.44 Special

[Alk8944]

Please be kind and post some links to this factory ammo that is actually still made and in stock.?

No links, but here is what is listed by the two foremost U.S. Ammunition makers, Remington and Winchester:

Remington; Stock RTG44SW, 246 gr Lead RN This is the only load listed.

Winchester; Stock X44SP, 246 gr, Lead RN. They also list a 200 gr. load.

PMC no longer lists any .44 Spl. at all.

Hornady lists only a 180 gr. JHP

Federal lists one 200 gr. LSWCHP

Speer lists one 200 gr. GDHP

So, aside from minor manufacturers and custom loaders it would appear them the remark by the OP, "Most factory ammo for the .44 Special runs a 246gr Lead bullet ", would appear to be fairly accurate. At the very least 1/3 fit the description. Of all listed makers only one, Remington, shows more than one load!

In stock and available are too subjective, the fact the manufacturers claim to manufacture such has to be sufficient to establish the truth of the statement.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I've always shot the skelton load of 7.5 grs. of Unique behind my 250 gr. cast swc in all my specials........Don't see any reason to change.

 

[Rule3]

No links, but here is what is listed by the two foremost U.S. Ammunition makers, Remington and Winchester:

Remington; Stock RTG44SW, 246 gr Lead RN This is the only load listed.

Winchester; Stock X44SP, 246 gr, Lead RN. They also list a 200 gr. load.

PMC no longer lists any .44 Spl. at all.

Hornady lists only a 180 gr. JHP

Federal lists one 200 gr. LSWCHP

Speer lists one 200 gr. GDHP

So, aside from minor manufacturers and custom loaders it would appear them the remark by the OP, "Most factory ammo for the .44 Special runs a 246gr Lead bullet ", would appear to be fairly accurate. At the very least 1/3 fit the description. Of all listed makers only one, Remington, shows more than one load!

In stock and available are too subjective, the fact the manufacturers claim to manufacture such has to be sufficient to establish the truth of the statement.

Is this a Roberts Rule of Order? A debate?

You list 2 product numbers which are not available so what is the point?

I disagree and say that the statement is inaccurate.

You left out MagTech , Seller and Bellot.Buffalo Bore, Fiocchi , Blazer and several more. Oh, they don't make them either

Out of the 33 listings on Midway only 1, Winchester, lists a 246 gr bullet.

246 grain bullets are not readily available either loaded or from cast bullet companies, For the purpose of the reloading section 240 gr are as close as the OP will likely find.

 

[41 fan]

The only ammo that never seems to be in short supply is nit picking ammo. Dean

 

[ironhead7544]

Concerning the "Russian" and "Special" thing, I think it was just a advertising thing. It was a new model and calling it the ".44 S&W Special Ctg" made it unique to the S&W company. Better than advertising some foreign country. A lot of people would think it was made in Russia.

 

[Redhawk500]

Most factory ammo for the .44 Special runs a 246gr Lead bullet at around 750fps. My own pet load is a 240gr LSWC at about 800fps. Yet it seems like everytime someone talks about their own .44 Specials they tend to list velocities of 900fps or better.
So I was curious, am I the only person happy with what basicly amounts to a standard load? Does everyone else feel the need to bump it up a bit? How fast do you load 'em?

The standard factory loads, given it is a lead round nose instead of jacketed round nose, is as good a large animal stopper as 45 ACP ball. It is accurate and mild in light weight 44 Special revolvers. It's biggest drawback is price. If anyone reloads, the temptation is improved ballistics and terminal performance at the same time you are saving money. A 250 grain bullet at 1000 fps is a perfectly good hunting and target round out to 100 yards or so. If you feel the need for more, get out that canister of 2400, otherwise 7.5 grains of Unique works as well as ever.

