Range Report Ruger77/44Hornady Lvrevolution - Successful Combo

[Sniper1*]

Any help would be appreciated.

I am going to hunt with a Ruger 77/44 for deer in IN this year. I am going to use the Hornady 225 grain FTX round. I have chrono'd it out of two rifles so far and get and avg. of 1738.7 fps. The question I have been unable to answer for sure is the BC of the bullet.

I found one website a guy said it was .153. Well, he may be right but you guys are much more well versed and knowledgeable than me so I am asking here.

Can anyone figure out the BC for this round. It is not on Hornadys website either.

Thanks guys!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Link.

I.e. BC = .153 approximately.

BC's for bullets of this type are fairly similar, as are trajectories. The main differences with the commercial loadings are in the propellant charges.

You would likely learn more practical info on this bullet by simply zeroing at a practical distance (I use 70yd for my .44mag), and shooting several rounds at other distances (i.e 100yd, 150yd, 200yd) and observing the resulting drops.

Wondering what it is about the bullet that interests you.

Its main feature is its compatibility with tubular magazines, and your 77/44 doesn't have one

I would make my choices about .44 mag bullets based on terminal energy, the BC on all of them are so uniformly atrocious, I'd think it's not a significant issue. Also, as the link comments, BCs for shooting under 300yd are kinda arbitrary and inconsequential. I'd not be trying shots with a .44mag carbine much beyond 150yd, 200yd at most. At those distances, the available bullets all perform adequately to deliver whatever terminal energy is available at the distance.

Greg

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

I liked the bullet shape as compared to the "flying ashtray". I have been a fan of Hornady bullets and ammo in the past so I thought I would try it. I put a Nikon BDC scope on for aiming references and am just trying to stay ahead of the curve. I have verified my 100 and 150 and just wanted see if it would fall in line with what I have already found.

Using Loadbase I can get specific (precise) aiming points with that reticle if I have my numbers correct!

Thanks for the input!

Is there a better round you would recommend?

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

BTW, that link is where I got .153 also.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

After I posted, I kept looking. Like you that was the only reference I found within a reasonable time searching.

However, reading some of the myriad other 'hits' (more like near misses), I was able to form a conclusion that the computation the poster made was probably pretty accurate, based on various other .44 cal bullets.

I think basically that's all you're gonna find.

As I suggested, shoot them, see where they go, trust them to deliver good energy out to at least 150yd, and whetever accuracy and BC gains they provide at practical distances are going to be a bit of a tossup, and pretty much dependent on how your rifle shoots, rather than anything that's general Internet knowledge.

Greg

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Thanks for your time sir!

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Running the ballistics backwards from Hornady's data, I am coming up with a .151 BC. Either way, should get you close enough for the range of a 44 mag. The 44 mag will reach way out there, if you know your ballistics and trajectory data.

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Thanks ChadTRG42!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

I have my best accuracy and flattest trajectory with Rem/UMC 180gr LNFP (Lead Nose Flat Point) jacketed commercial loads. A bit easier with the recoil, too. I added a Limbsaver Slip-On Recoil Pad, and it made things much more agreeable with my Win '94 carbine. A Bushnell Dot Scope and a very nice leather sling complete the rig. It's just an ideal brush gun for deer.

Greg

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

OK! Now that we are near the end of our firearms season here in IN I wanted to let you all know how it turned out with the Ruger 77/44.

As stated above I put a Nikon BDC 250 Scope on the little Ruger and is was very nice (light and compact) to carry in the woods.

I used the Hornady Leverevolution 225 grain FTX factory loads for it. I was getting about 1739 fps out of the 18 1/2" barrel. I shot it a few times at 150 and 200 to verify but I used Patagonia Ballistics software to crunch the numbers.

Patagonias Loadbase s/w has the Field Chart section in which they have the Nikon BDC ret. in so I just punched in my data and it gave me a holdover chart for the reticle.

Well I made a card with the reticle holdovers on one side and the wind on the other and tied it around the scope.

Went hunting one morning and shot a nice doe in the chest at 50 yards. She didn't go far. A buddy and his son were hunting a little ways away and I did a slow push for them and the son shot a deer. While out in the field tracking that deer we happened onto several does 337 yards out (according to my buddy's Leica LRF). Well we worked our way closer and he ranged them again at 206. He asked if I could hit one from here and I said "yeah, I probably can!" I took a seat and held the last circle about dead center on the chest (according to Loadbase the last circle should have been on for 210) and pressed the trigger. She disappeared and I had to asked where she went as while seated there was a slight hill I could not see her over the top of. My buddy, with a big smile on his face, said "you dropped her!"

Well, needless to say, I am pretty happy with the setup! Thanks for you input guys!

 

[CPEC0402]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Good job! How many inches of drop did you get at 200 yards with a 100 yard zero? I'm shooting the exact same rig, except I didn't get the Nikon with the BDC. I found that when the scope is set on 5X, my 200Y hold is where the crosshair meets the duplex. The only deer I got with it was a doe at 25 yards, so I haven't taken it to the distance yet. But if my memory serves me well, the following is the data I collected:

Ruger 77/44 w/Nikon 2-7X Scope:

100Y- Zero
150Y- -3"
175Y- -6"
200Y- -9"

On a side note, I couldn't believe how much the wind drifted these little rounds on the range! Good luck to ya

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Yeah, the wind moves them quite a bit for a heavy bullet.
My dad is running exactly what you have with the 2x-7x Nikon. He smoked a really nice 8 Point opening day!
50 - + 1"
75 - + 1"
100 - 0
125 - -2.2"
150 - -5.89"
175 - -11"
200 - -18"

You must be recalling MOA Adjustments, cause that would put you pretty close!

 

[Halfnutz]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Thanks for sharing your experiences with these. I bought a box myself to run in my 12" Encore Pistol.

FWIW next time you want (starting) information on a product weather Hornady or otherwise, try sending the manufacturer an E-mail or even a phone call. Hornady was happy to send me load data when I asked for it on 208 A-max. Sierra's help line is a good one too.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

I love it when a plan comes together...

(Hannibal, <span style="font-style: italic">The 'A' Team</span>).

Greg

 

[wingnut13]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

Just picked up a used 77/44 about a month ago, looking to use it up here in the woods. Good to see some longer range info on it. Also loaded some 240's with Trail Boss and had the 9 yr old shoot' em she didn't do too bad!

 

[Sniper1*]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

My 9 year old daughter dropped a 130# doe @ 50 yards with this setup and had no ill comments about recoil or noise! Her first by the way!

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Hornady Leverevolution 44 Mag BC?

I am kind of surprized the pointed bullet has a lower bc than hornadys .430 240grain xtp which I believe is 205 g1.

But any way, congrats to you and your daughter. I took my daughter out for her first deer hunt (12 here in MI) and she got a shot at a spike at 70 yards, but alas, spike fever must have been present as the deer got a clean get away.