.44-77 PP bullets.

[Don McDowell]

Looks good Jim

[Distant Thunder]

Don,

I really like the idea of the blocks lifting out of the box to be used as loading blocks on the bench. Once the cartridges are all (50) loaded they will just be set back into the box and then just repeat with the second block to end up with 100 round for a match. That is usually enough to shot a weekend match at Lodi or Alma, about as far as I travel these days.

I can use the MTM plastic boxes I just got to carry as many extra rounds as I might need. They work well but with the bullet down. I would just use these to replenish the wooden box each day before the match. That's my thinking anyway.

If I decide to make another box out some better wood I would make a few small adjustments in the size but what I have will work well.

I made the holes .640" diameter and the Jamison brass fits very well so the BACO brass will easily fit with it's slightly smaller rim diameter.

I'll put some stain on the box tomorrow after filling some of the bigger old dents and sanding it some. In the end I think it will look good enough and function well, though it certainly won't win any beauty contests, but you have consider the guy carrying it! That is the main reason I shoot paper patch bullets, they always make me look better! Which is asking a lot of my bullets I know!

[Hiwall55]

Jim, the box looks pretty good. I need to make one for my 44/77 and 50/90.
The idea of using the 2 loading blocks is the way I will go too.

[beltfed]

Jim,
I, too like your design of the two lift out loading blocks.
May I suggest you mill or rout a shallow groove down each side and across bottom of
each loading block. Say 1 -1.5" wide and maybe 0.060 deep
This will enable you to use a thin cloth or other "ribbon" around the blocks
so you can lower the loaded blocks into the box or lift them out easily

[Distant Thunder]

Arnie,
That's an interesting idea, kind of like the batteries have. They lift in and out really easy empty, like picking up a bowling ball, but that will change when loaded with cartridges! All the finger holes will be filled. That's something like 4 1/2 lbs of cartridges per 50 round block. Here we go with math again, but 9 to 10 lbs worth of.44-77 is going to be heavy. Now I'll have to go back and redesign this box to have wheels and a tow rope! Dang!

Who ever said this box building stuff was easy ain't never done it.

I got it all sanded, now for some stain.

[beltfed]

Arnie,
That's an interesting idea, kind of like the batteries have. They lift in and out really easy empty, like picking up a bowling ball, but that will change when loaded with cartridges! All the finger holes will be filled. That's something like 4 1/2 lbs of cartridges per 50 round block. Here we go with math again, but 9 to 10 lbs worth of.44-77 is going to be heavy. Now I'll have to go back and redesign this box to have wheels and a tow rope! Dang!

Who ever said this box building stuff was easy ain't never done it.

I got it all sanded, now for some stain.

[beltfed]

Jim,
I got the idea of a "cloth ribbon" to lift out the trays of loaded rounds from the
way that 7.62 and 30-06 ammo cans were packed tightly with 20 round boxes. Two tiers of
boxes. One box had a cloth ribbon under it with the ends sticking out so you could
grab out the first box easily by pulling on both ends of the ribbon at once. The rest of the
boxes were easily plucked out .
Actually you would only need one of the two trays with a ribbon under it. The other you could
easily get a couple fingers under it after removal of the first box.
Arnie

[burlington123]

I'm still holding out hope that some time later this year I will get a call and the rifle I sent to Shiloh last year to be rebarreled to .44-77 will be nearing completion, but with Covid-19 plague it probably won't be soon.

So just sitting around at home I do a lot of thinking about what design of bullets would be good for a .44-77.

I sat down today at the computer and started designing 3 paper patch bullets. None of these are new, they are designs that are in use every day. I guess I'm just trying to see what they would look like in .44 caliber.

I will probably end up making or having made a mold for each of these three designs. I think they all are good designs and I'd like to see how each performs.

Top to bottom, Prolate, original Sharps long-range and something close to a Medford design. These are 3-D computer models.



All are about 1.430" to 1.450" long, it just depends on how they were drawn up and they should run well out of my 17-twist Krieger barrel.

FYI.....kal bullet moulds, Winnipeg MB makes excellent paper patchers, I know, as I have three of them....dave

[Distant Thunder]

So, Dave, what paper patch KAL molds do you have? I for one would like more details, pictures would be nice.

I was talking to Rick at KAL about a pp mold before the whole China virus thing hit and my rifle got delayed. At the time I was thinking it only be a few weeks and I'd have a rifle and order a mold, but that was back in early March. Rick probably figures something happen to me! But I'm still here!

When my rifle does finally get here and I know for sure what the bore size is and what the chamber looks like I plan to be getting at least a few pp molds to play with besides the two I already have. I'll probably never own as many .44 caliber molds as I do .45 caliber molds but I can give it a good go!