44 Special?

[Fortkevin2]

Hi Guys,
Picked up a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug chambered in 44 special day before yesterday. I plan to order a mold or two later this week but would like to go ahead and get started if possible loading for this plinker.

I only have two types 44 caliber bullets available right now, a 210 gr Serra JHP and a 250 grain SWC. I have over 600 of the 250's so if possible maybe use those first?

I am not looking for teeth shattering loads as I doubt the Charter can handle them but more of a plinker. I usually go lighter for a plinker but again, this is what I have on hand.

I have a very small amount of Trail Boss on hand as well as half a dozen or so more powders. I can get an accurate list tomorrow if that will help you all help me pick out a good load. I have tried the search function but did not really find what I was looking for. Thanks again everyone!

http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv350/Fortkevin2/IMAG1368.jpg

[Matthew 25]

The Skeeter load is the one I learned about when I got my first 44 special. Unique and 240g swc, although I think backing it down about 0.5 to 1.0 grains from Skeeter's 7.5g would be an OK thing to do. That 250 with 6.5 g will poke a deep hole.

The way I look at a 44 special is that it does have a unique advantage over other snubbies...and that is large caliber and heavy bullet. Might as well maximize those attributes and shoot a slowish 250g. A 200g is surely a great bullet in the special, but generating the extra velocity for the maximum effect of the lighter bullet is less desirable to me. It seems like going with a fast light bullet is something a 357 does so well, why not let the special throw fat and heavy? Yep, my philosophy of the 44 special.

By the way, congrats on the revolver. I got my 696 about 4 months ago and have been really enjoying it. It came along on a 14er hike last week and was so much more pleasant to carry than the 44 SBH.

[TCLouis]

I carry 180 coated HPs in mine as it is my social interaction gun.


For woods work here at the house I have Lee 200 RNFPs in front of AA#5

If I were to have woods where I could expect something else too then 250s in front of AA#5/Unique would be my likely choice.

[429421Cowboy]

I think like Matthew, slow and heavy worked fine for a long time and we have the .357 for light-ish going fast.
If we are talking boolits, 6.5 gr of Unique under a 240-250 will give you a good load, the Skeeter load is what i duplicate in mag brass out of my .44 and i feel is a bit heavy for a plinker, especially in a lighter gun like the Bulldog. I don't think there is much of anything that is going to shake off a 240 at 750-850 fps anyways, especially if you choose the right boolit shape.

[9.3X62AL]

I'm another 44 Special fan that thinks "Skeeter's Load" is a bit much for the Charter Arms revolvers so chambered. The somewhat dated "RCBS Cast Bullet Manual No. 1" uses a 4" Charter Arms Bulldog to gather its data. Its text shows 240 grain boolits using......

Bullseye--4.5 to 5.0 grains--670 to 750 FPS

Unique--5.0 to 6.0 grains--601 to 732 FPS

WW-231--4.5 to 5.0 grains--633 to 700 FPS

SR-4756--6.0 to 7.0 grains--688 to 812 FPS

That's a sampling of the data, and gives an idea of where the RCBS folks thought the CA should run.

[Fortkevin2]

Thanj you for the load data and poats so far. I actually found another canister of trail boss. Anyone have load data for a 250 grain non gas checked bullet? Again, looking for a plinking load.

Would really like to use trail boss since it fills up the case so well

Sent from an HTC mobile device....

[EDK]

Go to various powder manufacturer's web site for load data and look for cowboy action shooting loads. Good place to start.

9.3X62 AL listed some ecellent loads in the range you can shoot comfortably in your 44 BULLDOG.

NOE has some FULL WADCUTTER 44 molds listed in VENDOR SPONSOR SALES. I have 3 different design and weight full wadcutter 44 molds that I use. I suggest the 230? grain design.

I had a S&W 696, but just didn't like it that well. I sold it and it's 686 CS-1 sister to someone years ago and we're both happy with the deal.

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley:

[Bret4207]

6-6.5 grs Unique and a 429421 at .431, 50/50 lube and a standard primer. Shoot to POA for me, kills well in the field. it's not wrist wrenching and it won't pound your gun apart. A 200 gr boolit with a FN will work too with less recoil.

