44mag accuracy expectations?

[bladeracer]

This is some really useful info BR - thanks. I take it my groups are in the realm of somewhat "normal". I might actually try some jacketed loads to see what the rifle is capable of - any suggestions? 180gn HP XTPs good are they?

I have had zero interest in lever rifles all my life, until October last year, so I really can't tell you what is "normal" exactly
But from what I've read, seen and tried myself I think your groups are pretty good.
I've got a few bullets to try, but mainly the 240gn Nosler Competition JHP bullet purely because it comes in bulk 250rd packs, although not any cheaper than some others. It has an exposed lead nose though which _might_ be damaged during seating so I thought the fully-ecapsulated XTP was worth trying. For me, with the loads I tested, the XTP was a little more accurate. Keep in mind after shooting cast that it'll need a few jacketed bullets down the tube to clean it out before it'll start grouping, so don't give up if the first group is 12" or more

[in2anity]

thanks for the advice guys, at present i have the standard silver bead front sight post on my '94 with the hunting peep at 95 thou. tried the fire sights, the front post was way to low, couldn't be stuffed trying to order different fire sight front posts to get mine right. might try a slightly smaller rear app hole, have seen ones on brownells that have a brass ring around the hole to help in low light conditions. anyone ever tried a ivory front bead ? ( wouldn't be real ivory, just what their called i suppose ) all things considered i can sight up real quick, anything under 100 is hit. over 100 things start to get a bit vague. just don't really want a scoped or red dot lever gun. sort of defeats the purpose IMHO. i'll try tinkering some more with the app sights and practice practice practice i guess

Mate I reckon your 94 setup sounds pretty bloody perfect for hunting l- if your onto a good thing I say stick with it! Might not be so good for target shooting though - really depends on your intended application I guess

[bladeracer]

Both 44 mag and 357 mag will work for CLAS rifle, preferably with heavy pills out of longer (24 inch) barrels. For the 44 this means 240 grain pills and for the 357 180 grain pills. As for the 38 special I don't know whether you have enough case capacity to fit the 180 grain pills as they are quite long with enough powder to keep them spinning out to 200m.
And yes Bladeracer you can use jacketed projectiles in CLAS.

Thanks GH, I thought jacketed bullets were okay but couldn't find a rule when I went looking.
I'll order some of Hornady's 200gn Interlock RN's to try in the .38.

[bladeracer]

I'll order some of Hornady's 200gn Interlock RN's to try in the .38.

Didn't have to order them, my local has boxes of them on the shelf.
Just need to load some up and try them out.

[in2anity]

Keep in mind after shooting cast that it'll need a few jacketed bullets down the tube to clean it out before it'll start grouping, so don't give up if the first group is 12" or more

Lol will do - picked up a old box of 240gn fmjs from Western - $30/100, a bargain! It’ll be interesting to see how they shoot vs the lead.

Hornady 240gn fmj

6643EB8C-AB06-47E7-BFA8-228573444DA4.jpeg (1.28 MiB) Viewed 5608 times

[groundhog]

Just watch with the FMJ's as many pistol silhouette ranges will not allow them, have to be a HP or SP projectile.

[SillyWetTas]

I shot a 357 out of a 12inch contender pistol for unlimited standing for a while.
180grn were good out to the Turkeys (150m) but were unreliable on the rams at 200m.
Was running my own cast 200grn on the rams. Every ram hit went down.
Marcus

[bladeracer]

I shot a 357 out of a 12inch contender pistol for unlimited standing for a while.
180grn were good out to the Turkeys (150m) but were unreliable on the rams at 200m.
Was running my own cast 200grn on the rams. Every ram hit went down.
Marcus

Very useful to know.
What velocity were you running the 180gn and 200gn bullets at?

I loaded some 110gn XTP's yesterday for testing at 50m.
Fired one round and got the dreaded fail-to-extract that puts the '66 out of action. Had to go back to the office to dissassemble it and didn't get back out there. 1305fps which might be a touch hot for the toggle action, but the group was a very neat .357" hole

[SillyWetTas]

I never ran them over a crono.
Using ar2205 for both bullets.
15 grns for the 158.
And 12.7 for the 200grn

[MrMickyD]

Much more fun to shoot em out of a revolver.

[bladeracer]

Much more fun to shoot em out of a revolver.

Not much fun if you have to go to a range, when they're open, to enjoy shooting it under their rules.

[in2anity]

I just picked up a JM Marlin 32H&R $$$$ ouch - from an accuracy perspective the Chiappa just ain’t cutting the mustard - and there are many other negatives about the 44 I’ve come to realize (for target shooting that is). Plus, I can’t practice with larger than 8mm at ANZAC - dumbest rules I ever did hear. 32 it is.

[bladeracer]

I just picked up a JM Marlin 32H&R $$$$ ouch - from an accuracy perspective the Chiappa just ain’t cutting the mustard - and there are many other negatives about the 44 I’ve come to realize (for target shooting that is). Plus, I can’t practice with larger than 8mm at ANZAC - dumbest rules I ever did hear. 32 it is.

Yep, just plucked a random number out of somebody's arse and decide we all have to comply with it.
Do you have to fight them over the .32" being nominally bigger than 8mm, despite using a .312" bullet?

[brett1868]

Much more fun to shoot em out of a revolver.

Not much fun if you have to go to a range, when they're open, to enjoy shooting it under their rules.

