Development of PP loads for the .44-77.

[Distant Thunder]

This morning I shot the same BACO 450 grain #431ADJ bullet over 76.0, 78.0, 80.0 and 82.0 grains of Goex 2f. Everything else was the same including the COAL at 3.310". I just had more compression as the loads went up. I shot these loads at 200m.

All were 3-shot groups. The only load that showed anything I could work with was 78.0 grains with 3 shots in a little under 4 inches and forming a nice triangle.

76.0 grs. was a 6 inch vertical string.
80.0 grs. was strung out over 12 inches vertically.
82.0 grs. was a 8 inch triangle.

I should try the 78.0 grs. again with the 450 gr. bullet. It would be nice to see it repeat. I will also try the 78.0 gr. load with the BACO #431ADJ mold set to cast at 1.425" long which weighs 520 grains. Then I will try the 530 grain Sharps style bullet at 530 grains with the same 78.0 gr. load. If nothing there looks promising I will switch to Swiss 1 1/2.

I was really hoping to do most of my fireforming with this 2f Goex because I have a good supply of it and I don't use it as much as I use to. It would be good to find at least a 2 MOA load during fireforming, I wouldn't feel like I was wasting powder as much. The 1 1/2 Swiss is my match powder and I really don't want to use that up for fireforming.

I tried a few cases with a charge of smokeless and COW for fireforming and it didn't work all that well for me. The cases did blow out some but not enough. These black powder loads blow the cases out nice.

Back to the loading bench!