GT cast bullets in .44 Special
I mentioned in another thread that I has purchased GT Bullets' 190 grain LHP to start loading in .44 Special. I finished up a 50 round batch loaded with 6.5 grains of Unique, which according to Hornady's 9th Edition manual should yield about 800 fps. (Note: Hornady listed 6.5 grains Unique for 800 fps of a 180 grain lead Cowboy bullet and 6.6 grains Unique for a 200 grain JHP; there's nothing listed for a 190 grain lead bullet.)
Yesterday, I was able to get out between rain showers to try some out.
As others have said, I found the GT Bullets to be well cast, consistent, and easy to load. The attached photos show my results. I used a standard 3x5 inch index card as the target and aimed generally at the center (I should have used a target dot as an aim point). Using my Model 24 (6 1/2 inch barrel) I shot two 5 round strings at 15 yards. I did make a elevation adjustment between the strings, so it's not a true group size.
I shot a second 5 round group at 7 yards with my Model 396. I previously replaced the adjustable sight with a C&S Extreme Duty fixed sight, so I'll have to a little filing or offsight aiming to get the rounds to hit dead center.
Recoil in the Model 24 was slight, but noticeable. Recoil in the Model 396 was about equal to what I had experienced with factory rounds of the same weight, i.e., Federal 200 grain LSWCHP, Hornady 180 grain XTP, PMC 180 grain JHP; very noticeable, not painful or uncontrollable.
After I was finished, I looked behind the target stand at the red clay/sand embankment and found a couple of the bullets. The Brinell hardness of these rounds are supposed to be 11, but I think they're a bit softer. Although it's not very scientific, I've shot hundreds of rounds into the embankment and have recovered many, including JHPs, that have never expanded. A few quality rounds, such as Hornady Critical Defense, have expanded perfectly. So in a very subjective comparison in the same medium, I can say that the GT bullets expand as well as Hornady Critical Defense and better than the Federal 200 grain LSWCHP that I carry in my Charter Boomer. I didn't have time to try the rounds in my Charter, that's for another day.
In military aviator's parlance, I'm going to hold what I've got. I need to order another batch of bullets; I have plenty of cases, powder, and primer, and I'm going to load and fire more of the same formula. The last photo is a before and after shot.
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