100 Yard Accuracy with 44 Mag.???

[PALongbow]

I'm currently using the 200 grain Hornady XTP bullet with IMR4227 powder with my Ruger Super Redhawk 7 1/2 44 mag revolver. My accuracy at 50 yards is 2-3 inch groups, but out at 100 yards my bullets hit the paper, however the pattern is spread out alot and is nothing like it is at 50 yards. Should I expect to get close to or the same accuracy at 100 yards as I get at 50 yards? What could the problem be?? Is it the shooter or the load??

Ron

[sricciardelli]

If you are getting 2"-3" at 50 yards, then you should be getting 4"-6" at 100...

[labgrade]

I agree with sricciardelli - to a point.

May be that your 50 yard target needs to be something else at 100 so as to give a "better" picture at that range. What works at 50 ain't necessarily so at 100.

Too, a heavy cast bullet is ideal for th elonger ranges. You should be able to do fine at 100 with what you're using, but do consider a big ol' cast for further (and, anything closer )

[Steve in PA]

How long have you been shooting your SRH? It takes often and frequent practice to be a good handgunner. I've been shooting/handgun hunting for several years now and my first few times to the range always leaves me shaking my head thinking my gun/load has gone to pot. But a few more trips, more time on the range, getting re-used to the recoil, etc and the group size shrinkis nicely. I only shoot mine at 100 yds..using either a 240 or 300 grain HP-XTP over H-110.

I try shooting it during the summer, however I have several other firearms that I usually shoot then. And since I'm a LEO and a firearm instructor I tend to end up shooting several of my auto's this time of the year. But, come late summer/early fall the SRH gets pulled out and by hunting season the groups at 100yds usually fall nicely into a 3" circle. Keep shooting, it'll come.

[PALongbow]

Steve,

I just got my SRH a couple of months ago and have been shooting it every weekend during the winter months. Your right about practicing with it. I shoot a lot better at 50 yards now than when I first got the SRH and my groups have improved alot. The only problem is at 100 yards off the bench my groups are terrible for some reason. I don't know if its me or the load I'm using. I think the next step would be to move back to 75 yards and see what happens.

BTW Drop me an email sometime. I'm orginally from Northeastern PA.

Ron

[WESHOOT2]

Suggest loads using bullets of 280g and heavier.

W296, Starline cases, Federal or CCI primers. And finish using the REDDING Profile Crimp die.

[dewey]

With my .44MAGs I also get 2/3 inch groups@50 and 4-6inch at 100 yards. About everyother cylinder a grouping of 3/4 do 1 inche. I shoot S&W M29s but the Rugers are every bit as accurate.( AND some say more accurate ) best....dewey

[Archie]

Two to three inch groups at 50 yards are quite respectable.

Are you shooting iron sights or a scope? Iron sights are harder to align perfectly as distance increases. Scopes can be a pain at times... holstering and carrying and so on.

As mentioned, more practise is the answer. You obviously are on the right track.

My longer 44 loads were always 245 grain SWC bullets. I think the heavier bullets may "carry" better. That's an unscientific term incorporating ballistic co-efficient and accuracy. Still, your current 50 yards groups are just fine.

[C.R.Sam]

Several possibilities.
First.....consistancy of sight picture is paramount.

Bullet weight and/or shape may be doin it.
Charge may be a tad heavy or light for your particular gun.

At least messin around huntin for the right set up will be fun.

Suggest tryin the same load at 25, 50 and 75 yards. Should show same angle of deviation at all ranges. If not, then you probably need to fine tune your sight picture foe each shot.

Sam......or sumpin.

[PALongbow]

Forgot to mention that I'm shooting a 2X20 Simmons Gold Medal scope on top my SRH. I don't really want to start messing with loads just yet until I'm convinced that its me and not the load. I want to shoot at 75 yards to see if anything changes drastically and work from there.

At 50 yards sometimes I can shoot a one inch group and put bullet hole in hole but most times its 3 inch groups. At 25 yards I can put hole in hole, one inch high and dead center.

