44-40 loads.

[BPShooter]

What are some good black powder loads for the 44-40 cartridge. I will be shooting a Henry Rifle, with flat nose bullets only. Thanks in advance. Steve

[sharpsguy]

Fill the case to within 1/16 of an inch from the top with 2f, seat the bullet, and shoot it. Use a black powder lube and a standard large rifle primer, and you are good to go. I have an iron frame Uberti Henry that I got in the mid eighties that is dead accurate and will cut a playing card edgewise at 25 yards and this is the load I use in it. Bullets are ACWW, out of a double cavity Lyman mold,BTW.

[w30wcf]

BPshooter,
A couple of questions.....
What brand of b.p. will you be using?
What bullet?

Thank you,
w30wcf

[BPShooter]

w30wcf - I'm thinking Swiss powder. Bullet not sure yet, heard the Mav Dutchmen is really good.

[sharpsguy]

If you are going to have to get the powder, get KIK. Burns clean, plenty of horsepower, and a lot cheaper than Swiss. Bullet is the Lyman 427098.

[Springfield]

Seems like a lot of compression using the bullet itself, filling it to within 1/16th of the top. Lots of people feel that will distort the bullet base. Me, I fill the case so that I will compress the powder maybe 1/8". I have used the Mav and the Lyman 427098, both work. The MAV will carry more lube if you find you need it, like in a longer barrelled rifle. Pistols don't matter nearly so much. BPShooter, I have the moulds for both, be willing to send you a few for shipping.

[w30wcf]

w30wcf - I'm thinking Swiss powder. Bullet not sure yet, heard the Mav Dutchmen is really good.

In my testing, I found that Swiss works really well with the original 44-40 427098 2 groove bullet. Olde Enysford is less expensive and works about as well as Swiss in that many repeated shots can be made with no cleaning, no foul out and no loss of accuracy. :grin:

For any other black powder (Goex, Schuetzen, Diamondback, KIK) the Mav Dutchman is the one to use. It's extra lube capacity allows many repeated shots with no "foul out".

When I did try KIK with the 427098, it "fouled out" in about 20 rounds as compared to Goex, Schuetzen & Diamondback which lasted 10-12 rounds before the barrel fouled out and accuracy went south.

Springfield, nice to know that you are now offering the vintage 427098 period correct .44-40 bullet in addition to the Mav Dutchman.:grin:

w30wcf