Hey gang. I want to buy a couple hundred rounds of .44 for use in my 629 as a defensive load.

Why, oh why, did Remington discontinue the .44 Mag medium load round that pushed a 240 gr. lead semi-wadcutter @ 1000 FPS??? Fancy bullets at supersonic velocities are fine for their intended use (whatever that is). But I prefer a big heavy flat slug at a mid range velocity as a man stopper.

A full power .44 mag load IMHO, is too much recoil for use as a defensive load unless, you are Elmer Keith. I want something that can also be shot as practice that will not batter the poor old 29 into pieces.

That old Rem. medium loading .44 mag, as it was labled on the box, was PERFECT.

Corbon .44 SPL. 165 gr. @ around 1000-1050 FPS seems the ticket.

What do you guys think?

Thanks,

Michael

Federal offers a 200gr LSWC-HP. That's what I carried in my 696.

Speer makes their Gold Dot 200 Grn. load and CCI makes the Blaser aluminum cased load with what I believe is the same bullet. These give pretty good velocities and are not at all uncomfortable to shoot. That plus the hollowpoint is huge. It should make a good defensive load. All my .44 Spl. carry guns are loaded with the Speer load.

Speer make their Gold Dot Load in a 200 grain Gold dot H.P. load in boih the .44 Special and a .44 Magnum "Short Barrel" Load that is a fairly mild load. They would both work great in your S & W .44 and they would not beat you or your handgun. I use both of these loads and they work great.
As someone else said, you can get the .44 Special Load in their Blazer Ammo which is the same load but cheaper ammo. It's a good way to go....

i loaded some 240 jhp over 15.0 2400 for my 3 inch 624, they dont kick bad and i think they will get the job done, do you reload?

__________________
WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

No, I don't reload. Thanks very much for all the responses. I really appreciate it!

-Michael

Where do I find it, Walmart?

The days of ammo companies catering to the customer appear to be over, at least for the foreseeable future.

The 1000 fps SWC load you want can be assembled for about 1/3rd of what you'd pay for factory loads. That is probably about an 8.5 gr of Unique load, with anybody's cast lead SWC bullet.

Depending upon how much you shoot, you might want to seriously consider handloading.

I guess part of my ammo buying binge is due to the new laws taking effect in Feb. 2011 re; internet pistol ammo sales.

I live very close to Nevada, so I can easily drive accross and buy it in bulk if I need it. But I prefer to have ammo delivered to my door if I can.

I'm a big fan of Remington's Golden Saber ammo and just ordered 250 rds. of +P .38 for use in my Mod. 27.

The Win. Silvertip in .44 SPl. is readily available just about everywhere but, I just can't get past the bad press given to the 9MM after the FBI Miami shootout. I won't buy it in any caliber.

What you need to be aware of is the fact that in every bureaucratic investigation of human failure, some THING must be named as the culprit. In this case it was the .38 and 9mm ammo which were blamed, not the people involved.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy Silvertip ammo if that's what's available.

165 grain Corbon is the load I carry. My hope is the light bullet weight will reduce penetration since I'm in an appartment right now. If that weren't an issue, I'd prefer 200+ grain bullets.

I carry and use the 200 grain silvertips in 44 special. I find it to be very accurate in my model 21 and 629. As for the FBI Miami shootout the 9mm is not in the same league with the 44 special. I also use the 210 grain silvertips in 44 mag, unless I'm in the mountains (bears and mtn lions) then I go to a 240 grain round (JSP or Hydra-Shok JHP).

You might want to take a look at the Perma-Gel Test Results thread here in the ammo forum. I tested the .44 mag. Silvertip. It may not be perfect, but rest assured, adequate penetration isn't one of it's shortcomings. Sometimes a reknowned ammo line has a load that isn't quite what some of the others are, just like every football team has second string players. A ****** caliber such as std. pressure 9mm makes it quite easy for the engineers to create such a mediocre offering.

