44 SPLs Bulldogs and others

[TCLouis]

Tell me about the results/loads from your Bulldog or Taurus 441/442.

NOT talking bear protection, or deer and Elk hunting.
I am talking loads and shooting for those special social occasions.

Right now I have 200 Lee RNFPs (don't tell anyone I also have 180 Remington's coated HPs) and they are looking like the best choices as well as the usual heavy 44 boolits from Keith up.

I will post some results once I glean through what is provided in the manuals and here and get a chance to test some of them

[9.3X62AL]

My 44 Special experience has all been in N-frame S&Ws or Ruger Redhawks--so I can only comment "2nd hand".

The CA BD was built around the old school 246 grain RN at 700 FPS, or ammo of similar intensity. It seems to me that the 180s at 850-900 FPS, or a 200 grainer at 800-850 FPS would be all right.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I do know about 6-7 grains Unique with a 200 grain SWC is a nice mild load in Ruger . That should be moving about 800+ fps in a 4 ". That is faster than the 44 Russian load that was very popular 140 years ago. So you could count on it to tame any stay ardvarks that might attack the social gathering.

[SethD]

Tell me about the results/loads from your Bulldog or Taurus 441/442.

Not talking deer and Elk hunting, I am talking loads shooting for social occasions.

Right now 180 Remington's and 200 Lee RNFPs are looking like the best choices.


The Mihec group buy 44 cal 200 gr. hollow point should be just about perfect for what you want. It should run shortly too according to what Mihec has said on the group buy thread.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=58706

[DJ303]

I run 6.6gr Unique with the Lee 215gr SWC. Works good in my Bulldog. Just got the Lee 200gr RNFP, but haven't tried it yet. I'm on the group buy list for the 200gr HP. Can't wait to see how that one will work.

[bowhunter]

i shoot a S&W 696 44 sp. and my wife has a cimarron 44 sp. is the S&W i use a lyman 215gc with ww 17 gr. h4227-imr4227 either. in the cimarron we use a lee 200 gr. with a mild load of unique. the 4227 needs a mag primer.

[Bret4207]

Love my BD. 6.5 gr Unique and the 429421 work good. My 429215 drops skinny boolits but something in the 200 gr range with a FN would work pretty good. I'm not a fan of jacketed for the 44. HP's? Maybe with a soft alloy, but I'd put more faith in a FN at 44 Special speeds.

[buck1]

I like my bulldog in .44 spl. The 200 gr lee does work well with Unique. I shoot my boolits unsized and lubed with rooster jacket. Very little leading and very easy to make : ) .
I have put several hundred rds through mine with no malfunctions. I would buy it again. .....Buck

[Guesser]

I shoot a Taurus stainless model 441 in 44 Special. My most accurate bullet is Lee 215 gr. SWC followed by Lyman 429360 240 gr. SWC. The barrel is 6" so its not in the "bulldog" class. I've never tried a J-bullet. The stainless is problematic regarding leading. I like fast burning powder for economy reasons and found that Accurate #2 works well if the boolits are of proper alloy and sized right.
Good gun.

[EMC45]

I have the Taurus 431 4in. SS fixed sight 5 shot. I just loaded some 429-421s over 13gr. Hercules 2400. Got good groups, and it all worked well. Had a little bit of unburnt powder, but the load did not lead and the smut in the barrel wiped right out! The alloy I used was pure clip on WWs. This gun is the same size as a K frame Smith so all my holsters work with it!

[Rickk]

I just finished loading/testing some Lee SWC boolits that weigh about 250 grains with WW. They are gas checked.
6.7 grains Unique gave about 935fps from a Charter Arms 4" target bulldog.
7.3 Unique pushed it up to about 985fps.
The gun has Pachmyer rubber grips.
Neither load was uncomfortable to shoot.
We don't have the huge coastal bears here and this load should give pause to anything smaller.

[Ole]

6.5 grains of Unique and the Lee 200 gr RNFP works well in my CA44. I like the Speer 200 grain gold dots for defense use. They have a hollow point that looks like a flying ashtray.

Make sure you put a good healthy crimp on it, as i've had the bullets creep out of the case if I didn't have sufficient crimp.