44-77 brass

[Kurt]

Don.

The 1/19 does make it tough working up a load if you try to use the long radius ogive. I resigned myself to use the original profile bullet in the .44-77 and the .44-2-5/8bn. I beat my head against the wall for several years trying to make a sleek nosed bullet shoot at long ranges with the 1/19 ROT. They make a good showing out to the ram line but fall flat on their nose past 700 yds. even in the faster 2-5/8 bn. The 2-5/8 bn shot quite well at the MT 1000 during the days before the match with the few Brooks GG postel's I had left over from the Q. I ended up using the KAL Elliptical to shoot that match and they done OK but far from the postell nosed GG.
The .44-77 I shot a lot at the Whittington center using the original profiled bullets and they put everything down out to the Rams and stayed on that buff up on the hill side using the .485 gr original PP bullets using the Lawrence rear and front blade barrel sights. But I have to say the flags where hanging limp that morning.
One cant feed the rifle something it's telling you it don't like

Kurt

Kurt

[Don McDowell]

This money bullet that DanT drew up shoots about as good as anything has at 1000. The original postel bullet just won't get it done in the greasers, and I'm really wondering about paper patching..
I know there's a lot of shooter involved when the distances get long, but the bullet plays a large part in keeping the shooter looking good. I am starting to think that lil 77 just runs out of oomph enough at 1000 that it looses it's accuracy edge. When you're shooting the target games it's small groups in the middle of the target that makes the high scores, using the whole target won't get a feller very far.

[Nuclearcricket]

Kurt, the BSOD (blue screen of death) sure sucks. I would think that most folks factory producing 44-77 chambers these days all get their reamers from the same place and I am guessing that they all get them from Pacific T&G. Here is the drawing that they sent me of their chamber reamer.
Sam

  44-77 Sharps 6377.pdf (Size: 65.07 KB / Downloads: 13)

[Kurt]

Sam.

That looks like the print that I saw. They are using a 45 degree transition from the chamber end into the 1.5 degree lead.
And man that is a long freebore also.

[Kurt]

Don.

The .44-100 with the 1/17 rot will shoot the MB or any of the elliptical and prolate the .44-77 or the .44-90bn wont shoot for sour grapes with the same powder loads.

[Don McDowell]

Kurt I think that's due to the higher velocity combined with the faster twist. I should have the new barrel on buttugly sometime next week. Probably won't have time to work loads for it to take to Raton tho...

[J.B.]

Sam... I've put a few rounds down range so far.. but still a long way from experienced with it. All work to date has been with gg bullets ( sorry to the purists ) but I do hope, with two pp moulds to choose from, that I'll get there eventually. My rifle weighs about 12 1/2 lbs and frankly find it a joy to shoot. Recoil is there but after shooting a 50 x 2.5 & a 45 x 2 7/8' .. this is very manageable. My best results have all been 800 yds or less and I've yet to get any conclusive feed back at 1000 yds. We shot this last weekend out to 1000 yds but I didnt fair well at all. Not withstanding my ability on the day... I've decided that a 2' black square at 1000 yds...just isnt big enough for my eyes to maintain any kind of consistent sight picture. We may remedy that for the next paper target shoot. I'm trialling a mould that Harlan & I nutted out via email... it's listed on his website now. It allows for only .3" seated in the case and three lube grooves clear of the case. As Don and Kurt have suggested it is a tad on the long side but can be driven a touch faster with the extra case capacity. Its been the best performer so far for me..out to 900 yds. If you're going to be running 1/17" twist rates I dont imagine you'll be experiencing a lot of these issues that the 1/19" 's are dealing with. I'm quite taken with the cartridge... but then that's probably obvious.

[Don McDowell]

JB I wish you luck with that bullet, but I really don't think that's going to help much as you're not going to gain enough powder capacity to even show up on the chronograph. Unless you drop into 3f or such. I seat patched bullets that shallow and it still won't change the twist rate. Things will work pretty good in a steady wind, or no wind, but those bullets just won't stay dependable in twitchy winds. I am looking forward to working with this fast twist gun when it's completed.

[J.B.]

I believe you're dead right Don. Within the limits that I'm likely to achieve with powder/ velocity increases.. it is never going to make up for a faster twist rate. A poor attempt to compensate perhaps but it's giving me more excuses to shoot...so it cant be all bad. This bullet is certainly better than the earlier Creedmoor style I've been using beyond 750 yds and was fairly consistent in 'average' winds out to 900 when I tested recently. I'll stay with my Brooks mould for anything up to 700 yds though and I think it would be fine for silhouette. It may not be the ideal 1000 yd contender I'd hoped for ..but I still think it's a gem of a cartridge. In a faster twist... it will likely be a longer range contender without the fiddling about . I'll be interested to see your results when your faster twist gun is on the line. Bit disappointed with my latest lot of Swiss as it's much lighter for its volume than the previous lot . Hopefully it's performance will be the same .

[Kurt]

Don.

What chamber are you going with? Do you still need my .44-75 reamer?