.44 special

[Swagerman]

Well, did you happen to notice my target above these post? They were shot with basically the same gun as yours, same brand, barrel length and caliber...and the bullets were sized to .432 diameter.

So, please consider the .432 diameter size bullets as your finished bullet size. But I won't insist on you doing it, but it might help.

Another thing to consider is seating an over sized bullet in most standard reloading dies and getting a proper crimp. Too big a bullet diameter may be a problem.

If our gun barrels are .429 and we are using .432 bullets, that's big a step down in resizing the bullet when it hits the forcing cone and enters that smaller diameter rifling. It won't hurt anything because I've been doing it since last year.

I've even been doing it with Lyman #429244 GC bullets that are 265 grain in weight. Though these loads are not hot loads. If you want hot loads, one should be using a .44 magnum.

See target using 265 grain bullets that are sized to .432 diameter...shot at 20 yards.

Jim

[sd5782]

Nice results. The 432 size looks good, and I saw posted elsewhere that it is available at Buffalo, although it is $45. The standard sizes stop at .431 which matches my Ruger SRH. Maybe I might try that also. I have an RCBS 245K, and a Lyman 429360 that both cast at near .434.
I was really pleased with the feel of the Taurus 441. The 44 special, and the gun seemed to go together wonderfully. I was looking for a mild plinker at a power level of the 45acp without chasing brass. The Taurus people find this gun very desirable. As I said, I am just getting started with it. It shot fairly well with the bullets sized .430, so I think things can only get better.

[Swagerman]

Taurus is kind of weird making the model 441 with such over size cylinder throats, it ticks me off because they did. Now I have to load two different size bullets for all three of my .44 specials.

However, I take a lot of satisfaction making these larger diameter .432 bullets work in this duffus arrangement. I have all the necessary equipment to do that chore.

Don't ever sell the 441, its hard to find another one...I've been actively looking for one to buy...so I'll have a back up.


sd5782 can you give us a picture of your great revolver.

Jim

[sd5782]

I will get a picture out this weekend. I thought long and hard about just getting a 44 tracker instead. I read that they are well made, and accurate, but nearly everyone dislikes the barrel porting. I shoot under a covered range, and even with ear protection, I thought it might be distracting, although I have never shot one.

[sd5782]

Hey Swagerman, here is the Taurus 441. I have seen your postings on the Taurus site. You may also have seen the other Taurus in the photos. A 741 4" 32 H&R mag. It goes well with the 441.

[REDTAIL]

has anyone loaded & used hornady's swaged lead bullets in 240 gr on game etc if so what have you hunted & used this bullet on and what load & powder etc

[Dale53]

Hornady's swaged lead bullets do not work well at magnum velocities. There has been MUCH reported leading. Hornady themselves do not recommend them at higher speeds.

Small game is a different matter. 850 fps will handle most small game chores. However, when hunting deer, I prefer 1200-1300 fps and CAST BULLETS. You can drive a plain base cast bullet (Lyman 429421 as a sterling example) at the highest speeds your revolver is capable of without leading of any kind. The bullets need to be the correct hardness and sized for your revolver with good bullet lube (NRA Alox/Beeswax 50/50 or Lars Red Carnauba work very well).

I have shot tens of thousands of these loads in several .44 magnums with complete satisfaction and YOU CAN TOO.

Dale53

[wonderwolf]

I have both the Charter BD and S+W M-24. Two different guns, two different philosophys. The Smith is a full size N-Frame premium revolver that is a beatiful piece of workmanship. The Charter is a medium frame "workingmans" gun. The BD get carried a lot and shot a little. The Smith is carried a little but will be shot much more. If I drop the BD in the mud while checking fence I pick it up and rinse it in the stream. If I drop the Smith I break into hysterics and cry like a little girly man before rushing back to the house to check it all over and lavish loving care on it. You get the idea.

I've shot the BD with full house 44 loads including the Skeeter 7.5 gr Unique/Lyman 429421 load. Stiff recoil but no broken bones. I don't recommend a steady diet of that type load for the BD. In fact I have a 180 gr wadcutter that is much nicer. Just don't sell the BD short.

well said, I Don't have any hand guns I do that with yet but I have rifles I treat that way.

I looked at the bulldogs at the NRA convention and I have to admit I liked what I saw. Compared to the price of Lew horton's S&W guns they are dirt cheap. I see that Charter arms makes a target version with a longer barrel and adjustable sights but they don't offer one of the carry guns with adjustable sights. I would very much like one with adjustable sights but then I would start to do more load deveolopment that is nesicary on it I guess.

What is the cylinder length on the Charter arms .44 SPL? I take it from reading most of the above it will handle a 429421 with some room to spare? Most likely I would just carry a load using a 200gr Nosler but I do enjoy skeeters load out of my 29's

[Bear4570]

Out of the six .44 specials I own, 3 of them are 3"
A charter arms bulldog and my set of twin Smith 696's.
Great little gun if you can find one without paying an arm and leg for one.

Had a .44 Taurus Titanium 2" for a while that shot well also.

[MtGun44]

696 looks great, but the used one at our local gun store is nearly $1000 !

