HSM .44 Mag "Bear Load" in a Rossi 92?

B

boomer49

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Hi Kate,

When I picked-up them cartridges yesterday, I mentioned that it was a bit of a gamble if they would even cycle through my Rossi Ranch Hand. Their longer-than-standard length (combined with the chunky Wide Flat Nose of the 305 gr hard-cast lead slug) would be a challenge in the Rossi 92 action, which was originally designed for bottle-nosed bullets.

Well, a few minutes ago I sent an email to Steve Young at Steve's Guns down in Texas. A few days ago he had responded to a related email question with a thorough and detailed 325 word reply ... explaining the design and engineering issues and ending with a "luck-a-the-draw" answer to my question ... "Some do, and some don't."

:)

Hi Steve,

Just a quick note to tell you that I “lucked-out” with those longish 305 gr WFN hard cast lead .44 Magnum cartridges from Hunting Shack Munitions in my Ranch Hand.

I bought them in Calgary yesterday afternoon but, fearing that I’d be disappointed, I didn’t try them until a few minutes ago. And … hooray … they cycled flawlessly.

I think that I mentioned to you that I’d had to return the firearm to the Canadian distributor/importer (Wanstall’s, in Mission, B.C.) in the summer of 2011 as soon as I’d received it. It had major feeding problems and they were going to fix it under warranty. Knowing that their go-to gunsmith was going to have the gun in pieces anyways, I sent along your tune-up kit and video … and asked that they have-at-‘er … and bill me accordingly.

The gun has worked flawlessly since that time, and they graciously declined to bill me for the kit installation. I suspect that their skilled massaging (with your Texas engineering) was responsible for today’s good news.

Thanks again.

R.
 
boomer49 said:
Hi Kate,

When I picked-up them cartridges yesterday, I mentioned that it was a bit of a gamble if they would even cycle through my Rossi Ranch Hand. Their longer-than-standard length (combined with the chunky Wide Flat Nose of the 305 gr hard-cast lead slug) would be a challenge in the Rossi 92 action, which was originally designed for bottle-nosed bullets.

Well, a few minutes ago I sent an email to Steve Young at Steve's Guns down in Texas. A few days ago he had responded to a related email question with a thorough and detailed 325 word reply ... explaining the design and engineering issues and ending with a "luck-a-the-draw" answer to my question ... "Some do, and some don't."

:)

Hi Steve,

Just a quick note to tell you that I “lucked-out” with those longish 305 gr WFN hard cast lead .44 Magnum cartridges from Hunting Shack Munitions in my Ranch Hand.

I bought them in Calgary yesterday afternoon but, fearing that I’d be disappointed, I didn’t try them until a few minutes ago. And … hooray … they cycled flawlessly. I think that I mentioned to you that I’d had to return the firearm to the Canadian distributor/importer (Wanstall’s, in Mission, B.C.) in the summer of 2011 as soon as I’d received it. It had major feeding problems and they were going to fix it under warranty. Knowing that their go-to gunsmith was going to have the gun in pieces anyways, I sent along your tune-up kit and video … and asked that they have-at-‘er … and bill me accordingly.

The gun has worked flawlessly since that time, and they graciously declined to bill me for the kit installation. I suspect that their skilled massaging (with your Texas engineering) was responsible for today’s good news.

Thanks again.

R.
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Did ya fire one? How hot are they?
 
I too am interested in how much boom those loads will have out of a ranch hand, so please let us know. I was looking at buying some to add some punch to my ranch hand when I carry it in my holster.
 
wolfhowlsatmoon said:
I too am interested in how much boom those loads will have out of a ranch hand, so please let us know. I was looking at buying some to add some punch to my ranch hand when I carry it in my holster.
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hmmm ya you could carry that in a hoster eh, and its legal. I may have to get one of those or a mares leg.
 
GunGuy34 said:
hmmm ya you could carry that in a hoster eh, and its legal. I may have to get one of those or a mares leg.
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"Or a mare's leg ...?"

This afternoon I was repairing barbed wire fencing on a forested rocky 40-degree slope in the mountains just east of the BC - Alberta border. Too steep even for a horse. Perfect gun when you also have an axe and a walking staff and a pack with tools and wire and assorted outdoorsy kit. And a PLB ... I was alone.
 
boomer49 said:
"Or a mare's leg ...?"