 

[Larry from Bend]

Before the 44 Special got "discovered" the standard loading was a 246 grain bullet @ 750 fps or so. Those numbers wouldn't be of interest to me. My 240 grainers do 1080 fps (safe in my gun). I use my Special in place of my 44 Mag ---- when I am in places where I don't have to worry about Griz -- like Oregon Elk camp. If Griz are a possibility, it's a 44 Mag with 285 grain bullet @ 1235 fps. Way ahead of the Special.

 

[LaVistaBill]

44 S&W Special RTG44SW Remington Target 246 - This is under www.remington.com/products/ammunition

X44SP 44 Smith & Wesson Special 246 www.winchester.com/products/handgun-ammunition/super-x They also make the 240 gr. lead flat point cowboy load.

I figured the two "Big Old Boys" of American Ammo still made this classic .44 Special load.

 

[Smithhound]

Get some years and some arthritis on ya' and you'll begin to appreciate mild, accurate loads! The last full house .44 mag's I fired, my hand reminded me about for about two days.
Just like optics on a rifle, didn't need 'em nor like 'em 25 years ago, but now...
Enjoy what you are accurate with.
RD

 

[Hook686]

Actually I have a 329PD, a N Frame .44 magnum light weight. I do not like magnum rounds shooting it and carry 185 grain Buffalo bore Heavy .44 Special loads in it. These give me 1200 fps. For practice I load 9.4 grains of Unique with 200 grain Gold Dots and get 1075 fps. A little lighter, but more enjoyable to practice with.

 

[pbcaster45]

Beggars can't be choosey when powder is so hard to find. I'm glad I've got so much SR-4756 - works pretty good in the .44 Special (but Power Pistol is my favorite).

The old New Frontier loves this combo.

RCBS 44-250K (.432) from Leadhead Bullets
Powder: IMR SR-4756 7.8 grs.
Primer: Federal 150
Case: Starline
Avg. Vel.: 920.43 fps

But the hand takes less punishment with this load.

Oregon Trail 200 gr. RNFP (.4315)
Powder: VihtaVuori N320 5.9 grs.
Primer: Federal 150
Case: Winchester
Velocity: 902.19 fps

It's got big cylinder mouths so .431 - .432 lead bullets shoot best.

 

[Grayfox]

Well I never meant to start a debate on bullet weight.
What little factory ammo I use or perhaps I should say used to use, was mostly the Winchester with a small bit of the Remington. So to me the standard bullet was the 246gr LRN which is also the original load. I stand corrected. Are y'all happy now?
I generally load a 240gr LSWC with a moderate load of W231 which gives me right at 800fps out of my 6" 24-3. For more serious purposes I load a 210gr JHP at 910fps. Both are good accurate loads without excess recoil. I'm happy with that.

 

[Jellybean]

Out of my 3" 24, I usually keep my loads at the "starting" end of published data. I like the gun and have no need to hot rod it.

Out of my Taurus 445, I preferred to use .44 Russian ammo. Even on duty as a back-up, and for off duty carry.

Out of my 3" .44 mags, I shot .44 Specials and "moderate loaded" .44 magnums.

Out of my 4" .44 mags, I shot...a lot of stuff, but never hot rodded anything as it wasn't needed for my purposes.

 

[AZ Desertrat]

Been shooting the .44 Special for longer than I can remember...and factory loads just never do justice to this great caliber. I ALWAYS reload my own in Special...it is worth it because of the versatility.

 

[Redhawk500]

Been shooting the .44 Special for longer than I can remember...and factory loads just never do justice to this great caliber. I ALWAYS reload my own in Special...it is worth it because of the versatility.

It is too bad a mild "police" load, like the one Remington offered for a while in 44 S&W Mag, or as I remember it, the Hal Swigget load, 240 grain SWC at 1000 fps from a four inch barrel revolver, was never offered in the 44 Special.

 

[SW CQB 45]

A buddy loaded me 7.0 of unique pushing a 240 LSWC in my Special cases. I will shoot it out of my new to me 29-4 8-3/8" classic with full underlug and unfluted cylinder. Trigger pull stacks at the end. Going to a Gunsmith after that for tuning and a shorter barrel.