Shooting the 44 Mag Handi.

[James B]

I was out with the 44 mag handi yesterday. I was shooting two different loads. One is a cast bullet of 240 grains loaded with 8 grains of Unique. This load is very pleasant and cheap to shoot but with the sights all the way down it still shoots about two and a half to three inches high at 50 yards. The other load it the Hornady 200 grain XTP with 11.3 grains of Unique. This load it right on the button and shoots three shot groups with all the holes touching at fifty yards. It was to windy to try shots past fifty yards yesterday. The 200 grain Hornady's clock right at 1500 fps and should be a great small game and varmit load. I didn't get to try the 300 grain XTP load yet but that one should be a good deer and Black Bear load. It should even work well for close range shots at Moose and Elk. I quess I should find a taller front sight so I can shoot the cast loads better. They clocked in the low 1100 fps range. I used Magnum primers with both loads. Niether load showed any pressure signs in my rifle.

[safetysheriff]

If you speed up that load that is shooting so high you will probably bring it down closer to where the original sights on the rifle are pointed.    The less barrel time the less time for recoil to lift the muzzle and point the bullet higher would be my hypothesis.......

Take care.

[Leftoverdj]

Good in theory but not in practice, SS. Plain base cast bullets are severely limited in velocity in Handi barrels before accuracy falls apart. James B can't up that load enough to move POI several inches and keep his accuracy.

Just one of those things you gotta learn by shooting 'cause it ain't in the books.

[JPH45]

James, well I wish I could say it ain't so, but DJ is right. I have yet to be able to drive cast bullets above 1300 fps with the accuracy falling apart. the only exception has been the Magnus Bullet Co. #704 300 grainer. I can drive it to 1450 with no trouble but the cost would prohibit it being a plinker. I have found that as a general rule, the POI will only change vertically form one load/bullet weight to another once a zero is established. You might want to put a low power scope on it, tape a setting chart on your stock and shoot away, forgetting the matter of the front sight height altogether. sounds like you have found a couple of nice loads to play with, thats great.