TLC432-265-RF in the .44 Special

[Jeff H]

When I bought the mold, it was with the specific intent for use in the 'Special.
The idea was for a load that would run about 1000 fps, depending on how things looked pressure wise. What I shot today was no where near that but was a hoot to shoot.

I had used a commercial cast 265 in the .44 mag and the 'Special to see if I liked it and I did,, so when the mold in question became available, I grabbed one. What I need with a gas check, I don't know, but the rebate is there, so I filled it with a gas check.

I have scrounged for data and have had little luck finding specific data for any cast 265 for powders I tend to use and know what to expect from. I found some notes on a load I used for the 3" Charter Bulldog with that sto'-bot 265 and remembered it was a handful, but no pressure signs. Based on the data I used, it was suposed to be doing about 800 fps. I loaded some up and seated them to crimp in the next to the last lube groove to keep case volume the same as the one I used before.

So, I took the Lipsey's/Ruger Flat Top 5 1/2" out today and shot 25 of them.
I had to crank the rear sight down all the way and could only back up to ten yards, but they were mild-shooting and, once I made a hole, I used it to sight on and once that hole was a cloverleaf, I started shooting THROUGH the hole!

Now, I'm not new to shooting, reloading, casting OR the 'Special, but this gun has been the single best handling and best-shooting .44 Special I have ever owned. I had a custom on a 3-screw (not a flat top) that shot well - as well as my 4" 624, several Taurus and Rossi double-actions and a kennel full of Bulldogs, all of which I thought shot very well. The Bulldogs would shoot 2" at 25 yards if I was having a good day and the Rossi would shoot that well, but not with cast so it went bye-bye quickly.

The "Skeeter load" shoots nearly as well in this gun, as well as anything I had lying around from the last Bulldog. I have more loaded up to try using a 250 Thompson design from a friend who casts commercially and runs a small batch of straight WW for my pokey loads now and then. There are some 2400 and Lil' Gun loads waiting in line to impress me.

[Rocky Raab]

I like that bullet as well, Jeff. And in the SAME two guns! (Almost. My flattop is the 4 5/8" one.)

I load it lighter than you, especially in the Bulldog, due to the recoil. And I abjure the gas check. Doesn't seem to matter. I load them to about 700 fps for the Bulldog and up to 900 for the Ruger. Super accurate.

BTW, if you shop for custom grips for the flattop, be aware that grips advertised to fit - won't. The gripframe is claimed to be the same as the original flattops or Single-Sixes, but it sure isn't. Neither grips I ordered, nor grips FROM my original flattop and Single-Six fit the new gun.

[Jeff H]

....BTW, if you shop for custom grips for the flattop, be aware that grips advertised to fit - won't..........

Thank you very much for the heads up on te grips, Rocky. I ordered these from Carey Chapman of CLC grips over a year ago when I got the .44. He was up to speed on the grip frames before I knew they existed and the fit is (almost) perfect. They would have had to be shaped to my specific frame to be any closer. He did a great job - better than the typical factory fit.

That RDO I am using is straight WW, air cooled, tumble lubed, "LEE-sized to" .431" and tumble-lubed again. I am going to experiment wi no GC in the near future for my W231 and Unique loads. I know some advise against it but I have to try it. No lead left behind, but I wouldn't have expected it anyway, GC or no. It fits the bill for a large, slow-moving projectile in the 'Special.

Not sure what others are tumble lubing in, but I use a 20 ounce gator ade bottle to take advantage of the rectangular impressions (from the outside) to actually TUMBLE the bullet instead of having them slide around in a smooth-sided dish. Done gently, no damage the bases of my "soft" boolits.

Glad to hear someone else is enjoying that particular boolit in the 'Special. I hesitated to post about it because someone might think I got things mixed up to shoot a lever-action rifle boolit in a six-gun.:veryconfu

Next up is the 359-190 in the 3" SP101 at around 1000 to 1100 fps.

[EDK]

I liked RANCH DOG's TLC 432 265 in a two cavity...then ordered a six cavity. My only complaint was using gas checks....actually the price of gas checks. NOE came out with their group buy with conventional lube grooves and plain base. I've been cranking the daylights out of it ever since. Those short round nose boolits might work real nice in a speed loader for a S&W or Charter Arms?

The other current favorites are Miha's H&G 503 and MMA10MM's similar group buy, Blammer's 429352 wadcutter and miscellaneous others as I pop open a coffee can full of boolits.

