44-77 continuing development

[Distant Thunder]

A while back I asked the question, "Is it the amount of powder or the amount of compression that is the key to an accurate load?".

When it comes to my .44 -77 I think I now have an answer. Both!

Over the past couple months I have tried various charge weights of Swiss 1 1/2 from 84 grains to 90 grains and different amounts of compression with these weights. I decided that the 86 grain load that I first tried late last year was the best with my straight bore diameter paper patch bullet, BACO 430520 opened up to .432". Today I took that bullet and the same 86 grains of 1 1/2 and loaded 3 each with zero compression, .050" compression, .100" compression and .150" compression. All but one of these loads formed a diagonal line with the 3 shots. None of this lines were long 2 1/2 to 3", but I would much prefer the tight little 1 1/4" triangle that .100" of compression gave me.

After shooting the 4 3-shots groups and seeing the results I decided to load 7 more with .100" compression, dial back the same sight setting I used for the first 3 and shoot 7 more on the same piece of paper and that would given me a 10-shot group. The elevation setting on my scope I thought had been .118" and when I checked it it was at .1185" so I dropped it the 1/4 minute. I shot number 4 on the attached target and it was low out of the group formed by the first three shots. I came back up the 1/4 minute and the remaining 6 shots were back at the original elevation. Either I didn't look at the setting very close or something had moved before I shot the first 3 shots, no matter I was good to go now.

The wind was coming in from 10 to 11 o'clock at 10 to 15 mph and I forgot to put my flags out so I was just watching the trees. That maybe didn't work as well as my flags would have and I had two shot that were a bit left. I figure they were shot in a bit softer wind. The main thing is I did not see any of the vertical stringing that were in the other compression amounts, 0, .050 & .150".

This rifle may not be shooting as good as some but it is shooting well enough to shoot some matches with it this summer and see how it does at longer ranges and that's exactly what I plan to do. The rifle and load seem to respond well to sight changes and except for the wind it isn't grouping too bad. The scope repeats with very good accuracy and I am pretty close to the end of my using iron sights now. Between no longer being able to read the number boards, my worsening astigmatism and now starting to develop cataracts I think the scope is going to be my best hope. I do like being able to see what I'm shooting at!

With my DZ mounts and the 30" barrel on this Shiloh I am able to shoot from 100 to 1000 yards with no trouble. I am looking right through the front sight at 1000 yards, but that didn't seem to hurt any when I tested it last fall. If it proves to be a problem down the road the sight is easy enough to remove.

My match schedule is all screwed up this year and I end up with no matches is June, but I will have 2 gong matches in July and 3 paper matches in August. I also hope to make it to one more paper match in September. All of these will be shot with my .44-77 and by the end of summer I should have a good idea of what the rifle and cartridge are capable of.

If all goes well I plan to hunt with this .44-77 for the early part of our Wisconsin deer season. The goal has been to prove just how versatile this old cartridge is, going from the target range to the hunting field with all that is needed to get the job done in style and shooting only paper patch bullets!

I am enjoying the journey!