Questions about hot ammo for my 629

[629classic.44]

I was wondering what's the hottest ammo I can get & put through my 629-6 Classic 5" BBL. I recently tried some Cor Bon Hunter 260gr BCHP at 1450fps & 1214ft/lbs muzzle energy. By far the most fun round I've run through my 629 so far. The muzzle flash was insane & very loud but that's part of the fun Definitely more recoil too but super comfortable to shoot. I went through 40 rounds & wanted more but at 50 dollars a box my wallet said to take a breather. Sadly I think these rounds are discontinued, can't seem to find them for sale online. Any rounds like these out there with the same power or more that I can fire in my 629? The more muzzle flash, recoil & noise the better for me.

[mod29]

For factory ammo I usually shoot WWB 240-gr JSPs.
That is plenty of noise, recoil and such for me.

I have found Remington 180-gr ammo to have significant muzzle blast, flame and recoil. You might try a box and see for yourself.

[charlie sherrill]

I mostly shoot 44 special in mine. I ain't into loud kabooms as much as I used to be.

[grip frame]

Yes-Remington 180's.

[C J]

I like to shoot 225 gr. Hornady FTX LEVERevolution. It fires at 1410 fps and they do very well in my 629-2. I get good accuracy to about 175 yards with them. But if I want to run heavy loads I use Buffalo Bore "Keith" rounds which are designed to mimic the original .44 mag load limits. 255 gr. and at 1350 fps they do make a loud pop when they fire.

[75Vette]

You must still be young & indestructible. I remember when I used to be. Wasn't that long ago but it happens to us all as long as we live through it!! Blast away while you can!

[chief38]

Buffalo Bore is the hottest I know of. They make a whole slew of different loads - check them out! BB is also the ONLY Manufacturer I know of in the entire industry that states EXACTLY what velocities you WILL get out of different barrel lengths WITHOUT any exaggeration or excuses. If you doubt their stated velocities bring along a Chronograph and you will see first hand.

Ammo from the "Big 3" ammo makers NEVER actually performs to the spec;s they state.

[sw282]

l remember my first 44 Magnum. I was young and dumb, wanting Magnum Fun.

It was a deep Smith&Wesson blue Model 29-2, 8 3/8'' barrel. Real

Fire Breather with Super Vel 44 Magnum ammo... Back in 77-78 our

IHMSA match director got an Oehler Chronograph... Shooting 5 rounds

averaged 1803fps from those 180gr missiles.. Firing a couple @ night

they looked T H E R M O--N U C L E A R

[629shooter]

Underwood Ammunition, and Buffalo Bore load 'em hot.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Groo01]

Originally Posted by 629classic.44

I was wondering what's the hottest ammo I can get & put through my 629-6 Classic 5" BBL. I recently tried some Cor Bon Hunter 260gr BCHP at 1450fps & 1214ft/lbs muzzle energy. By far the most fun round I've run through my 629 so far. The muzzle flash was insane & very loud but that's part of the fun Definitely more recoil too but super comfortable to shoot. I went through 40 rounds & wanted more but at 50 dollars a box my wallet said to take a breather. Sadly I think these rounds are discontinued, can't seem to find them for sale online. Any rounds like these out there with the same power or more that I can fire in my 629? The more muzzle flash, recoil & noise the better for me.

Groo here
As long as the load is to 44mag pressure specs , all is fine.
What I would not do is use the 300+grain loads.
The pressures are the same but last longer due to the time it takes
the boolet to exit the barrel.
This increases the stress on the frame and cylinder.

[Bobbysixkiller]

Another vote for 180 gr Remington. Lighter faster bullet. Very loud. Lots of fire

[hkcavalier]

Too bad Sierra doesn't sell the 165gr JHP they make for COR-BON. Just might be the bee's knees for what the OP is looking for. Not a reloader, but with guys pushing 180gr loads to 1800fps just imagine what that little pill could do. Besides flame-cut your frame in a hurry

[SeamasterSig]

Originally Posted by chief38

Buffalo Bore is the heaviest I know of. They make a whole slew of different loads - check them out! BB is also the ONLY Manufacturer I know of in the entire industry that states EXACTLY what velocities you WILL get out of different barrel lengths WITHOUT any exaggeration or excuses.

