Anyone have a sure fire winner for a 620-2? I know every gun is different but there's probably a good place to start, isn't there?

Is it a "629-2"
or a
"620-2"?
That said, in that caliber?
Anything you hit 'em with!

At least you didn't ask for info on an IWB holster.

Federal 180 gr. JHP (C44B) is a real screamer that shouldn't overpenetrate. Corbon makes a midrange .44 mag also, their 165 gr. JHP.

Anything that exits the barrel without a high recoil that makes you loose your sight picture.

I'd go with some .44spl silvertips in the 200g range.

Realize that the 44mag has TOO MUCH power for typical SD uses. Most of the power is lost on the transit through and out of the target. Energy dump is the name of the game here - transfer what you've got into the target.

High recoil and muzzle flash aren't your friends in a SD situation either.

There are .44 magnum loads that aren't overpenetrators. I fired the Federal 180 gr. JHP into Perma-Gel and it penetrated between 10" - 13". The 10" shot was so ferocious that it actually broke the homemade table the gel block was sitting on. The 210 gr. Silvertip is a slight overpenetrator, but is super accurate and a little more controllable.

If a man wants to use full house .44 mags for defense, he'd better work his butt off to be the cat that can handle that kind of power.

I wouldn't worry about ammo. Just hit the attacker with the barrel.

If you insist on firing the gun, I'd consider something either very mid-range in .44 Magnum or, better IMO, a good .44 Special load with (for example) the 200 grain Gold Dot bullet.

Thanks for the help. Yes I did mean the 629-2. I bought some 225 gr. Hornady ammo. I will be finding out if it's too much to handle tomorrow. I've shot some 180 gr. PMC hollow points in this gun and the recoil wasn't that bad really. I know there's a lot of difference when you go up to heavier bullets though. I guess I'll find out if it's too much. If so I'll find something lighter.

When you fire your 629 loaded with 44 mags (180 gr are the worst), that will be the last sound you hear -- especially indoors. Use 200 gr Blazer Gold Dots, an excellent self-defense round with the 8-3/8 barrel, less noise and no recoil. I've shot that load in a 5" 629 and it felt like 148 gr HBWC out of a 6" 686. Be reasonable, you still want to hear the music after the gunfire.

__________________
S&WHF 366

I carry the 180 grain federals in my 3 inch 29 for social use. Gives a nice 6 inch flame out the barrel when fired.

For SD you want a low flash powder. Cor-Bon makes a really good SD load in both .44 Spl (recommended) and .44 M load both in a 165 gr HP.
I also use a .44M for HD and you want to stay away from full power loads. I keep mine stroked with Cor-Bon 165 gr HP in .44 Spl

CJ, don't let the boys beat you up on this. While they are all accurate and informative, the bottom line is if that's the gun you got, that's what you use. You don't want to put a hole in your neighbor's house, but if you've only got heavy stuff, use it.
It is not the first choice of a home defense gun, unless it's the one you're closest to when someone breaks into your house. It's a B for flash and recoil as they've said. So if you want to tone it down, go with .44 specials - silver tips work.

I've got a bunch of weapons around, but I shoot 240 gr semi-wad cutters in my .44 mag. So guess what's my home loaded .44 mag. Why -- not cause it's the best but that's what's there.
Put the lead in the offender, worry about overkill later.
If you've got other choices, take 'em.
My two go to, if I've got time, guns are a .40 and a .45. But the .44 is loaded in a drawer and a .38 is under the pillow.

Oh and welcome to the site.

Just for the record here I'm not planning on using a .44 mag. as my primary SD weapon especially indoors. What I want to do is to carry it in my car for any long distance type SD situations I might ever find myself involved in. I carry a .45 ACP as my concealed carry weapon. I hate shooting that thing without hearing protection BTW but it beats dying. I keep hearing protection in my car also. I keep ear plugs in the center console and a nice set of muffs just behind my seat. They're the electronic kind that allow you to hear normal sounds but block the loud stuff. I know how fast many situations jump off and there's nothing to do about that. But in a vehicle I can possibly gain some time by eluding any would be attackers. I've been followed more than once by people looking for trouble. Recently a couple was followed through the local town with shots being fired at them by a carload of armed people following them. The reason for this attack was that they passed the drunken bunch because they were driving 20 mph on a highway. That's the kind of situation where I might find myself in a postion to pull over where my wife might gain cover (I keep ear protection for her too) and I could get out of the vehicle and use a gun with more range than a 2.5" .45.

I hope none of this ever happens but I intend to use the .44 as a substitute for a long gun because I can't carry a loaded long gun in the car in my state but I can carry a loaded handgun (only as long as I have my CHL).

