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Post by swilk on Aug 17, 2011 12:06:24 GMT -5
After much thought it was decided that my daughter just had to have a new 77/44.
I was going to have a 357 max barrel made for an encore but the length of pull and weight would be to much for her.
The 77/44 has an identical length of pull to a 10/22 and is .5lbs heavier.
Walked out of the local gun shop with a SS/black model and a box of cheap bullets.
Need to look through some load data and come up with a load that will push the FTX bullet fast enough to knock a deer dead out to about 75 yards or so while keeping recoil at a bare minimum. Suggestions?
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Post by stevein on Aug 17, 2011 12:49:08 GMT -5
I would work up a load that you are confidant will kill a deer. I would then work on a load that had reduced recoil and hit the same left-right POI and let her practice with that. Use the performance load for hunting, but don't tell her she probably will not notice the difference.
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Post by swilk on Aug 17, 2011 15:16:15 GMT -5
Same POI isnt even that important ... I could let her shoot until the cows come home with a light recoiling round and then just re-zero with the hunting round before season.
To be honest I have never shot a 44 in a rifle .... I am assuming the recoil is very light but until I touch off a round I cant know how light.
Might let her first couple of rounds be off the lead sled .... then see how she does.
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Post by swilk on Aug 17, 2011 16:46:25 GMT -5
Well, looks like I dont need to worry about getting a lighter load to practice. The recoil did not bother her a bit. Actually giggled and laughed after each shot. She shot pretty well for the first time and with iron sights ..... should be deadly with a scope.  |
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Post by stevein on Aug 17, 2011 18:47:04 GMT -5
That is great!! She solved that problem for Dad  Sometimes if they don't know about recoil it does not bother them. |
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Post by danf on Aug 17, 2011 19:38:24 GMT -5
Good job. Now get some safety glasses on her.  |
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Post by swilk on Aug 19, 2011 8:07:19 GMT -5
Need to get some glasses for her ... I dont wear them myself so I didnt even think of them for her.
Anyone have any experience with the Nikon omega/slughunter scopes? I normally buy Leupold glass for my guns but I have been trying to find something with a little longer eye relief and the Nikons are the best I have found so far. They offer a full 5" where the leupold is 3.7".
I think a Nikon 1.65-5x36 would be a nice fit for this thing.
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Post by realhunter on Aug 19, 2011 8:09:40 GMT -5
Highly recommend the Nikon Omega... durable and very clear optics for the $$
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Post by swilk on Aug 19, 2011 8:30:50 GMT -5
I think the hard part is going to be finding one without the BDC reticle ........ seems every one I have seen has it.
Gun likely will never see a shot over 100 yards so the less clutter through the glass the better.
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 19, 2011 8:36:55 GMT -5
I've never shot a 77/44 but I first handled one a few years back at the SHOT Show in Orlnado. It is a SWEET gun.
I dearly love my Ruger 44 Carbine .
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Post by hornharvester on Aug 19, 2011 8:39:52 GMT -5
Nikon moved their manufacturing plant from Japan to Malaysia a few years ago and their quality went down hill in my opinion. If I was you I would stick with Leupold. You can get off set rings that will move the scope up another 1". h.h.
S, Ive always wanted one of those Ruger 44 mag until I saw the .357 this year. I dont think you can make the .357 into a Max because of the rotory mag isnt long enough. h.h.
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Post by swilk on Aug 19, 2011 8:56:28 GMT -5
HH ... im worried about the eye relief. Pretty sure getting bit by the scope might put a damper on her excitement for shooting.
I went ahead and ordered a Nikon Omega 1.65-5x36 with the Nikoplex reticle. She gets a few rounds under her belt and a little more size on here I can replace it with a leupold if I dont like it.
I kind of wanted the 357 flavor of this gun but nobody had one, nobody has seen one and nobody could tell me when they might be available. So the 44 decided to come home with me.