Thinking neither of you have fired a Coonan Competition.....My preferred method of emptying shells
The range is 20 mins from home, open 10am till 10pm 7 days (6pm Sundays) and I don't mind the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeruULHIu6E

IMG_3565.JPG (70.79 KiB) Viewed 3093 times

158gr Hornady XTP
15.5gr AR2205
CCI 550
COAL 1.580"
1235fps on the LabRadar.

[in2anity]

I just picked up a JM Marlin 32H&R $$$$ ouch - from an accuracy perspective the Chiappa just ain’t cutting the mustard - and there are many other negatives about the 44 I’ve come to realize (for target shooting that is). Plus, I can’t practice with larger than 8mm at ANZAC - dumbest rules I ever did hear. 32 it is.

Yep, just plucked a random number out of somebody's arse and decide we all have to comply with it.
Do you have to fight them over the .32" being nominally bigger than 8mm, despite using a .312" bullet?

Geeze I hope that refers to bullet diameter - I know others have shot 32-20s there without issue, ima be mighty pissed if they reject this one too. Rifle cost me a freakin arm and a leg. I think it’ll be ok after all the 303 British is super popular there which has very similar diameters.

[in2anity]

Much more fun to shoot em out of a revolver.

Not much fun if you have to go to a range, when they're open, to enjoy shooting it under their rules.

Thinking neither of you have fired a Coonan Competition.....My preferred method of emptying shells
The range is 20 mins from home, open 10am till 10pm 7 days (6pm Sundays) and I don't mind the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeruULHIu6E

IMG_3565.JPG

158gr Hornady XTP
15.5gr AR2205
CCI 550
COAL 1.580"
1235fps on the LabRadar.

Lol - st Mary’s is good but I’m much closer to Anzac- besides I like soaking up a few rays while I’m at it

[bladeracer]

Geeze I hope that refers to bullet diameter - I know others have shot 32-20s there without issue, ima be mighty pissed if they reject this one too. Rifle cost me a freakin arm and a leg. I think it’ll be ok after all the 303 British is super popular there which has very similar diameters.

.303 is under 8mm in both nomenclature and bullet diameter though.

[in2anity]

Geeze I hope that refers to bullet diameter - I know others have shot 32-20s there without issue, ima be mighty pissed if they reject this one too. Rifle cost me a freakin arm and a leg. I think it’ll be ok after all the 303 British is super popular there which has very similar diameters.

.303 is under 8mm in both nomenclature and bullet diameter though.

Well hopefully they don’t purely go off name.

[bladeracer]

Thinking neither of you have fired a Coonan Competition.....My preferred method of emptying shells
The range is 20 mins from home, open 10am till 10pm 7 days (6pm Sundays) and I don't mind the rules.

158gr Hornady XTP
15.5gr AR2205
CCI 550
COAL 1.580"
1235fps on the LabRadar.

240gn .44 Mag in a 629 is the most damage I've tried to inflict upon myself with a handgun.

Isn't a 158gn at 1235fps just a hot .38 Special load?

If it's raining, I can actually shoot from my office

[bladeracer]

.303 is under 8mm in both nomenclature and bullet diameter though.

Well hopefully they don’t purely go off name.[/quote]

It just shows how vague and meaningless "up to 8mm" is, it should never have made it into any legal document.

[brett1868]

Isn't a 158gn at 1235fps just a hot .38 Special load?

A hot 38Spl is around 860fps with 10gr of AR2205, +P 38Spl is 934fps on 11gr of AR2205. Max load is 16gr in .357Mag so I'm up there but still have a .5gr margin of safety. I use the 158gr XTP cause I have 2 semi-auto .357's which must use jacketed projectiles and I buy them in bulk so the price is reasonable.

[in2anity]

It just shows how vague and meaningless "up to 8mm" is, it should never have made it into any legal document.

And do you know what rubs salt in the wound; without naming and shaming, the holder of the official license literally denied me access to the said document; flat out refused me, literally said "they owe me nothing". Makes me think the license itself is probably rather vague, and they don't want to open a can of worms because they know there's no substance behind their internal regs. I'm tempted to formally request a copy through the freedom of information act via a lawyer; but decided it'd be less of a headache just to jump through their stupid hoops (and just get something less that 8mm). grrrrrr.

[bladeracer]

It just shows how vague and meaningless "up to 8mm" is, it should never have made it into any legal document.

And do you know what rubs salt in the wound; without naming and shaming, the holder of the official license literally denied me access to the said document; flat out refused me, literally said "they owe me nothing". Makes me think the license itself is probably rather vague, and they don't want to open a can of worms because they know there's no substance behind their internal regs. I'm tempted to formally request a copy through the freedom of information act via a lawyer; but decided it'd be less of a headache just to jump through their stupid hoops (and just get something less that 8mm). grrrrrr.

I thought it was the Police that place the 8mm restriction on a range when granting the licence for them to operate?

[in2anity]

It just shows how vague and meaningless "up to 8mm" is, it should never have made it into any legal document.

And do you know what rubs salt in the wound; without naming and shaming, the holder of the official license literally denied me access to the said document; flat out refused me, literally said "they owe me nothing". Makes me think the license itself is probably rather vague, and they don't want to open a can of worms because they know there's no substance behind their internal regs. I'm tempted to formally request a copy through the freedom of information act via a lawyer; but decided it'd be less of a headache just to jump through their stupid hoops (and just get something less that 8mm). grrrrrr.

I thought it was the Police that place the 8mm restriction on a range when granting the licence for them to operate?

May well be the case, but that's exactly the point, I wanted clarification based on the facts. Anyways, rant over, enough complaining for one day