New-to-me 44 mag a shooter

[cheatermk3]

I just traded an ultra slug hunter, in like-new condition (Thanks Mt3030!) for an as-NIB handirifle in 44 magnum.  I thought I'd really enjoy the slug gun, but decided that I didn't like anything about it except the giant hole in the bore; a 75 caliber rifle, kinda.

My local gunsmith/store has several, like 7, handis in various calibers from 45-70 to 17 HMR.  The 44 is set up just the way I thought it should be, with the new williams iron sights and non-montecarlo buttstock.  Since I have lots of 44 mag components on hand, I swapped for it giving him my ultra slug hunter and $40 for the "as new" 44 mag. I'm pretty sure it had never been fired.  

Before I decided to trade, I brought a bullet down to the store with me, to check the bore since I've heard that some guns are being delivered with .430"+ diameter bores (thanks for the heads-up, Jerry!).  The Remington 240gn JHP, which measured .430 by my calipers, would not enter the muzzle no matter how hard I leaned on it with my thumb, so I figured that standard, bulk remington bullets would work fine in the little rifle.

I got it home and after a bit of adjustment. got it to shoot 1" high at 50 yds, using my standard load of the 240 semijacketed HP over a stout charge of IMR-4227, in R-P cases.  I then shot a 3-round cloverleaf at a 2" orange dot, also at 50yds, it printed 1" high.  

I'm a happy camper!

[safetysheriff]

Congratulations on the good shooting.    Obviously a decent Handi' in .44 mag' will shoot, and you know how to make it happen.

Remember one thing, aside from the great shooting you've achieved: the bore and the groove diameter in a rifle/handgun are oftentimes considered as two different things.   Many people by "bore" mean the diameter between the lands, while groove diameter is what we usually concern ourselves with when selecting a diameter for our projectile.    That's why the lands on the rifle will keep you from pushing a .430" diameter bullet down the 'bore'.    But, the groove diameter may be sufficient to allow for a problem with that .430" projectile.....  

In any event, I hope that helps in some measure, and I hope you continue with your success.

Take care,

ss'

[MtJerry]

Mike,

Glad to hear you got a good shooter there!

I highly recommend that you go back in the archives here and read all the work done my JHP45 and LeftoverDJ.  They did a LOT of work with these 44's and I agree with their conclusion that bullets in the 265-270 grain range will deliver the most bang for the buck in terms of velocity/energy performance.

From the work they did, I would recommend trying the Speer 270gr. Gold Dot.

If you want to go cast, I am having some good success with the 265gr. bullet from Beartooth.  I just had to order it cast large enough to fit my bore.

I got a chance to see and handle that 12ga. USH when mt3030 had it.  What a chunk of pig iron!!!!!!!!  I don't mean that in a bad way, but a HEAVY way!!!!

[JPH45]

I believe the 44 to be one of the most accurate out of the box Handi's made. Like all the NEF's, it is not without it's quirks, took me 3 or 4 months of lpaying with mine before I began to be really happy with it, but as I learned what it likes, it began to deliver more and more groups like that you describe. Of my three NEF's, my 44 is the most consistant of them.

[cheatermk3]

I have a cache of about 3500 of the Remington 240gn SJHP bullets under my bench--I think I'll be shooting this load for a bit.

I can't say how many deer I've killed using it in my 10-1/2" ruger SBH during the years I hunted with that outfit.

For toothy critters, namely boar, I developed a load using a 310gn hardcast bullet cast up locally by a guy I still see occasionally at the gunshows- he's really into BP shooting and I think he's pretty much done casting for a living.  I went through a bunch of penetration testing using that bullet in a 5" redhawk I took down to the Red Bluff, CA area looking for pigs-- never saw a hog in three hunts; it was a very dry spell of years--lake Shasta was a mud puddle the last trip down.

 The lasercast folks have a line of bullets cast from a proprietary alloy made up of 7 different metals, one of them being silver.

 They guarantee that their bullets will perform at jacketed bullet velocities, whatever that means.  I've been using their 240 grain .380 dia. bullet in my Taeget clasic; I've had them up over 1900 fps without the bullet metal mushroom growing out of the muzzle, after 40 or so rounds, so I believe their claims to be true.

This is my first 44mag rifle, so I will be checking out JPH45's and leftover's work;  for now though I'll be shootin' what I gots!

It's just so gratifying to have everything fall into place so neatly especially after the painful odyssey I put myself through whth the 38-55.

EDIT: I forgot about that Marlin M94CL in the closet so this is my 2nd rifle 44mag.

[Ditchdigger]

Yep ;The 44 mag. is fun,and there's about 10 zillion different bullets,cast and jacketed for it. And if you want more power try the 445 supermag. its a lot stronger in every way. You can send those 240 gr. bullets downrange at 2126 fps. and if there's a hog or deer in the way there goner's. I shoot the 300 gr. XTP's over 22.5 grs. of H 110 with the bullet crimped in the second crimping groove,and its very accurate at 1636 fps. in the 44 mag. The 445 supermag.gets 1977fps with the same bullet with a near max load of 296. I've quit using my 45 70 barrel  now because its cheaper to shoot the 445 and 44 mag. and still have all the power I need for what I hunt.  Digger

[Varminter]

Glad to hear you got a shotter on your hands. I to have a 44mag and love it. It's definitely one i will never get rid of.