Finished what I had hopped to do with a cast bullet

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

About this time last night I was elbows deep in hanging and skinning a nice 4X5 white tail buck taken with a little RUGER 77/44 rifle using my home cast bullets.

This was the second deer taken with the rifle this Fall. The first a doe at 95 -100yd with a complete side to side pass through with the 280gr Wide Flat Nose.

The completion of my 2017 season took place when a rut HOT buck came by at 50 +/- yards and let me put one into his neck as he faced me, head on over some knee high undergrowth.

figured the neck bones would stop the bullet, but during skinning found the bullet had exited high in a shoulder.

With the about 3" groups I am getting at 100yds, I figured the rifle to be a 100yds deer rifle at best, but with the results I've seen, and providing I can tighten up the groups I think I'll increase that to 150yds. Plenty of go to get er done if I can get the groups in line.

Have tested a bunch of powders, but rec'd a new mold from Accurate Molds a month or so ago and need to have a first casting session before beginning to work up test loads with the hope of improved accuracy.

But, accomplished what I had set out to do with the taking of these two deer.

Fun, short and light rifle to carry!

Over the last few years have been very impressed with the results from my 45/70 using a 465gr Wide Flat Nose cast, so am continuing to be impressed with my cast bullet results.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Whelen]

Well done! I had similar hopes with my 77/44. Best it ever did was about 3" at 100 and that was after shiming the bolt. Someone offered me more than I paid for it and away she went but, man are they proportioned nicely.

[kens]

I was drooling over a 77/44 at the local gun store. Now you guys telling me it not shoot a tight group.
Wow!! That thing should be a natural for a hum-dinger.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Kens,

I have shimmed the bolt and added an after market trigger to mine.

Now, as to accuracy, I might well do better with "J" bullets, but my 77/44 WILL BE a cast bullet gun.

Then, I have a number of really accurate rifles all of which could reach out there and touch whatever, so with my 45/70 and the .44 I use a different mind set.

I'm not planning on taking game at extended ranges with one or the other, so that is where the different mind set comes into play. They are for me what they are, fun and as already proven great game getters.

So, I will continue to test the 77/44 with the 240gr Wide Flat Nose bullets from my new mold ahead of a number of different powders as I did with the triple 4 - 280gr WFN, in the hopes of getting down into the 2" range at 100yds.

But say I could get the groups down to sub inch size, the .44 would still be a 100 to 150yd deer rifle at best. It is what it is, but did take my two deer this year and both down and dead where they stood.

I read, frequently folk using light for caliber bullets, especially in the 45/70, but if their goal by doing so is to extend the usable hunting range, they are barking up the wrong tree and there are MANY cartridges so much better suited for that endeavor.

Fun rifles and so nice to carry, just make sure you have the correct mind set before your buy or you just might be disappointed.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Smoke4320]

Congrats on both deer and a good load.
Yes it seems most people want to stretch the distance their rifles are capable of. Its a human nature thing
I have been going the other direction heavier and slower

[Shuz]

Congratulations! My wife refers to my Winnie .44 mag rifles as toy guns, but the Trapper "toy" brought home the venison this year with an MP-433-640 sans check but in front of 7g of Trail Boss.

[CIC]

I had hopes of taking my fist deer with a plain base 44 this year. I had the load dialed in and was ready to go. Only problem , I have not seen a single deer all season. Congratulations on the deer!

[tja6435]

Shimming the bolt in my 77/357 made for huge improvement in target grouping.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Shuz,

Your not far away from me as the crow flies as your in Easter Washington and I'm in Western Idaho. So, your a bit North and West of what I call home.

CDOC

[Thumbcocker]

Thanks for posting. Congratulations

[nagantguy]

Great job, those sure are handy carbines! You did your work and load development and it paid big time!