I just purchased a Browning LW Traditional Hunter in .44 Magnum. Does anyone have experience or pet loads with these rifles for whitetail deer? Any links to reviews would also be appreciated. It certainly is a pretty rifle. Now if it shoots well too I'll be a very happy camper.
Posts by rick687
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Hi Chief, thanks for the reply. The rifle is a Browning Light Weight Traditional Hunter. It has a 24" barrel and is a visible hammer single shot. I believe these rifles are copies of the 1885 Winchester Low Wall rifles. I've seen several in .45 colt, but this is the first one I've run across in .44 Magnum. It should arrive in the next week or so.
I also love the caliber and have several .44 Magnum revolvers including a Ruger Super Blackhawk hunter & S&W Mountain Gun and a Marlin 1894 Cowboy II lever action.
I've been shooting 240 gr JSP bullets over 22 gr. Alliant 2400 in the Rugers. They are pretty robust loads, and I've not used them in the S&W. I am not sure how they will perform in the Browning, but I will probably start at or near that load. I don't know the actual velocity in my revolvers, but the Hornady manual indicates about 1300 fps from a 7.5" Ruger. I imagine they'll zip along a bit faster from a 24" barrel.
The intended use for these loads is for whitetail deer. I hunt in southern Louisiana and the brush is pretty thick. Shots seldom exceed 150 yards.
My eyes are also getting a bit older, and I'm using a Marble tang sight on my Marlin lever action. It has adjustments for both windage and elevation. Besides the beautiful wood, the fact that the Browning comes with the same sight strongly influenced my purchase decision. So far, I think I'll be able to get by with that sight instead of a scope. It has made a real difference for me in Cowboy Action Shoots. You might consider one. I got mine from Brownell's and am very pleased with the quality and function.
I also love the caliber and have several .44 Magnum revolvers including a Ruger Super Blackhawk hunter & S&W Mountain Gun and a Marlin 1894 Cowboy II lever action.
I've been shooting 240 gr JSP bullets over 22 gr. Alliant 2400 in the Rugers. They are pretty robust loads, and I've not used them in the S&W. I am not sure how they will perform in the Browning, but I will probably start at or near that load. I don't know the actual velocity in my revolvers, but the Hornady manual indicates about 1300 fps from a 7.5" Ruger. I imagine they'll zip along a bit faster from a 24" barrel.
The intended use for these loads is for whitetail deer. I hunt in southern Louisiana and the brush is pretty thick. Shots seldom exceed 150 yards.
My eyes are also getting a bit older, and I'm using a Marble tang sight on my Marlin lever action. It has adjustments for both windage and elevation. Besides the beautiful wood, the fact that the Browning comes with the same sight strongly influenced my purchase decision. So far, I think I'll be able to get by with that sight instead of a scope. It has made a real difference for me in Cowboy Action Shoots. You might consider one. I got mine from Brownell's and am very pleased with the quality and function.
The Browning arrived today and all I can say is that the picture didn't do it justice. It is too pretty to shoot! Nawwww, but it is some of the nicest wood I've seen on a factory stock.
I'll try it this weekend with my CAS loads (240 gr SWC over 7.4 Gr Win. 231). Based on experience with my Marlin 1894, I'll be close to the bull when I get some factory or hunting loads set up.I'm out of town Wed-Sat. or I'd be off to the range tomorrow!. Will post results guys. Thanks for the ideas and tips!
I'll try it this weekend with my CAS loads (240 gr SWC over 7.4 Gr Win. 231). Based on experience with my Marlin 1894, I'll be close to the bull when I get some factory or hunting loads set up.I'm out of town Wed-Sat. or I'd be off to the range tomorrow!. Will post results guys. Thanks for the ideas and tips!
Good information guys. Since I'm going to shoot the loads in both my Super Blackhawk Hunter (7 1/2") and the Low Wall (24"), I'm going to try three different powder weights with Winchester 240 gr JSP. Because I have 2 lbs of Alliant 2400, that will be the starting powder and I'll load 18, 20 and 22 gr and shoot all for accuracy. The 22 gr is the max listed by my manual (Hornady, 3rd Ed.) so I may chicken out and try 16, 18 and 20 instead. The bullets are due any day now and I should be at the range Sunday to try them out. I'll follow up after I shoot them.
My hope is that I'll get satisfactory accuracy in both guns with at least one of the loads. If so, I won't have to separate loadings when I go hunting this fall. The SBH is already sighted in with Winchester 240 gr factory ammo, so I shouldn't have much change there, but the Low Wall is a brand new gun and so far all I've had to shoot is my CAS loads and, I'm sorry to say, I spent over an hour scrubbing lead from the barrel. There's an idea I won't try again. Wow...the season is creeping up on us. I need to get busy.
