44 Special Ammo Suggestions

[Larry from Bend]

I've shot some of the 200 gr GDHP in the Blazer brand. It was pretty accurate and light in recoil. Midway says it does 900 fps (unspecified barrel length) but I wonder what it would clock it a 3" barrel. If it were me I'd try to see if it expands at the velocity you're getting from your revolver. If it doesn't expand, Bitterroot Valley makes a 240 lead SWC in HP or FP that is advertised @ 800 fps which is even MORE accurate in my .44 Special. These are a good value (inexpensive) and would surely penetrate very well. I got them from Cheaper Than Dirt.

Thought I'd add that I did chrono the 200 grain Blazers today and they averaged about 915 fps out of a 4 5/8" Ruger FlatTop. I was pleasantly surprised. They grouped well --- and about 3" lower than my 240 Grain loads from Bitterroot Valley which clocked about 770 fps. My handloads using 2400 did almost exactly 1000 fps with 240 grain Nosler JHPs.

 

[TexasArmed]

I use Gold Dot (Georgia Arms) Winchester Silvertip and Semi Jacket HPs. I get the best results out of the SJHPs. If I want something more I go with Buffalo Bores 255gr Keith style bullets.

I just recently purchased a 3rd handgun, which is a Charter Arms 44 SPL, the one made in Stratford, CT. and 50 rounds of 180 grain PMC Hollowpoint JCH cartridges. I have never fired this pistol yet, and looking for practice rounds for it for range practice. I normally carry a Taurus 851 38 Spl or my air weight S&W 642 38 Spl. The 44 Bulldog 3 " has rubber grips, and I want to shoot it enough to get used to the recoil. I figure maybe it is harder to conceal than my 38's, so just plan to have it in my vehicle. I worried about someone's post saying that
some Charter Arms guns shoots high and to the right. I was told to purchase 150 gn cartridges for practice. What is the cheapest round I can get that is okay for this pistol and is it
readily available.

 

[Larry from Bend]

I just recently purchased a 3rd handgun, which is a Charter Arms 44 SPL, the one made in Stratford, CT. and 50 rounds of 180 grain PMC Hollowpoint JCH cartridges. I have never fired this pistol yet, and looking for practice rounds for it for range practice. I normally carry a Taurus 851 38 Spl or my air weight S&W 642 38 Spl. The 44 Bulldog 3 " has rubber grips, and I want to shoot it enough to get used to the recoil. I figure maybe it is harder to conceal than my 38's, so just plan to have it in my vehicle. I worried about someone's post saying that
some Charter Arms guns shoots high and to the right. I was told to purchase 150 gn cartridges for practice. What is the cheapest round I can get that is okay for this pistol and is it
readily available.

I've never seen a 150 grain factory load. You CAN get 165s in cast bullets for handloading -- probably 150s also. The CHEAPEST 44 Special ammo that I've seen is the Bitterroot Valley ammo from Cheaper Than Dirt. It would be 240 grain and probably WOULD shoot higher than your 180 grain loads.

 

[TexasArmed]

When I got this Charter Arms 44 I obtained a box of 50 hollow point 180 grn. When I went looking to find rounds for it, checked several places did not have any. Found one gun shop in a nearby town, that had 44 Spl 250 grain rounds, but thats
going to have a lot of recoil. Only plan to fire about 10 or 15
rounds with it this trip, because I am firing a new stainless stell airweight 642 S&W 38 Spl this weekend. On another trip in a month or two maybe I will have plenty of good practice rounds
for the Charter Bulldog 3". This gun certainly has not hardly been fired and is in great condition. If the recoil causes me to
not shoot as accurately, I might not carry it as a primary weapon. My brother who is in LEO has owned one like it before,
and told me it is a "hoss" of a gun with great stopping power.
I am getting the impression that the 45 has more round availability. I was not aware though till reading your post that
different grain rounds would cause a gun to shoot higher or lower. I probably need to shoot a round very close to the
180 grn hollow points I have it loaded with. I was also told by
the man I bought it from that the gun will not fire if the hammer happens to catch, but has to be pulled back to the full cock position or the hammer pulled. The gun shop told me it
has the blocking device in it that keeps it from firing accidentally. So far I have loaded it with 4 rounds leaving it
sitting on an empty chamber. I was hoping to find rounds
available where I live without ordering them over the internet.

 

[WilliamP]

From a three-inch barrel, I'd stick with the Blazer 200 grain Gold dot hp. It has the velocity and the accuracy.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Elmer's load

I load my own, and carry critical defense stuff, but rarely shoot it. When I load, it is a close copy of Keith's .44 spl load of a LSWC- 240 gr, over 7 to 7 1/2 gr's of Unique. If It was a 624 I was shooting, I would make sure it had passed the recall check on the cylinder, and then respond to that information approprietly. Flapjack

 

[Shamus2004]

My carry gun is a 1950 44 Military (born in 1955) and I use (handloaded) duplex ball ammo at 900 fps. Two .433 round balls sized to .429. Less penetration - more whack. Lessens the danger of collateral damage in a crowd. Spread at 25 yds varies from gun to gun but averages 6-8". One ball always strikes at point of aim and the other is in "orbit" somewhere around that point. Penetration at 25 yds is roughly that of a .45 WC.

 

[TexasArmed]

QUOTE:
"I've never seen a 150 grain factory load. You CAN get 165s in cast bullets for handloading -- probably 150s also. The CHEAPEST 44 Special ammo that I've seen is the Bitterroot Valley ammo from Cheaper Than Dirt. It would be 240 grain and probably WOULD shoot higher than your 180 grain loads.
Like "


Well I have place some 165 grain on order, don't know if they will come in my next month. I previously shot Cowboy brand 246 grain, just about 10 rounds when I was at the range last month shooting my S&W 38 Special. This coming month I plan to shoot 50 to 100 rounds of 44SPL in the CA Bulldog 3"
gun, which I now carry primary. Locally I do not have a big problem getting self defense rounds and I have plenty of those, hollowpoints 180 Grain and 200 grain. Just seems hard to get practice rounds.

I will not be able to be picky regarding the practice rounds I get, and will likely have to settle for the range instructor I have been using to help me with my practice at the range.
Last month I fired 237 of 250 so I still have lots of room for improvement. I own 3 Handguns, 2 of those are 38's which are cheaper to practice with and I am rotating the guns every two months.

It is a bit disappointing to keep going back to gun shops and find they still don't have any 44 practice rounds in, as well as 44 Spl speedloaders. (all my guns are revolvers.)

 

[ldp4570]

Winchester Silver Tips. Out of a 3" 624 its visable, even in dim light. Plus it shoots really well out of her.

 

[blackflag]

I've been curious about this:

44 Special 220gr Xtreme

 

[moxie]

TexasArmed,

Tha told PMC tubular bullet round is not good for self defense. Very inaccurate, and typically shoots at least 6" low. Shoot 'em up and save the brass!

 

[Neal/CO]

These look promising?

Heavy .44 Special Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

 

[oldRoger]

I use Bufalo Bore Heavy .44 Special Ammo - 255 gr.S.W.C.(Keith-type)G.C.(1,000fps/M.E.566 ft.lbs.) in my 696 & 624 it comes close to my handloads.
By the way BB says it runs 1155 fps from a 396, it would take a stout lad to shoot much of this stuff from a 396 though.

 

[John Eilertson]

As was said, the lighter bullets make for faster follow up shots. Other than that, my advice is to see which cartridge works best in your weapon, and use that one. (Hoping to NEVER need it...)