I wonder where this outfit is. They are tight lipped with their location. https://www.rccbrass.com/category/library/

Jim, for the bushing diameter, for a PP bullet I would start with a bushing inside diameter of about .454. A long lead in of 8 degrees will match the shoulder angle on the 77 case. From there polish it out till you get the fit you want. For a GG bullet go about .010" larger. Polish to a high finish inside and break all sharp edges. I put a nice radius on the outside bottom of the bushing so I can easily tell what end goes down when putting it in the die. Then depending on what material you use you may want to put a nice case harden on the bushing.
Sam

(04-20-2020, 11:41 AM)Kurt Wrote: I wonder where this outfit is. They are tight lipped with their location. https://www.rccbrass.com/category/library/

He's in Texas

Sam, That long taper is a plus for sure. That helps from getting a ecentricbump on the case mouth. I always wondered why Meachem bushing dies did not make them that way.
With those bushing dies if you don't have a good fitting shell holder or don't have the case going up straight you get an uneven reduction.

(04-20-2020, 11:49 AM)Don McDowell Wrote:

(04-20-2020, 11:41 AM)Kurt Wrote: I wonder where this outfit is. They are tight lipped with their location. https://www.rccbrass.com/category/library/

He's in Texas

They sure are proud of their cases.

Sam,

I learned tool & die using O1, A2 & D2 long before the powdered metals, CPM 3V, 10V, PM4 and others, were being used. I never liked O1, so I have used more A2 & D2. It's just really hard to beat the air hardened tool steels for ease of working with and dimensional stability through heat treating.
For a sizing bushing I would probably use D2, I think A2 would work fine too. I use a lot of A2 because it is so easy to work with and heat treats so easily and I have a lot of little pieces of scrap left over from my working days. D2 would be a bit better choice because of it's higher chromium content would polish very smooth.
Basically I use whatever I have laying around that is closest to the size I need and will do the job.

Chris,

I feel bad for you guys up there because of the problems you have getting the BPCR stuff you need or want.

There certainly are other paths with less resistance that one can choose instead of the .44-77 (or .44-90) and unless you're like me and need something to challenge you and isn't what everybody else is using there is no reason not go with cartridges that less trouble to supply.

The one thing I didn't see coming was the twist choice being a problem. And maybe somewhat the chamber questions that came up. Shiloh only offers a 19-twist in .44 caliber and C. Sharps only has 18-twist. There is nothing wrong with either of those twists unless a guy wants to shoot 1000 yards and win. If I was only going to shoot silhouette and mid-range and/or hunt with my .44-77 either of those would work.

It's that darn Creedmoor that requires the longer and heavier bullets. That just happens to be the shooting I do the most. As I studied the different twists that can be had in a .446 caliber barrel it was pretty clear that the 17-twist would be the best to cover all that I'd like to do with this rifle. That one choice complicated this project a lot more than I ever would have thought.

If I could go back to July of last year I would have just sent my rifle to C. Sharps and had them put an 18-twist barrel on it and I would have been shooting the rifle months ago. That twist would allow a bullet of around 500 grains (1.400" long) with good stability out to 1000 yards and it would do very well with lighter bullets for mid-range, silhouette and hunting.

That being said, I am for sure getting closer to the day Shiloh finishes and ships my rifle with each passing day and even though it is likely to have been almost a year since I sent my rifle to Shiloh before I see it again I know that when that day comes I will be happy I went with the 17-twist and I will forget all about how long it took to get a barrel screwed my rifle.

Jim,

You need to get that .44-77 a big Brother so it will do it's best to keep up with him.
All this lock down is getting me to do stuff I haven't done for a while. I think I will Call Gale at CPA and tell her to build a rifle around this .44-90BN so I don't wear out the threads switching them all the time.

   

Kurt,

I have to say that .44-90 SBN looks pretty dog gone good!

I am thinking about either a .44-70 or .44-90 ST because I happen to have a rolling block action that needs a barrel and barrel that needs an action, but that wouldn't even get started until next year, maybe.

I am also thinking that I should probably order a new Shiloh in the not too distant future, but I have no idea what caliber or chamber I would be able to make good use of. That's a lot to think about.

Or maybe it should be a hunting weight rifle? What caliber and chamber would be best there? I really like your .44-77 that I shot at Harris last August. Something about that weight with a single trigger and I would want a shotgun buttplate, with a 30" barrel. That I could find a purpose for!

These will all be good things to consider once this .44-77 is settled in and working good for me.

Jim,

I don't have a .44-70 reamer but I have a .44-75 Ballard reamer on a .45-2.5 case that could be used to short chamber and cut a recess for the rim. The full size 2.5 chamber holds the same as the .45-90 around 82-3 grains and it's a very good shooting caliber that would make a fine hunting caliber as well as a silhouette rifle and long range.
The .44-77 Shiloh you shot with the standard chamber has a 30" light weight 19 twist barrel and it's 1.040" at the breach and .900" at the muzzle and comes in right at 10# The trigger breaks just under 3#.
The .44-75 Ballard is the most consistent shooter at 200 yards with 5 shots under 3".