Underwood also makes high quality, high velocity ammo that pushes hard up against the limits of the caliber, similar to what BB produces. And they are generally considerably less expensive than BB, offering frequent free-shipping deals with $100 orders. I've been pleased with what I have ordered and shot so far. The Underwood website does not provide as much useful information as Buffalo Bore's (in that regard, BB is clearly superior to pretty much every other ammo manufacturer) with respect to expected velocities out of a given barrel length. But if you email their customer service with specific questions, they should provide you with enough information to make an informed decision. At least that has been my experience so far. I've even spoken to the owner a couple times on the phone in the past and he definitely made a good impression.

[629classic.44]

Thank you all for the Suggestions so far! I'll give the Remington 180's a try & some of the Buffalo Bore & Underwood stuff. So the consensus is it's not good for the Smith's to fire 300 grain bullets or higher?

[diyj98]

Reload! Just work up to the maximum loads slowly and watch for pressure signs.

[C J]

So the consensus is it's not good for the Smith's to fire 300 grain bullets or higher?

It's my understanding that the whole Endurance Package thing grew out of wanting to use those heavy loads. I know the guns before the Endurance Package will not take a steady diet of 300 gr. rounds but I was under the impression that anything made after the 629-2 will handle those rounds. The thing I would worry about is using 300 gr. +P+ rounds. That's a whole lot of power and way more than the original design specs for the .44 magnum. The Buffalo Bore "Keith" round was designed to hit the top power rating in the original specs as worked out by Elmer Keith. But again the Endurance Package was about enduring those heavy rounds. I just don't know about adding +P+ power to a heavy load. And Buffalo Bore does make rounds that heavy. Like this 340 gr. +P+ round. I don't know if your Smith would stand up to these all day. I doubt it. They're really more specialty rounds designed for dangerous game.

Heavy .44 Magnum +P+ Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

On that page you'll find a list of firearms that will stand up to these rounds. You'll also find this statement right after the list of guns that will work with that round.

"We get hundreds of emails asking if this load can be fired in S&W revolvers or some firearm other than what is in the above list. The answer is NO."

[TXSWFAN]

I've been a fan of Doubletap Ammo for a decade plus. His stuff has always been reliable and consistent. Safe for S&W. Check out the numbers yourself.

44 Magnum

[BruceM]

300 gr. +P+ rounds.

To my knowledge there is no SAAMI specification for anything like .44 Magnum+P+ or +P for that matter. That rating is just a marketing gimmick used by the manufacturer. In light of that little speck of information, the Smith & Wesson N-Frame .44 magnums could not be "rated" for ammo which has no SAAMI Spec.. I don't know how any other manufacturer deals with this. I do not believe that Ruger has a formal written warranty-just what is mandated by State and Federal consumer protection statutes. They have an in-house service policy which is discretionary and subject to change if and when Ruger sees fit. Currently it pretty good.

Bruce

[500SNW]

Originally Posted by C J

It's my understanding that the whole Endurance Package thing grew out of wanting to use those heavy loads. I know the guns before the Endurance Package will not take a steady diet of 300 gr. rounds but I was under the impression that anything made after the 629-2 will handle those rounds.

I'm somewhat of a newbie to S&W revolvers. Can somebody briefly elaborate on what the "Endurance Package" is?

[steelslaver]

Basically a larger bolt and bolt cut in the cylinder and a heavier bolt spring.
Some found that under heavy loads the earlier guns would jump out of battery upon being fired. No problem with the round that fired, but the cylinder would the repeat the same chamber or skip one rotating to the next shot. Never happened to me. But, then I have never fired bullets over 240 gr or loaded beyond normal.

[C J]

To my knowledge there is no SAAMI specification for anything like .44 Magnum+P+ or +P for that matter. That rating is just a marketing gimmick used by the manufacturer.

Did you check out the specs on the round I mentioned as a +P+ round? Maybe it isn't official but clearly it's a round that is very powerful compared to the original .44 magnum specs. Here are those spec for the Buffalo Bore round they are calling +P+.

340 gr. 1,478 fps/M.E. 1,649 ft. lbs.

That may not have official specs making it a true +P+ round but it dang sure is a powerful round for a .44 mag.. I'm looking at a .50 cal. cartridge with specs like this.

