1873 winchester loads 44/40

[the telegraphist]

Looking for cowboy sil loads that work, 16g of original herc 2400 with 200g FP works great in my 1873, trouble is am running out of this old powder. The new Alliant 2400 is a little hotter i have read, anyone with experience please come forward. Have also used Australian rifle powder 2205 at 19.5 to 20 grains but the accuracy is not quite there. The 200fp is a westcastings projectile for those that have used them. Love that 1873

[J Miller]

Looking for cowboy sil loads that work, 16g of original herc 2400 with 200g FP works great in my 1873, trouble is am running out of this old powder. The new Alliant 2400 is a little hotter i have read, anyone with experience please come forward. Have also used Australian rifle powder 2205 at 19.5 to 20 grains but the accuracy is not quite there. The 200fp is a westcastings projectile for those that have used them. Love that 1873

Welcome to the forum.

From my experience Alliant 2400 is not enough hotter than the old Hercules to be a bother. I'd suggest just backing down the standard 10% and work back up. I have no experience with the 44-40 cartridge, but in my .45 Colts and .357s I use the same charges with the new as I did the old.
I don't have a chronograph to check for velocity differences but the loads function the same way and are just as accurate.

The only noticeable difference between the old and new 2400 is the new "seems" to be a bit cleaner than the old.

Joe

[jd45]

I remember a thread on another site a while back as to wether the new was hotter than the old. One guy chimed in by saying he called Alliant & got it straight from "the horse's mouth",.......no difference. jd45

[Borregos]

Are you shooting the targets at 100m or the full size at 200m?

[jnyork]

I shoot Pistol Caliber with mine, I tried everything and finally settled on 10 grains of Blue Dot with the Lasercast 180 grain .431. Nothing else worked very well, this load is pretty darn good!!

[J Miller]

I remember a thread on another site a while back as to wether the new was hotter than the old. One guy chimed in by saying he called Alliant & got it straight from "the horse's mouth",.......no difference. jd45

That would be JohnK over at Handloads.com forum.

Joe

[jd45]

Right on, Joe! BTW, I was at the library yesterday with my nose in "Cartridges of the World" book, trying to track down that HV load for the '92s, but in this more recent version, while they made mention of the fact you could get 1800fps w/200JSPs, handloading, the actual recipe has been deleted. I think 2400 was the powder.....can't remember how much. jd45

[Ben_Rumson]

For suitable rifles the third edition COTW has two 44-40 HV loads w/ 200 gr bullet @1850fps... 25gr 2400 & 27gr 4227

[Comal Forge]

COTW also lists a 140gr bullet with 30 gr 2400 for 2230 fps.

[jd45]

Not that I'm at all familiar with loading & shooting the .44WCF, but I wouldn't think you'd get any penetration on a big critter with a light bullet like that. Maybe it'd work, tho. jd45

[Lefty Dude]

You do not want to shoot hot loads in a 73. Hot loads listed in my old Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook are for the 92 only. If you are working around the top of a 44-40 load, just buy a 92 44 Mag. Then you will not be able to get the loads mixed up of the 44-40 and ruin a good 73.

[jd45]

Thanx for clarifying, Lefty. I guess I took the thread off in an unintended direction. Didn't mean to. jd45

[the telegraphist]

Looking for cowboy sil loads that work, 16g of original herc 2400 with 200g FP works great in my 1873, trouble is am running out of this old powder. The new Alliant 2400 is a little hotter i have read, anyone with experience please come forward. Have also used Australian rifle powder 2205 at 19.5 to 20 grains but the accuracy is not quite there. The 200fp is a westcastings projectile for those that have used them. Love that 1873

Welcome to the forum.

From my experience Alliant 2400 is not enough hotter than the old Hercules to be a bother. I'd suggest just backing down the standard 10% and work back up. I have no experience with the 44-40 cartridge, but in my .45 Colts and .357s I use the same charges with the new as I did the old.
I don't have a chronograph to check for velocity differences but the loads function the same way and are just as accurate.

The only noticeable difference between the old and new 2400 is the new "seems" to be a bit cleaner than the old.

Joe

Thanks joe,
Will try what you said, much obliged

[the telegraphist]

Are you shooting the targets at 100m or the full size at 200m?

