.44 Magnum

[JosieGun]

Has anyone patched bore rider black powder cartridges for this cartridge chambering?

I have been patching .45-70 for a few decades quite successfully and have now acquired 3 rifles that are .44 Magnum chambered, one of them is a Henry single shot that I'd like to build bore rider paper patched cartridges. I slugged the bbl and it's to SAAMI specs with .424 bore and .431 groove. I figure that a bullet sized to .419 should allow patching up to about .4235 for a snug fit with the right weight paper.

Thank you.

[Nobade]

That's not much powder behind a relatively light bullet, but it should work if you can get it to bump up enough and seal. Let us know how it does!

OTOH, a lot of 44s are throated way out with a big jump to the rifling that allows the bullet to be seated really long. My Marlin 1894 is like that, and I have shot groove diameter PP bullets through it with good results. They get seated so they're barely in the case like a bore diameter bullet and really increase the powder capacity. Of course they won't work through the action or be able to eject if not fired.

[JosieGun]

I figure to fill the fire formed case to the rim with Swiss FFF, push down a .060 LDPE wad so that it sits .1 to below the case rim, then in goes the PPB and onto the press for a slight mouth taper to keep the PPB concentric and so it won't fall out but can be rotated and pulled out, pushed back in. I have an Accurate slick mold on order. Anyhoo, this is just a fun thing for me to mess around with since I already have a single shot .44Mag rifle. Actually, I bought a pair, the other is also a Henry single but in .45-70.

With the demise of H&R it sure is hard to find a break open in .45-70 that comes with iron sights ... only one I've found so far is the Henry single. And the prices of the offshore singles Sharps, rollers, Brownings, have all near doubled.

[gwpercle]

I figure to fill the fire formed case to the rim with Swiss FFF, push down a .060 LDPE wad so that it sits .1 to below the case rim, then in goes the PPB and onto the press for a slight mouth taper to keep the PPB concentric and so it won't fall out but can be rotated and pulled out, pushed back in. I have an Accurate slick mold on order. Anyhoo, this is just a fun thing for me to mess around with since I already have a single shot .44Mag rifle. Actually, I bought a pair, the other is also a Henry single but in .45-70.

With the demise of H&R it sure is hard to find a break open in .45-70 that comes with iron sights ... only one I've found so far is the Henry single. And the prices of the offshore singles Sharps, rollers, Brownings, have all near doubled.

LIKE LIKE LIKE !!!
(this is my like button)

Awesome !

I have a soft spot for Single Shot rifles ... Very Nice

If I had younger eyes I would love to have one of those in 360 BuckHammer for our Louisiana White Tail Deer and Pesky... Hogs !
Seems like a nice combo to hunt with !

Keep On Keeping On ,
Gary

[JosieGun]

The Henry H015-360BH single shot break open is 360 BuckHammer, just add a scope and yer good to go!

henry360buck.jpg

[JosieGun]

That's not much powder behind a relatively light bullet, but it should work if you can get it to bump up enough and seal. Let us know how it does!

OTOH, a lot of 44s are throated way out with a big jump to the rifling that allows the bullet to be seated really long. My Marlin 1894 is like that, and I have shot groove diameter PP bullets through it with good results. They get seated so they're barely in the case like a bore diameter bullet and really increase the powder capacity. Of course they won't work through the action or be able to eject if not fired.

If the cartridge is built as a bore rider, I expect to fill up the case and heavy compress some Swiss 3F so that the PPB will barely sit in the case mouth, no different than a BP PPB .45-70 cartridge. It's a single shot, so no feeding issues. That ought to light a fair fire under a 220 or even 270 grain PPB slick that's either pure lead or maybe a 1:20 tin:lead alloy. But I'll see soon when I get the mold from Tom @ Accurate! This fun stuff for sure!

[GregLaROCHE]

When I paper patched for 45/70, I used a taper crimp. I was afraid of regular crimp biting into the paper and causing problems.

[JosieGun]

When I paper patched for 45/70, I used a taper crimp. I was afraid of regular crimp biting into the paper and causing problems.

Since I use fire formed brass and straight slicks, that's exactly what I do, too. After a very slight taper crimp, the PPB won't fall out if the cartridge is held upside down and the PPB can be twisted around, removed and replaced.

