Vintage Hunting and NCOWS

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Here is the 2018 Buck

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Big Goose I would love to have your Buffalo pictures and story on the 76 site also . Who knows you might inspire someone to use there 76 on a Hunting adventure . Life is short and adventures are to few . Thanks again for posting .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
I started planting oak trees on the Farm a couple years ago . When the rest of the farming world is at war with trees . So I plan on planting oaks to start with . I have planted trees from moss oak nurseries . I have also collected acorns from the woods . I have the acorns in the frig in a bag of potting soil . This spring will get them out and plant them in pots and then late in the fall will move to the woods . Wish I would of started this 20 years ago .

[bear tooth billy]

When I was bow hunting about 20 years ago, I noticed some white oak acorns that were
sprouting, I put them inside over the winter and planted them in the spring. They are now
about 12" diameter and 30' tall. They will be mighty oaks long after I'm gone.

            BTB

[Rowdy Fulcher]

BTB
Those Deer  love you for planting those White Oaks . And the Turkeys like those acorns too . I have always loved to Hunt , just figured that would be a good thing for Future Hunters . Hope some day my grandson's will sit under these Tree's while on a Vintage Deer Hunt . Hope they use my 73 and my 76 

[Rowdy Fulcher]

HOWDY
Well Turkey season will be here before you know it . I love hunting and eating them , don't know which I like the best ? They are excellent eating . Our season opens in April and ends in May . I guess I better start practicing my calling , love to call them in close and then smoke them with my 12 gauge .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Glad to see the site back up . Here is a picture of a turkey I killed a couple years ago .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Season opened with lots of birds on the move .Watched 3 Toms with a large group of Hens . They put on a first class show trying to out strut the other . Now when the Tom's are with the Hens you can't call them away . So never fired a shot maybe next time .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Well season is over and no Gobbler this Spring . Mother Nature was at her worst . So maybe the fall season will work out ? Hope everyone had a safe and productive season .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Well it's Fall and we are in a draught . Funny this Spring was Floods and now it's in the 90's and dryer than a popcorn FART .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Deer season is almost here . Hope everyone has a safe and productive season .

[Big Goose]

Howdy, our deer season starts a week from tomorrow, I'll be totin' an original 66 Winchester, factory letters as  44 Henry CF. She really shoots! hope to connect with a big Minnesota whitetail!

[Yuma Kid]

Very nice rifle Big Goose! Good luck!

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Big Goose
Wish you the best of luck . We love pictures .

[Dave T]

BG,

That rifle is just flat out KOOL! (smiley face goes here)

Dave

[nativeshootist]

I wanna see more photos of the 66 cf

[Black River Smith]

Big Goose,

Please show your cartridge for that 44CF.   Also explain how you load for it, if you will.  That will be an interesting and excellent lesson to hear.

[Big Goose]

Howdy all,
  Here is my experience and found success. I did have to replace the broken extractor,  and one of the toggles was cracked- got a replacement extractor and pair of links through Buckinghams parts for a reasonable cost. That source is getting pretty thin on parts though...
The bore is really decent, and all else is pretty good, shows plenty of wear I'd say from a saddle scabbard, looks to have carried a lot but not shot much, and well maintained.
  Brass came from Buffalo Arms, it's Starline 44 Special brass that is cut down and properly sized. I have hundreds of 44 Special brass, but after struggling to get a handful just right I just ordered them from B.A.
Likewise, I ordered the CH-4D dies at the same time; I also ordered the proper mold and crimp die from Bernie Rowles Old West Bullet Molds. All arrived at about the same time- the brass mold from Bernie is spectacular, drops the proper .444 diameter heeled boolets at just shy of 210 grains from 40/1 alloy.  I chamfered the necks a bit and belled them ever so slightly so the heel just starts snugly.  Also I made a die to bump the rims just a bit as the 44 Special rims didn't headspace snug. (you can notice that in the pics.) I then had to open up the shell holder thickness to accommodate the thicker rims, but in the end it all works smoothly.  Brass is primed with Federal Large Pistol Magnum primers ( because I have thousands of them, and they work). Charge is 24 grains of Olde Eynesford 2 f( again, because I have a lot of it, and it works well). Drop tubed and compressed so that the boolet base is on the powder as the heel step touches the case mouth.
I like the Old West modified Lee crimp die better than the CH4D one, gives a nice crimp. The boolet carries very little lube, I've had the best luck filling the modest lube grove with my homemade BPCR lube and then coating them with Lee liquid ALOX. get three to five shots in a nice tight group before the fouling starts to open the group size.
I shot them through my old "Chrony" chronograph  and though it will give an "ERROR" about every other time( the screens are getting kind of tattered, and it must be 20 years old or more) out of six recorded velocities I got a low of 1093 and a high of 1107, which should be in the 1100 fps ballpark fore a 44 Henry CF.
  The little carbine handles well and groups great at 50 yards , about 3 inches above the point of aim, and first time I shot it was just right of center. I drifted the rear sight ever so slightly to the left, and I was knocking over my 12"x16"  3/8"thick iron buffalos out to 100 yards ( though you need to hit 'em high in the hump at 100 yards to tip 'em over).
I really like this little carbine, swapped an 86 Winchester(33 WCF) and a Sharps carbine towards it and am not at all disappointed!   

I suppose I ought to copy this post to the 1860 Henry topic as well...
Big Goose

[Big Goose]

Here's a couple more pics .. took the 66 carbine out last season -didn't get a decent opportunity during the firearms season.  Had great success with the 1861 Springfield Savage Revolving Arms contract musket on the last day of muzzleloader though...

[Black River Smith]

Big Goose,

Great info and glad you got everything to work.  I am surprised that 44Spl are used to create 44Henry.  The Henry was roughly a 0.442-0.444 diameter(straight) but a 44Spl is normally sized to roughly 0.453.  So, those Buffalo Arm's cases must have really working the brass down.  Glad the base fits the carbine chamber.