My hope is that I'll get satisfactory accuracy in both guns with at least one of the loads. If so, I won't have to separate loadings when I go hunting this fall. The SBH is already sighted in with Winchester 240 gr factory ammo, so I shouldn't have much change there, but the Low Wall is a brand new gun and so far all I've had to shoot is my CAS loads and, I'm sorry to say, I spent over an hour scrubbing lead from the barrel. There's an idea I won't try again. Wow...the season is creeping up on us. I need to get busy.
Well guys, the 21.7 grains of Alliant 2400 (my measure wouldn't throw a 22 grain charge without changing out the pistol charge bar and using the rifle charge bar) was the winner today. It was clover-leafing shots at 50 yards. It was too windy for longer range shooting with gusts up to 40 mph. The 18 grain load wasn't bad, but groups were a bit larger than the hotter ones. All loads used a Win. 240 gr JHP (.430) and Win Large pistol primers.
I have a theory that the cast bullet loads I was shooting before just didn't stabilize either due to low speed or rifling depth. In any case, the hotter loads and jacketed bullets seem to work better for me. Got home Sat. afternoon and fly out again tomorrow am. Maybe I can get more data next week.
I have a theory that the cast bullet loads I was shooting before just didn't stabilize either due to low speed or rifling depth. In any case, the hotter loads and jacketed bullets seem to work better for me. Got home Sat. afternoon and fly out again tomorrow am. Maybe I can get more data next week.
We finally had a shootin' day here in west Texas! Light overcast, low 80s and a 5-10 mph breeze blowing directly on our backs at the range.
The Browning was cloverleafing shots at 100 yards. Nothing I shot all day was out of the bullseye, even when I didn't do my part. Good thing too, my brother told me he was really worried last week because he knew the rifle wouldn't stay in my safe if it didn't shoot better than the groups I got with the cast bullets. The tang sight is wonderful! Older eyes have troubles with focus on close objects and the peep eliminates the problem. Another good thing since I can't imagine glass on the rifle. It just wouldn't look right.
The load it likes is as follows:
Winchester 240 gr JHP (.430) over 21.2 gr Alliant 2400, OAL 1.610, Win. large pistol primer, Win. brass and a roll crimp at the cannelure. I felt the crimp was necessary to help with complete burning and to keep the bullets from backing out of the brass in my Ruger Hunter. I also sighted the Ruger in with the load and was keeping most in the 10 ring at 75 yards. Better groups will come with practice, but as with the Browning, all shots were "minute of deer".
Charlie Z, I appreciate your comments on copper fouling in a nice rifle and am fastidious about cleaning fouling out. I'll try cast again when I can get some better ones to work with. In the meanwhile, deer season is coming up soon and I've a lot of travel between now and then, so I was in a hurry to get a good accurate load worked up. I got some really good tips here on other powders to try also so the work isn't done (Is that the same as saying "the fun isn't over"?)
All in all, thie rifle's a keeper guys. I appreciate all the help on it.
The Browning was cloverleafing shots at 100 yards. Nothing I shot all day was out of the bullseye, even when I didn't do my part. Good thing too, my brother told me he was really worried last week because he knew the rifle wouldn't stay in my safe if it didn't shoot better than the groups I got with the cast bullets. The tang sight is wonderful! Older eyes have troubles with focus on close objects and the peep eliminates the problem. Another good thing since I can't imagine glass on the rifle. It just wouldn't look right.
The load it likes is as follows:
Winchester 240 gr JHP (.430) over 21.2 gr Alliant 2400, OAL 1.610, Win. large pistol primer, Win. brass and a roll crimp at the cannelure. I felt the crimp was necessary to help with complete burning and to keep the bullets from backing out of the brass in my Ruger Hunter. I also sighted the Ruger in with the load and was keeping most in the 10 ring at 75 yards. Better groups will come with practice, but as with the Browning, all shots were "minute of deer".
Charlie Z, I appreciate your comments on copper fouling in a nice rifle and am fastidious about cleaning fouling out. I'll try cast again when I can get some better ones to work with. In the meanwhile, deer season is coming up soon and I've a lot of travel between now and then, so I was in a hurry to get a good accurate load worked up. I got some really good tips here on other powders to try also so the work isn't done (Is that the same as saying "the fun isn't over"?)
All in all, thie rifle's a keeper guys. I appreciate all the help on it.
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