Trajectory of 44 mag

[kb]

Im sighting in my 629 for deer hunting, and I was wondering at what distance everybody else sights in.  I have a 2x leup on it and an having trouble establishing decent groups at the 100 yard mark.  
 
Up close Im OK, but my groups open up as they go down range.  With a 2X, it is difficult to see that far.  
 
Just curious....  
 
kb

[stuffit]

I mostly woods hunt with my OM Ruger BlackHawk .44 mag, and have open sights on it.  I try to reconcile how far I sight it with to what distance I can see well enough to sight it.  You are using a rest, are you not?  I use a target with an orange bullseye large enough to "balance" on the flat tip of the front sight.  The distance I arrived at for this pistol is 50 yards. Now with the 1 1/2 (could be a 2X, I can't find the markings this morning.... go figure) Leupold on a .454 Casull Freedom Arms 10 1/2 " I sight at 50 first, holding dead center of the bull, and adjust for a point of impact about 1" - 1 1/2" above point of aim. Then I go to 100 yards and shoot three rounds. They are usually right at the aiming point.  With your scoped .44 mag, you might want to try this last technique.  With a hunting load moving  a 240 gr bullet at 1350fps or so, your trajectory would be pretty close, at 100 yards, I'd think.  You might want to load up some sub max loads for early sighting and shooting and  then when you have your confidence in the gun, make whatever minor adjustments are necessary for the hunting loads.  As far as group consistency, be sure you are not getting any lead build up and that your scope mounts are tightened down to the correct torque.  Get used to shooting from a rest at 50 yards before you start shooting for groups at 100 yards.  Likely your shot will be closer to fifty anyway, or even less.
  :wink:
stuffit

[jhalcott]

I have a 4x on my SBH 44 and sight it on at 50yards.Then I use those targets the bow hunters use,the ones that ARE pictures of deer.I set them at different ranges to practice.I try to shoot late in the evening.Believe me , this will make a difference in how well you can shoot.From a rest,I won't shoot if the deer is beyond 150 yards.Or if I can't see the shoulder line clear enough.

[Questor]

If you sight it in for 50 yards, it will be about 3 inches low at 100 yards. If you're having trouble grouping at 100 yards, then you know that your limiting distance is shorter than that.

[Graybeard]

Using a 2X Leupold scope on a TC Contender in 7-30 Waters I've fired groups of 1.5" and several under 2" at 250 yards. I say this to say the scope is not likely the cause of your poor groups at 100 yards. Either your gun, your loads or heaven forbid the shooter is at fault.

Sight in 1" high at 50 yards. This will have your trajectory fine for distances further than it would appear you and your gun/load are up to at this time. Practice, practice, practice. If you and the gun/load can't keep your shots all in an 8" circle at any given distance then that distance is too far for you to be shooting at game. And I'm talking from FIELD positions NOT from a bench.

[Van/TX]

Up close Im OK, but my groups open up as they go down range.

There is absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do about the group opening up down range.  It's just simple math.  Good luck .....Van

[SLAVAGE]

i put all 6 rounds at 100 yards on a standered white paper plate sorry cant remember what size they are but i have a 2-6x32 bushnell trophy on it an have it about 4 or 4.5 power at that range
dave

all so put about 400 rounds though it in the past 2 years an for me thats a lot of shooting

[Graybeard]

i put all 6 rounds at 100 yards on a standered white paper plate sorry cant remember what size they are but i have a 2-6x32 bushnell trophy on it an have it about 4 or 4.5 power at that range
dave

Such paper plates are about 8" to 9" in diameter. Just about the kill zone of an average white tail deer. If you can keep them on it from FIELD shooting positions that's fine and you can safely hunt at any range you can do that every time from FIELD positions.

all so put about 400 rounds though it in the past 2 years an for me thats a lot of shooting

I've pushed that many .44 mags down range in a single day many times. Even with the .454 Casull I've fired a couple hundred in a day. If you want to learn to shoot well enough to be a proficient handgun hunter ya gotta pop some caps. In one summer alone I've burned up a case (5000 rounds) of .22 LR ammo all from field shooting positions. This is how you get to know your guns and your own limitations.