Another thing I do for consistency is orient the patch seam to the case head stamp, and the case head stamp to the chamber.

[nekshot]

If I had a 44 mag Henry it would become a 444 before the thought would go away!

[JosieGun]

If I had a 44 mag Henry it would become a 444 before the thought would go away!

I dunno if any of the Henry Big Boy gun actions can handle large cartridges, they're all made for handgun calibers.

[Chill Wills]

If I had a 44 mag Henry it would become a 444 before the thought would go away!

I dunno if any of the Henry Big Boy gun actions can handle large cartridges, they're all made for handgun calibers.

That would effectively make that lever action repeater into a singleshot, assuming the long case could clear the action. Or, am I wrong? I don't own any Henrys'.

[JosieGun]

That would effectively make that lever action repeater into a singleshot, assuming the long case could clear the action. Or, am I wrong? I don't own any Henrys'.

I have a Henry Big Boy in .44 Magnum and a Henry Large Rifle in .45-70 and if the Big Boy .44 Magnum was rechambered for .444 I don't see how it's possible to stuff that .444 cartridge into that action.

[Nobade]

Um, I think you guys need to look at post #3 of this thread...Henry 44 mag break open rifle.

[JosieGun]

Um, I think you guys need to look at post #3 of this thread...Henry 44 mag break open rifle.

Yep, yer right - and I started this thread, too! Getting too old ... AND forgetful!

[Chill Wills]

Um, I think you guys need to look at post #3 of this thread...Henry 44 mag break open rifle.

Yup. I should look at the Henry lineup. I didn't know they made one-shooters! However, I have always been interested in the old rifles, blue steel and walnut. Don't get me wrong, I am happy Henry is a prosperous gun maker! Something for everyone.
Always learning.

[JosieGun]

Yup. I should look at the Henry lineup. I didn't know they made one-shooters! However, I have always been interested in the old rifles, blue steel and walnut. Don't get me wrong, I am happy Henry is a prosperous gun maker! Something for everyone.
Always learning.

The Henry H015-xxx b/o singles are the only viable singles I've found that come with iron sights. However, that kind of action isn't the best for sticking on a vernier tang peep so a receiver peep and globe front peep will have to do . Still, a fine quality rifle with American walnut stock and good bluing on the well fitting steel.

In the matter of paper patching the .44 Magnum, I've done that with smokeless powder thanx to reading how Nobade did his. I just use Lee sizing dies to get the grooved bullets down to .427" and then use Seth Cole 7# paper to patch back up to .432" diameter. I use these cartridges with the Henry lever and Rossi lever guns. I've used both Trail Boss and TiteGroup for the fuel and apply a slight taper during the PPB seating - that's enuf to keep the PPB from moving when loading in the side gate or from moving in the magazine tube when firing. Works great and excellent accuracy!



I shot a squib (primer only) with one of the .44 Mag PPBs and tapped it back out of the action, just so see the results ...

[JosieGun]

Got the Henry H012GCC .44 Mag rifle (20" octagonal bbl - more of a carbine to my thinking, but whatever) set up with a Lyman 17AUG globe peep front, Smith peep bbl ladder, Skinner case colored Express peep on the receiver. My eyes are old, with macular degeneration, but so far the seeing thing is at least okay. I really wanna stick with irons but might need to go back to glass ... is what it is, I s'pose.



New Accurate 42-296 slick mold drops 1:20 alloy @ 298 grains. Starline fire formed and annealed .44Mag brass, Fed LPP, 35.1 grains of Swiss 3F black powder, Circle Fly .030" card wad. Powder charge fully fills the fire formed case, wad pushes the powder down so that the wad is level with the case mouth and both wad and powder are further die compressed .125". The 298 grain slick is wrapped in Fidelity 10# paper for a good finger-in-racing-glove fit into the rifling (bore rider), the usual rhomboid double wrap, and the PPB drops right into the case for a very loose fit. The cartridge is sent up into a .44 Mag taper crimp die that very sightly tapers down the case mouth to keep the PPB from falling out, yet it can be rotated and pulled out by hand.

Clearly it will be a single feed load in the Henry lever.



Range testing begins this Friday.

[45-110]

I would never hard crimp a PP, and in this case a dual diameter bullet would most likely be better. In this cartridge a .030 wad would suffice. A DD bullet with the correct diameters for your paper should work better for accuracy.