I've shot the 7.5 gr Skeeter loads in my BD. I didn't think they were awful, but they hit well off for me.

[Trey45]

http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photos/6/1809686/10101988/LBTOgivalWadcutter009-vi.jpg
These were cast out of my LBT 431 230 OWC, water dropped straight clip-on wheel weight alloy.
As cast weight is 235gr, using BAC lube, 7gr Unique, Starline brass, CCI large pistol primer.

I was under the impression that this mould was no longer a catalog item for LBT but have since learned that it is in fact still available. The only downside to this boolit is that it must be run as fast and hard as it can safely be done, & in a lightweight gun like your Charter Arms you might get some recoil impulse that you might not care for. This same boolit and load out of my Blackhawk Flattop 44 Special is good medicine for groundhogs.

[monge]

Has enenyone tried a rd nose boolit in 44sp?

[Trey45]

The original bullet for 44 Special was a 246gr lead round nose, so, yes, it's been done.

[Wally]

I use a Lyman 429383 245 RN in mine.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

After years of success with 5.2 gr of Bullseye under the 240 lead boolit I recently came upon another great load; 7.5 gr of SR7625 which clocks at 830 fps. For boolits I shoot large quantities of Lyman 429667 sized .431” from wheelweight alloy.

I have carried an older Charter Arms blued Bulldog with the RCBS Keith 44-250-K from 60% wheelweight alloy and 40% Linotype over 5.2 gr. Of Bullseye as a back up gun for years, I am a peace officer. Not really a plinker tho. I have found that 100% Linotype in the RCBS 44-250-K is most accurate but the added cost of Linotype over wheelweight alloy and the ease of casting the 429667 with it’s beveled base and 4 cavity mould causes me to favor it over the Keith boolit. Plus for 95% of my shoot the extra margin of accuracy is just not that important

[theperfessor]

The Lee 429-240-2R is a good RN bullet for .44 Specials, and a six cavity mold will drop a bunch of them in a hurry. That is one of my easiest-to-cast-with molds. The bullets just fall out.

[colonelsanders]

I have one of the charter arms target bulldog 's.

I thought it was worth mentioning that the charter amrs bulldog is intended for 44 special. I use mine with full 44 special loads all the time.

Full 44 special loads defined as 44 special at full saami specification. All the published reloading manuals I have list this.

The recoil from full saami 44 special loads is nothing to laugh at, but it works well in my gun. There is no reason to use the pansified cowboy level loads in this gun.

The differance between the Charter and other 44 specials is that the other steel framed 44 specials can handle magnum, or near magnum loads. The charter arms is excellent for what it is.

One thing Inwill mentiin is that when I was shooting remington factory ammo, the crimp on the bullets was not tight enough. Due to the light weight of the gun, some of the bullets pulled forward and locked up my cylinder. I rectified this with a heavier crimp with my reloads.

[runfiverun]

i use the 429667 and the 429421 interchangeable in almost all of my 44 guns.
special, mag, and 445.
the only ones i don't are my browning 92,and 44-40 [the 421's nose is too long]
i modified my rossi's carrier slightly to take the 421.

the 6.0-6,5 ish gr loads of unique [i use 6.2 in the acp] mimic the 45 acp but with a slightly heavier boolit.
i have never seen anybody argue that was not enough cartridge for defense.

[a.squibload]

Have used 240 & 260 swcs and 240 hps, 6.5 Unique
works fine. Check Bulldog screws occasionally for
tightness, found mine loose but after tightening they
have stayed tight for years.
Mine has the sexy bobbed hammer!

[EMC45]

I shoot a 4in. Taurus with Titegroup (6gr.) under a 200gr. Lee RFN. I tried the 429-421 (250gr.) and found it shot quite high. The 200gr. shoots to sights and does real well!

[Combat Diver]

fortkevin2,

I also have an older 3" Bulldog. I carry first two in the cylinder shotshells for copperheads and water mocassins in the swamps I hunt. Next three are 240 gr LSWC for the black bears there also. I usually load with Unique. Hodgdon shows Trail Boss with a 240 gr LSWC starting load of 4.0 (vel 673) to max of 5.2 grs for 763 fps.


CD