I considered a 44-40 as that is the classic caliber, but I already stock .357/38 and have reloading dies, etc. I don’t reload yet but I’ve collected all the necessary items. Factory 44-40 is supposed to be expensive (I haven’t looked) and I hear it’s not the easiest to reload.
Howdy
44-40 is not difficult to reload, but it is a bit 'fussy'. Your dies have to be set just right and you have to go slow or you may crush a neck. There are a few tricks to loading 44-40, once those are mastered it is not difficult. I do not suggest 44-40 as the first cartridge to learn reloading with. Learn to reload your 357/38s first, then take what you have learned and apply it to the slightly fussier 44-40.
Regarding a 73 vs Sharps, they are so different I cannot imagine choosing between them. It is correct that a .357/38 '73 will be significantly heavier than a 44-40 version, everything else such as barrel length being equal, because the bore of a .357/38 is smaller.
You really have to decide what you want to do. The Sharps excels at lobbing heavy bullets way out there. The '73 excels at shooting close up targets fast. Two completely different animals. Don't forget, if you go for a Sharps, you will want to spend more money on the sights. Don't scrimp on sights, buy the best you can afford.
Some advice: If you decide on a Sharps, avoid a crescent shaped butt plate. Go with a 'shotgun' style butt plate. Crescent style butt plates require being placed farther out on the shoulder. If you place it on the meaty part of the shoulder as most modern shooters are used to doing, the 'points' of the crescent will dig into your shoulder with recoil and it will really hurt. Trust me on this. Also, avoid the fancy calibers, such as 45-90, 45-110, and 45-120. Stick with 45-70. Components are much more easily available for 45-70 than any of the other calibers. If you are shooting Smokeless, you can stuff all the powder you need into a 45-70 case. The other calibers are pretty much just for Black Powder, where you can stuff them to the gills with powder. When I was shopping for a Sharps a bunch of years ago I looked at all the ones with the fancy fore end caps, checkering, and patch boxes. I was disappointed in the execution of all these details on all the rifles I saw. So I decided to buy a 'plain jane' version, no checkering, no fore end cap. I bought the 45-70 Pedersoli Silhouette model from Dixie Gunworks. It had everything I wanted, pistol grip, shotgun butt, and double set trigger, without any of the fancy stuff I did not want. Check Diixe often because they often run deep discounts on select models.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/produ...cts_id=2576&osCsid=5ptfd3nshdpc4tpdlk0ln4ufk4
You can spend big money on sights for a Sharps, these are what I put on mine. They are a bare minimum.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7564&osCsid=5ptfd3nshdpc4tpdlk0ln4ufk4
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7536&osCsid=5ptfd3nshdpc4tpdlk0ln4ufk4
Regarding a '73, the only real drawback to the Miroku/Winchester products is spare parts are practically impossible to find. Otherwise they make fine rifles. Spare parts are no problem with Uberti products.