Who's shooting 44wcf ???

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Who's shooting the wonderful 44wcf round ? Are you shooting smokeless or black powder ? Do you purchase your ammo or do you reload it .  Do you participate in CAS or WAS events ? Are you just an occasional shooter ? Do you use  it for Hunting ? How many rounds do you shoot a month ? Thanks Rowdy

[Vernon/IN]

I shoot .44WCF in both rifle and revolver.  I've not beenas active in the last couple years as I would have liked, but I hope to change that soon.

Since I shoot BP, I hand load.  My current load consists of a compressed charge of GOEX 3f behind a 200 gr Big Lube bullet.  When Iwas last active, I'd average 250 - 300 round a month.

I plan to use my Uberti '73 Short Rifle for deer this year.

I also shoot BP in my .45 Colt and my Rossi shotguns.

[Deadeye Don]

I shoot 44-40 in my 92. I reload 6.5 grains of unique with a 200 grn bullet. Works well for me.

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[MJN77]

I have both a uberti 1873 rifle and a henry both with 24 inch barrels and both in .44-40. I also have four uberti revolvers in that caliber. I have hunted with both rifles and have taken several deer with them. I have only hunted with smokeless so far, but plan to change that come November. I also just got started reloading, so no pet load yet, but Goex Blackdawg cartridges work great in my rifles. I love the old 44WCF.

[Sod Buster]

I shoot 44 wcf in all my rifles (1860 Henry, 1866 Carbine, 1873, and 1892).  I also shoot it in my 1875 Remingtons.
I handload.  My load is the 2.2cc dipper of 2F under the 200gr MAV Big Lube boolet.

[Fingers McGee]

Main match rifles are in 44-40 (1860 Henry, 1866 Carine, 1873 Shirt Rifle and AWA Lightning)  Only load BP and occasionally Sub in them.  Also have a pair of Uberti Cattlemen in 44-40 that rarely get used cause I shoot C&Bs mostly.  31 gr fffg under a Big Lube .428 200 grain bullet.

[Deadeye Dick]

I shoot 44-40 in a Uberti 1873 with a 20" barrel. I load a full case of Swiss 2F black powder behind a .429 200 gr Mav Dutchman Big Lube bullet. I shot a Black Tail buck at about 30 yards a couple of years ago with it. Deer went 10 yards after being shot. My hand guns are 44-40 too, so I load primarily 44-40 for cartridge guns. Also, I hunt deer with a 50 cal. muzzle loader rifle using Goex 2F. I prefer Swiss since it is so much cleaner, but it is becoming hard to get here and is very expensive. I use Swiss in my cap and ball hand guns too.
The 44-40 is so much cleaner to shoot since it seals the chamber better.
Deadeye Dick

[Trailrider]

[The undersigned assumes no liability expressed or implied for the use of the following data in guns other than his own. Usual disclaimer.]

I shoot .44-40 for CAS in both my OM Vaqueros, my Navy Arms (Uberti) M1860 Henry, and mostly in a Rossi M65 (M92 replica) rifles. I shoot 213.5 gr hard-cast commercially bullets .430" dia., with 8.0 gr Hodgdons Universal in Winchester brass, with Winchester Large Rifle primers. This loading is slightly in excess of the maximum listed in the Hodgdon Cowboy loads, but I have fired over 3,000 rounds in the Henry with NO increase in headspace nor any signs of problems. Case life is unknown because I have reloaded the same cases over 20 times, and the only ones lost were in the tall grass, or occasionally being torn by the sharp corner on the extractor cut in the barrel of the Rossi before I stoned the edge.  The loads might be more than good for a Colt's or replicas over the long haul, but I have no data on this.  Some folks would probably prefer lighter loads for recoil or noise reduction.

Ride careful, Pards!

[Jubal Wilson]

I have been shooting the 44WCF for nigh on to 55 years. For many years all I had was Unique and Black Powder. I have hunted with the 44WCF in a 24 inch barreled 1892 but never got a shot. I don't hunt any more. I have had three original 1873s in 44WCF and two by Uberti. My current Uberti Winchester 1873 is the Deluxe Sporting rifle in 44WCF. I have had it for 13 years. I have been reloading the 44WCF for the whole 55 years. Started out with a Lyman 310 tool. Being a reloader I am constantly developing new loads. I have had some trouble with some bullets even though I have lubed all my cast bullets with SPG. Last year after following w44wcf's efforts at developing an improved version of the Lyman 427098 mold I discovered Accurate Bullet molds. I ordered the Accurate 43-220C mold which looks similar to the Lyman 427098 mold but has a crimping groove and larger lube grooves. Here is a picture of the results.

