.44 Spcl and Mag Wad Cutter loads for target and Self Defense

[MT Gianni]

Putting lube in a single groove and loading two might work well in guns with longer barrels. While the first thought would be to use 300 gr data the bullet oal will be different. Owning a model 69 and having owned a CA Bulldog, I would not shoot double loads in the CA.

[WDW44]

Putting lube in a single groove and loading two might work well in guns with longer barrels. While the first thought would be to use 300 gr data the bullet oal will be different. Owning a model 69 and having owned a CA Bulldog, I would not shoot double loads in the CA.

Neither will I, and thanks for the input. I have owned and caried CA Bulldogs since 1980, and I know they are strong enough, but RECOIL can prohibit the shooting of them.

[skeettx]

Lyman 429352 ( the little campbell's soup can) is AWESOME

Especially from a Charter Arms 44 Special Bulldog

Mike

[WDW44]

Lyman 429352 ( the little campbell's soup can) is AWESOME

Especially from a Charter Arms 44 Special Bulldog

Mike

Thanks Mike! I love WC bullets and have some I will use as you stated.

[Forrest r]

A bit of a head scratcher:

Did a little testing in a 2 1/2" bbl'd ca bulldog. Used power pistol (8.0gr), a standard pressure load. For bullets I used a 245gr swc hp and a 200gr type III wc. The 2 bullets side by side, the 245gr swc hp seats deeper in the case/has a longer body to the crimp groove.
[IMG][/IMG]

After setting up a chronograph and test target, I shot 5-shot groups @ 25ft with both bullets using a 6 0-clock hold on the 1" white center bull. The right target is that test target.
[IMG][/IMG]

The 245gr bullet did 830fps while the 200gr bullet did 835fps. Both were cast from the same alloy, sized the same diameter, used the same reloading dies, shot in the same revolver on the same day, etc.

You'd think that the heavier deeper seating 245gr bullet would have had the higher velocity. I believe the difference is the bullet bases and more specifically. The thinner bullet base/bottom drive band of the 200gr wc bullet compressed/sealed faster/better with the +/- 15,000psi load than the stronger/larger 245gr bullet's bottom drive band.

This made that 8.0gr of pp/200gr wc combo more efficient creating higher velocities.

The 200gr bullet was on target & centered. The 245gr bullet shot right. This is from my failing/weak grip and the right-hand twist bbl.

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK I went down this .44 cal. Light Boolit Rat Hole several years back. I started with a M29 8 3/8" back in the day (1976). I loaded both Special Cases and Magnum Cases with the same boolits but different loads. I first tried Bullseye and it just made a mess out of the gun, so I started loading lighter loads of H110 in my Special Cases with a Lee 240 gr SWCGC. They were safe because there was enough powder in the case so that flash over couldn't occur. I actually read about this in 1978. Magnum cases all got the same boolit with 22-24 gr of H110. Sold the gun and time passed.

Then I got a S&W 696. It was so cool that I thought I was going to get Great Results out of my 190 gr SWC's from Magma Moulds. Great Boolits, some would actually hit the target at 7 yards if I held low enough?

I talked to Brian Pearce about this problem and he suggested using Boolits with more Bearing Surface like .429421 or .429244. He knew Elmer Keith personally and told me that Elmer had told him that both the .44 Special and .44 Magnums were designed around 240-260 gr bullets. Brian told me that his Research had shown a good midrange load for the 240 gr boolits was 6.0 gr of W231 for Specials and 8.0 gr of W231 for Magnum Cases with the 429421 Boolit.. The 696 shot to the sights on the very first shot. My SBH Bisley with a 5" bbl shot to the sights with the Midrange Magnum Loads out of the box.

So much for Light Load Development!

My Magnum loads for the SBH and my Marlin 1894 CB 24" are both 23 gr of H110 with the Thompson 429244GC. 240-260gr depending on the nose of the Boolit.(HP or Solid) @1600 fps from the Rifle. 1250 to1300 from the SBH.

I have MP Moulds for both of these Boolits and they offer the option of Solids or 3 different HP's, one being the Pentagonal HP like the one shown above by Forrest. These Moulds produce perfect Boolits!

Elmer Keith invented the .44 Magnum and he did it by running his 429421 SWC Boolits in very hot .44 Special Loads using 2400 powder. When the .44 Magnum came out it was simply made longer so it wouldn't fit in a .44 Special Revolver for obvious Safety Reasons and performance was similar to Keith's Souped Up Special loads..

However the longer bearing surface of the Keith Style SWC Boolits has proven to be the most accurate of all previous attempts at .44 cal. bullets simply because of the balance. It is heavier in the rear and the rear end of the Boolit is the Steering End. And this is true across all speed ranges.

The problem with the shorter/lighter boolits is that the are nearly as wide as they are long, hence they don't fly as strait as the Longer Keith Style Bullets which benefit more from gyroscopic stabilization than a shorter bullet which wants to yaw off it's centerline more easily.

I have a Lee 310 gr mould but only shot some of them once at Short Range Silhouette. They were not nearly as accurate in my gun with a 1:38 twist barrel as the 260 gr 429244GC solids are and I can easily drive those boolits at 1800 fps. I would not hesitate to shoot an Elk with that gun and 260 gr solids. Plenty of guys have shot Elk with a .44 Magnum Pistol which is running about 400 fps slower than my 24" rifle.

So the reason why I went to all the trouble of writing this post was to suggest that you try .240 SWC's in your pistols with 6.0 gr of W231/HP-38 and see what happens. I think you will find that your gun shoots to the sights and all of a sudden is useful for something. Mouse Fart Loads are not good for much of anything that I have seen.

My .02 EVMV. (End Value to you May Vary)

Randy

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[pettypace]

I received 200 Bullets from MATT"S BULLETS. They are VERY light weight 150 grain .44 Wad-cutters! Any ideas on loads to experiment with using these almost comical looking BOOLITS? They are sized to cylinder throats, and I will be using them in a Model 69 S&W 2.75" or a 2.25" Charter Arms Bulldog.[B]

Also Wad-cutters in 175, 185, 216 grain sizes using Bullseye, Unique/Universal/Red Dot. Any ideas or suggestions welcomed and THANKS!

But I've since gone to this bullet for better penetration and more reliable separation: https://accuratemolds.com/bullet_det...bullet=43-150M