.44-75 load work up

[Kurt]

Mike.

I shot 7 three shot ladder groups today on my 130 yard range today after the rain.
The results where from 3 shots into about nickel size to 7-1/2" using a 500 gr elliptical KAL PP bullet, KIK 2F 1/8" lube wad sandwiched between 2 1/16" cork wads and a Br-2 primer.
Sights, DZ scope and mounts.
So far I shot ladder loads once at 130 yards and twice at 200 with 3 shots and 80 to 84 gr of 2F KIK has stayed under 2" @ 200.
Shot 9 rounds loaded with 2F OE @200 the other day but it but the fingers where so cold that I could not feel the trigger and sent some down range before I was ready to let them go.
I still cant say yet if it will hold with satisfaction.
I see a lot of wide open groups going on with this deep grooved 16 twist barrel then I see with the 17 twist Krieger barrel. The Krieger seems like it is more tolerant with what ever I shoot through it. But I'm just getting started working up loads.
I shot this rifle at Milan's midrange match with just throwing a load of 84 gr or 2F OE together by just dropping it from a Lyman 55 and it shot quite well. And I have seen some very small groups for the less then 200 rounds I have shot sofar out of this rifle.
When I get done with the Doctors in the next month or so I will head off to a warmer place and see what it can do getting ready for Lodi in May.

Kurt

[Mike]

Mike.

I shot 7 three shot ladder groups today on my 130 yard range today after the rain.
The results where from 3 shots into about nickel size to 7-1/2" using a 500 gr elliptical KAL PP bullet, KIK 2F 1/8" lube wad sandwiched between 2 1/16" cork wads and a Br-2 primer.
Sights, DZ scope and mounts.
So far I shot ladder loads once at 130 yards and twice at 200 with 3 shots and 80 to 84 gr of 2F KIK has stayed under 2" @ 200.
Shot 9 rounds loaded with 2F OE @200 the other day but it but the fingers where so cold that I could not feel the trigger and sent some down range before I was ready to let them go.
I still cant say yet if it will hold with satisfaction.
I see a lot of wide open groups going on with this deep grooved 16 twist barrel then I see with the 17 twist Krieger barrel. The Krieger seems like it is more tolerant with what ever I shoot through it. But I'm just getting started working up loads.
I shot this rifle at Milan's midrange match with just throwing a load of 84 gr or 2F OE together by just dropping it from a Lyman 55 and it shot quite well. And I have seen some very small groups for the less then 200 rounds I have shot sofar out of this rifle.
When I get done with the Doctors in the next month or so I will head off to a warmer place and see what it can do getting ready for Lodi in May.

Kurt

[Mike]

Kurt, I sure sounds like you're on the right track with thing. Getting three shots to group into the size of a nickel is alright. Next you should do more of that when you get to that warmer weather. But it seems like the Oregon barrel should work out well. That give me more hope for mine. A little stock-fitting work was done today in that direction.

[Kurt]

If it don't there is always another option getting a shallow groove, but that means a larger bore diameter and that would make it closer to the old Remington bore by making a brass bore lapping core. It would not take much work lapping a thousand or two off.

[Mike]

If it don't there is always another option getting a shallow groove, but that means a larger bore diameter and that would make it closer to the old Remington bore by making a brass bore lapping core. It would not take much work lapping a thousand or two off.

That is something to keep in mind. Here's hopin' that won't be necessary. Shoot sharp, Mike

[Kurt]

Update.

My records show that as of yesterday I have 623 shots fired through this rifle. Most are three and five shot ladder loads.
This is a on and off again thing so far especially shooting twenty rounds instead of just three shot groups. Some @ 200 yards are like a basketball size do to flyers. With ten shots fired I will see six golf ball sized group and four north, south, east and west. no special order.
I went with hard alloys to very soft. Patched tight and loose and three different powders and granulations plus several different primers and wad stacks.
So far with the deep grooves this barrel has the 1/25 alloys patched tight to bore with a .023" card over the powder 1/8" hard lube cookie and a .023" card under the bullet is the only reliable load I have found. But the soft bullet is taking a beating getting hit with the hard wad stack bringing the nose back, but they must be going down range in good shape yet from what the target is seeing.
I'm going to hold off with further load developments till it warms up some. With the cold dry hands and fingers I just cant feel the trigger and this might give me some bad letoff's.
If this keeps up I will look for a place to get this deep grooved barrel rebored to a .45.

Kurt

[Mike]

Kurt, I'm still hoping you will find better shooting with that barrel. One reason for my hoping so is because I'm building a rolling block in .44/77 with a tube from the same barrel maker. So far my barrel isn't chambered yet but I am making headway. Who knows, maybe I'll have it at Quigley. Shoot sharp, Mike

[Kurt]

Mike.

I talked to Joe this morning about this and he said send it back. I will do what ever it takes to make this right.
I told him I don't want to do anything radical yet till I get a chance to work with it when the weather is fit.
I told him right now I cant feel the trigger well enough for a clean letoff. I want to work with it yet and if it don't work out I will let you rebore it to a .45 if you can do this. It would be more cost efficient for both of us this way. I don't want to pay for having the barrel remounted again.
Joe said that's great.
Good company to work with Mike. They stand behind their work.

Your roller;

Did you have a reamer made for your project? and what twist is your barrel?
I have a .44-77 in mind myself and I'm drawing up a reamer to be made for it. I have a 74 Pedersoli action I can put it on or I have to call CPA and ask if the larger diameter rim of the .44-77 will clear the hammer spur of the CPA. If She Clears this I will have them make it. I like the fast lock time and trigger that action has. I don't know if Joe can make a gain twist or not but I sure would like to have one for this project.
Kurt

Kurt

[Mike]

Kurt, I've known Joe Williams for several years and I know he'll do what he can to make things right. That makes him easy to recommend. Let's keep in touch about this.

My roller's barrel, if I remember correctly, has a 1 in 18 rot. I'm going to have this barrel chambered by C. Sharps Arms so it will have the 1.5 degree leade and the chamber should be very much like the chamber in my C. Sharps '74. And I do want my ammo to be suitable for both guns. As soon as I finish stocking the rifle, it gets shipped to Big Timber for bluing, casehardening, and chambering. I'll also have them fit some sights to it.

This rifle's action is an old Remington #1 military that I had John Taylor "sporterize" with the octagon top. He barreled the action too. Now the buttstock is fitted and I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. Shoot sharp, Mike

[Kurt]

I think the .44-77 is a great caliber. I like my Hartford the way it is for hunting. But if I was to use it for the longer range gong shoots I would have a 1-17 ROT.
Mine has a 1/19 and it is a fine shooter but I see that when I shoot in moderate winds like the Q or Alliance it needs a little heavier bullet past 5-600 yards then the 19 twist will handle.

I will keep you up on the results with the .44-75. I fired the new cases enough now and did the final trim for length and in a few weeks Friendship Indiana will start their matches as well as some other matches not to far away that it will give me a chance to get things worked out.