In a big heavy N frame gun, I would suggest using managed recoil magnum JHPs if you don't like the hot stuff. The Corbon .44 magnum 165 gr. JHP shoots like a pussycat from my 5" 629, but packs a very respectable 573 foot pounds. You'll get a nice little pick up in power over specials and get velocity that will help ensure good bullet expansion and consistent performance. I would consider doing the same with your model 27. Speer short barrel .357s, or Remington Golden Sabres would serve you well without all the crazy .357 flash and bang.

As mentioned, Speer makes a short barrel Gold Dot load that is a little heavier (200 gr., IIRC). That may help keep you from having to crank your rear sight up the way lighter bullets sometimes require. Being bonded, the Gold Dot is also excellent against auto glass.

I agree with cp1969, you might seriously want to think about reloading. If I didn't reload, there is no way I would be carrying a 629.

Good luck with your decision.

250 rds of 'self defense ammo'? What kind of body count are you expecting?
You can't even use that much on vermon or zombies.

I've always liked the Silvertips, in any caliber, for a factory carry load. I don't think any other 9mm would have done any better in the Miami shootout.

LOL, It's for practice too!

Thanks to all! You have given me a lot to think about.

-Michael

Heck, even if it's not for practice why not stock up? There's no worrying about shortages and being from the same lot, once reliability is established there should be no "surprises". I found a very good deal several years ago on Remington .357 125 gr. SJHPs and bought a case of 500. I use that load in four of my guns and still have 350 + rounds left.

Someone on this forum once said it quite nicely, "Buy it cheap and stack it deep".

While any of the better 44 Special loads will work, I prefer to buy defensive loads in Magnum brass, that way after they are fired I have the brass to reload. This lessens the "actual" cost of the factory ammo, as I can use the fired brass many many times. I load on a progressive loader and I do not like to change things around for the 44 Special case.

I agree with flop shank. The Cor Bon 165 is a controlable load, as is there 180gr HP. The Speer 200gr Short Barreled load is a good one as well.

Also the 240gr Magtec SP kicks a lot less than the standard 240gr from the "big three.

Everyone should pick up their brass. Even if you're not going to reload it, you can sell it to someone who does. Mitigates the cost of factory ammo somewhat.

Ok, so I bit the bullet, and ordered 200 rounds of the Win. Silvertips.

After searching around all of my internet ammo suppliers, (over a dozen) I decided on this stuff because it is the cheapest and, readily available.

Could you please enlighten me about these new laws? I haven't heard anything about it yet.

Thanks.

It is California Assembly Bill 962. There's a lot to it but, roughly speaking, the jist of it is that there will be NO internet sales/shipping to California residents Of HANDGUN AMMO. As of 2/1/2011.

AND....

You cannot purchase more than 50 rounds of handgun ammo PER MONTH over the counter. Face-To-Face transactions only, with ID required.

Now there is the ambiguity of, what is handgun ammo?

It's very badly crafted in this aspect. Some think that it will be killed but, right now it's a GO for 2/1/2011.

There are certainly rifle calibers that are used in specialty hanguns, IE; Thompson Contender guns.

There's lots of lever guns that shoot pistol calibers.

This is where some large outfits have gotten scared and said already, that they will not ship ANY ammo to Ca. commencing February 1st. 2011.

Calguns.net is a good place that has tons of info on this. Here is just one thread;

962 Questions - Calguns.net

And another..

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=290652

If I lived in California and those laws were about to go into effect, the first things I'd think about doing are:

1. Moving the hell out of that state.
2. Getting into reloading.
3. Buying a lifetime supply of ammo--now.

Only option one is viable, because they can take away #2 and #3 any time they want.

Thanks Mod27.... Wheeew! am I glad I live all the way over here on the other coast.

But, seriously...we who are not Cal. residents cannot just go skipping merrily down the lane, happy as clams because this doesn't affect us. We have to do what ever we can to prevent this from happening in Cal., because if they're successful at passing this law there...then it will only be a matter of time before they'll be trying it in ours.

LOL, I just retired in Feb. to my dream home in the mountains Soooo, #3 is my only option which I'm working on right now!

The good news is that, one could still drive to another state, buy their ammo in bulk, and bring it back into the state without violating the law. Ridiculous, isn't it? Another badly crafted, inane gun-related Ca. law. For someone like myself, who can be in Nevada in 40 minutes, that can work out.

