Savvy Jack
Member
Actually it is the art of shooting most all lever actions chambered for the original mid-range (old west) rifle calibers.
Many may not know but the 45-70 with a 405gr bullet has very much the same trajectory as the 44-40 out to about 300 yards. Of course the 45-70 is hands down "more powerful" but that is not exactly my objective today.
Placing myself back before the turn of the century, and even a tad further....maybe about 1876....
The 44-40 Winchester 73' was a very popular rifle and was used by many to defend and hunt. Many testimonials in Winchester's 1875 catalog are seen where guys are shooting several hundred yards with great results.
So what is "Great Results". Well, if you are starving and have to make that 300 yard shot vs sport shooting and "kill ethics".
Anyhow...
Winchester offers a nice Ballistics Calculator app on their website here: https://ballisticscalculator.winchester.com/#!/result
You can select your favorite cartridge and play with the options to see your POA needed for a particular ammo selection.
Even when handloading, you can use this as a guide to help you get on track when using a scope or in general, using open sights, to help place that shot where it "should" be.
No, there were basically no scopes back then but I can't see the targets out there any more, plus I am talking cartridge reliability, not the shooters skill level.
So before I continue to babble on.....
I am using an Uberti Winchester 73' with a 6x Malcom scope. Smokeless powder handloads that replicate the 44-40's ORIGINAL velocity+...1,350fps and maintaining normal SAAMI pressures. For those that care, modern 44-40 factory ammo ballistics are reduced to that of the original 44 Henry ballistics.
I use 25.8gr of Reloder 7 along with Accurate Mold's 43-214A (modified Lyman 427098). This load groups 40 consecutive shots inside 4" at 100 yards replicating Doc Pardee's 1875 group. (of course he used black powder and no scope)
Target is set to 200 yards, then back to 150 yards. POA is set to 200 Yards with elevation corrections for 150 yards (and down to 50 yards).
The 44-40 is not a 30-06 nor a 270 where one can shoot at both 100 and 300 yards with nearly no trajectory. Knowing how your shots group is very important if you are looking for an ethical kill shot. While the 30-06 and 270 types group tight at both 100 and 300 yards, the 44-40 shot placement is measured in a "multi-shot" group size, not just a two or three shot group size. While the high power types can be reliable tight groups, the 44-40's shot placement is larger and the shooter needs to group 10 to 15 shots rather than just two or three. Remember, it's that first shot that counts when you are hungry.
So why did I set POA for 200 rather than 50?
Because the target is smaller and hard to see at 200 yards, thus the POA for center.
At closer distances the target is bigger, this windage and elevation can be a bit more precise at closer distances rather than longer ones.
Rather than just show a target with holes in it, I thought I would try to be a bit more virtual by videoing the session. What another whole barrel of red wigglers that can be!!!
I have gopro footage for the target and iPhone footage for the shooter and tried to do a PIP video but my computer wont handle it. Thus, I just uploaded an edited 1 hour 17 minute video down to just 3 minutes. Maybe I can do better on EVERYTHING next time.
Make sure you have "CC" (closed caption) turned on in order to see subtitle narration if you watch the video.
Many may not know but the 45-70 with a 405gr bullet has very much the same trajectory as the 44-40 out to about 300 yards. Of course the 45-70 is hands down "more powerful" but that is not exactly my objective today.
Placing myself back before the turn of the century, and even a tad further....maybe about 1876....
The 44-40 Winchester 73' was a very popular rifle and was used by many to defend and hunt. Many testimonials in Winchester's 1875 catalog are seen where guys are shooting several hundred yards with great results.
So what is "Great Results". Well, if you are starving and have to make that 300 yard shot vs sport shooting and "kill ethics".
Anyhow...
Winchester offers a nice Ballistics Calculator app on their website here: https://ballisticscalculator.winchester.com/#!/result
You can select your favorite cartridge and play with the options to see your POA needed for a particular ammo selection.
Even when handloading, you can use this as a guide to help you get on track when using a scope or in general, using open sights, to help place that shot where it "should" be.
No, there were basically no scopes back then but I can't see the targets out there any more, plus I am talking cartridge reliability, not the shooters skill level.
So before I continue to babble on.....
I am using an Uberti Winchester 73' with a 6x Malcom scope. Smokeless powder handloads that replicate the 44-40's ORIGINAL velocity+...1,350fps and maintaining normal SAAMI pressures. For those that care, modern 44-40 factory ammo ballistics are reduced to that of the original 44 Henry ballistics.
I use 25.8gr of Reloder 7 along with Accurate Mold's 43-214A (modified Lyman 427098). This load groups 40 consecutive shots inside 4" at 100 yards replicating Doc Pardee's 1875 group. (of course he used black powder and no scope)
Target is set to 200 yards, then back to 150 yards. POA is set to 200 Yards with elevation corrections for 150 yards (and down to 50 yards).
The 44-40 is not a 30-06 nor a 270 where one can shoot at both 100 and 300 yards with nearly no trajectory. Knowing how your shots group is very important if you are looking for an ethical kill shot. While the 30-06 and 270 types group tight at both 100 and 300 yards, the 44-40 shot placement is measured in a "multi-shot" group size, not just a two or three shot group size. While the high power types can be reliable tight groups, the 44-40's shot placement is larger and the shooter needs to group 10 to 15 shots rather than just two or three. Remember, it's that first shot that counts when you are hungry.
So why did I set POA for 200 rather than 50?
Because the target is smaller and hard to see at 200 yards, thus the POA for center.
At closer distances the target is bigger, this windage and elevation can be a bit more precise at closer distances rather than longer ones.
Rather than just show a target with holes in it, I thought I would try to be a bit more virtual by videoing the session. What another whole barrel of red wigglers that can be!!!
I have gopro footage for the target and iPhone footage for the shooter and tried to do a PIP video but my computer wont handle it. Thus, I just uploaded an edited 1 hour 17 minute video down to just 3 minutes. Maybe I can do better on EVERYTHING next time.
Make sure you have "CC" (closed caption) turned on in order to see subtitle narration if you watch the video.
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