Winchester commemorative Cheyenne

[Spedini]

I have a Winchester Cheyenne in caliber 44-40 that I`m shooting with smokeless powder.Is it safe to shoot it with .429 Nosler bullets 240 grain and 18 grain Kemira N110 1500fps ?

Kind regards
Peter

[Alan]

I think you can horse a 200 grain up that fast, but 240's will be sticking down in your powder space from the short neck. Between the extra weight and less powder capacity, I would be leery of trying to push them that fast. You are well up in .44 Mag territory there.

Alan

[Spedini]

Thanks Alan

I will reduce the powder charge in future.I reckoned it would be okey due to the modern steel they had for the barrels in 1977.Better safe than sorry though.

Peter

[felix]

The 44-40 case is larger than the 45 Colt case in volume. ... felix

[MtGun44]

I have read (so consider the source) that the issue with hotrodding the .44-40 is that
the brass is not even close to up to the pressures.

Bill

[Spedini]

Thanks guys.Reckon I have to be more careful and reduce my loads.

Peter

[smlekid]

FWIW I've been trying to get my 70's '94 to shoot with some sort of accuracy and have found in my rifle I have to run loads faster or it will not shoot worth a crumpet
so I have been torture testing starline brass at 1550fps with 235gr Boolits and have not had any case issues with around 10 reloads I did have case failure with Magtech brass (it has a crimp and the brass irons out at the crimp and has case seperations at that point)
I tried staying in the 1200fps bracket with several different powders and tried different boolits but could not get my rifle to shoot I have to run mine faster
I'm using slower powders now I get consistent speeds over a chrony
the loads that I am using are from the ADI reloading manual using ADI powders (your H4227)

[Larry Gibson]

The new W-W Super 44-40 cases hold about 10% more powder than a W-W Super 44 Magnum case. Using new cases i don't think loading them to 44 magnum levels is the problem. The problem is one of how the cases are sized as the 44-40 will be very susceptable to incipient case head seperation if sized too much. Other problem is "magnum" level loads being fired in older handguns and rifles not made for them.

Were I loading for the Winchester rifle mentioned and wanted to load hotter than old 44-40 loads I would neck size oe at least minimally partial size so the loaded ammo wouldn't fit in other 44-40s. The new Winchester (assuming a M94 or even a M92) has suficient camming/locking action for such sized cases. If it is a M73 then I wouldn't exceed factory/manual loads.

I find .429 sized cast bullets of 200 - 250 gr shoot very well in the several Rugers 44-40s and a couple M92 rifles i have loaded for. Slugging the barrels and throats shows little difference between the 44-40 barrel/cylinders and those of similarly made .44 Magnum barrel/cylinders.

Larry Gibson