Posts: 6,735
Location: Ft. Laramie Wy
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
2
RE: .44s
It drops a nice .448 on the bands, but that nose is about .440. Works good in the Egyptian, or at least as good as anything is going to work in that bubba shortened/crowned barrel.
A wise man can always be found alone. A weak man can always be found in a crowd.
Posts: 426
Location: Down Under
Joined: Apr 2013
Reputation:
0
RE: .44s
Wow ! Talk about being late to the party. To answer your question Mike, I went with the 44 x 2 1/4" bottleneck. Got caught up in all the excitement of the cartridge and a few who were extolling its virtues ( Kurt & Don ) Have no regrets though and really enjoying it. I never purchased the RCBS mould as I'd heard from a few hereabouts that it was a little snug in the nose area and that why I corresponded with Tom at Acc. Moulds and we came up with the 446-400B and later the 447-480S. Both have been good performers and lend themselves to blow tubing.
Would have loved to play with the 44 x 2 5/8" but the new gun... plus setting up with brass etc would have broken me. I never said I wouldn't....just not yet !
Gavin.
" Don't know where I'm going but there's no sense being late " !
Posts: 4,246
Location:
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
2
RE: .44s
Gavin,
The .44-77 or any bottle necked blk powder cartridge gets labeled as being a tough round to load or make shoot accurately. That gets passed on by what I call parrots. People that read someone post that BS that have never loaded or even shot a round like the .44-77, .44-90bn (.44-2-5/8 Sharps) or the .44-90 Rem Sp.
There is a disadvantage with the bottle necked rounds and that is the expensive dies if you cant make your own and getting the proper brass for those chambers. And that has changed since Jamison picked up the rope for that.
Proper bullets are not a problem with all of the good custom mould makers we can get to make moulds for the "off breed" rounds.
Kurt
The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
Posts: 1,014
Location: Wet Washington
Joined: Oct 2012
Reputation:
2
RE: .44s
It is just after dawn here and it is raining. Thank goodness!! Let's hope the rain is able to cross the mountains and reach those parts of Washington State that is still on fire. And, Don's package is back in Kent, Washington. It has taken only five days to fly to Denver and back. We could make the trip faster than that in our trucks! Now, back to the subject of our .44s. Gavin, I too have 44-400B by Accurate and that is my best performing bullet for the .44/77. I actually bought the RCBS 44-370 FN mold before I got my .44/77 Sharps and that was a mold I bought used. While waiting for my .44/77 Sharps to be completed, I stashed that RCBS mold so well that I forgot where it was. It surfaced just over a week ago and now I'm about to give it a go for the first time. That might happen in an hour or so. While looking at the line-up of .44 bullets in the Accurate charts, I notice 44-450B which is identical to .44-400B except for being .012" longer, adding about 50 grains of weight. If any of you have experience with 44-450B please share with me. That looks like a good bullet for the .44/77 and a lighter bullet the .44/90 BN. I'm playing with these different .44 bullets to find one that works best in my rolling block with the Oregon barrel. And I should probably just stay with 44-400B but I do want to give this RCBS bullet a chance. Shoot sharp, Mike
Posts: 1,014
Location: Wet Washington
Joined: Oct 2012
Reputation:
2
RE: .44s
Kurt, I do like the looks of those. Let me get some loads with greasers that I like then a good switch to paper patch should be in order. Shoot sharp, Mike
Posts: 1,014
Location: Wet Washington
Joined: Oct 2012
Reputation:
2
RE: .44s
Remember the rain that I said was so welcome? That bit of rain turned into a real storm with high winds. I went to the range alright and did my shooting. Then on the way home, I-5 was so crowded I thought people were evacuating. We lost two trees in our backyard. Yes, the cats sure skyrocket when a tree comes down. Now, about the shooting; I have about 30 of the RCBS bullets all sized and lubed and I'll put those to good use. That use will probably be adding them to the lead pot for flux. Those bullets all scored but that's all I will say about them. Then I fired five of the 44-400B bullets and my photo of that group is attached. Some doin's! The load, just for those who like to read the details, used 70 grains of OE 2F under a .060" Walters wad, and then the bullet. My picture shows plenty of raindrops on my rifle but that gun is now cleaned and oiled quite nicely. And its blanket gun cover is drying. The group you see was fired at just 50 yards but that's enough for me to order 44-450B too with the idea that it will work just as well in the .44/90. I'm very pleased with today's little wet test and now I'll need a lot more of the .44-400B bullets. Maybe other powder charges will be tried. Shoot sharp, Mike
Posts: 6,735
Location: Ft. Laramie Wy
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
2
RE: .44s
Holy Cats,,, that Oregon barrel sure took a shine to that accurate bullet.
Been thinking about that 450 gr bullet myself, I think it might make a creedmoor gun out of the 44-77 in fine fashion.
A wise man can always be found alone. A weak man can always be found in a crowd.
Search
Member List
Calendar
Help
To answer your question Mike, I went with the 44 x 2 1/4" bottleneck. Got caught up in all the excitement of the cartridge and a few who were extolling its virtues ( Kurt & Don 
) Have no regrets though and really enjoying it. I never purchased the RCBS mould as I'd heard from a few hereabouts that it was a little snug in the nose area and that why I corresponded with Tom at Acc. Moulds and we came up with the 446-400B and later the 447-480S. Both have been good performers and lend themselves to blow tubing. 
![[Image: IMG_2338_zpsx5gyt6nm.jpg]](http://s22.photobucket.com/user/940Leadpot/media/IMG_2338_zpsx5gyt6nm.jpg.html)
![[Image: .44-75%20ballard.jpgamp%20.44-77%20sharp...ylxbhr.jpg]](http://s22.photobucket.com/user/940Leadpot/media/.44-75%20ballard.jpgamp%20.44-77%20sharps_zpsepylxbhr.jpg.html)