There are alot of good folks out here who are trying very hard to get some of the stupid, inane laws in Ca. reversed.

This state legislature has been slowly, grain by grain, chipping away at our rights. They are making it more and more of a PITA to have anything to do with firearms- with the obvious goal of making Ca. the first "gun-free" state.

You should replace your carry ammo from time to time. Why not have a bunch so you don't have to worry about where it will come from in the future. A buddy and I decided on 155gr HST's as carry ammo in our .40s. Ammoman had a deal which amounted to $15/50 if we bought 1000 rounds. So, I haven't had to buy duty ammo in a couple of years and won't have to for several more.

I use the Speer Gold Dot 200 Gn. very accurate.

If you live in Calif. or anywhere for that matter, I recommend you stock up.

For every calibre you have...

Fancy bullets at supersonic velocities are fine for their intended use (whatever that is)...... handgun Hunting . As far as defensive loads the Blazer 200 gn GD is a great defensive load and very accurate.

I still think the old Keith 429421 bullet backed behind a healthy helping of Unique is one of the best loads you can have for the .44 special...thus saith Elmer Keith.

I suggest looking at Buffalo Bore Heavy 44 Special Pistol & Handgun Ammunition They have heavy 44 spl and low recoil 44 magnum, including the Keith 255 gr at 1000 fps (44 spl).
I carry the Keith BB load in my 696. Serious stuff for man or beast.

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus

There's a wider choice of factory ammunition available today than ever before. They may not make exactly what any particular customer wants, but they certainly seem to cater to customer demand.

I am not a lawer or a police officer but I read something that a fellow board member said about the legalities and liabilities of using reloaded ammunition for defensive purposes, I carry concealed and I also reload, I practice a lot with reloads but I use factory ammo when I pack concealed, I use Hansen 180gr JHP ammo on my smith 4 inch model 29, it may not be a good combination but it works for me, I bought 1500 rounds of it and it gives me the opportunity to stay proficient.

I wouldn't all prey to the FBI shooting hype either. If it failed 9/10 times, that's one thing. Because it failed in one instance?

As I recall, the BG died ... but it didn't "drop him instantly," so it's a bad round. (?) How many others have been shot by any other round and didn't die instantly? There's something to ponder. Many have no "real world" record to even prove actual effectiveness.

I believe Mas Ayoob has mentioned this before as well if memory serves correctly. I still don't understand what difference it makes if a BG is shot with GDHP from Speer or from me? I guess I've missed something. If it came down to it, forensics is not going to look at my case and primer but the bullet so, how's he to tell the difference? I think it's stupid.

It's a moot point. What matters is whether you were justified in shooting, not what you used to shoot the bad guy with.

Using a reload does not change you from a good guy to a bad one. Only the circumstances of the incident can do that.

Deleted, moot point

__________________
"Better to have some..."

We tested the gold dot loaded in aluminum cases. Worked great...

YouTube - ‪44 Special - CCI Blazer 200 Gr. Gold Dot - Ammo Test‬‎


Andre'

I think the moral of the FBI Miami shootout is: don't take a pistol to a gunfight when the other side is using a rifle. Also, the FBI/government is never wrong, so it must be the fault of the 9mm. The 9mm with good ammo is a perfectly fine defensive round.

Ive used the 200 gn Gold Dots, accurate and should work well.

Using a reload for self defense is probably not going to have any bearing as far as criminal charges. Could an attorney make hay with it in a civil trial? Maybe. That possibility is enough of a reason to carry factory as far as I'm concerned. Call me paranoid I guess....

Pretty much. They knew who they were going after, and they were undergunned for the task. And yes, a 9 is perfectly fine for defense, although today's ammo is better than it was then.

the reload question brings to mind the case where a "lady" tried to sue because a policeman shot her son too many times with too powerful a handgun ... 3 shots with a 357.

To the original poster and his question: You may want to try these 44 Mag loads from BVAC. 240 gr SWC at 886 fps.

^That.

Perfect for the job.

Help - what Internet laws in February 2011?????