2026 300 Yard Targets

8-29-2026
Sail Boat Lead Continue'd

221.0 to 221.3gr., 43-214A

I decided to shoot one more session with the boat lead and document the outcome. However, I only made it to 200 yards before the heat got the best of me!

Saturday I went to a 500 yard range while visiting my dad in South Carolina. The range is called Echo Six. Hot and humid...but the winds were calm,which was just what I needed.

I removed the aft scope mount a few days earlier and remarked the range settings, thus each targets below were shot from an estimated range mark, then fine tuned for groups. Those marks noted for future shots.

50 Yards

I placed the mark on what I thought best to be 50 yards. The first shot hit paper as noted and an adjustment was made. Three additional shots fired and you can see the results. Gathered up my belongings and moved over to the 500 yard range.

100 Yards

Again I used my range marks to set for what I thought would be best for 100 yards. You can see where the first shot hit on the Target. An adjustment was made, and three additional shots fired. You can see the group in the photo. 

200 Yards

I moved from that bench down to another bench that extended to 200 yards repeated the above steps. Set my mark what I thought best to be 200 yards fired the first shot as noted on the Target. Followed by six shots as noted in the group. Making a fine tune adjustment the last three shots pulled to the center. Of course no doubt more shots fired would've opened the group back up but anything inside 6 inches for me is considered acceptable.

The .44-40 "Lobbing" and "Ineffectiveness" Myth Explained

The common belief that the vintage .44-40 Winchester is an "ineffective" cartridge that "lobs" bullets like a high-arching mortar shell is a complete ballistics illusion.

Physically, there is no mortar loop. Leaving the muzzle at 1,350 feet per second (fps) and sighted in at 300 yards, a heavy 221-grain lead bullet never climbs more than 2.7 feet (32.5 inches) above your level line of sight. It travels down a remarkably low, shallow tunnel for 80% of its journey.

The bullet crosses the target line retaining an impact velocity of 950 fps, striking at a 7-degree downward angle relative to the flat ground. By the strict definitions of geometry, a 7-degree angle is incredibly shallow, sitting just a hair below a perfectly horizontal line. This represents a low-angle, direct-fire trajectory, completely ruling out a "lob," which requires high-angle artillery geometry (45 to 85 degrees).

The illusion of a "lob" only exists because a 7-degree entry path is noticeably steeper than a modern high-velocity rifle bullet, which strikes at a flat 0.3 degrees. Because this minor downward angle requires the shooter to tilt the barrel slightly upward and use an elevated rear sight to align the shot, people mistakenly assumed the bullet spent the entire flight looping high into the clouds.

In reality, the lethal effectiveness of the round at 950 fps is devastating. At 300 yards, the .44-40 still retains roughly 440 ft-lbs of energy. The heavy solid-lead slug does not need to expand; its immense forward momentum allows it to cleanly punch deep through vital organs.

Calling the .44-40 "ineffective" simply became the ultimate historical scapegoat for shooters who failed to estimate range accurately. Because the bullet slows from 1,350 fps to 950 fps, the trajectory drops nearly 18 inches in just the final 50 yards. Misjudging a 300-yard target by a mere 30 yards results in a clean miss right under the target. The gun was never weak or impractical; it was just entirely unforgiving to poor marksmanship.