform consistently different in my rifle. And yes, I have a fairly serious vision loss in my right eye. No offense taken, thanks for your ideas.

Pete

quickdtoo · « **Reply #22 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:44:39 AM »

ATI makes a pad for the Shotforce stock if anyone is interested.

Tim

http://www.atigunstocks.com/products.aspx?category=23&page=1&id=56

wreckhog · « **Reply #23 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:54:58 AM »

Would be surprised if that is not that same pad for an AR15 folder. Ie a CAR buttpad.

wreckhog · « **Reply #24 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:56:19 AM »

CAR cheekpads also exist.

JerryKo · « **Reply #25 on:** June 20, 2009, 10:25:50 AM »

Quote from Pete:

Quote

Yeah Jerry, it's not going to be easy. I've got to work with it until the rifle come up naturally

I got a short story to tell,...bought a new bow many years back and couldn't decide to go lefty or righty since I shot either well enough. So I decide on resale and go with the righty. Practiced a good 5 mounths at least 3 times a week,...finally had meat in the peep and completly missed the shot. I could see the arrow sticking in the ground below me, and remembered where the deer was standing, and nothing was lining up,..........until after about 30 mins later I look again a it was because I sighted with my left eye instead of the right. Oh well,..I double check everytime before I release the arrow on game now. LOL!!!!!

Just giving a little "insight" to your new training. Good luck with it!

Jerry

petemi · « **Reply #26 on:** June 20, 2009, 01:44:02 PM »

Jerry that's funny now, but I'll bet it wasn't at the time

Pete