Gday
Shooting the 100m sils with a Uberti 1873 the 16g load does the deal well, may go to the 200m targets in the near future, one thing at a time though
Best rgds

[the telegraphist]

You do not want to shoot hot loads in a 73. Hot loads listed in my old Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook are for the 92 only. If you are working around the top of a 44-40 load, just buy a 92 44 Mag. Then you will not be able to get the loads mixed up of the 44-40 and ruin a good 73.

Gday Lefty Dude,
Should have explained further, not shooting an original 1873 but a Uberti replica, no way in the world would I give an original 73 16g of 2400. Got a Marlin 1894 cowby ltd in 44 mag for open lever action, love that gun to. 1873 for cowby silhouette to 100m and thence to 200m when establish the loads, thanks.

Rgds
the telegraphist

[the telegraphist]

Not that I'm at all familiar with loading & shooting the .44WCF, but I wouldn't think you'd get any penetration on a big critter with a light bullet like that. Maybe it'd work, tho. jd45

Gday jd45
Thanks your reply mate, not planning on shooting any critters only steel. Do yourself a favour, get a 44/40 lever action just for the fun of it, they are beaut.

Rgds
the telegraphist

[jd45]

G'day telegraphist........as a matter of fact, many years ago I did own a Uberti 1873 20" carbine in .44WCF. Back then it was all a deep rich blue. A FUN little gun! I might just get another, per your recommendation. I do now have a Uberti 1873 Sporting Rifle, with case-hardened reveiver & hammer; 24" octagon bbl; & pistol-grip stock, but it's chambered in .45 Colt. LOVE IT! jd45

[Borregos]

Gday to you telgraphist.
Shooting at the 100m silhouettes I use the following load in my old Marlin 1889:

5.5gr Trail Boss with a 205gr plain base SAECO cast bullet. It creeps out of the barrel at around 850fps but it gets the job done and is deadly accurate!!

[the telegraphist]

Gday to you telgraphist.
Shooting at the 100m silhouettes I use the following load in my old Marlin 1889:

5.5gr Trail Boss with a 205gr plain base SAECO cast bullet. It creeps out of the barrel at around 850fps but it gets the job done and is deadly accurate!!

Gday Borregos
Many thanks your input, might try a lighter load if 850 is doing the trick, have found for accurate target work that 7.3g of Universal or in my case the same powder known in Aus AP70N leaves a 24 inch barrel at about 1000 fps and cuts a ragged hole at 25 and an inch at 50 if I use a rest. The same load out of a 5.5" Pietta SAA in 44/40 is pure joy. Will let you know.
Rgds
The telegraphist

[the telegraphist]

G'day telegraphist........as a matter of fact, many years ago I did own a Uberti 1873 20" carbine in .44WCF. Back then it was all a deep rich blue. A FUN little gun! I might just get another, per your recommendation. I do now have a Uberti 1873 Sporting Rifle, with case-hardened reveiver & hammer; 24" octagon bbl; & pistol-grip stock, but it's chambered in .45 Colt. LOVE IT! jd45

Onya mate, those rifles no matter what caliber are all class, not to mention the people that shoot them, have fun. Best regards-The telegraphist

[Lefty Dude]

My accuracy lead load for the 73 & 92 Lever guns is: 240 gr. SWC sized .429", 6.7 gr. Unique, and Winchester cases, with a tight roll crimp followed by using the LFCD. This load crono. average is 1034fps. My Son won a pot shoot which was shot at 200 yards, and using X sticks in a sitting position. This was shot with my Rossi 20" carbine. He beat out the 24" Marlins & Winchester. And the boy's shooting the 45LC were truly surprised.
This load shoots almost as well in my Uberti 73 Carbine.

I have found for long range the 240 bullet is more accurate than the 200 gr. I have used both at 200 yards.

[Mike D.]

I have been loading and shooting the .44 WCF for many years and would not, under any circumstances, load 16 grains of 2400 into any toggle link gun, regardless of age or manufacturer. 16-22 grains is fine for the Model 92s, but not the earlier models. The hottest load I ever used in my little Winchester '73 carbine was 10 grains Unique, and that was too much. 8 grains will suffice for most hunting situations. That load works fine in both the original Winchester rifles and 1st Generation Colt revolvers. I also like 6 grs Unique and .428 SWCs for target work. The Colts work best with .427 sized bullets, though. I have not run a .429 size bullet through an 1873, but do use them in my '92 Winchester carbine.