Development of PP loads for the .44-77.

[Kurt]

11 3/4 lbs is a good place to have it. Alma regionals are coming up on the July 9th-12th. as bad as I want to go but I will pass. East of us it's still a pretty hot spot with the red bug and there will be a bunch under the roof there most likely more than usual because the cabin fever has hit most of us.

[Distant Thunder]

I won't be there for July either. Then because of family obligations I can't make Harris this year. So I'm looking to Alma in August and just maybe September. I don't know who I would shoot with but it doesn't matter really. I don't think Glenn and Tony are shooting this year.
I'm looking at Cadillac in October but that's a tough one because of how season.
It's going to be a short shooting season and everything is crowded into 3 months.

[Distant Thunder]

J.B.

I like all the old single shot, but it was the 1874 Sharps that lured me into the BPCR world in the beginning and it still symbolizes the old American west more than any of the others for me. They are amazing rifles and can still be competitive against the more modern designs in BPCR. And, Yes they do look better with a little age on them!

I have been a hunter all my life and I've been competing in BPCR matches for 25 years, all my rifles show some use and some wear. This one was actually my 3rd big bore single black powder rifle, but this is the one I learned to actually shoot black powder in and the one I first hunted with and the one I brought to my first match back in 1995 when I went to Friendship. It is also the one I shot my first long range match with at Lodi in 1997.

As my long range shooting improved it kind of got pushed aside in favor of rifles better suited to that game. After sitting in the back of my safe for the past few years it now has new life and a fresh start as a .44-77. It won't likely my number one rifle, it would be hard to replace my Hepburn for a number of reasons, but it will be a strong number two. Maybe it will try harder in that role!

[Kurt]

https://lowestammo.com/rifle-ammo/44-77-...20-rounds/
I wonder who's brass they are using?

[Hiwall55]

They use Jamison, JBA on the headstamp.

[Distant Thunder]

Looks like a good start! I loaded 3 just to get the scope sighted in.

450 grain BACO #431ADJ (1.260" OAL)
.060 LDPE WAD
88.0 grains Goex Express (pulled from some old cartridges)
Bertram 45 basic brass converted
Federal 150 LP primers
3.310" C.O.A.L.

I bore sighted the scope at 50 yards and then fired the 3 I loaded up. The first one I wasn't sure what to expect and pulled it to the right. The next two I was ready for. It probably means very little being it was 50 yards, but it was the quickest sight in I have ever experienced. I usually have to make some kind of a correction after the first shot.

   

Next I'll move to 100 yards. I'll adjust the load for the brass that I have more of. These first 3 I just wanted to see if that type of brass could be used and I would say it can be if nothing else can be had.

[Eric Johanen]

Not too bad for the first shots! Just box and label that different kinds of brass and easy peasy. I must do that with my C Sharps and Shiloh 45-70's. Chambers are different size. Now with my expected 77 using Brett's match reamer I'll have to keep 3 45-70's separate!

[Distant Thunder]

So for the first 100 yard group I switched to some brass I made last winter before I got some of the Jamison brass and when BACO was in short supply. I was worried I would have a rifle and no brass at all. Apparently I have to worry about some thing.

I don't recommend this brass because it is very labor intensive but it does make pretty nice cases.

I started with Hornady .300 Win. Mag brass because the body diameter is very close to .44-77 at .513". The typical body diameter of .44-77 is .517".
I cut these to 2.280" length and turned the belts down to .517". I cut a chamfer on the old rims at the extractor groove. I bought an 18" length of brass tube with the diameters I needed (or close anyway) and cut a bunch of brass rings from the tube, more than I needed for the 50 pcs. of Hornady brass I had. I annealed these rings.

I then made a simple two piece die that would swage these rings into new rims on .300 Mag cases. This was a two-step operation I did in my hydraulic press. Once the rims were swaged in place I returned to the lathe and finished them to .625" diameter and .076" thick. The final step was to run them up in my Lee .43 Mauser size die and trim to 2.250". Here is a before and after fireforming picture of the cases that resulted.

   

Again, these are outside the means of most shooters to make because you almost need a machine shop to do so and they are very labor intensive. The good news is I started with 50 pieces of brass and 10 fingers and I ended with all 50 pieces and all ten fingers!

The first 5 at 100 yards were loaded as follows:

450 BACO #431ADJ wrapped with 9# Paper Mill 100% cotton Onionskin
.060 LDPE wad
78.5 grains of Goex Express
The above described brass
Federal 150 LP primers
3.310" COAL, This leaves the bullet seated .200 in the cases with about .060" compression.

After the first 3 shots I couldn't see anything on paper! I didn't make any adjustments to the scope after the 50 yard target figuring that I still be on paper at 100 and I would adjust for the next group. So I walked down to the target and there they were at the bottom edge of the black, the 3 shot to the right in a nice triangle. So I walked back and shot the last two. One of which went left and the other low and left. No idea why.

   

I have corrected the scope up 6 minutes and I'll load 5 more but this time with some better powder and all else the same. Then I'll shoot another 100 yard group.

[Eric Johanen]

Shows what can be done if you have the equipment and the smarts to make brass from something close. I purchased my supply of Jamison brass about 4 years ago when I was getting ready to order the 44-77 and the only problems I've has is the poor control of the rim thickness. Had to work a bunch of them down as the rims were to thick to chamber in my Shiloh. All fitted up now and very glad I got a supply of brass when I did. Good shooting Jim!

[Kurt]

They use Jamison, JBA on the headstamp.

TNX. Bill Do you know what the rim thickness is?

I send them a question asking what the head stamp is on the cases and their reply was "what do you mean" LOL.

I just might order 3 boxes to fill the forth box and have a few over 400 rounds if it the Jamison brass.