Wisconsin Rapids mid-range match with my .44-77.

[Distant Thunder]

I know what you're saying. I've picked up lube wads in front of my shooting bench that look like a hamburger, a card on the bottom, a lube wads and a card on the top. You could even see the rifling on the sides of all three! In my .44-100 straight I used a waxed paper wad on the powder, a lube wad on top of that and a card wad under the bullet. That was the only way I could get it to shoot pp. That is also the only time I have ever used a lube wad. That was with a groove diameter paper patch bullet too. It shot pretty well.

A .44-90 BN should make an excellent Creedmoor cartridge and you wouldn't have to work so hard to get 90 grains in the case.

I don't want to have to use a lube wad in my .44-77 except in hunting loads for follow up shots. I will experiment with seating the bullet deeper in the case, 5/16 to 3/8". From what I've seen so far the .44-77 is very flexible on the seating depth. I would think a 2-diameter bullet with the forward section patched to .006 to .008" under bore and just a bit of taper would work out very well and still be able to fit a lube wad inside the neck length. That's this winters project. Well, one of them.

I'm probably going to just go with this 90 grains of 2F for Lodi and hope for the best.

That must have been May of 2011 that you are talking about. That match was my 2nd win at Lodi with paper patch in my Shiloh .45-90. That rifle shoots paper patch better than any other rifle I have, but I had to load 100 to 105 grains of 1 1/2 Swiss! That's just way too much powder. That is why I went back to the .45-70 when I built my Hepburn, 83 grains and you're good to go! A real pussy cat to shoot. Although my .45-90 is heavy enough that the recoil was never an issue with it either.

I am a bit surprised that this .44-77 is so easy on recoil for a rifle under 12 lbs. I guess I'll see in a couple of weeks when I shoot it for two days. That will be around 110 rounds in two day all at 1000 yards. That should tell me if my load, bullet and rifle are up to the task! I wish there was a practice day. Maybe I should bring a loading press and cases and powder and everything else incase I have to shift gears for day two! I don't have any idea what gear I'd shift to! Nope, I'll just load 'em up and head out, let the bullets land where they will.