44-40 super light loads

[Fotis]

Hi everyone!

I have a new version Winchester 1873 and 44-40. I am interested in using soft lead cast (160 grains) for a super light plinking load. I'm talking barely getting out of the barrel, very silent load. Thinking maybe 400 to 500 ft. per second. Basically a backyard 22 plinker for a lack of a better terms. The rifle does have a 24-in barrel. I do have a lot of trail boss and all the fast powders and I do have quick load. According to quick load, 2.5 grains of trail Boss would get it out at 500 feet per second. The problem is I don't want to risk it and bullet stuck in the barrel. Any suggestions?

[racepres]

Quick load is one thing, real world another... Trail Boss is Not recommended below????% of available case volume under Boolit..
ie Hodgdon recommends Start at 5.5 in 44-40 with a 200gr Boolit
Edit... I guess when going into Unknown Mouse Fart Loads, yer gonna need to be aware that sticking a Boolit is Probable..

[HWooldridge]

I'd use Bullseye and start low. Check progress as you go to make sure the pill is getting out of the barrel consistently.

[G W Wade]

Not as liteas your trying but I have been using 200 FRN on top of 5.0/ 5.5 gr Red Dot/ Promo for almost 900 fps from 19 in 1873 44/40 GW

[Fotis]

Thank you gents!

[veeman]

I use 4.5 Trail Boss in my 44-40 CAS guns with no issues, nice light load.

[black mamba]

I would start at 5 gr. of fast pistol powder such as red dot, bullseye, 700x, etc. and work down in .2 increments, making sure you don't leave a bullet in the tube.

[Fotis]

I tried something different. I took a Hornady 44 lead ball and sat it in the case. Used 2.5 grains of Winchester 231. Work like a charm. One of these days I'm going to chronograph the load but I'm guessing about 500 feet per second.

[Hick]

Trail boss would be ideal, because it's so bulky and a little takes a lot of space. The 44-40 case is relatively big for the loads with other powders. If you don't have trail boss, the other thing you can do with the 44-40 case is use a filler above the powder. I use dacron (about 1/2 grain) with my 44-40 revolver and it does very nicely at low velocity loads. Search-- there is a very food thread here about fillers.

[Fotis]

I have plenty of TB

[LAGS]

If you want to try a light Plinking Load.
Try a round ball loaded over real black powder.

[Sam Sackett]

I have used 4.5 of Red Dot behind a 454 round ball. Pretty tame.

Sam Sackett

[racepres]

I have used 4.5 of Red Dot behind a 454 round ball. Pretty tame.

Sam Sackett
Red Dot seems ready made for round ball loads...someplace I have recipe for my 300 Savage that is equivalent to 22RF... and was super Fun before the price of Primers hit the Stratosphere!!!

[Texas by God]

I sometimes hunt squirrels with my 44-40 single shot using a .433” round ball over 3 grs of Bullseye, AA#2, or Red Dot. No earplugs needed, no recoil, decent accuracy within 20 yards.
I can’t imagine needing a lighter load than these but I don’t know if they will feed in a 73 lever action.


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[Fotis]

I sometimes hunt squirrels with my 44-40 single shot using a .433” round ball over 3 grs of Bullseye, AA#2, or Red Dot. No earplugs needed, no recoil, decent accuracy within 20 yards.
I can’t imagine needing a lighter load than these but I don’t know if they will feed in a 73 lever action.


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That is the next thing to do. Test it for accuracy. Do you know what velocity you're getting?

They feed fine.

[Texas by God]

Fotis, any guess of mine as to the velocity of this load would be just that- a guess. I sold my chronograph a few years ago.
I give them a thin coat of tumble lube when I buy them to prevent oxidation. As little of a bearing surface as a round ball has, lube probably isn’t needed.


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[Fotis]

Thank you sir.

[Alferd Packer]

Ever tried hot glue boolits, primer powered?
Backyard target shooting.
What happened to the sticky?

[Soundguy]

Quick load is one thing, real world another... Trail Boss is Not recommended below????% of available case volume under Boolit..
ie Hodgdon recommends Start at 5.5 in 44-40 with a 200gr Boolit
Edit... I guess when going into Unknown Mouse Fart Loads, yer gonna need to be aware that sticking a Boolit is Probable..


Yep.. 70% case fill under bullet is minimum for trail boss.

Ps.. that's what I would use too.

[john.k]

Ive never heard of that.....what Ive seen is 70 % fill for a starter load ..........i use much less in big cases ,there is no ignition problem with it at any load density.

[Soundguy]

Ive never heard of that.....what Ive seen is 70 % fill for a starter load ..........i use much less in big cases ,there is no ignition problem with it at any load density.

Right from the manufacturer.. the formula for calculating trail boss is 70-100% FREE case fill under the bullet, with absolutely no compressed loads. That's the formula you use for cases for which there is no published data. Those load ranges are stated to be safe pressure wise for any nitro proofed gun in good order.

[Soundguy]

Here is the link to that.

https://hodgdon.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/trail-boss-reduced-loads-2018.pdf

[john.k]

Is Trail Boss still available in the US?.....the maker here (ADI) has discontinued it ,but as Hodgdon owns the name and probably the formula,it could easily be made elswhere for Hodgdons.

[Soundguy]

I have bought it in the last year...but it has been a year.... Don't know.

[Larry Gibson]

Not a fan of TB for such loads. Bullseye, 700X and Red Dot would be my choice. I shoot a lot of 200 gr bullets in my 44-40s but not any as light as 160 gr. Suggest trying 5 gr of any of the three mentioned and work +/- for what you want. Shoot 10 shots of each test load +/- to make sure all bullets exit from a fouled barrel. Have a rod handy just in case one doesn't.

[Outpost75]

FYI the round ball load for the Marble's Game Getter was 5 grains of Bullseye. This works well with a pure lead .425 ball in my smooth cylinder-bore H&R .44 Garden Gun and 1905 Colt Frontier Six Shooter.

[Texas by God]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230319/1e31f4fdbdf518c3826e42c0659009a3.jpg
This is at 40 yards with the .433” RB over 5 grains of Bullseye. It’s getting away from Minute of Fancy Rat accuracy by then.


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