This afternoon I was repairing barbed wire fencing on a forested rocky 40-degree slope in the mountains just east of the BC - Alberta border. Too steep even for a horse. Perfect gun when you also have an axe and a walking staff and a pack with tools and wire and assorted outdoorsy kit. And a PLB ... I was alone.
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Sorry left out the Chippa 1892.
 
wolfhowlsatmoon said:
I too am interested in how much boom those loads will have out of a ranch hand, so please let us know. I was looking at buying some to add some punch to my ranch hand when I carry it in my holster.
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Umm ... that's kind of a rhetorical question, right? There will be lots of boom.

Boom is hard to quantify. Alaskans are probably better than me about stuff like this.

Quick heads-up here ... these cartridges probably won't work well in an off-the-shelf Rossi Ranch Hand. Mine (as I said) was "tweaked" by the best and ... even then ... I think I lucked-out.
 
HSM Bear Load Handgun Ammunition
Caliber: 44 Remington Magnum
Bullet: 305-gr. wide flat-nose lead with gas check.
Case: Brass
Muzzle velocity: 1260 FPS
Muzzle energy: 1075 ft.-lb.

----------

I've reloaded some 300gr XTP's which leave the Chiappa Mare's leg muzzle at 1220FPS and it's really not bad at all (in terms of recoil.) They can be one-handed no problem.

A solid boom and hard hitting; shooting at cut-log cross-sections (18" diameter) from 10m., the rounds would physically rock/wobble them with authority. Great fun.
 
G37 said:
HSM Bear Load Handgun Ammunition
Caliber: 44 Remington Magnum
Bullet: 305-gr. wide flat-nose lead with gas check.
Case: Brass
Muzzle velocity: 1260 FPS
Muzzle energy: 1075 ft.-lb.

----------

I've reloaded some 300gr XTP's which leave the Chiappa Mare's leg muzzle at 1220FPS and it's really not bad at all (in terms of recoil.) They can be one-handed no problem.

A solid boom and hard hitting; shooting at cut-log cross-sections (18" diameter) from 10m., the rounds would physically rock/wobble them with authority. Great fun.
Click to expand...



what does with gas check mean? I read that and was curious when I bought the ammo.
 

mares leg in a holster with 24 round belt from beaver mountain works in BC. carries like a dream and doesn't look half bad either.

yes BOOM is hard to quantify, just wondering if its a significant increase in the standard rounds. the last post tells me a lot. really i just wondered how much it would up the giggle factor ha. and out of my stock ranch hand ive never had a jam, a misfire or FTE or FTF.
 
GunGuy34 said:
what does with gas check mean? I read that and was curious when I bought the ammo.
Click to expand...

images


This bullet has a "gas check" on the base of it (notice the copper). A gas check will prevent powder expansion gas from "gas cutting" a lead projectile which will "leading the barrel" very quickly. Think of a gas check as a copper "wad" that helps not only against the problem of gas leaking past the bullet, but also to ensure the powder is imparting the most of its potential on the base of that bullet.
 
plinker 777 said:
images


This bullet has a "gas check" on the base of it (notice the copper). A gas check will prevent powder expansion gas from "gas cutting" a lead projectile which will "leading the barrel" very quickly. Think of a gas check as a copper "wad" that helps not only against the problem of gas leaking past the bullet, but also to ensure the powder is imparting the most of its potential on the base of that bullet.
Click to expand...

Well then, its a good thing.
 
wolfhowlsatmoon said:

mares leg in a holster with 24 round belt from beaver mountain works in BC. carries like a dream and doesn't look half bad either.

yes BOOM is hard to quantify, just wondering if its a significant increase in the standard rounds. the last post tells me a lot. really i just wondered how much it would up the giggle factor ha. and out of my stock ranch hand ive never had a jam, a misfire or FTE or FTF.
Click to expand...

That is a very nice-looking rig that you have there ... I could have used one like that yesterday. When I bought my Ranch Hand in the summer of 2011 I (like everyone else) naturally researched a variety of holsters, but never actually bought one. I was thanking of a rig similar to yours, but with a removable Sam Brown strap (like on a Mountie's dress uniform) that would run diagonally from the "off" shoulder down to the holster area ... to help support the weight of the firearm.
 
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