Thinkin about trying this in the coming year. So far I've managed hits at 300 yards with a .44 Mag handgun. I know I'm stretching the limits but what would be the best load and ballistics out to 500 yards with the bullet drop computed. I'm looking at bullet/type weight and loadings....?

Single Action, 7.5" Barrel...

giz

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Non gratum anus rodentum

If you're talking factory loads, Hornady Leverevolution 225gr FTX is the flattest shooting I've come across. It's my current hunting load and holds up very well out of my 7 1/2" Super Blackhawk. They shoot dead on at 100yds and supposedly drop 9.4 at 150 (I havent tested that). Good luck and keep us posted!

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Fast is fine;accurate is final

I'm non-traditional. Everything Elmer taught is gone out beyond 250 yards. Here is a gong at about that distance.


I can hit consistantly to 300 yards on a 20" round target....




How big do you think the diameter should be at 500 yards...?

giz

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Non gratum anus rodentum

"How big do you thing the diameter should be at 500 yards...?"

Giz


For me? About the size of a tanker truck.

GF

It's 2/3 more of distance, so I suppose you should keep that proportion to target size. That'll take it to about 33 inches. I'd stretch that to at least 35-36 just to be safe. Or 10ft

Edit: Actually, since bullet drop certainly wont be to that proportion, I'd more than double the size of the target. 45-50" or so sounds about right.

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Fast is fine;accurate is final

I cant even see anything at 250 yards let alone shoot it

I grew up reading Elmer Keith and his tales of long range sixgun shooting. After I got my first .44 Mag , a Super Blackhawk , I decided to try it. With a length of 1/4" steel cable , I hung the cut-out top of a 55gal drum , painted bright orange , from a tree at the top , down the wall of a quarry. I picked a good spot across the way , sitting back against the opposite wall with the gun resting between my knees , (rangefinder said 375yds) and would spend hours throwing hundreds of rounds at that thing. (Also why I started reloading.) I could hear an occasional hit clear as a bell and with time and practice , the hits got more frequent. I eventually got into the early classes of IMSHA shooting. But these days , my eyes are limited , even with glasses to about 100yds.
A friend up the Poconos has a 12in dia , 1/2in thick steel gong hanging 100yds from his back porch. We spend lots of time and ammo , ringing that gong with our .357 , .41 and .44 mags.

I routinely shoot bullseye with my 642 at 750 yards using factory loads.

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- The Federalist #46 -

I went to Ballistics Calculator - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

I put in data for a 240gr XTP with a muzzle velocity of 1300fps and a 100yd Zero.

Bullet drop at 200 yds is 27.6" and come up in MOA of 13.2
Bullet drop at 300 yds is 90" and come up in MOA of 28.8
Bullet drop at 500 yds is 345" and come up in MOA of 66

You will only need to aim 29 feet above the target at 500 yds.

There was an article in The Handloader Magazine a few issues back about 400 yd shooting with the 44 Mag, to duplicate one of Elmer Keith's feats.

Giz,
I'm pretty sure I couldn't hit a BARN at that distance...let alone see it!

Good luck!

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

And, whether or not you can actually hit your target at extended range, leaves unanswered the question of how much energy is delivered on target, and in the case of any .44 Mag handgun load, the answer is, not much. This may be a fun exercise in long-range marksmanship &tc., but isn't appropriate for shooting animals of any size... (not that it was suggested that anybody would..., just sayin')

I don't understand ballistics at all, and am with those who feel they would have trouble seeing the target, much less hitting it, but re penetrating power of the 44 mag at 500 yards, maybe the 19th century Sandy Hook 45.70 tests at 2,500 yards tell us something? Much bigger bullet, of course...

"When the Springfield long range cartridge was fired, the 500-grain blunt nosed lead bullets propelled by 80 grains of black powder in the 2.4-inch cases at about 1,375 fps penetrated right through the three inches of wooden target and buried themselves in the sand. One 500-grain slug pierced three inches of target and buried itself in a supporting six-inch post, giving a total penetration of a measured 5.25 inches. The Service 405-grain bullet gave a penetration of just 1.12 inches, and the Martini-Henry 480-grain bullet, 2.50 inches."

.45-70 at Two Miles: The Sandy Hook Tests of 1879

Precession Shooting Inc printed a series of articles on handgun shooting at 1000Yds. For period of time PSI printed two different magazines but I can’t remember which one had the articles.

Shooting long distance is great fun and not all that hard with enough practice. With my 500 Linebaugh loaded rather mildly with a 450 gr LFN at 1100 fps a man's chest 300 yards away is in real danger. Give it a go, I know you will have fun and in time amaze yourself too.

It's fun to shoot handguns at any distance. The more you practice the more fun it becomes. I do not have lots of yardage, but I get to shoot from 100 ards from time-to-time.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

I recall reading of a long range pistol shooting club that was popular in years gone by. And I seem to recall reading of grips/stocks designed to be rested on the ground or bench just for that purpose...

Years ago when I was in the National Guard, we had an annual public "sighting in day" at our range in Papago Park in Phoenix. I was one of the range officers for the day, and got there early, because I wanted to sight in my Ruger Super Blackhawk at 200 yards, just to see if I could. I found that if I held the sights even with the top of the target frame, I could put the rounds into the center of the bull with consistency.

Later in the day, a guy with a '94 Winchester .30-30 had finally managed to get his rifle sighted in at 200 yards, and on a whim, I bet him $5 that I could outshoot his old lever gun with a handgun. He foolishly took the bet, and I proceeded to wax him thoroughly at that range. Never say the .44 mags can't deliver!

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Haven't shot the 44 mag much at extended range but did try the 44 special with 7.5 gr. Unique and a 250 Keith SWC and it will regularly slap down a metal pepper popper at 140 yards with authority. I thought that was pretty good until my brother shot at it with a long slide 45 acp and did the same thing at the same range. I have shot a handloaded 357 mag at a gong at 175 yards and the round would diintegrate when it hit and would put a dent in the channel iron holding the gong(with a lead swc). I think a lot of folks underestimate what a round will do at extended range. That same 357 load shot across a lake at a silhouette at approx 150-160 yards went through a 2x4 upright and buried itself halfway in an oak behind it. Say what you want but I don't want anyone shooting at me at range with a handgun.Be safe and enjoy and tell us how it works out. Inquiring minds want to know.

Boy, at 500 yards I would be shooting thru about 10 neighbor's yards. I don't think they would be too happy.

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