The collector I got my .38-44 from had shot it with .38 S&W just to hear it go Bang; I doubt he hit much.

Trimmed .38-44 expanded back about 2/3 of the cylinder length, the rear sidewalls of the case did not expand under the low pressure. I resized with a .38 S&W/.38 Super die to work the brass less.

I tried various bullets and powders, the best accuracy I got was with a 145 gr .356"(!!!) cast 9mm bullet and Black Mag 3 fake powder. Problem was, it hit nowhere near the point of aim. About any lead bullet and any powder for 600 fps was good enough for casual shooting and shot center.