Well, I made it to the range yesterday with my 629-4. Wow! ! I even worked up the nerve to start off with .44Mag, 240gr WWB. It's a handful and you know you've got a tiger by the tail but I did pretty well at 25 yds. Didn't have the nerve to try for any longer distances. It is a very accurate pistol. It outshot (and most probably always will) me. I think the ported barrel helped with recoil some. So 50 rds of the WWB and I went on to a box of the Magtech Cowboy .44Spl. It was like going from a cherry bomb to a mild fire cracker. Fun to shoot and I thought very accurate. Wound up shooting 6 Hornady 240 gr XTP just for s**** and giggles. But, question 1, why is all the WWB and especially this Magtech stuff so darn dirty? It took me a LONG time to clean all the crud off the pistol. And with me, if it ain't clean I feel mean.

I can see where I will probably be wanting to shoot the .44Spl more than the .44Mag. Wish some of you guys who are fond of the .44Spl would chime in and tell me what you shoot. Yep, you say you reload your own to get the round you really like. I will one day but I'm not there now. So what suggestions does anybody have for something to take to the range in .44Spl that is not so darn dirty that's commercially available? Does anybody have any experience with BVAC ammo?

I love having acquired the 629. Let's just say that it made my day.

Congratulations on the acquisition of a outstanding revolver. With care and common sense, that 629 will give you a life-time of enjoyment. Winchester makes a Cowboy load in .44 Special that has given me good results in my 21-4 Thunder Ranch which is, of course, a .44 Special. I've also enjoyed shooting the 200 gr. JHP Blazer .44 Special load.

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I've shot PMC, Federal and Winchester .44 mags (all pretty dirty).
I love the Blazer Gold Dot HP 200 gr. in .44 special, which I could shoot
all day ( if I could afford it ). I've tried others that I can't recall the
names, but, I stick with the above loads as I don't reload and they are
readily available most of the time. Just keep shootin' and cleanin'......

Thanks for the replies, guys. It's looking as if the .44Spl is definitely a caliber which begs to be reloaded. I plan on getting into it. Well, to be honest, I've been planning on it for a while but haven't gone forward with it. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what to buy. I've just very happy to score this 629. It is a beautiful revolver.

7 or 8 grs. of Unique and a 240 gr. LSWC in a .44 mag case and you won't have to clean the .44 spl. carbon ring out of your chambers. I've used that load to shoot grouse on wilderness trips. It's mild, accurate and does only .430 damage to edible critters. (It will soot up your gun, but it cleans up easily.)

PC