Lever Action 44 mag

[Frank]

Anyone shoot 44 mag at 100 yds? My Browning B92 does OK for the microgroove with a 265 grn GC and W296. I wanted to compare notes with the other lever shooters.

[felix]

Should do 2 inches maximum, Frank. ... felix

[bbailey7821]

With open factory sites shooting offhand, I can keep them in a 10 inch circle at 100 yds out of my Winchester 92 carbine. Probably will do better off a benchrest, but that's not how I use it. Most of my shots at game are under 60 yds.

[Wally]

I set up 6" and 12" hanging steel plates. On a good day I can hit both offhand with regularity using my USRA 94AE at 100 yards. Also have a 3" plate...on a good day maybe once in five shots.

[mongo]

I could keep them all in a 6 inch bullseye, I use a 240gr Lee rntl over 10.7gr Unique and my Win 94AE Legacy. I can almost do the same with my mod. 29 if I lean. I tried using a scope also, didnt do much better,

[Frank]

felix:

Should do 2 inches maximum, Frank. ... felix
You're right. That's all it does.

[GRUMPA]

My Winchester Legacy at just over 100yds well hit my 4" square target off hand, rested take your pick. Shot 240-310gr and once you get used to the elevation adjustment with regularity will hit what you aim at. Not to long a go I chronied my 310gr and at 12' from muzzle I was getting 1460fps and I was starting to get flinchitus after the fifth round. And my cast is only .001 over slugged dia.

[durant7]

I am learning casting and reloading. This forum has been a huge help. I have been sorting out a load, bullet etc for my Silhouette CLA gun, a modern Marlin 1894 in 44 Rem Mag, ballard rifling. I was happy to find a powder solution. Set up helped me get 35/40 at last weekend's match. It is amazing stuff you can do if you listen and read. I doubt factory ammo could do this. 1.8 moa works for me!

Here is a post on my blog with the target (http://durant7.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-44-tests-with-8-gr-of-unique.html).

[Greg G]

That is some good shooting! I'm going to put Titegroup on my list of powders to try in the future in my 1894 and M92.

I'm impressed that a .430" boolit shoots that well. The Ballard rifling maybe is a little more forgiving than the Micro-Groove barrels.

[9.3X62AL]

FWIW......Marlin 94 variants I have in 25-20 and 32-20 with Ballard rifling will hold 1-3/4" to 2" five-shot groups at 100 yards with loads they like. Given that 44 Magnum rifles likely get used on larger-sized critters than my rat-caliber leverguns are trained against--2" at 100 yards would please me well.

[durant7]

Greg: The .430 may be smaller than optimal but I only have one sizing die and you only get one guess what size it is. Saeco is a beautiful sizer but dies are not inexpensive. I would love to try a .431 but at this point, after hitting 35/40, the issue is not the bullet, it is the jerk behind the trigger. Our CLA match had 14 shooter up here in NH last weekend. You can find results here (http://durant7.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-match-results.html) under CLA events.

I think it is as important to grow shooting sports as it is to sit at home making our own loads and sharing our wisdom in this forum. We have 3 to 4 CLA events per year and it is a great deal of work. Hats off to Pemi (http://www.pemi.org/) and the dedication of the Silhouette match director for getting a 200 CLA range set up with 40 full sized animals giving us something to develop our casting and handloading skills. Had this venue not been offered I would still be a rimfire and airgun guy.

As info, most common are 30-30s and 38-55s. Two 44s, one 35 Rem, one 45LC, a few 357s and 2 45-70s. Some old, some modern. All fun. At first there was some concern about the 44s ability to take down rams. I found 8.5g Unique worked fine. A test shot with my 5.9g of Titegroup also knocked down it's animal. 44's can be made plenty accurate from what I can tell. Not as accurate as my 30-30 but a 30-30 load has left rams due to lack of imparted energy at 200y. I'd take my 44 over the 30-30 if ask to go on a deer hunt.

[44 flattop]

All I have for .44 rifles are Marlins. With the newer ballard rifling. The one that I use for shooting groups is a 24" Cowboy model with a 2-7X scope. With a good solid rest it will put its favorite load (commonly known as the last one I worked up) is also what I use for deer and elk hunting, a 260gr Cast CG and 23grs W296 for 1780fps. It'll keep 'em inside of 2" most of the time for 5 shots.

44