Win 94 Trapper 44 mag handloading

[Bullard4075]

OK so now I bought this thing , anyone have some words of advice on handloading for it ?
Does it digest semi-wadcutters , how about 300 gr and up bullets?
Does it twist heavy or light bullets better?
Any words of wisdom or tricks I should know?

[Lefty Dude]

My 92 44 mag. cycles & digest SWC just fine. It seems to like the heavy bullets, they are more accurate than the lighter bullets.
I loaded up a few and tested for cycling & feed actions before I loaded a whole batch of SWC's. I also have a Handi-Rifle in 44 mag that will eat anything I feed the hungry critter.

With a bullet longer than a 240 gr. SWC, just watch the over-all-length for cycling issues.

[Bob]

I use the Lee 310gr bullet in mine and it shoots very well. No problems with cycling. Lots of smack down on the receiving end.
Bob

[jlchucker]

My 44 Trapper was my pickup-truck and plinking gun for years--until Winchester went out of business and the Trapper models suddenly became too valuable to toss behind the truck seat. Mine digests mostly (and best) the Lyman 428415 bullet cast from wheelweights and 10 percent lead. It cast out at around 225 gr with grease and gascheck. That little rifle will shoot the bigger cast bullets OK, in particular Winchester 240 gr hollowpoints, but for some reason I never figured out, it does not shoot the Remington 240 flatnose as well. With the 429215 bullet I could plink clay pigeon particles from the 100 yard berm at my club's range at will. Check your manuals for the Alliant 2400 load for this bullet. Switching to the jacketed, heavier bullets required no sight adjustments at all, at least for me.

[alnitak]

I've shot a variety of 240-310 grain cast bullets, mostly SWCs though some RNFPs and HPs, out of mine with no issues.

[J Miller]

My 44 Trapper was my pickup-truck and plinking gun for years--until Winchester went out of business and the Trapper models suddenly became too valuable to toss behind the truck seat. Mine digests mostly (and best) the Lyman 428415 bullet cast from wheelweights and 10 percent lead. It cast out at around 225 gr with grease and gascheck. That little rifle will shoot the bigger cast bullets OK, in particular Winchester 240 gr hollowpoints, but for some reason I never figured out, it does not shoot the Remington 240 flatnose as well. With the 429215 bullet I could plink clay pigeon particles from the 100 yard berm at my club's range at will. Check your manuals for the Alliant 2400 load for this bullet. Switching to the jacketed, heavier bullets required no sight adjustments at all, at least for me.

Nah, they aren't "too valuable" unless they are new, untouched, still in the box with all their papers.
Yours is USED. Now it's lonely and heartbroken sitting their unloved while you romp around with another gun. For shame .

I'm not surprised these Win 94 .44s feed most anything. My .45 Colt will too. I just didn't answer because I've not had any experiences with the .44s.

Joe

[meanc]

My Win94 Trapper and Legacy both shoot the Remington 240gr JSP under a hefty load of H-110 or 2400 exceptionally well.

As a matter of fact, I haven't handloaded anything bigger than a 240gr for any of my 44mags. But then again, I've never hunted anything yet with a 44mag that required more.

Also, I haven't tried SWCs but Laser Cast 240 gr RNFP feeds just like jacketed ammo, My Win94 Legacy in 45colt feeds SWCs with no problems, so I don't think there'd be much of a difference with the 44mag Trapper.

[jlchucker]

J miller wrote "Nah, they aren't "too valuable" unless they are new, untouched, still in the box with all their papers.
Yours is USED. Now it's lonely and heartbroken sitting their unloved while you romp around with another gun. For shame "

Joe, you're right! Nothing else ever really filled the spot behind my truckseat in the same way. First thing in the morning, the rifle-length EMF Hartford 44 mag goes in the cabinet and the ole pre-safety button Trapper comes home to roost for a ride to the range. By the way, all of the SWC's I've tried (up thru 265 Gr) feed just as smoothly as the jacketed bullets in the Trapper and the Hartford. Never had a problem there. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt deer with the 215 gr cast bullet, although I've always used another levergun for that. When you think about it, the old 44-40, plugging along at about 1200 FPS, killed plenty of whitetails. My load is about 15-20 gr heavier, and was once chronographed at around 1650 fps. I don't think that deerskins these days are so tough that my 44 loads will bounce off. Those trappers are just plain handy!