I had a stiff tail wind on Saturday and a crosswind the week before that when I shot at 100 yards, so maybe there is something going on with wind deviation. Don't know for sure.

I really like the 200 grain XTP and the load I'm using out to 50 yards, but maybe its time to try the 240 grain XTP with a different load.

Ron

[JohnK]

200gr is a fairly light bullet for the 44 it could be that that bullet doesn't stabalize enough for long range shots. Just because a load will do 1" at 25 yards does not mean it will always do 4" at 100.

Longer/heavier bullets, or to be more preceise those with a higher specific density, nearly always shoot better at long range than lighter bullets. If you want to stick with XTP's I'd try the 240's and 300's, many people get under 4" @ 100 yards with Super Redhawks and heavier bullets.

[topstrap]

I was just going to say the same thing as JohnK, I've had much better luck with heavier bullets in all my 44's. I use 240 Hornady XTP's or their 240 silhouette bullet interchangibly without a problem of it changing point of impact out to 240 yards. I have played with the 300's and heavier (cast) and they do shoot very well but it's not pleasant to sit and shoot them all day long.

I also use 24gr. of IMR4227 (same with H4227) with Federal cases and CCI 350 primer and get incredible accuracy. I used to use 296 but kinda strayed from it but might go back to it this summer since I had incredible accuracy with it also. I'll include an attached file of a group I shot off a rest at 220 yards with a Freedom Arms 44 with a 4 power scope.

Most problems associated with shooting the 44mag are usually related directly to what you see when you look in the mirror in the morning. There are so many factors that affect revolver accuracy. A finger touching the grip a tad differently from shot to shot, tension in the wrist or elbow...... then there is the squeeze, if that sight even quivers when the hammer falls and the gun doesn't go off then that was a bad shot. Most people try to grip the gun too tightly and fight the recoil...... a SA is meant to turn in your hands as it also rises... it's an uncomfortable feeling for most people since they feel they don't have control of the gun.

Good Luck....... there isn't much better than pulling off a shot an some extreme distance with your 44 in front of a bunch of rifle shooter.... it's worth all the practice and effort.

I had to come back and add this.. this group in the pic was fired from a gun that has NEVER had it's barrel cleaned. This is after thousands of rounds fired thru it, the only cleaning ever done is when the cylinder gets a bit hard to turn, then it's taken out and a brush with a bit of solvent is run thru the center pin hole, a drop or Rem oil added and then put back together. Occasionally a bit of powder residue builds up in the end of a chamber and a brush is run in each hole in the cylinder but that is it. Kinda one of those "believe it or not" things. Gotta wonder how much better (or worse) it would shoot if it was cleaned... Nah.... I like it better like this. Done shooting, toss it in the box, put it in the safe till next time......

Apologies to those that have seen this pic before, thought it might show what type of accuracy is realistic from a 44 revolver to those that haven't seen it.

[JohnK]

Nice group topstrap, even more so because it's 10 shots not just 3 or 5.

I've only used a couple pounds of IMR 4227, it never really did the trick for me so all my heavy loads are done with H110 these days. Great velocity, exceptional accuracy (as long as I do my part) H110 does all I can ask of it.

21.5gr of H110 under a 300gr bullet is a terrific load, very accurate but not what I'd call pleasant to shoot. 300@1,300+ tends to smart a bit after 20 or 30 rounds. But it is very accurate out a very long ways.

[C.R.Sam]

Nice Topstrap. That load and that particular gun sho like each other.

Sam

[topstrap]

I was shooting at that Ram after playing with the wee bitty targets a bit further back and I had shot 5 at it and thought WOW it's not doing too bad, then I shot some more at the little ones behind it and thought I'd shoot another one at the Ram. I kept thinking everytime I would shoot at the Ram one would jump way out there and mess it up. These weren't shot one after the other at the Ram. I'd shoot something else and them get a bit cocky and take another shot at the Ram.. Ended up all of them stayed in the group, the actual size of all the shots could be covered by a medium size sytrofoam coffee cup...