[SLAVAGE]

lol i dont think i have fired 5000 rounds of 22 in my hole 29 years  of living lmfao
but more an more i read i really have to move out from the city lol

[Graybeard]

Getting out of the city might definitely increase your shooting options.

Back in my competition shooting days I always bought .22LR ammo by the case of 5000. Went thru a bunch of them. My best friend Billy Doss (deceased) had a range in his back yard we used to shoot at regularly. He shot daily there. One summer we filled up a 5 gallon bucket to over flowing with .22LR cases we two shot just in revolvers alone. We didn't bother to pick up the cases from the semiautos we both also shot. Just dumped them into the bucket when we unloaded our revolvers. I have no clue how many rounds of empty .22 LR cases it takes to fill a five gallon bucket but we sure did it in one summer alone.

We had an old .22 rimfire chicken silhouette like is used in NRA SB rifle matches that was a swinger. We shot that thing so many times with the rimfire handguns it turned the edges back on it and cupped the entire target. We had to have it welded back on who knows how many times. That little target is basically the size of a half dollar. We shot it free hand at 25 meters measured distance. It usually took six of six to win and often that only resulted in a tie and a shoot off. Can't recall anyone ever winning with less than five of six on it.

Back then when I could actually still see the sights on my revolvers I was a pretty fair shot. Now I have a really hard time seeing the sights. Ah the stories of our shooting exploits in those days long gone by.

[kb]

In the past 40 years, I have yet to find ANY fault with the shooter      
 
Seriously, I know that Im very limited with the gun.  I was just curious of as to what I should be expecting from the setup.  If the setup can do it, then I know its me who needs the work (a complete re-build would be nice :wink: ).  
 
I'll have to check the tightness of my scope and mount.

[stuffit]

I purchased an early Model 29 back in the mid 70's, I think.  I shot it with open sights.  It had a ramp front with a red inlay.  I wasn't particularly crazy about it, but it served.  I was one of those pistol shooters that are so infuriating to others in that I was a "natural", sometime almost like my bullets had guidance mechanisms.  I did shoot a good bit but nowhere near the volume discussed in some of these post.  Anyhow.  Once a shooting acquaintance and I were shooting at target on an old metal cattle feeder (not in use for years as I had sold all the cows)in a fresh cut hay field.  He was shooting my Garand, and I  the .44 mag.  We were at 100 yards and I shot from a sitting position with both hands.  We were walking about and had no spotting scope or binoculars, but when we got to our targets, he was clearly impressed with the pistol group.  I had put all six slugs in less than four inches (or thereabouts), not as good as his prone group with the M1 but almost competitive.  I was kind of impressed myself, as a matter of fact, though I would've been reluctant to attempt a repeat performance.

So the Model 29 (at least mine) is capable of good accuracy at hunting ranges, though this was not exactly a Ransom Rest type test.  Most of my "bench rest" shooting back then was over the spare tire mounted in the back of my old Dodge pickup, and it served pretty well.

I have put a good many full house rounds through my .454 Casull FA's revolvers, and, though it troubled me not at the time, (don't put your back to a tree or a truck tire when shooting these now. ) I now prefer to do most of my shooting with this caliber with handloads of a more moderate sort.  In my instance, anyway, (65) it  is easier on my hands and wrist. (can you spell "where is the aspirin bottle").  

But it's all been fun and still is.  Get your confidence in what your .44 mag will do from a good comfortable "rest" type position and then go to the "field position" to work on your own prowess with the revolver.  One of the things that has messed up accuracy in some of my old revolvers was lead in the forcing cone from improperly sized bullets or those of an alloy not suitable to the velocity.  Rule out all the variables from a bench, and then you can see how good you are from "field" positions.
Happy trails,
stuffit

[S.S.]

You folks that have scopes on your handguns consider
yourselves lucky. My prescription of my glasses won't
allow me to use a long eye relief scope. Makes things
look kinda' distorted. This has actually been a good thing
with me, as it has forced me to become a more instinctive
shooter. Most of all it has made me realize my limitations
and adjust to them. I am kinda like Graybeard in the fact that
there are some days that I will shoot several hundred rounds
in practice. I know what loads each of my handguns like
and i know where it is going to hit with them.