Thread: 44-40 Reloading/Shooting

Originally Posted by Jhon

Great to keep the thread alive! Reloder 7? I'll have to go back thru the posts, not a powder I remember being discussed. Good to know! And good shooting at 250 yards!!

I had my Rossi 92 out to chrono some Vihtavuori Tin Star N42C . Not sure it is made any more but was developed i understand as a smokeless analogue for BP for CAS. I had high hopes that a lightly compressed charge would overcome bullet recession issues. I got reasonable accuracy from the 20" barrel at 50m with cheap Hawke River coated 250gn FP projectiles from Delta Mike, certainly M.O.D. My max load had the bullet firmly seated on the powder to the point where if seating deeper was attempted the neck tension was unable to hold the compression thus springing the bullet back. Nevertheless, the 4th bullet in the tube did recess about 4mm. None of the prior loads did. Velocity for this load was early 1400s fps. Giving quite a good shoulder thump. One case had a very slight split at case mouth after firing. No other pressure signs.

Most accurate was a couple of half grain steps back, with the bullet lightly touching the powder, heaviest crimp I could manage. Velocity in the upper mid 1300s. Plenty really for the task. No signs of recession with 4 in the tube.

I have acquired a mini tube cutter. Employing that is the next task.

One issue I have with the rifle is an in-consistent very light nick/ding appearing in he edge of fired case mouths, from first firing. I can find no pit or roughness in the chamber at the throat, but I guess it must be there. Unless it is happening on extraction. I think I'm going to have to borrow a bore scope one of these days

Jhon, the nick in the case mouth is caused by your extractor. Which will be strong enough to make that as the case gets drawn out and the mouth of the case gets drawn free of the chamber, it gets that nick in the thin brass. You might look at weakening the extractor spring a touch, which will stop that. Otherwise, just extract slowly and hold the case down until its pulled back far enough you can handle it out.

Reloader 7 will make the same bulk smokeless load as AR2207 / H4198 with 26 grains. And both give excellent velocity (and pressures good for '73 rifles.)

My .44-40 is now the cheapest rifle to feed - brass lasts a long time, with 9 grains of AP70N per shell, powder is ridiculously cheap, and I make my lead bullets. I am paying for primers really. Now that I can make a crimp under the bullet to hold my projectiles in place over smaller smokeless loads with the pipe cutter, the last bulwark was overcome.