My Rugers also like that load. I used to use 23 or 24gr. of 296 with the Hornady Silhouette (old style) bullet in silhouette back in the 80's and mainly shot it in an Abiline Silhouette model. There had been times that I could hit a 150 meter IHMSA turkey edgeways with that gun 3 out of 5 times. That was back when I still had decent eyesight. Most of the 44's will really shoot but it takes a lot of practice to become accustomed to the gun. I was only shooting the revolvers when I did that.

I think most of the better 44's (S&W, Ruger and Freedom will shoot way better than most people give them credit for. The one thing that I found that helped the most was having all the cases the same length so the crimp was always consistant. That one thing really tightened up the groups at longer distances.

I haven't tried H110 in the 44, I can remember using it for something back in the old days but don't what gun it might have been for. I try to get most of my guns to shoot the same powder so I don't have to have so many different powders around. It's pretty neat when you finally stumble on a load that the guns likes, the target appreciates and the shooter enjoys shooting.

Maybe this year I'll have to try and set up a camera downrange and get a bit of footage of a 44 hitting one of our little 2" stopsigns at 240 yards, that would be pretty neat to see and put on here to share.

Good luck in your shooting and finding that magic load.

[PALongbow]

Topstrap,

Thanks for the advise and I have to say that your one heck of a shooter. I'm glad that there is another fellow handgun shooter that uses IMR4227 and achieves accuracy with it. I'm making the switch to 240 grain XTP's this weekend.

One question. According to the reloading manuals and what Hornady told me your 24 grains of IMR4227 is considered a little hot for that bullet. 20.5-23.5 seems to be the norm while using IMR4227 and Hornday's 240 XTP. Seems to me that most guns like a hotter loads while using this combination. Is that true?

Ron

[Steve in PA]

PALongbow,

When I break out the SRH to start shooting, my first few range trips leave me thinking the same, is it me, the gun or the load?? Well, after a few more trips, the gun and load haven't changed, but my groups get better. I'm sure yours will too.

I have a Bushnell 2x6 variable mounted on my SRH. I'll drop you a line when I get the chance.....or run into you here. Good shooting.

[topstrap]

I haven't had any problems with the 24 gr. of 4227 but as almost anyone on here will agree with... you might start lower and work your way up. I don't know how a S&W or other brand of 44 will do with this load but in my Ruger SBH and the Freedom Arms they love it. I also do not know the length of my cases other than I make them all the same length so the crimp is consistant. I have dial calibers and all that stuff but don't use them for that purpose...

From all the years of shooting the 44 in revolvers I've found that every time I've played with trying a reduced load of any type in a magnum case accuracy has failed at long distances.

It's kinda funny, I've yet to shoot a 40 with that Freedom with the scope on it. I can sit at my range and hit 2" and 4" circles consistantly at 240 yards but somehow I'll always end up missing a turkey or something at a match. We only have one a month around here now so it's easy to forget where I held last month on a certain target since I don't change elevation on the scope. It's usually the foot on the chicken, belly on the pig, center on the turkey and top of horn on the ram but I mess up somehow but it's all in fun anyway for me.

Back in the 80's when the World Record for a Big Bore Revolver was still a 39 I shot quite a few 38's with an Abilene 44 with open sights.. but somehow always missed a chicken or pig to miss a chance at a 39 or 40.. oh well. I quit for 13 years and when I started to shoot IHMSA again my eyes had gotten worse and I've had to go with optics on all my handguns but I still love the 44 revolver the best...

I also had good luck with 296 but drifted away for some reason... I might go back to it again this summer and see how the Freedom likes it. Some say it'll cut the Topstrap but I never had that problem with my Abilene and I shot it every week at a match somewhere and practiced a couple of times a week shooting 10's of thousands of rounds thru it. You'll have to let us know how the 4227 works for you...

PS, I just went in and looked up my old silhouette load for the Abilene and it was 24gr. of 296 with a CCI 350 primer... I thought it was 23... but that load would really shoot well in that gun.