Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads - now 4 rifles!
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- AJMD429
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Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads - now 4 rifles!
We've been trying to find a recipe for our several thousand bulk-pack Remington 240 JSP's and a couple jugs of Alliant 2400, and I've posted the preliminaries on another thread. We made it out to shoot today to see how three different powder charges would work in three of our rifles. Three of us will be hunting, so we used two of those guns, but the third we've not put sights on we like yet, so in its place we used the Ruger 77/44 since it was easily scope-able and might help sort out loads by consistency.
Here's what we got so far...
My son’s Marlin 1894 'microgroove' shoots two very different factory loads, plus all three ranges of handloads with 2400, all to very close points of impact at 50 yards:
If you let him count the one to the lower left as a ‘flyer’ it shot 10 shots of five different loads into a center-to-center 3-inch group at 50 yards! The ‘E’ load of 21 grains Alliant 2400 was 1-1/4" center-to-center. We only shot one round of the 180 grain factory UMC and one of the Winchester 240 JSP, due to scarcity, and just wanted points of reference anyway.
My Ruger 96/44 is more picky; it has shot 1-1/4" groups at 50 yards with the Winchester 240 JSP’s but the other loads it did not like as consistently, showing a lot of stringing (we didn’t do any prolonged barrel cooling, although we shot our strings of three then waited a minute with action open). It held last-year’s zero nicely with the Winchester factory loads, but as before, places the 180 grain UMC’s way high and slightly right (always does this). My handloads from that gun all bear left, (again, consistently), and it looks like the 20.3 or so will equate closest to factory loads in that gun. Why they consistently shoot left from the same gun same rest same shooter still amazes me.
Next session with that gun and I think I will lose the barrel band and see how it shoots. While the accuracy with factory loads has been satisfactory - compared to the Marlin, it is very picky. I also may try a bit longer overall cartridge length.
The Ruger 77/44 is less picky, and if you exclude the lightest handloads, put the two different factory loads and two of the three handloads within a 4" circle vs. the 3" of the Marlin. It sure didn’t like the light loads, though! The circles drawn for the heaviest handload were due to using a different aiming point, so I traced the impacts onto this target. The 77/44 also has a really deep firing pin protrusion, and punctured a couple primers, though I don’t know if that affected group size.
If we go with just one load, we’ll probably go for the 20.3 grain load - it was 2.25" in the Marlin 1894, 2.5" in the Ruger 96/44, and 1.75" in the Ruger 77/44, and within 1 to 2 inches of the point of impact of the WW factory ‘reference’ load in all three guns.
Anyway, just some 44 Mag range reports, to annoy whoever is yearning to post the "Too Many Off-Topic Posts" post (...it's due any time now... ).
P.S. We added my daughter's Puma 16" 44 Mag - posted below...
Here's what we got so far...
My son’s Marlin 1894 'microgroove' shoots two very different factory loads, plus all three ranges of handloads with 2400, all to very close points of impact at 50 yards:
If you let him count the one to the lower left as a ‘flyer’ it shot 10 shots of five different loads into a center-to-center 3-inch group at 50 yards! The ‘E’ load of 21 grains Alliant 2400 was 1-1/4" center-to-center. We only shot one round of the 180 grain factory UMC and one of the Winchester 240 JSP, due to scarcity, and just wanted points of reference anyway.
My Ruger 96/44 is more picky; it has shot 1-1/4" groups at 50 yards with the Winchester 240 JSP’s but the other loads it did not like as consistently, showing a lot of stringing (we didn’t do any prolonged barrel cooling, although we shot our strings of three then waited a minute with action open). It held last-year’s zero nicely with the Winchester factory loads, but as before, places the 180 grain UMC’s way high and slightly right (always does this). My handloads from that gun all bear left, (again, consistently), and it looks like the 20.3 or so will equate closest to factory loads in that gun. Why they consistently shoot left from the same gun same rest same shooter still amazes me.
Next session with that gun and I think I will lose the barrel band and see how it shoots. While the accuracy with factory loads has been satisfactory - compared to the Marlin, it is very picky. I also may try a bit longer overall cartridge length.
The Ruger 77/44 is less picky, and if you exclude the lightest handloads, put the two different factory loads and two of the three handloads within a 4" circle vs. the 3" of the Marlin. It sure didn’t like the light loads, though! The circles drawn for the heaviest handload were due to using a different aiming point, so I traced the impacts onto this target. The 77/44 also has a really deep firing pin protrusion, and punctured a couple primers, though I don’t know if that affected group size.
If we go with just one load, we’ll probably go for the 20.3 grain load - it was 2.25" in the Marlin 1894, 2.5" in the Ruger 96/44, and 1.75" in the Ruger 77/44, and within 1 to 2 inches of the point of impact of the WW factory ‘reference’ load in all three guns.
Anyway, just some 44 Mag range reports, to annoy whoever is yearning to post the "Too Many Off-Topic Posts" post (...it's due any time now... ).
P.S. We added my daughter's Puma 16" 44 Mag - posted below...
Last edited by AJMD429 on Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads & 3 rifles.
Cool !! My 1894P absolutely loves the Winchester "White Box" 240 JSP's. sighted dead on @ 50 yds it's a perfect little monster..... Thanks, Tom
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- AJMD429
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Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads & 3 rifles.
Ever since I figured out how to add text onto digital photos using PhotoImpression (came with the camera I think), it has helped keep track of targets and results. Less clutter with old targets sitting around, too...
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads & 3 rifles.
Your son's Marlin is a keeper. I had an old Sears 30-06 bolt gun (Win M70) that would do that, but foolishly let it get away.
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Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads & 3 rifles.
The Marlin's target looks great.
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Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads & 3 rifles.
That 77/44 is a keeper! Handled one the other day, nice little guns!
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- AJMD429
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Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads & 3 rifles.
Today we shot my daughter's Puma - a 16" 44 Mag, with the Marble's Bullseye sight. The sight was the right height without installing the elevator, which is fine with me; no new front needed that way, and less to 'go wrong' - we'll tune it for the one load anyway, and just use that.
The gun:
The sight picture (vs. what you lose with normal 'open' rear sights):
(above photos taken with gold bead front vs. current fiberoptic)
The 50 yd. groups - check "B" out...!
Looks like it also likes the mid-range ("B") loads best ("B" = 20.3 grains Alliant 2400 + 240 grain Rem JSP + Rem 2-1/2 LP Standard primer in Winchester Brass COL 1.580" with Lee Factory Crimp after RCBS seater).
The gun:
The sight picture (vs. what you lose with normal 'open' rear sights):
(above photos taken with gold bead front vs. current fiberoptic)
The 50 yd. groups - check "B" out...!
Looks like it also likes the mid-range ("B") loads best ("B" = 20.3 grains Alliant 2400 + 240 grain Rem JSP + Rem 2-1/2 LP Standard primer in Winchester Brass COL 1.580" with Lee Factory Crimp after RCBS seater).
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads - now 4 rifles!
VERY nice, Doc......
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Re: Range Report - 44 Magnum reloads - now 4 rifles!
Thank your for the careful details and pix in your excellent report!