Black powder .44-40 @ 300 meters

[w44wcf]

Recently, I was able to spend a couple of nice days with "John Boy" at Ridgway Rifle Club's historic NRA High Power Silhouette range, also home to "Homer" the 1000 yards steel buffalo (John Boy's passion).

I had recently acquired a slightly used .44-40 Marlin Cowboy Rifle and wanted to see how well it shot at the 300 meter steel javelina target.  The load was Lyman's 427098 bullet (.429" dia.) made from w.w. + 2% tin lubed with SPG over 40 grs. Swiss FFG ignited with a CCI 300 primer in REM-UMC headstamped cases.

It took several sighting in shots to get the peep sight adjusted to intersect the bullet impact at that distance, but once set, the sound (which took about 2 seconds after the shot) of the bullets impacting steel was music to our ears.       

I was very happy to say the least.     The javelina is 9" high or just under 3 m.o.a.
The first two shots were a bit left. I then adjusted 1 minute right which put the remaining shots closer to the center.  What fun! 



The javelina "swinger I was shooting at is in the 2nd row just to the right of the number 6 bank.



w44wcf   

[john boy]

Gents - let me tell you the story from the 'eyes behind the scope'...
First of all, it was pure pleasure to see those conseqative lead splashes on the swinger @ 300 meters.  BTW, that's 328.08 yards

It didn't take John long at all to lock the sight setting in and after that ... splash - splash - splash. We were both elated to see what a well thought out recipe can do in the hands of a skilled shooter, especially using Only Levers!

Every time John and I get together at Ridgway - he always has some 'neat' recipes.  This one is a winner.  One item that John didn't mention was the wind was running 10 - 17 with gusting up to 27 mph plus the altitude is 1478'.  Not too shabby for a pip squeak 205gr bullet that is a copy of the original .44-40 bullet and ... Original Gunpowder!     

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Did you work out any trajectory figures?  Or at least, any drop estimates?

When Paladin UK wanted data to 200 metres, I worked out a table on the Hogdgdon website, but I don't think it goes much past 200 yards.

I have an original '73 and a SRC '92 in 44Wcf.  OH!  and then there is the pair of 5.5" OVs in the same calibre.

[Herbert]

exelent shooting howe often did you have to clean the barell to keep it on target

[litl rooster]

great range report.   question 2 what type sights on the Marlin.

[August]

Wow-Wee -- who sets all that steel up???  My back is killin' me just looking at that picture of all those targets.

I, too, wish to know the type of rear sight you are using.

Black Powder + Long Ranges = BSIT (best shooting in town)

[Rusty Spurless]

Now thats gooooood shootin!!

Sounds like a great time!

[Noz]

Isn't it sad that the old guns with the old fashioned powder, bullets and sights are so grossly inferior to modern guns with jacketed bullets and smokeless powder?

Yeah, me neither.

[shieldsmt]

Put this on the wrong thread, just moved it to here:

This is a facinating thread.  Never thought I'd really want to shoot long range with my '73 24" 44WCF, but it is grabbing me now.  Also have something to add here.  Should interest those who've been hesitant to hunt with the 44wcf, thinking it is wimpy.
we looked over the ballistic charts in the Speer Manual and guesstimated the BC of the stubby bullet at .12 and the velocity at 1300 and looked at drop stats.  Shot at a 12" steel plate at 50, 100, 150, 200.  Then decided we needed to go every 20 yards because these bullets drop like a shotputt.  Once we had a basic idea of where it was shooting, my son took it out for antelope on our ranch.
He took one at just over 200 yards, don't know who was more shocked, the antelope or him! Kind of a semi-educated Hail Mary shot.
Of interest to hunters or potential hunters - the bullet was 20-1 soft, .430 dia. to fit the rifles .429 bore, lubed with SPG, case filled with as much FFFg Goex (32 year old can of powder that saw Montana cold and heat every year) and compressed at least 1/8", Winchester Mag primer and Winchester brass.  Assuming 1300 fps or slightly less?  The bullet crashed through the center of a rib on one side, ripped up that sides lung, destroyed the top of the heart and aorta, went through the off side lung,went through the center of another rib and kept on going to points unknown.  The animal dropped in its tracks, kicked for a while and expired. 
Two days later,I took a mule deer buck, around 220 pounds body weight.  95 yards distant.  Again, full through and through penetration through the rib cage breaking ribs going in and out.  Bullet kept on going.  It walked off 10 yards and dropped.
Don't hesitate to hunt with your 1873 or 1892. 

[w44wcf]

Pards,
Thank you for the follow up and your kind words. 

John Boy,
Thank you for spotting the bullet impacts from my shots. It helped me to get the proper sight setting fairly quickly.

Sir Charles,
I had some idea of how much to raise the receiver sight based on past experience with my .45 Colt Marlin Cowboy rifle a year or so earlier. At that time I used the ballistics table in the back of the SPEER manual. Hornady has an external ballistics calculator that will give bullet drop to 1,000 yards if you select Rifle: long.   http://www.hornady.com/ballistics/ballistics_calculator.php 
Based on an estimated bc of .14, a velocity of 1,300 f.p.s., and a sight height of .5" the calculator indicates a  drop of 103" at 300 yards but the target was 330 yards.  The 400 yard drop is 224". Since the additional 30 yards  is about 1/3 of the additional 100 yards, then 224-103/.33 =  143" drop /3.3 (330 yards)= + 43 minutes  sight adjustment which was pretty close.
Nice rifles you have!

