Jim's custom 44 WC's and a Bulldog

[x101airborne]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754ee61a4a7a4c4.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2968)

Our man, Jim was kind enough to send me some of his custom 44 wad cutters made out of swaged black powder boolits. Here is the report.
Jim and I both seem to have an affection for the Charter Arms Bulldog in 44 Special. A most handy firearm, I have carried mine and shot mine enough to know that three home made ratshot followed by two 260 swc's over 7 grains unique is a heck of an all day in the woods load. The ratshot will chop a copperhead or a rattler up into sushi at 10 feet, kill a skunk quite readily with two shots, drop a close passing dove, etc. The two 260 grainers will cleave through a 150 pound pigs shoulders so cleanly, it even kills the squeal. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754ee61ba06e226.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2969)

So I loaded them in new Winchester cases and took them to the cabin with me this weekend. I did not get to shoot a pig with them, but did finally get to do my shoot test. By far the most accurate was a starting load of SR4759. And quite comfortable to boot. While not what the full potential of the 44 special is, remember..... LOADED this thing comes in at a pound and a half. Quite light comparitively.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754ee61c814da50.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2970)

At higher charges, the cases became difficult to extract. Not stuck, just not that easy. Now before I get flamed, I did not clean the weapon prior to shooting these groups. it could be the incredibly thin walls of the cylinder allowing case expansion, it could be that this thing has a permenant place in my back pocket year round, hard to say.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754ee61d5d09573.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2971)

Upon shooting the blue dot load, I noticed something lock up the weapon between rounds 3 and 4. Upon extraction, I noticed the extractor was damaged. This was not to my knowledge due to hard extraction, although I could see how it could be. All I know is I did not use a rock to push out the shells. They came out by hand and the ones that did not, were pushed out with a pencil one at a time.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754ee61e3822117.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2972)

Now, as far as groups, I enjoyed the SR4759 load. For hunting, I found the 2400 load hot as the mid day sun from that little revolver. In fact, if you notice, The blue dot load and the 2400 load were terminated after two rounds. I noticed something slick on my fingers of my right hand, it was blood from my thumb. The cylinder latch was tearing the side of my thumb off with every shot. The pic is from this morning, 24 hours later.

All in all, I am VERY impressed with the performance of the custom WC's from Jim and the Charter Bulldog. A better and lighter woods companion, I could not want. By the way, these loads were shot offhand at 20 yards. And By God, 35 rounds a day from this thing is ENOUGH!!!!!!

[Olevern]

Interesting, thanks for the report.
vern

[luvtn]

I had a Charter 2000 Bulldog that I recently sold cause I was offered $20 less than a new one costs. I had run some 240 gr swaged hornady's over 2400 and Red dot. I could shoot her all day with 200gr Blazer's. Had a kick about like a .357 mag. I'll probably replace it some day. If only some one would make a stouter .44 spcl in DA. I'd like to send some boolits down range at 1100 fps.
lt

[Jim]

I'll be dipped! Who'da thunk it?

[stubert]

I have carried a Bulldog for 20 years. Great gun, mine is now stoked with Lyman Devastators.

[x101airborne]

Anyone else notice that 3 go into a nice group and usually there are 2 flyers? May need to further inspect this weapon.

[MikeS]

I had a Bulldog many years ago. Now I have (well, had, I gave it to my daughter) a Rossi M720 that I find every bit as nice as the Bulldog. The only thing some folks might not like with the Rossi is that it's DA only, with the hammer being bobed, there isn't even a full cock notch, so even if you could grab the hammer, there's no notch to put it in. But even so, it has a really nice DA trigger pull, and for what it is, a concealment gun, it does it very well!

[alfloyd]

This is the one that I have, and love it.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?pictureid=4630&albumid=450&dl=1323720357&thumb=1

Smith & Wesson 696

Lafaun

[BarryinIN]

I remember reading Skeeter Skelton's test of the Bulldog when it came out. The cylinder latch cut his thumb too, so he just took the latch off and opened the cylinder by pulling the non-shrouded ejector rod the early ones had.

I don't have a Bulldog but like wadcutters in my Ruger 44 Spl. I have the Lee 208 grain mould. I got the Lee 113 grain mould since, but haven't used it much yet.
I know it's an unscientific indicator of anything at all, but those flat faced wadcutters sure do make a big "slap" and throw up a lot of dirt when they hit the backstop.

[BCB]

x101airborne,

What I noticed with your original post is that you used SR-4759…

I really don’t find much data with that powder and handgun cartridges—just might be my lack of actually looking for the usefulness of this powder…

But, I use it in the 45 Colt with great results as well as my 357 Magnum for the 1894C Marlin…

Ain’t here to change the topic, but I was just interested in the use of SR-4759 in the 44 Special…

Good-luck…BCB

[x101airborne]

I think 4759 has a place in any large capacity case with light boolit. Call it the origional trail boss. Get the Sierra manual and it has a lot of loads for it.

[Dale53]

I use the Group Buy 200 gr full wadcutter in my various .44 Special revolvers (all full size). They make a fine target load up to and including 50 yards and a DANDY edible small game load. The stop bunny wabbits (including those great big fellers, snowshoe wabbits) in place. If they are close a shot to the head works perfectly, of course, but when they get out a bit farther (like 25 yards or so) a shot through the slats puts them down RIGHT NOW without wasting any of the tasty meat.

NOTE: I have never had to shoot a rabbit twice with a .44 (which is more than I can say for the .22 rimfire).

I load 4.0 grs of Bullseye or Red Dot (or equivalent) for a nice gentle but effective load. For those who may not have a chance to chronograph this load, 5.0 grs of Red Dot gives 878 fps (one more grain than my target load).

Dale53

[x101airborne]

According to my Lyman Cast Bullet Bible (3rd edition)
44 Special with Lyman #42799 SR-4759 13.2gr to 15.2gr

44 Special with Lyman 429421 SR-4759 11.9 to 13.4

Interesting thing..... all the max charges seem to completely fill the case. Some are even listed as being compressed.