Heavy bullets in the .44 Special

[Ballard]

Is anyone out there shooting 270-280 gr bullets in the .44 special? Care to share your results?

[Petrol & Powder]

No but I routinely shoot RCBS 250 SWC that drop out of the mold at about 259 with my alloy. I've shot them in 44 Special and 44 magnum cases with excellent results. I'm very happy with that bullet.

[EdS]

I've tried the "Keith" style 310 gr at both 44 Special and 44 Magnum velocities. I had two issues with them: with heavier loads they want to move forward even with a heavy crimp in new Starline brass; and my revolvers run out of sight adjustment for elevation! -Ed

[Guesser]

I use the obsolete and long discontinued Lee 429-255 SWC. It drops at 265+/- from my select alloy for 44 Special in 3 different guns. Works well.

[376Steyr]

I use a Keith that weighs 265 grains with my alloy and a healthy dose of Unique. It groups good, but I've been known to run out of elevation sight adjustment on a gun before it gets zeroed.

[CJR]

My fun load in the Bulldog is a 325gr. LBT LFN over about 7gr. of Blue Dot. For close range they were fine. Boy, talk about smackdown power. You had to hold on, but the Bulldog just kept throwing them out and never burped.

Best regards,

CJR

[rintinglen]

Heaviest boolit that I have used is a 429-244 that runs a hair over 265 when gas checked. I load my 44 Specials for accuracy, not so much for power, and found good accuracy with 5.0 grains of RED Dot or 6.5 grains of Unique. I no longer bother with that load however, since the 429-421, and MP 432-640 HP meet all my needs in the 44 special.

[Markbo]

... I load my 44 Specials for accuracy, not so much for power....

Ditto. If I need heavy &/or fast I go to .44 mag or .45 Colt

[Dale53]

I have had a .44 Special since the original Model 24. I would guess my favorites are a pair of 624's (a 4" and a 6½"). My "standard" load is the so called Skeeter Special (7.5 grs of Unique behind a 250 gr Keith). My current bullet is the Mihec correct copy of the H&G #503 cast of WW's+2% tin sized at .430".

Now, that I've mentioned my "favorite" revolvers in .44 Special - I must admit that my two Ruger Flat tops (a Lipsey Special 5½" blue and a Talo 4 5/8" Stainless). They seem to shoot as well as my Smiths. The Smiths have better triggers, but after having a pistolsmith work on my Rugers, they are now tolerably good. Either the short Ruger or the short Smith make for "Perfect Packing Pistols", for sure!

Dale53

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have 2 .44 Specials, a Ruger Flat Top Bisley 4 5/8, and a S&W 696 with a 3" bbl.

So far the boolit that has performed best in both has been from Mihec H&G 503. (Lyman 429421) It has the capability of doing 3 different HP's or Solids. I shoot mainly the solids which come out at 260 gr over 6.0 gr of W231.

This load shoots to the sights on both guns and are probably at 750-800fps. I doubt anything would live thru being shot with either one, I know none of the IDPA targets or Steel Targets I have shot have lived. I guess some that I have winged or missed did live, but nobody cares.

You can really see the power you are unleashing when you hit a 10 lb. steel target and it just about knocks the stand over! This demonstration of power factor can be easily be translated to other targets by simply using your imagination.

It is pretty hard to beat the original Keith Design. He got it right. Others work but this one is the easiest one to get to work right.

If you go to www.beartoothbullets.com there is an article talking about why you don't need to go heavier than 250 gr for the .44 and it really makes pretty good sense. There is little to be gained from a few extra grains of weight. 250 gr is just over 9/16 oz. 280 gr is just over 5/8 oz.

Nothing will know the difference.

Randy

[Aunegl]

I tried 7.5 grains of Bluedot with a 320 grain flat point of my design. I was shooting a Taurus 441 - 3" barrel. No pressure signs, medium-heavy recoil. A 5 shot group at 25 yds. was 3"x4" and it was fun.

[Thumbcocker]

250 Keith over 8.0 of power pistol gives a little more speed and equal or better accuracy in my guns than the Skeeter load and is a tier one load.