Too much for me.

Bill

[sd5782]

Too much for me too. That is why I bought the Taurus 441 for $350. It is too bad that S&W can't make a few of these desirable discontinued models. If they paid attention to the auction sites, and forums they would see a market. I get tired of seeing the most compact, lightest blaster that is out.

[yarro]

I like my Charter Bull Dog Pug. Not as smooth an action as a smith, reminds me of my old SP-101 in that respect. I don't stoke my loads like Keith did. Too hot a load and I have a hard time getting quick follow up shots. If Smith made one that was the same size and wasn't too expensive, I would buy one.

-Yarro

[sd5782]

I like the mild loads too. I can blast with my SRH mag. I just want 45acp power with no brass chasing. It is just for plinking anyhow. I wish Charter made a 4" with adjustable sights. Fun caliber anyhow.

[Dale53]

sd5782;
I prefer the mild loads for general range use, also. That's why I love my 625's. I would really like to be shooting my 624's (4", 6.5") and my original 24 (6.5") but with my vision problems I no longer do well with open sights. I could have the .44 Specials drilled and tapped for a mount, then shoot with a Red Dot but, so far, I haven't been able to bring myself to doing that.

The 625's came drilled and tapped and it was a snap to install a Weaver base and go with the Red Dot. I have been shooting really well with 200 gr SWC at about 725 fps. One hole groups at 25 yards and good scores at 25 & 50 without "ringing my bell". What's not to like?

Dale53

[sd5782]

Those Smiths are nice but a bit big for my hand. I second your plinking load of 200 gr at 725fps. The Lee 214swc with 5.3 of 231 is 720fps from the 4" Taurus. I just got a Lee 200RF to try, but was a bit disappointed in that it cast 213gr from WW alloy. That is a bit off, and the 214swc is at 212 gr. I think I will spring for a Saeco 200 TC soon. I have everything shoot high(probably me), so I was really looking for a 200gr boolit. Perhaps the Saeco will also cast large to match the Taurus chambers also. Glad to hear that I am not the only "wimp" out there who likes milder loads.

[HATCH]

My dad picked up a 624 a couple months back. It is a nice piece.
You don't have to load all of your reloads up to the max.
The object of my reloads is to find a load that is accurate.
And believe it or not, some of the min loads turn out to be very accurate.
Yeah, it is nice to make some screamers for protection.
But I would strongly suggest that unless there isn't production ammo availible for your pistol, then I would not use handloads for personal protection.
The above statement has NOTHING to do with the quality of you handloads but is more from the liability side of things.
All you need is to be dragged into civil court over defending yourself and have the perps family's attorney say that you custom loaded 'KILLER' bullets....

[GabbyM]

hatch you worry to much.

[EDK]

hatch you worry to much.

There were a lot of discussions about this over the years in AMERICAN HANDGUNNER and other magazines. HOWEVER, "THE EVIL HANDLOADS" topic was supposedly brought up in ONE court case and didn't carry much weight with the judge or jury....got dropped from discussion pretty quickly.

I have a 200 grain 44 wadcutter mold and am on the group buy for the 250 grain full wadcutter. I like them a lot for my target shooting and IF I get a CCW, I may use them in either a 624 or 629. I had a 696 for about 10 years; shot it very little and just never got attached to it...or it's 686 CS-1 look-alike in .357.

DALE 53 and I have had minor disagreements, but we both agree that a 625 45 ACP is a d--- good choice! I'd love to get a group buy mould for 45 full wadcutters and see what they would do in my 3 or 5 inch 625s.

What could someone find "EVIL" about wadcutter target ammo...as opposed to hollow points or armor piercing? There ought to be tons of literature about the usage of wadcutters for formal target shooting...especially from police departments before the change over to semi autos. OT: How come Sarah Brady and her cronies don't complain about the police using "evil semi autos?"

[9.3X62AL]

The "evil reloads" mantra is championed most by one gunwriter in particular, and all I can say as one of the guys that presented citizen shooting cases (and homicides) to our prosecutor.......the question of "reload vs. factory load" never came up on the criminal side of any case. I don't believe it came up on the civil side of a case, either.

The usual routine for the bottom-feeding ambulance chasers who sue citizen defensive shooters is to storm and rant about how the perp was "just getting his life turned around", was enroute to turn his gun into the police station when confronted by the homicidal homeowner in the homeowner's hallway, or some similar fanciful tale of drunkenness & cruelty. Oh, the horror of it all. Even in southern California, by no means a gun-friendly location--the usual outcome is for the ambulance chaser to negotiate a settlement in the $5K-$15K range with a homeowner's insurance carrier, 2/3 of which go to him/her, leaving enough for the perp's survivors to buy a new set of rims for their roach coach or a down payment on a 50" TV set for the crib. Insurers are happy to cut the check just to make the mouthpiece and his/her noisome clients go away.

Justice served, just like burgers at McDonald's. Mostly, it's kabuki theater.

[wills]

If your factory round doesn’t stop the evildoer, your estate may have a product liability case against the ammo maker. If a handload doesn’t do the job you may be out of luck.