Trust me I'm not anxious to fire any gun inside a vehicle and I don't plan on doing it unless absolutely needed. I hope to have time to use hearing protection if that time comes. If I don't have time for the hearing protection I still might have to sacrifice to protect my family. Lots of deaf people lead full lives.

FWIW my .45 will likely still be my weapon of choice for SD in my vehicle mainly because it can reel off a lot of rounds in a big hurry. But if I find myself having a shootout with a carload of lunatics I hope I can find a spot to do it from a distance and in that case a .44 mag with a 8 3/8" barrel will give me better odds of being successful at protecting myself and my family.

Then why can I still hear?

CJ, any .44 magnum XTP will be an overpenetrator for typical self defense scenarios. Given that you want the gun for defense in situations that involve vehicles, heavy full power bullets might be a good thing. I once read that when former Detroit cop and gunwriter Evan Marshall was looking for some men who had murdered his former partner, him and his partner at the time were packing 6 1/2" 29s loaded with 240 gr. JSP because cars are a tough nut to crack for typical handgun ammo.

Or for the occasional "Godzilla mutant assailant" F/S?
One of those nightmarish gang banger dudes that has the cross section of a Dodge Durango and the SAE rated torque of a four and a quarter Caterpillar!
Think an NFL line backer with rabies...on crack.
CJ, if you get a good solid hit on the soon to be departed with any of the mentioned loadings, to quote Sean Connery in "The Untouchables"
"He's as dead as Julius Caesar".
Welcome BTW! I was joking only slightly by saying "anything you hit 'em with" earlier.

You ain't seen that guy around have you? Gotta keep tabs on him.

I guess I'm really looking for a use for a gun I don't really have a use for. But it will have better accuracy at long range. Some go as far as saying the 29's have rifle like accuracy. I think that's stretching things a bit but it's no doubt better than a 2.5" barrel gun at 50 yards. My .45's both shoot pretty well but the big one has a 4.4" barrel on it.

I'm just thinking I end up in a ditch hiding behind a culvert trying to hold off an advancing gang banger dude etc. etc. and I'm wondering which gun I want to use when he's at 200 yards and then 100 yards and then 50 yards. Once he gets inside 50 I'll most likely want to use the .45 but at 200 yards the only chance I have is with the Smith.

I know it's a rare scenario but it did happen to some folks just a couple of months ago here in the local town. They found shelter inside a local grocery store but they could have been in a place that didn't have one. The woods are full of "nightmarish...". Oh yeah then there's the woods. I have a black bear problem at my house at times because I live in the woods. And there are mountain lions in the area although they are very rare. But I had a bear just a few feet outside my yard when I saw it and it had been inside my yard many times before that stealing my dog's food. Yes I have long guns but it's easier to carry the Smith when I'm walking to the building out back at night - not that kind of building - it's a workshop.

Who have you been talking to about hearing damage? At one time nobody used hearing protection, but have survived only to be institutionalized following long exposure to rap and hiphop from passing ghettomobiles. I suspect it's really swine flu that's destroying hearing, or maybe global warming.

Hey if you have to use that 629 for SD,I dont think you will even have to fire it. If I had a guy pionting a cannon at me with a 8'' plus bbl I would be running. You could always use a little Clint Eastwood and ask the bad guy if he feels lucky? The 44 is a great gun happy shooting !

I didn't have to talk to anyone. I made the mistake of forgetting my hearing protection when I fired my .45 ACP one day and my ear crackled for 6 months after that. I won't do that again any time soon especially in an enclosed space.

I realize an 8 3/8" barrel is going to move the sound a lot further away from me but it's also a more powerful round. I would just prefer not taking the chance.

I have shot shotguns and centerfire rifles quite a bit w/o hearing protection in my life without problems. I used to shoot my 4.4" barrel .45 without any protection also. But I did get a serious crackle from that single round from my 2.5" barrel .45. I just see no reason to take the chance unless I must. I don't expect to lose my hearing even if I have to fire inside a vehicle but there's always that chance and I've had enough exposure to loud sounds as it is.

Don't forget to call the BG a punk when you ask him if he feels lucky Marshall. It makes them think you WANT to shoot them.

Um,C J-no offense but I think you better realize something:
Shooting a bad guy at range is a BAD idea and will get you lynched by yer twins in court.

If they're 100+ yards off run and call 911,if they try to kick in the door by all means ventilate them with haste.

Just my two cents.

Not if they've been shooting at you it isn't Krull. I do know that you can't shoot someone who isn't threatening you but if they're shooting at you from 100 yards away (not far at all on a highway) then especially here in Ohio you won't get bar-b-qued. The castle doctine covers cars too. Trust me though I'll never be shooting at anyone that isn't trying to kill me or hurt my family.

I agree, if they are shooting at you what difference does it make if they are 10 yds away or 100 ?