Good news for the Accurate 43-220C bullet mold. I finely got out to shoot my Uberti Winchester 1873 in 44 WCF today. It wasn't real warm and the wind was gusting (a cold front was coming through) so I only shot at 50 yards. The load was 37.0 gr Swiss 1.5, a Fed 155 primer and the 219 gr Accurate bullet.



My rifle has a Marbles tang sight on it and I forgot to put in the 50 yard setting. I put a Lyman 17A front sight on it with a Lee Shaver insert that has four bars pointing to the center. I fired two fouling shots then these six shots. It was suppose to be five but I can't count.

I think that this load will be what I shoot in the future. Except I changed to CCI300 primers.

I have used this rifle in the 200 Meter Cowboy Silhouette with good results. Since I have moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota I have not competed in any shooting sports.
Jubal

[Danny Bear Claw]

Well my '73 is caliber 38-40 but I do have, and occasionally shoot, a set of guns in caliber 44-40.  They are a 7.5 inch SAA clone and a 3 inch Sheriff's model clone.  Rifle is an 1866 Uberti "Yellow Boy" with 24 inch barrel.  I shoot smokeless, factory ammo in all three.
I got no complaints...  except maybe,  it's hard to shoot the 3 incher accurately.

[The Swede]

.44-40 in rifle. BP only, and I reload. Don't think I would shoot anything else through the rifle.

Swede

[IRON JACK]

I shoot 44 WCF in a uberti 66 carbine and a uberti 1873 rifle.

I reload, and am presently shooting smokeless (please forgive me) but will be shooting BP by the time deer season opens.

Jack

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Iron Jack
Which rifle are you planning on Hunting with . Which Powder are you using in your black powder load .

Also want to thank everyone for all the good info and the way we have kept everything POSITIVE .

[w44wcf]

I shoot the 44 W.C.F. in an 1873 Winchester Short Rifle made in 1882.  I shoot the 44-40 in a Marlin Cowboy Ltd. rifle.
As we know, both are the same cartridge, with the 44 W.C.F. name coined by Winchester and the 44-40 moniker by Marlin / UMC.

More info here....
Two peas in a pod :  Winchester’s .44 W.C.F. & Marlin / U.M.C.‘s .44- 40
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/44wcf.htm

I've shot some NRA Cowboy Silhouette with both rifles using both black and smokeless.
Black - Swiss with the 427098 bullet / Goex, Schuetzen, Diamondback with the Accurate 43-215C
Smokeless - Titegroup, Trailboss, Blue Dot, 2400, 4227, 4759, RL7

I average probably 1,000 rounds / yr  all reloads.
I don't hunt much anymore but I plan to take the '73 hunting this fall.

w44wcf
(aka w30wcf)

[IRON JACK]

I'll be hunting with the 73.

Bp load will be ffg or fffg goax with lee 200 gr bullet.
I'll stuff all I can in the case when working up load in a few weeks an hope accuracy is there. It won't have to be a tack driver as range will be close in.

I've just recently put a lyman tang sight on it and it worked out to shoot dead center windage wise without doing any fitting and it really helps these old eyes. My lyman is a great sight unlike some I've heard of as of late.

Jack

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Today I tried some of the American pioneer powder . It worked but the velocities were up and down . The only thing good about it was I didn't need a special lube for the bullets . I shot about 20 rounds , clean up for rifle and brass was easy . The velocities were from 795 to 995 fps . I like the Swiss over the APP . 

[Forty Rod]

.44 wcf black powder in a Henry, a '66, and a '73.  I also shoot black in .45 Colt in my sixguns and a '92.  

I buy BP loads from Cliff Hanger and am very satisfied.  No idea what the load is, but knowing Cliff he may just shovel the case full, stomp it down with a stick, and seat a 225 grain bullet.  As long as it works...!

Now if I could find someone who loads black in .45-60 and .45-70 I'd be happy.

Guess it doesn't much matter.  I haven't shot a match in about two years and very few in the last seven years.  I'm saving myself for old age.

[lethal larry]

I shoot .44 WCF with both BP and smokeless and like this caliber. I reload my own. Do not hunt.

[Grapeshot]

   I shoot the .44 WCF in my 1873 Short Rifle (A.Uberti) and my 1866 Yellowboy Carbine.  I also used to shoot it in a copy of the Iron Framed Henry, Model of 1860.

[Kinchafoonee Kid]

I shoot the 44 WCF in my Uberti 73 30 inch barrel.  I use Starline brass, either the CCI or Federal magnum primer, 35 grains 2F Scheutzen powder, no wad, and wither the Accurate mould bullet in .428 or the Old West bullet in .430. I lube with Dan T lube (great in our low humidity Colorado weather) which allows me to shoot an entire SASS match without cleaning.  Both these bullets have a very generous grease
UBS, similar to the Big Lube bullet, and work well in this long barrel.

I welcome any advice.

KK