Slugged my Rossi .44-40..some questions

[Ragnarok]

So I have acquired some .44-40 reloading stuff since I acquired a couple guns in the caliber. Just have not got my reloading project for the caliber rolling.

I decided to start with my Rossi carbine. Got a good slug of the bore without too much drama(I hate slugging bores)...no broken sticks or lodged cleaning rods! Got a good reasonably smooth ride through the bore with the slug and thought the bore might be a hair tighter towards the end(chamber end)...but could've been my slug running out of 'lube'. Anyhow..slug measures right at .427"....Hmmm? What's up with that?..I thought Rossi .44 carbines were notorious for being big-holed.

My bullet selection ain't getting off to a good start. :(...I had bought a big box of Hornady's 205gr 'Cowboy' bullets. These being advertised at .427" diameter. Oh really? Not true at all. These mic from .423"/.424"-.425" and couldn't find one that would make .426" diameter. Bullet weights vary some too. That's a pretty good size difference to 'bump-up' in the bore! I smell leading in my future if I try use these bullets...Probably just get a mold.

So just what is up with the Hornady bullets being so much under published diameter?

[veeman]

Go with .428, I use this size in all 6 of 44-40's, 4 saa's, 1 rossi src, and a uberti 66. Very accurate. Depending on what you want to shoot, for me, CAS loads are 4.5 of Trail Boss.

[fouronesix]

Go with .428, I use this size in all 6 of 44-40's, 4 saa's, 1 rossi src, and a uberti 66. Very accurate. Depending on what you want to shoot, for me, CAS loads are 4.5 of Trail Boss.

^good advice^

If you don't cast your own yet and need some CAS type bullets you might try Desperado Bullets. They cast a very nice 20:1 alloy 200 gr 44 cal bullet.
http://www.cowboybullets.com/44-cal-200-grain_p_21.html

[Ragnarok]

I actually do cast bullets...just the .44-40 round is new to me. The .428 size bullets sound great. This being what I'd planned on as soon as I measured my Rossi's slug.


I'll checkout the 'Cowboy Bullets' link. Had really planned on buying some suitable bullets of maybe a couple styles/varietys/weights to see what I like before buying a mold. I was certainly disappointed with the 'Hornady' cowboy bullets not really measuring up to the size stated on the box

[sparky45]

Mine slugged at .427 and I cast and size to .429. I also PC these and then size them. So far they seem to shoot accurately and there hasn't been any leading.

[fouronesix]

I actually do cast bullets...just the .44-40 round is new to me. The .428 size bullets sound great. This being what I'd planned on as soon as I measured my Rossi's slug.


I'll checkout the 'Cowboy Bullets' link. Had really planned on buying some suitable bullets of maybe a couple styles/varietys/weights to see what I like before buying a mold. I was certainly disappointed with the 'Hornady' cowboy bullets not really measuring up to the size stated on the box

Understood. I don't know the minimum # you can order from Desperado for trials…. before ordering a mold, but that bullet is an excellent all around, old style flat base 44-40 bullet.

Also have some experience with the Hornady Cowboy bullets. I've found them to be fairly close to spec but sometimes don't do well in carbines and rifles. They seem to do well in handguns and in my microgroove Marlin 94 357… for whatever reason. The Hornady Cowboys are swaged, so should be close to spec. Would seem unusual to find them undersized in the 44 cal.

[Ragnarok]

The Hornady knurled bullets do make good bore-slugging slugs. This being what I used this morning to slug the Rossi. I just beat the bullet with a hammer until it was larger than bore diameter..rolled it between two steel plates a touch to 'even' it out...jammed it down the bore of the Rossi. Nice soft alloy. Too bad they're small.

I wondered if Hornady swaged them .427" and then knurled them .002"-.004" too small...These bullets are almost small enough to use in my 10.4mm Italian revolver...

[fouronesix]

The Hornady knurled bullets do make good bore-slugging slugs. This being what I used this morning to slug the Rossi. I just beat the bullet with a hammer until it was larger than bore diameter..rolled it between two steel plates a touch to 'even' it out...jammed it down the bore of the Rossi. Nice soft alloy. Too bad they're small.

I wondered if Hornady swaged them .427" and then knurled them .002"-.004" too small...These bullets are almost small enough to use in my 10.4mm Italian revolver...

Yep, that crossed my mind too. Maybe they didn't set the knurling tool correctly on that particular batch.

[w30wcf]

.......My bullet selection ain't getting off to a good start. :(...I had bought a big box of Hornady's 205gr 'Cowboy' bullets. These being advertised at .427" diameter. Oh really? Not true at all. These mic from .423"/.424"-.425" and couldn't find one that would make .426" diameter. Bullet weights vary some too. That's a pretty good size difference to 'bump-up' in the bore! I smell leading in my future if I try use these bullets...Probably just get a mold.

So just what is up with the Hornady bullets being so much under published diameter?

All is not lost! 6.5/Trail Boss will bump up those bullets to shoot accurately in your rifle. Other fast burning smokeless powders I tried would not. Here's a 10 shot group in my Marlin which has a .4285" groove diameter. The .427" referenced on the target is what was on the Hornady box but the bullets actually measured .423/.424.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/w30wcf/Leverguns/44-40Hornady42765TB.jpg

w30wcf

[sparky45]

+1 on bumping up the Trailboss to 6.5, that's the load I use with a 200gr Cowboy bullet.

[Ragnarok]

Hmmm...gives me hope for my Hornady bullets. Yesterday I loaded some I had previously lubed with LLA. Little messy but I got a bunch of LLA for free. May buy some 'Johnson Paste-wax' and work with my free LLA

Anyhow...back to the first .44-40 cartridges I ever loaded. The too small knurled lead Hornady bullets loaded really nice with my new LEE dies. The expander-die sized the necks about perfect for .424" bullets. Wanting a tight crimp and new to the thinness of .44-40 case necks(and these dies)... I about went over-board with the the crimp. But once I got that going..everything went smooth. I made 60 rounds of .44WCF loaded with the 205gr 'Cowboy' bullets and 6.6gr Trail Boss..Starline and Remington brass..Federal primers.


I'll try these in my Rossi this afternoon and report back

[Ragnarok]

Has been a couple weeks...but I have shot-up my 60 rounds of .44-40 loaded with the too small Hornady 'Cowboy' bullet and 6.5gr of Trail Boss.

Hey!...These do work great out of my Rossi carbine(with a .427 bore). No leading and perfect accuracy. I looked around online some..and couldn't come-up with any rifle/carbine ballistics for this load...does anybody have any idea what this load clocks out of a 20" carbine?

My old Winchester M1892 sporting rifle...I slugged it's bore. The Winchester's bore slug measures out to .430" so it's quite a bit larger than the Hornady 200gr bullets(at .424")...do you think the above mentioned load would work in the Winchester's larger bore?