Watermelon Wine
07-03-2010, 09:42 PM
Hello all!
Now here's a funny story that some of you may be able to relate to....
About 2 years ago I saw an offer I couldn't refuse, a rusty Martini Cadet in 218 Bee with a "poor" condition bore for $150.
Being newly married it was about all I could talk the minister for war and finance into... (Of course by the time I bought a "few little bits and pieces" for it I could have bought a new Sako...)
So I took it to my local smithy for a rebarrel to: "Whatever you've got laying around that's interesting" and am now the proud owner of a .44 remington magnum with a barrel about 20" long with about a 1:38" twist.
With Federal factory loads it shoots about 1.5 inch groups at 75m which I'm pretty happy (bigger holes make the gaps look smaller!) with but the real trouble started when I thought that the reloading caper looked like a bit of a laugh!
After what I thought was extensive internet research and some 220grain cast boolits I was given I found a plinker load and loaded a series in .2 of a grain increments and set up to find the most accurate load and live happily ever after.
After failing to print on a 50m target I eventually found that I was shooting 1' 3 shot groups at 15m. (In case you missed it, that was groups 1 FOOT across...)
After yet more research and some time with a chronograph I eventually dropped another 100 fps (more stability at subsonic or proper supersonic speeds, or so I'm told) and found a load that shot 1.5" at 75m again, JOY! I had discovered the satisfaction that the reloaders feel!
I took my new pride and joy rabbit shooting... as one does with a new .44... :redneck:and discovered another problem, how can a 44 have LESS knockdown power than a 22?!?
I've tried making homemade hollow points that either don't open, tumble, or shoot groups like a shotgun, or combinations of the above.
The molds I have so far are the Lee .430-310 (Flat nose gas-check) and the Lee .429-200 flat nose) and neither shoot as good as the 220grainers that I can't get any more of... I use Lee liquid alox for lube on all of these.
So my question, after all this life-story is; has anyone been through all this before, and eventually come up with a good rabbit load in their .44?
Will the 310 grainers stabilise if I drove them way faster? Do I need to buy gas checks to protect their bases as they are pure lead and naked at present? Should I 'slug' my bore and see if I need bigger boolits? Is my twist-rate too slow?
Any and all help and ideas will be much appreciated!
Regards,
Watermelon Wine!
Now here's a funny story that some of you may be able to relate to....
About 2 years ago I saw an offer I couldn't refuse, a rusty Martini Cadet in 218 Bee with a "poor" condition bore for $150.
Being newly married it was about all I could talk the minister for war and finance into... (Of course by the time I bought a "few little bits and pieces" for it I could have bought a new Sako...)
So I took it to my local smithy for a rebarrel to: "Whatever you've got laying around that's interesting" and am now the proud owner of a .44 remington magnum with a barrel about 20" long with about a 1:38" twist.
With Federal factory loads it shoots about 1.5 inch groups at 75m which I'm pretty happy (bigger holes make the gaps look smaller!) with but the real trouble started when I thought that the reloading caper looked like a bit of a laugh!
After what I thought was extensive internet research and some 220grain cast boolits I was given I found a plinker load and loaded a series in .2 of a grain increments and set up to find the most accurate load and live happily ever after.
After failing to print on a 50m target I eventually found that I was shooting 1' 3 shot groups at 15m. (In case you missed it, that was groups 1 FOOT across...)
After yet more research and some time with a chronograph I eventually dropped another 100 fps (more stability at subsonic or proper supersonic speeds, or so I'm told) and found a load that shot 1.5" at 75m again, JOY! I had discovered the satisfaction that the reloaders feel!
I took my new pride and joy rabbit shooting... as one does with a new .44... :redneck:and discovered another problem, how can a 44 have LESS knockdown power than a 22?!?
I've tried making homemade hollow points that either don't open, tumble, or shoot groups like a shotgun, or combinations of the above.
The molds I have so far are the Lee .430-310 (Flat nose gas-check) and the Lee .429-200 flat nose) and neither shoot as good as the 220grainers that I can't get any more of... I use Lee liquid alox for lube on all of these.
So my question, after all this life-story is; has anyone been through all this before, and eventually come up with a good rabbit load in their .44?
Will the 310 grainers stabilise if I drove them way faster? Do I need to buy gas checks to protect their bases as they are pure lead and naked at present? Should I 'slug' my bore and see if I need bigger boolits? Is my twist-rate too slow?
Any and all help and ideas will be much appreciated!
Regards,
Watermelon Wine!