Range Report; 44 special day

[SFRanger7GP]

Aside from test firing a few magazines in my 32 acp Colt 1903, today was 44 special day.

I shot the following in 44 special: Colt's New Frontier, 7 1/2" barrel; Colt's SAA, 5 1/2" barrel; Jim Stroh converted Old Model Ruger flat top, 4 3/4" barrel; Ruger (Lipsey's) Blackhawk, 5 1/2" barrel; Browning Model 92. I only fired 250 KT bullet over 7.5gr Unique. I believe that is the end all in a 44 special load.

The New Frontier shoots like a rifle. It will tear one ragged hole at 25 yards if I do my part. The Colt's SAA averages a 2" group, 2" to the right of POA. I need to tweak the barrel a bit. I've been just holding off for years but its time to correct it. The Jim Stroh conversion I have had for 14 years and it will shoot as tight as I can hold it.

The Lipsey's Ruger shoots good but the factory grips have to go. What a worthless grip. I have heard a lot of people complaining about this gun shooting hard left and needing a drastic sight movement to the right. I believe the fault lies in the lack of something to hold on to. After continually grouping to the left I put an old set of flat top grips (original, not new model) on the Lipsey's (they fit OK). My rear sight is almost centered now.

Now the problem child, my Browning M92 . I had never fired 44 specials in it but knew it would feed the KT bullet. However, it patterns poorly with the load. I have started the "one load" concept a few years ago and wanted to use the 92 for 44 special and my Marlin in 44 mag. I looked through my loading notes and see it is a tack driver with 44 mag jacketed loads. It is very disappointing in 44 special. I welcome everyone's comments and thoughts.

[JerryB]

Good post, I do like my .44 special.

[rjohns94]

nice report. I just picked up one yesterday and will running up loads just as you have mentioned. Great info. Can't help you with your rifle. thanks for the report.

[J Miller]

SFRanger7GP,

Great report. For the rifle, I'd check the grove diameter first. Rifles seem to be more picky about bullet diameters.

Joe

[SFRanger7GP]

The bullets are sized .431. I had no leading in the barrel at all. All I have shot in it up today are jacketed bullets, specifically Hornady XTP's and Remington 240gr JHP/JSP with 18.5gr 2400. It shot those real good. Its definitely got me scratching my big bald head.

[Lefty Dude]

Clean all the fouling from the 92, slug the bore. I think you will find you may need a larger sized bullet. For accuracy with the 92 you may be required to use different sized bullets.

[SFRanger7GP]

It shoots a jacketed bullet great (.430) with a 44 mag load. The cast bullets are .431 and it did not lead at all. The barrel was cleaner than most of the revolver barrels. The cases weren't smoked, no signs of bullet skidding, gas cutting, etc. I'll slug it in the morning but I have my doubts about that being the problem. I'm leaning more to thinking it just doesn't like the load. Has anybody fired 44 specials in a Browning M92?

If it won't shoot loads that shoot good in my revolvers it will be going "down the road".

[Leverluver]

My B-92 never did like 250 or heavier cast all that much. It did pretty well with 429215GC but not 429421. It does OK with 270 grain jacketed so it is not just a matter of weight. Curses on those 38" twists.

[Glenn]

SFRanger7GP,
I know you want to shoot 44 Specials in the 92, but just to set your mind at ease about its accuracy try loading that bullet in a 44 Mag case and maybe bump the charge one grain. Some rifles don't like a long bullet jump. My Marlin 44 doesn't.
Glenn

[Leverluver]

The problem is that most B-92s won't feed a semi-wadcutter loaded in the mag case where they will (reluctantly) do so in a spec case.

[SFRanger7GP]

I looked through my John Taffin books and all my saved articles and notes. In his "Action Shootin Cowboy Style" Taffin shows some good load results with his B92. I have a receiver sight on the rifle and I had a Buddy fire it to prove it isn't me (we all have a bad day at times). My bullets are not hard cast at all. The only hard cast bullets I shoot are in .454 Casull and my Ruger Bisley 45 Colt. I have some different bullet profiles/weights I'm going to load up and try, but I'm thinking the same as Leverluver and Glenn. The rifle will not feed a KT bullet in a 44 mag case.

Me and several Bud's have some sayings that describe this problem perfectly: "I can't have nothing." followed by "I don't even want nothing" and "If I had something, I'd just screw it up."

Thanks for everyone's comments. I keep you updated.

[86er]

We shot some 44 SPL out of a B92 last year. The MV was only around 600 something FPS IIRC. The long jump was robbing the velocity and not stablizing the bullet properly. Load the bullet out if you can or use mag brass. We solved the problem both ways.

[O.S.O.K.]

The Skeeter load is my favorite so far too.

Check out the grips offered by Ruger on their on-line store - I like em:



They aren't much wider than the stock plastic but they feel much better to me and look really nice IMHO.

[71fan]

Thanks for the range report! All of this recent 44 sp/mag talk on the forum is great - they are my big bore(s) of choice.

Good luck with your rifle, and if you do "need" to get rid of it, I'm sure you won't have any trouble.

[SFRanger7GP]

O.S.O.K.; them grips sure do look good. I'll check into those but I think I may be needing something a little thicker for my paws. Did you notice a change in your sight alignment after putting on the new grips?

I loaded up some KT bullets and 240 XTPs over a good dose of 2400. More to follow.

[Leverluver]

I did have good luck with either the RCBS silhouette bullet (smaller meplat) and the various 44-40 bullets like the RCBS 200 or the Lyman GC made for the same cartridge, loaded in the mag case. Not a chance in hades of the 429421 working in the mag case. Not in my rifle anyway.

[Glenn]

One other possibility worth trying. Seat the Keith bullet deep in the 44 Mag case and crimp over the front of the front band. OAL will be about the same as the 44 Special (use 44 special data) but the bullet won't have the front of the chamber to jump through. Bullet must be a tight fit in the case because the crimp won't keep it from getting pushed deeper.
Glenn

[Leverluver]

Tried that also but if you seat it that deep, you have the same amount of "jump" as with the spec case. And, the reslutant front edge of the case does not feed as well into the chamber. Because my dies way oversized the case, at the time, I had no concerns with bullet set back but now, ( way older and maybe a tad wiser) I do not like the looks of it. but if it worked better than the spec case, I'd still be trying it. Much easier to just get a bullet that works well with both the mag case and the rifle.

[salvo]

Good range report SFRanger7GP if you had pictures it would be a great range report
I have only had my Lipseys .44 out once. Since then I have worked over the trigger, 11 deg forcing, squared up the barrel muzzle and re-cut the crown. This is the first Ruger I have come across with an out of square muzzle!
Next trip will be another .44 special trip to check it out and I was going to try the Skeeter load in my Winchester trapper, it feeds the specials just fine, but after reading about your Puma it may not shoot them very good.

[t.r.]

44 Special is quiet but deadly on night-time porcupine forrays!

TR