Herbert,
It took about 5 rounds to fine tune the sight adjustment, then 7 rounds at the "swinger", followed by another 8 to 10 rounds at the individual javelina targets. No cleaning was done between shots.

Lil Rooster & August,
The front sight is a 1/16" bead and the rear sight is a Williams receiver sight. I'll take a pic and post it sometime in the next day or so.

shieldsmt,
Interesting stories!  Thank you for sharing. Back in the days before smokeless powder and high velocity cartridges, Winchester claimed that it's .44 W.C.F. was effective and accurate to 300 yards.

w44wcf     

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Wow!  Thanks for the hint to look at Hornady's ballistic resourses.

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics/ballistics_calculator.php

PLUG IT IN! PLUG IT IN!

[Rusty Spurless]

Shieldsmt,

Not to diminish what your boy done but you can kill them speed goats with a slingshot   

I took a nice doe last year with my 73 in 45LC. Only about a 60yd shot & she ran about 20yds before stoving up.

Been toying with the idea of using a 38WCF on deer but cant quite convince myself to do it. I know it been done but...

[Leo Tanner]

Lil Rooster & August,
The front sight is a 1/16" bead and the rear sight is a Williams receiver sight. I'll take a pic and post it sometime in the next day or so.   

     Those Marlin sights are great straight off the shelf.  I've never fired one that wasn't accurate even at long distances.  I have a 336 and an 1895 in my personal stable, and I will never get rid of them.  They both perform like champs.


Leo

[Herbert]

whith that information i am even more inpresed i have a winchester 85 single shot with a tang sight that i will try with same load it shood be easer on sholder than 577-450 martini henry

[w44wcf]

Shieldsmt,
In it's day (and today) the .44 W.C.F. and .44-40 , although less powered than today's hotshot dude calibers, was used very successfully in America's game fields and the Model '73 Winchester so chambered provided nature's bounty to many families.
Your interesting stories prompted me to post a few users comments from the 1875 Winchester catalog.

In Winchester's catalog of 1875, users reported on the wonderful performance of the .44 W.C.F. on game. Here are a few of their testimonials.
..."I have fully tested the late improved Winchester Rifle and take pleasure in stating that it is the best rifle I have ever used. I have killed a number of deer, at distances from one to two hundred yards and in every instance, the bullet passed clean through the body."

..."I killed at a full gallop, at about 100 yards distant, a very large buckwith a splendid set of antlers with the first shot. The bullet struck him in the shoulder, as he ran toward me, and after traversing the entire length of his body, tearing the lights and paunch into atoms in its course, it passed out behind through the thickest part of the ham."

..."The killing qualities, at large game, is all that could be desired, to the wonder and admiration of the guides and sportsmen who saw its working during my visit to the Adirondack woods last fall."

..."I can say for one, that I think the Winchester Model of 1873 is the best firearm now in use for hunting and sporting; they give the best satisfaction to every one that has used them here. James Gary and C.S. Martin have killed 17 bears and 100 deer since the first of September with Model 1873.

and in 2004, a hunter posted this about using a .44-40 to kill a cougar with one shot giving  complete penetration:
  Just thought I would pass this experience on to all you folks. My Pa runs a Scottish Highland cattle ranch. Its small but he does OK.
Well here in the Pacific northwest in Washington state we gots a few mountain lions and one of em got a hankerin after one of our 8 month
old hiefers and took after during the night. Tore her poor little throat out and then left.

Cougars like to let their kill ripen a bit before they eat it. Well I wasn't too pleased so I took my Pa's Uberti made 73 in 44-40 and
waited near the carcass in the field with my little brother. Sure enough the cougar came to feast and I plugged it with a 44-40 right
in the chest. Penetration was clean through the vitals and came out right under her tail and clipped the end off on the way out. She
bounced around for about 3 or 4 seconds and fell over dead. I tanned the hide and salvaged the skull and teeth.

The cartridge was handloaded Winchester brass a CCI primer and 8 grains of Unique punchin' a 200 gr RNFP Orgeon Trail laser cast
bullet. 

[Steel Horse Bailey]

VERY interesting!

[litl rooster]

VERY interesting!

[Dr. Bob]

litl rooster,

WOW!!!!    That sure brings back some great memories!!!  Judy Carne in a bikini   Thanks!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

litl rooster,

WOW!!!!    That sure brings back some great memories!!!  Judy Carne in a bikini   Thanks!

... and Goldie barely 18 in hers ... But Judy's red hair was even better ...

I saw Henry Gibson in a Stargate SG1 episode, prob'ly filmed in 2003 or 4.

He looked pretty much the same, except he's one of those cool guys whose graying hair turned snow white.  I kept hoping that he'd say "verry interresting" to Col. O'Neill - just for grins.

[w44wcf]

Here's a pic of the receiver sight on my .44-40  Marlin Cowboy rifle with the sight set for 100 yards and again at 330 yards.

I have since chronograped the recipe of 40/Swiss FFG/CCI300/215 gr. bullet and found that it exits the 24" barrel at a SMOKIN' average of 1,363 f.p.s.!



w44wcf