Thread: 44-40 Reloading/Shooting

Anyone reloading ? or shooting 44-40 WCF?

Picked up a Rossi Puma 20" unexpectedly lol.

Another fun calibre to get into. I'm not into CAS so will be playing with Bush distance hunting loads.

If someone has a Rossi Puma can you confirm they used the .429 bore (44Mag) rather than the original. 427 ? Would simplify life if I use the same slug as for the 44Mag.

Yep, I’ve got a Rossi 92 as well
You can you 44 mag projectiles
I use the Hornady 200gr XTP, and AR2205

Excellent, thks!

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if you have any issues got a hold of Carlson Highway ...he still hangs out at the other pub...he seems to know a trick or three to get these working right.

Hi Arthur, great info thank you! Will pay attention to it. For hunting I am ok with one in the chamber and one in the spout. Yes Lee FCDs are excellent, I use several of them in different applications..A pkt of 20 Hornady factory loads came with it, rated at 730fps. I figured they would be useful to check the rifles operation and the brass to reload. Not much else. Starline brass I use in other calibres but will check that supplier out, had not come across them. I will have either a Red Dot or a low fixed power scope on it. Eyes no longer good enough for open and its missing the rear sight ramp any how. AP70N is interesting. I have older Nobel 78 Shotgun powder in qty and using Red Dot data to work up from it gives me excellent results in 308 reduced cast loads around 1600fps. Does not solve the bullet retention issue of course. Have you tried TrailBoss? Does a filled case give enough velocity. Yes, 1300fps would be fine. And do you favour any brand of dies over others for this calibre? I have mostly Lee with a couple in Hornady, an old Lyman set in 7mmMauser and another in 222, and one set of Redding. None of them give me probs, just as happy with Lee as any. But I'm a field shooter not benchrest and 200m is about as far as I normally shoot. I'll check those powders out, if I can find some. Otherwise it will be what I can find loads for for the powders I have.

I have another couple of projects on the go so it will be a couple of months before I turn seriously to collecting brass and dies. Good to know 44mag pills will work as I have a stash of those of various types

Thks again! Will keep in touch

So things progress...

Got the use of a set of Lyman Dies with a Redding Pro Crimp Die and a starter pack of half a hundred of Rob Walkers 215gn Cup point cast proj plain base, at .430 dia.. And 100 Starline brass. And a jug of AR2207 surprise surprise. Printed off a bunch of LOADDATA pages basically confirming what was already offered above.

The issue of the bullet needing to be supported, originally by the BP charge, to stop it retreating into the brass occupied my mind a bit. I have other viable powders but none of them providing the bulk fill of AR2207. In making the crimp with the Redding Die, I seated the bullet so the front edge of the case was a gnats arse hair behind the front edge of the crimp groove on the bullet. Then crimped the case so the brass barely catches my thumb nail dragging it from bullet ogive across the brass mouth edge. Figuring that the case mouth itself should resist the bullet receding into the case under recoil pressure into the magazine tube of my Rossi Puma. I'm not even sure if the AR2207, at my first load of 25gn, is actually supporting the projectile. I'm making test loads at 25, 25.5, 26, and 26.5gn.

If the crimp catching the cannelure front edge is sufficient to hold the bullet, then non-bulk powders using around the 6-9 grains for a charge should not be an issue re bullet telescoping. Right? Wrong? Hopefully?

interesting..you are the first and ONLY person Ive ever seen complain about Roberts lube,or projectiles....

Ok, anyone got a tub or part tub of AR2205 in the Sth Island that I can buy and have shipped to Arthur to exchange for some of his cast bullets? Or anyone driving from the North willing to carry it?

To Arthur, thks for the further info/comments. Guess I'll stick to the AR2207 for the mo. Although crimping the case behind the bullet is an interesting idea. Surely some smart kiwi fella could make such a die ��
As to black powder, loved shooting a mates musket a couple of times. Lungs couldn't handle the smoke. Lube smoke is bad enough. And then the residue from that stuff is terribly corrosive. Happy to avoid.

Here's a shout out for Robbie & Amanda at Gunworks. Found a Lee 44-40 FCD on their website about halfway thru yesterday, on my doorstep by 9.30am this morning. Price, $30 plus $7.50 courier. Awesome and not the first good experience I've had from them. Just saying...

yes Gunworks is great...however Robbie passed away,what is it??? two??? years ago now.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

yes Gunworks is great...however Robbie passed away,what is it??? two??? years ago now.

Ahhh...was not aware of that, email comes from "Robbie & Amanda..." for some reason. Thks for the nod.

So I got out in the paddock today with some loads. I know Arthur you said go straight to 26gn of AR2207, and you were right, but couldn't help myself lol. Did a short ladder test per below. I did not get to change the lube on the Walker Cast bullets. There was no noticeable smokiness and the velocities and 26gn group were pretty adequate. i will try your recipe however next lot I get and see what diff it makes. Re the crimp and bullet movement issues, I had done the roll crimp as per post above with the Lyman die before the Lee FCD came to hand. Then, when it came, I ran them all thru the FCD at max crimp setting. I had the AR2207 loads plus some Trail Boss, some Red Dot and some Vhitavuori Tin Star. I started off with just 3 loaded in the mag with 2 when first shot was fired. Then progressed to 5 and 6. None of the bullets showed any sign of moving in the case which is promising. As above, I seated the bullet so the case mouth when crimped was up against the forward edge of the crimp cannelure.

I am only posting the AR2207 results. The Red Dot (actually not Red Dot but a close analogue) had good consistent velocities but very poor groups. The Tin Star I only loaded in 2's to gauge velocity as I was running out of projectiles at that stage. It seemed promising - up around the mid-1300fps. And it fills the case as much as the AR2007 so will do a proper range test of that down the track.

The Vortex Scout Scope is a new piece of kit for me and was really nice to use. The rail is a Pearson's TacRail specifically for the Rossi Puma 92.

Cool. I agree with what you say about the Rossi. Ive been shooting goats out to 200m with a 357mag, orig open sights and a 158gn pill but stopped talking about it when I got rubbished on an earlier post. I've decided my eyes are no longer up for that, and ethical kills become an issue, hence the rail and the scope. A Red Dot now lives on the 357. The Pearsons rail does not use the barrel band. Does not reach that far. I have a .454 Casull however dressed by LSI and their rail is tapped and screwed into the barrel band. A more supported and stronger option. Looking forward to your posting your BP results. Unfortunately my lungs can't abide the stuff. Hope to chase some goats with optics this weekend.