I chrono-ed my loads - the Speer #4427 200gr Gold Dot JHPs over 5.7 gr of Titegroup in Starline brass with Federal LP primer - and compared them with Georgia Arms 200gr GDJHP and the CCI variant to get a range of 834-843 fps for the trio from my 696's 3" tube. All had SD's <10 fps. I stopped using the Al-cased Blazers after one split it's case in my 696, making it hard to extract. They were my only ammo for my 2.5" hammerless AirLite Ti 296 until then - I shoot only my reloads or GA Arms similar loads nowadays. The bullet is designed for full opening at 800 fps - which it barely eclipsed from the 296. BTW, I never broke 900 fps with any of those loads from my revolvers - including 6.5" 24's. The GA Arms variant made 947 fps from my Henry .44M lever gun - but it had a 20" barrel!
The meteoric price increase of the Blazers actually helped my decision to buy the cheaper GA Arms variant - plus you get once-shot Starline brass instead or Al cases. One of our good TX members posted his results in brisket with various .44 Special loads - the low speed 200gr GD in .44 Special was impressive. Speer did make a thicker/less pre-stressed Gold Dot in .45 Colt and designed for high speed opening - the Blazer ammo with that bullet makes over 1,000 fps from a 4" tube. A later thin walled 250 gr version, the Speer #4484 Gold Dot, also opens well at 800 fps. Both a mid-point 5.7 gr Titegroup and the Speer ammo, which is pricey, easily best that velocity requirement. Sadly, neither bullet in .45 Colt is listed now on Speer's site. My point is simple - if you like that 200gr low speed .44 Special Gold Dot - grab the bullets and ammo where & when you find them! They, too might evaporate...
The 200gr .44 Special Gold Dots do a great job on pop bottles full of water, too. I no longer fear attacks by marauding pop bottles of water, bushwhacking briskets, or ambushes by Jell-O. If you carry your 696 (or 4" 629...) for protection from 2-legged predators, you should have confidence.
Stainz