I'd use Cowboy Action data for starting loads. TITEGROUP and HP38 are currently in use....an 8 pounder of either and 10,000 primers is a nice combination.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Rocky Raab]

Taking notes on CLC grips, Jeff. Thank YOU!

I cast everything from mixed range scrap, WWs, diver's weights, reclaimed shot and whatever else looks like lead, air cooled. I tumble-lube and load as cast with no sizing. (Except for my 30-30 bullets, and that's mainly to install gas checks.) It can't get much simpler.

Nothing I shoot leads my barrels, all are as accurate as I might wish, and I'm as happy as two clams.

[caryc]

BTW, if you shop for custom grips for the flattop, be aware that grips advertised to fit - won't. The gripframe is claimed to be the same as the original flattops or Single-Sixes, but it sure isn't. Neither grips I ordered, nor grips FROM my original flattop and Single-Six fit the new gun.

When Ruger brought back their old XR3 grip frame on the New Vaquero in 2005 there were a couple things different from the original XR3. The main difference being that the new XR3 grip frame is .437" in width whereas the original was .500" in width. The grip locator pin is in a slightly different place also, so original XR3 grips and the new ones will not interchange. The profile is not an exact match to the old one either.

After the New Vaquero, Ruger put this new steel XR3 grip frame on the two 50th Anniversary guns and the new .44 special.

I think where most people go wrong ordering grips for one of these guns is that they fail to tell the grip maker that they are the "Flattop" guns. It still says "Blackhawk" on the cylinder frames so that is what they order and of course they get the wrong grips.

Blackhawks use the XR3-RED grip frame. Flattop Blackhawks use the New XR3 grip frame.

[Rocky Raab]

First, a warm welcome, and second, THANKS!

If I read that correctly, would Vaquero grips fit the new flattops?

[caryc]

First, a warm welcome, and second, THANKS!

If I read that correctly, would Vaquero grips fit the new flattops?

Only "New Vaquero" grips will fit the new flattops.

The original Vaqueros have the XR3-RED grip frame same as the Blackhawks.

New Vaqueros have the XR3 grip frame as do the new flattops.

Do not mix up Vaquero and New Vaquero. That is exactly what it says on the side of the guns and they take different grips.

[Rocky Raab]

Yuppers, I DO know the difference -- and think it was a stupid mistake to name them that.

[caryc]

Yuppers, I DO know the difference -- and think it was a stupid mistake to name them that.

I'm sure you do know the difference. What I said above was not aimed directly at you. I was speaking more to the readers here.

Being in the grip business I've had more than a few customers that didn't know if they had a Vaquero or a New Vaquero.

[Jeff H]

I'm sure you do know the difference. What I said above was not aimed directly at you. I was speaking more to the readers here.

Being in the grip business I've had more than a few customers that didn't know if they had a Vaquero or a New Vaquero.

Cary,
Nice to "see" you!

Everyone who sees your grips on my Flat Top LOVES them.

Everyone who FEELS your grips on my Flat Top doesn't want to give my gun back!


Guys, no exaggeration, this is the best set of grips I have ever owned and Cary took the time to make sure I knew what I was getting.

[Jeff H]

....My only complaint was using gas checks....actually the price of gas checks........

Or,.... having them/not having them when you need them, etc. Not a gas check-hater. I just REALLY don't need them in the 'Special. Wish I'd gotten in on that GB. I still like the tumble lube thing though. I started using that when people were still laughing at it and looking down their nose at it. It has worked exceptionally well for me in a lot of applications - even supplementing the lube on probelmatic sto'-bot cast boolits.

[Rocky Raab]

I own two 44 Specials and not one Magnum, so I just cast 'em and load 'em without a copper diaper. Tumble-lubed, of course.

Cary, do you have a link in the sponsor section?

[Jeff H]

I own two 44 Specials and not one Magnum, so I just cast 'em and load 'em without a copper diaper. Tumble-lubed, of course.

Cary, do you have a link in the sponsor section?


You shoot the RDO sans gas check? I have been thinking about trying it. I have shot some BB commercial cast that shot OK, wasn't sure how that gap around such a critical part of the base would do.

[Rocky Raab]

I don't even have gas checks in .44 diameter. I shoot that RDO bullet as cast of random scrap, unsized, tumble-lubed in LLA or the 45/45/10 mix, loaded bare naked. My muzzle velocities run from 700 to 900 fps. I have yet to see a speck of lead fouling and accuracy is well within my expectations.