325 gr. 1450 FPS

So the .44 mag. round labelled as +P+ is likely more powerful than this .50 cal round. It doesn't have the ft./lbs. listed but I would have to assume a 325 gr. bullet going slower than a 340 gr. bullet is going to have less energy. Either way it's a big load for a .44 mag. and if Buffalo Bore, which has a very good reputation, says not to use it in a S&W then I'm not going to. I know that early models of the 629 had issues with 300 gr. bullets. They would jump time and all sorts of things like having the cylinder spin backwards because of shooting rounds that were too powerful. Again the Endurance Package helped deal with that issue but not to the point of firing a 340 gr. bullet 1478 fps. That's a lot whether it's officially a +P+ or not. Maybe there's marketing involved but there's also physics involved. That round is too powerful for S&W revolvers from all I've ever heard.

[Biggfoot44]

Since the discussion is simultaneously about "can" and factory ammo, I will mention Buffalo Bore and Grizzly .

If the discussion were to shift to "should" , responses would " you should.ct" , and handloads sugguestions.

[sixtwoniner]

I know it's about factory ammo. It sound to like you should start the other addiction that ails most magnum freaks. Reloading. I have never found a factory load that will maximize the ability of my 629 classic 8 3/8. Sounds like you caught the BANG!! bug. You'll go broke trying to sate your needs with factory ammo. I know. That's what got me started 25 years ago and I have never looked back.

[Ole Joe Clark]

If you want flash, bang and recoil, why not buy one of those 12 gauge "pistols" that is the rage these days?

[500SNW]

Thanks for the information steelslaver !!

[jcelect]

If you think that punishment is fun, buy a 460!
jcelect

[mazer]

Sounds like someone is ready for an upgrade to a 460S&W!!! I love the 44's but the 460? It is a class unto itself! Enjoy shooting the 44's, but as already mentioned, to get the best "affordable" bang for your buck, you should start to reload your own. The equipment purchase will begin paying for itself the minute you begin to pull the handle!

[steelslaver]

Ya, if you want noise and muzzle flash a short barreled 460 will make a 44 mag look like a pop gun. The 500s make an impression to. I have a 500 with an 8 3/8" and some people start looking around for thunder clouds as they think they heard and saw lighting.

[629classic.44]

Should probably clarify I meant rounds that are safe to use in a 629. Not what they can maybe handle. Lol. Like those +p+ BB. At that point it'd be best to step up in caliber. Reloading is something I plan to do later this year. Is it hard to learn?

[629classic.44]

Originally Posted by jcelect

If you think that punishment is fun, buy a 460!
jcelect

I just might!

[629classic.44]

Originally Posted by mazer

Sounds like someone is ready for an upgrade to a 460S&W!!! I love the 44's but the 460? It is a class unto itself! Enjoy shooting the 44's, but as already mentioned, to get the best "affordable" bang for your buck, you should start to reload your own. The equipment purchase will begin paying for itself the minute you begin to pull the handle!

Along with the poster below you there's 3 .460 S&W suggestions now, hahah. Would you say that the .460 is a better upgrade than a .500? Yeah with how much I like to shoot my Magnums I'll need to start to keep costs down!

[629classic.44]

Originally Posted by steelslaver

Ya, if you want noise and muzzle flash a short barreled 460 will make a 44 mag look like a pop gun. The 500s make an impression to. I have a 500 with an 8 3/8" and some people start looking around for thunder clouds as they think they heard and saw lighting.

How short, 5" .460V or 3.5" ? Would you say the .460 makes more of an impression than the .500?

[steelslaver]

I have heard that it is louder with more flash than a 500. I don't really know. Either in a short barrel is going to make serious noise. I think it is a waste on a 460, but if you really want noise a 3 1/2" would give you some serious decibels.

Reloading is not hard to learn, but does require attention to detail and ability to follow instructions. If you fire many rounds of ammo it will pay for itself. Unless you end up spending the money making more ammo.

[jcelect]

Originally Posted by 629classic.44

Should probably clarify I meant rounds that are safe to use in a 629. Not what they can maybe handle. Lol. Like those +p+ BB. At that point it'd be best to step up in caliber. Reloading is something I plan to do later this year. Is it hard to learn?