I was playing around with the 358 last night working up a load for the 225 accubond .... while I had the chrono out I decided to shoot the 44 across it. Using magtech 240 "A" ammunition it went across the chrono at 1489.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2011 10:26:01 GMT -5
1490 is still pretty mild for a rifle, you can bump that up a bunch if you want too.
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Post by hornharvester on Aug 19, 2011 12:18:15 GMT -5
I was playing around with the 358 last night working up a load for the 225 accubond .... Accubonds are a bit long for the 14 twist barrels and work better in the 12 twist. Sierra's 225 seem to shot better at distance. Try 47-48 grains of H4895 if its a bolt gun and 46 if its an Encore. Speed will be in the 2550 range. h.h. |
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Post by jjas on Aug 19, 2011 13:07:15 GMT -5
1490 is still pretty mild for a rifle, you can bump that up a bunch if you want too. For a youngster like Swik's daughter I'd say the loads they tried are a great place to start. As you stated, there is a lot of room to "grow" with reloads and/or factory ammo that will provide more energy as needed. I have a friend with a 77/44 who's shooting Hornady's 225 grain leverevolution loads and the recoil is a bit stout out of that lightweight rifle. Swik, best of luck to you and your daughter this deer season...and Swik I have one of the scopes you purchased and it really is a nice unit. |
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Post by swilk on Aug 19, 2011 13:31:27 GMT -5
1490 is still pretty mild for a rifle, you can bump that up a bunch if you want too. I intend to work up a handload for her to hunt with ..... but I likely wont make it to awfully hot. Either the 240xtp or the 225ftx going roughly 1500 should do nicely and not kick the snot out of her. |
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Post by swilk on Aug 19, 2011 13:40:40 GMT -5
I was playing around with the 358 last night working up a load for the 225 accubond .... Accubonds are a bit long for the 14 twist barrels and work better in the 12 twist. Sierra's 225 seem to shot better at distance. Try 47-48 grains of H4895 if its a bolt gun and 46 if its an Encore. Speed will be in the 2550 range. h.h. Ill keep that in mind if I cant get the accubonds to do what I want them to do. We are changing from the hornady 3505 180gr bullet ...... was pushing them to near 2900fps and performance on deer was not great. I guess that happens when you push it that far past its designed speed. I loaded up various charges of 10x and 4895 yesterday just to run it through the chrono. was looking for that 25-2600 range for a starting load and then tweak to see what exact charge gives the best groups. I was using my M70 with a 22" barrel and the 10x actually went across the chrono at 2780 .... but showed pressure signs. |
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Post by hornharvester on Aug 19, 2011 15:07:23 GMT -5
If you want to stay with 180 grain bullets use the Speer 180 FP. I used it with Reloader 7 last year @2800 fps and killed two big bucks. Its got a tougher jacket than the Hornady but not quite as accurate. I killed a yote with the 180 Hornady and it blew a hole going out about 5" in diameter. Acted more like a varmint bullet. h.h.
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Post by swilk on Aug 25, 2011 15:02:54 GMT -5
Nikon showed up today .... will be mounting it and doing a little shooting this evening.
Also loaded up some "test" rounds for the 358. 3 rounds each of .5 increment powder charges to shoot for groups. If one of them decides to land all 3 inside of an inch Im good.
Been going back and forth on loads for the .44 .... I know the XTP or FTX bullets will kill a deer stone cold dead with boring reliability but I just keep eying some hard cast bullets from beartooth bullets.
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Post by swilk on Aug 25, 2011 17:01:07 GMT -5
She is taking to this gun like a duck to water. Set up the scope. Sighted it in off of a set of shooting sticks with the factory magtech ammo at 50 yards. Gave the gun to her. She proceeded to put 4 rounds within 3 inches of each other. Off sticks. From 50 yards. On the Nikon..... that thing has loooooong eye relief. Perfect for her.  |
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Sometimes if they don't know about recoil it does not bother them.
