44-70 Maynard

[Hiwall55]

Picked up my 44 yesterday now the fun begins. Hiwall with NOS Badger round barrel, smithed by Lee Shavers. Dan T 44-70 Maynard reamer. Waiting on Steve Brooks for my mould and need a new rear sight, probably a Mid range MVA.
Shot it in the rain off my deck today, just cause I couldn't wait and loaded the other 40 for some testing ,but I'm sure I need a shorter bullet for this 18 twist.

[Hanz]

Congratulations!

Looks great. Nothing like a new rifle to get the blood pumping.

[Hiwall55]

Finally made it to the range to try to fireform the brass. 69,70,71 grains of Swiss 1.5 with a 505 grain BACO Money. 71 looks pretty good at 300 off stix. Got a shorter bullet to try in the 18 twist Badger barrel, 1.390 long money,the 505 is for the 17 twist but it shot OK to 300 . More to come!

[Don McDowell]

That is sure showing a lot of promise.

[Kevin Alexander]

Is the Dan T designed reamer Lee used on your rifle his or yours?
And have your shot it anymore?

Thanks in advance.

[Hiwall55]

No, I borrowed it from a guy in Indiana that my friends shoot with at Friendship. Have settled on a load of 77 grains of OE 1.5 with a BACO 480 grain Money. And it will Shoot,got 9 out of 10 bowling pins at 300 yards on Friday.
If I was going to build another 44 -70 I would stick with the 44-70 2.1, using 45-70 brass is a lot easier than trimming down 45-90 to 2.2. I have those (2.1) in a roller and a ped sharps and going to shoot the Sharps today,story tonight.

[Don McDowell]

What velocity are you getting out of that ? If it's close to what the 44-77 does with the same load, that might just make a nice do it all cartridge.

[Mike]

And please talk about your .44-70 2.1" loads. Mine could use the help.

[Kurt]

When I designed my .44-75 Ballard reamer I debated maybe going with the shorter .44-70. I think the .44-70 would make a very good round for the silhouettes and midrange as well as the gong shoots.
My .44-75 really did not prove out well the short time I shot it because it was chambered in a bad barrel with very deep grooves and I returned it to the barrel maker to replace it but later bought it back to see if I could lap the lands down and that did improve the accuracy but I ended re chambering it to a .44-90BN to get more bullet upset to fill the grooves.
But right now I'm on the fence for a new rifle and I have the reamer drawn up for a .44-77 but have not sent it in to get ground because I'm still on the fence for the .44-75 with a 16 twist Douglas barrel.
Keep up the reports on your .44-70.

[Hiwall55]

Don I have not run anything across the chrono yet ,but will post it as soon as I can.
Mike I shot the 44-70 2.1 today at a buffalo shoot and got 2nd place. My load is 68 grains of Swiss, .030 walters wad and 535 grain BACO Postel.
Kurt,I have 2 44-70'sin 2.1,one 17 and one 18 twist and my 2.2 44-70 Maynard with an 18 twist, with the right bullet they are good to the Ram line.
I probably wont shoot any farther .
I drove home this afternoon with the roads covered in snow, it was a THRILLING ride.