The answer to most of your questions are in a good reloading manual!!!!!!!! Buy one TOMORROW, it's the first step to reloading! I like Horandy for their explanations up front but you will probably end up buying most all of the major manufactures manuals.
High end 44s and most 460 ammo is very expensive, compared to reloads!
I'm too cheap to buy ammo, that's why I reload for most all revolver calibers and a few auto calibers! If you are shooting 100-200 rounds a month then almost any single station press will be fine. These can be purchased at gun shows rather cheap. Save your brass! ! ! !
The implication of my first post; If your going to haul 1 ton of bricks, don't buy a Ranger, buy a 3/4 ton truck! ! ! !
Good luck and if you need pointers in reloading, email me, I've been doing it for over 30yrs!
jcelect

[mod29]

Originally Posted by steelslaver

Reloading is not hard to learn, but does require attention to detail and ability to follow instructions. If you fire many rounds of ammo it will pay for itself. Unless you end up spending the money making more ammo.

Agreed. Not that difficult at a basic level, but requires all your attention.

I reload mostly for my .44 magnum revolvers.
I enjoy shooting light magnum loads far more than full-house loads.

Not only do I save money, but the ammo is more accurate, too.

[H Richard]

A friend of mine used to also shoot the hottest loads he could, over quite a few years. He now only shoots 38 WC target loads and .22's due to the excessive damage to the bones in his wrist. He can barely hang on to 38 standard velocity loading, and has difficult trying to write.

Shoot responsibly or wind up with problems in your older age.

[mazer]

Originally Posted by 629classic.44

Along with the poster below you there's 3 .460 S&W suggestions now, hahah. Would you say that the .460 is a better upgrade than a .500? Yeah with how much I like to shoot my Magnums I'll need to start to keep costs down!

Oh...short isn't necessary to make an impression! One of these should do you nicely!
The top is the new PC XVR 7.5" and the bottom is the 8 3/8" XVR. Both are tack drivers!!!

The PC is my favorite...well...it goes with my 44mag theme!!
Here it is with my 44mags! Well...the competitor is a .357...but it looked good with the rest of my group! I may also need to find a Lew Horton with a solid cylinder and get a Competitor in 44mag with a solid cylinder as well!! they are messing with my set a little!!

[BruceM]

Did you check out the specs on the round I mentioned as a +P+ round? Maybe it isn't official but clearly it's a round that is very powerful compared to the original .44 magnum specs. Here are those spec for the Buffalo Bore round they are calling +P+.

340 gr. 1,478 fps/M.E. 1,649 ft. lbs.

That may not have official specs making it a true +P+ round but it dang sure is a powerful round for a .44 mag..

I guess the point is that the ammo you're talking about is in all likelihood overpressure by a fair amount. Overpressure is defined as being above SAAMI pressure specifications for that round. I would think that fact should answer the OP's question.

It would seem logical to me that if you need external ballistics which exceed those of SAAMI specification ammo, you need to obtain a gun chambered for a round which will provide that level of performance within SAAMI spec's.

Or, you can try to make a .44 magnum into something it isn't by venturing into the free-for-all which is boutique ammo which conforms to no know and recognized manufacturer's association standard.

I enjoy shooting light magnum loads far more than full-house loads.

I understand what you're saying but if you think a bit about it, this is an oxymoron.


Bruce

[629classic.44]

Originally Posted by mazer

Oh...short isn't necessary to make an impression! One of these should do you nicely!
The top is the new PC XVR 7.5" and the bottom is the 8 3/8" XVR. Both are tack drivers!!!

The PC is my favorite...well...it goes with my 44mag theme!!
Here it is with my 44mags! Well...the competitor is a .357...but it looked good with the rest of my group! I may also need to find a Lew Horton with a solid cylinder and get a Competitor in 44mag with a solid cylinder as well!! they are messing with my set a little!!

Oh man.. That Performance Center looks so good. I checked one out in the shop not long ago. Aesthetically I like how it looks more than the PC .500. That's a lovely looking collection you got there!

[Not Getting Any Younger]

Originally Posted by 629classic.44

How short, 5" .460V or 3.5" ? Would you say the .460 makes more of an impression than the .500?

I have a 629 Classic with a 6 & 1/2" barrel -- one of my favorites that I bought over 20 years ago. Now if I'm interested in buying something, I go to YOUTUBE so I can see them in action! It's also a good idea to see/hear opinions from several different sources. And renting a gun from the range is also a good idea when you think about how much some of these guns cost.