.44-77 and paper patch?

[Distant Thunder]

Don,

I hoped you would reply to this, thank you.

I want a 17 twist and here is why. I almost had a .44-77 built a dozen years ago for all the same reason I want one now. Some "friends" were working with a .44-100 Remington straight and I was talked into going the route instead. It's a fine cartridge, but it's not a .44-77. The Badger barrel I used was a 1 in 18. It was a disappointing endeavor at every turn. I'd have to dig out the my old book to tell you the details on the bullets I tried, but none worked to my satisfaction.

I finally stumbled into a rather blunt and short grease groove bullet that did well out to 600 yards. It worked very well on silhouettes. When I shifted to paper patch it did even better, but those had to be short and blunt. Blunt is fine, short is limiting. Then there is the 100 plus grains of powder to fill the case with a shallowly seated ppb. I did come up with a load that used multiple wads and a grease cookie over 85 grains of 2F Goex to push a 480 grain ppb at a respectable speed and acceptable recoil. I won at least one mid-range match with that combo.

Then came my Hepburn and the Danielson .45-70 paper patch chamber. MY .44-100 just couldn't live up to that performance level. I continued to regret not going with the .44-77, it just so sexy! I'd have that going for me at least.

I talked to Shiloh recently, as much as they would help, but can't get answers to my specific questions about what they can provide. Then I found on a different forum what their twist rates are and I just can't see how a 1 in 19 is going to be a step up. I really believe a 1 in 17 will be very helpful in realizing the full potential of the cartridge. It doesn't have to be a long-range rifle for other that an occasional match just so I can say I did it. It does need to shoot respectable at 1000 yards if that's possible and it should be.

I see this as my last chance to do a .44 caliber rifle the right way and I won't be happy with anything that's not a .44-77 shooting paper patch bullets because that is what I really want. I've got a guy who will put the barrel on my action, eventually, and I know that brass is going to be a PITA. I can accept all that. Last time I let those kind of arguments turn me in a different direction, that won't happen this time.

I am hoping to get as much information as I can to avoid any mistakes and shorten my learning curve with this go-round. If you have a suggestion on brass I'd like to hear it, email me please. If you have ideas on a paper patch chamber/reamer I definitely need to hear that. I will go with a standard gg chamber and a 2-diameter ppb if a paper patch chamber seems to complicated and I have to have a reamer made. I know a 2-diameter will work very well.

I have to blame Eric for this bug that has bitten me (again). Watching him shooting his .44-77 with ppb and having way more fun than should be allowed has really been gnawing on me. I want in on the fun while I still have time to enjoy it for a good long while.

So, just how much powder are you putting in for the typical load?

I got ahold of a BACO .44-77 that has been reformed from .50-110 brass and it looks really good. I will see just how much powder it takes to fill the case.

Thanks again for your help.