44 cal straight wall cartridge opinions needed

[coyote wacker]

350L doesn't have the powder capacity. Only uses ~25grs of power. I've loaded for this cartridge extensively. Really need to get closer to 40 grs for that to become a wow cartridge. I ran the hammer bullets in excess of 2800, but the are very light and deflect easily off of limbs.
I have a friend using a custom 40x1.8. I'd go that route, but bullets for a 40 cal rifle are crap or insanely heavy.....or 10mm hangun stuff.
Ideally the bullet would be in the 180-200 gr range.

I have been working on a 40 x 1.8" cartridge....its a true 40 caliber there's only one company that makes the best bullet Cutting Edge Bullets its a 165 gr. its a copper bullet made for muzzleloader but I had Dan just sell bullets without a plastic sabot....

 

[dan1953]

I have only shot 3 deer with the 350 legend, regular old Deer season. The furthest I have had one run was a stumbling 25 feet. Two were bang flop. I was a 45-70 Ohio deer hunter, now I am a 350 legend deer hunter. Super light AR pattern gun that barely recoils. The last 45-70 deer I shot ran 50 yards and I put another one in it to keep it from heading down into a deep ravine. I am sure it would have died and the blood trail was great but nothing is perfect. I have not had a extreme point exit so I get that. The real issue in hunting is confidence, load and shoot what you have confidence in. Cheers!

 

[sedancowboy]

If a straight wall and a belt is what you want then the 450 Marlin cut down to 1.8 might fit the bill.

 

[Wolf76]

I have been working on a 40 x 1.8" cartridge....its a true 40 caliber there's only one company that makes the best bullet Cutting Edge Bullets its a 165 gr. its a copper bullet made for muzzleloader but I had Dan just sell bullets without a plastic sabot....

This is my friends 40x1.8.....30.06 cut and necked down slightly.

 

[Dean2]

This is my friends 40x1.8.....30.06 cut and necked down slightly. View attachment 416216View attachment 416217

Good looking round. How much powder will that hold without compressing the load and what kind of bullet. Any idea what the bullet weight and velocity is?

 

[Wolf76]

Good looking round. How much powder will that hold without compressing the load and what kind of bullet. Any idea what the bullet weight and velocity is?

Unsure on powder capacity. He runs a 200 gr bullet @2770.
The ftx caused a lot of bloodshot on deer

 

[Dean2]

Unsure on powder capacity. He runs a 200 gr bullet @2770.
The ftx caused a lot of bloodshot on deerView attachment 416221

That is honking right along for a 200 grain bullet. A full bore 30-06 can't move a 200 grain bullet that fast. Very impressive and seems to do quite the job on deer..

 

[del2les]

The 445 SM in rifle length barrels can achieve 2,100fps with 240 XTP's, and that load still has just over 1,000ft/lbs of energy at 200 yards. With a 100yd zero, it is only about 4" low at 150yds and 10-12" low at 200yds, so it would be more than sufficient for your needs.

Lighter and faster bullets in the 200-220gr would flatten the trajectory a little more. I've used the 357Max with 180-200gr bullets in 14" Contenders well past the 200yd range with good results, and even the old standby 44 Mag from 10-14" barrels with 180-200gr bullets.

 

[Stk]

Might be missing something, but what's wrong with the .450 Bushmaster in a bolt action? Seems to be in the power/recoil balance you want.

 

[357Mag]

Here's the basic situation. I live in a straight wall hunting cartridge state (1.8" max case length and 35 cal or larger). I already have a 45 raptor, 450 bm, and 350 legend. My wife just started hunting and I'd like to build her something that is 44 cal because the 350 legend is very underwhelming and the big 45s are a bit much. The 44 mag is fine up to maybe 100, but I have shots over 100. So I have an encore and would consider a bolt action build.
What can I build and fully maximize a 44 cal bullet? I've looked at a 445 super mag, but would like brass about .2" longer than normally available.
I'm a reloader, so custom stuff is an option. If I had my way, I'd opt for a 450 marlin cut down with some added taper.
Please help.

Wolf -

Howdy !

If you cut the neck & shoulder area off of a 7 X 64 Brenneke case, you'd have a straight walled (tapered side wall ) case 2.0028" lg, that is .308 bolt face compatible.

Figuring around .012" thick case sidewalls for the wildcat + .429" bullet diam would equate to a .453" nominal case
OD @ the case mouth; as formed.

7 X 64 Brenneke runs around .466" base OD. You could simply set the chamber cut to around .455" OD @ the case mouth ( allows for case OD clearance @ the seated bullet area ), and accept the minimal amount of case taper that results; which is around .011" . A 6PPC has .010" case taper, as an example.

Might be possible to use a 7 X 64 chamber reamer followed by a .44" cal throater; to cut the chamber in a .44" cal barrel ? The reamer's pilot bushing would need to be removable, so that a notional .44" cal bushing could be installed for cutting the wildcat's chamber.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Wolf76]

Might be missing something, but what's wrong with the .450 Bushmaster in a bolt action? Seems to be in the power/recoil balance you want.

Not much wrong with the 450 bm. It's just more recoil than my wife can handle.

 

[ATH]

If I was committed I'd cut down 444 Marlin cases and have a barrel chambered short for them. If you try them in a standard chamber and seat the bullets long you might be surprised.

I would be sure to use bullets designed for these higher velocities or avoid short shots. XTPs will be explosive above 44Mag velocities.

 

[akmtnhnt]

Not much wrong with the 450 bm. It's just more recoil than my wife can handle.

I think anything that is going to achieve what you're looking for is going to be right up there with the recoil. I'd say every wildcat proposed is going to be really close. Bore size is irrelevant in recoil. It's gun weight, powder mass + bullet mass and velocity. If you're shooting a 250gr .452 at 2200fps out of an 8lb gun it is going to have the exact same recoil as a 250gr .430 at 2200fps out of an 8lb gun. Or a 250gr .355/7. The .452 bore might actually have a tiny bit less since larger bores tend to be slightly more efficient, get away with a half a grain or 1 grain less powder for the same velocity.
Honestly efficiency of powder and max case pressure is the spot you'd be able to drop recoil maaaaybe 10%. If one case can take 50kpsi and the other only 40kpsi, you should be able to run a faster powder, and less of it to get to the 50kpsi, and the velocity you're after.

Have you considered a brake or a suppressor(if they are legal where you are)? That's the easiest way to get what you're after.

 

[Muddyboots]

I have a stretched .357 Max on paper waiting for a brass mfger accept work. Good luck plus 10,000 cases min order. Standard Max with 190 gr Fury was solid at 2250. I was hoping to hit 2500 with extended Max but not a snowball chance I can get brass.