.44 - 40 "hunting loads"

[Arminius]

Dear fellows! I am looking for "hunting" and "anti predator" loads for my U.S.F.A .44-40 and my Win 1873 Type replica guns.

Pls gimme your favourite loads ... not CAS, not plinking loads - simply loads on a level, the old timers would have used.

( with modern powders, of course )

TIA, Hermann

[Nath]

You ruined it with the modern powders thing

N

[pshort]

Howdy,
I've been using a .430, 200 gr, RNFP lead bullet with 8.5 gr of Unique for about 1250 FPS from my BTH Henry....
These bullets are SNS brand, available at the lgs, marked for .44 mag....
My bbl slugs about .429......
Seem to work very well.....
I don't have a handgun in that caliber, so can't help there...

Hope this helps...

Paul

[Blaine]

Dear fellows! I am looking for "hunting" and "anti predator" loads for my U.S.F.A .44-40 and my Win 1873 Type replica guns.

Pls gimme your favourite loads ... not CAS, not plinking loads - simply loads on a level, the old timers would have used.

( with modern powders, of course )

TIA, Hermann

What are you hunting?

[ollogger]

Unique does a fine job in my colt, if I had a rifle to go with it I would try some 2400



ollogger

[flatnose]

I don't shoot the 44-40, but from the hodgdon site
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
I have other loads from lyman if you need them.

[M. M. Wright]

I use a .429 dia. 200 grain Hornaday XTP over (undisclosed) amount of 296 or H110 but I keep these labeled "for 92 only" as I don't want them to get into one of my 73's or my Colts for that matter.

Actually I don't think you can beat as much fffg as you can squeeze under the same bullet for the toggle link actions. Just eyeball where the base of the bullet will be and use enough to fill the case to about 1/8th or 3/16ths inch above that. Seating the bullet will compress the powder and you have the ideal hunting load. Of course on a still morning you'll have to run out from behind the cloud of smoke to see if you hit anything. You probably want to use a "big lube", cast bullet that will carry enough lube for your barrel length.

I looked at Hogdon's web site and they have a very complete listing for the 44-40.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Been shooting 44 WCF for many years and you will be hard pressed to ever find a load that will group as well as 3F.
With 44 WCF most older molds will not have a crimp groove. You can roll crimp into the first band but sooner or later one of those bullets is going to get deep seated while in the mag tube or while getting run into the chamber. 3F will form a solid powder column under the bullet and it will never get deep seated.
You can find bullets with a crimp groove but it may be in the wrong place and your OAL can end up too long. 1873's will not tolerate too long bullets. But several good custom mold makers have excellent molds with the groove in the right place so smokeless can be used securely.
All the above I learned the hard way with a 2nd model 1873 in 44 WCF. That is the only caliber made back then.
If I was to shoot smokeless in a 1873 replica lever gun it would be 7 grains of Unique with a 200 grain bullet sized to groove diameter +.0015-.002 over groove. Range scrap would work well. 40-1 even better.
Mike in Peru

[Arminius]

A big THANKS to all!

Will use Unique, starting from 7 up to perhaps 8,5 grs under a 200 grs .429 bullet!

Hermann

[Arminius]

What are you hunting?

Lets say, I want it more for self defense in the woods ... Game will be Javelinas max. Dressed weight up to 70 kgs usually.



Hermann

[junkbug]

This site has a lot of information on the 44-40. Mostly pertaining to its use in the original 1873 Winchester.

Hope it helps

https://sites.google.com/view/44winches ... andloading

[Bill in Oregon]

Bryan used to post here pretty often.

[fourbore]

I have been loading for my Marlin and that will not help you. I also have a Miruko 73 and been shooting cowboy loads whcih is also no help.

Something might be of interest was when researching these guns I found that old Winchester and current Uberti were (or could be) 427 bore while the recent Marlin and Miruko were 429. So, I was all set with Hornady 44mag 200 gr xtp bullets. Can those be used in an Uberti or might need a little adjustment in the charge level? I have no answer to any of this.

I did look at my Lyman 51st edition and they show loads for Group 1 and Group 2. I 'assume' any 1873 would be Group 1, with the 13k cup max. I belive I am using 4227. I have to look and it does not matter what I use. It seems Lyman recommends 4227 and 2400 is also a good choice. But Unique is listed with 200gr jacket bullets with 7.6 min to 8.5max for Group 1. I think you are on the right track there. But I dont know about 429 if it is an Italian replica.

This Lyman book is pretty handy if you like paper.

I may have also assumed wrong when you said hunting, I immediately thought of the XTP 200 for deer. I dont know what a Javalina is. They might be an easy kill and varmint left for the coyote to eat?