Modern .44 Special Loads.

[Clarkston_cz]

My Dad has carried a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special for about 15 years now.

His only other gun is a SBH .44 Magnum.

I've shot his gun more than a few times and liked it,
but have been wondering if there is anything better than a 240 Semi-Wadcutter, or a 210 gr. handloaded JHP
for that gun or other .44 Specials these days.

I've also shot Silvertips and the Federal Lead hollow-point loads as well.

Factory level Cowboy loads seemed pretty tame in all of my guns.

Thats said.

My two favorite bullet these days for 9mm, 38+P, 357 SIG and even .357 Magnum are the Gold Dots
and newer on the market, BARNES X bullet.

Both designs have been proven on the street and hunting fields- with the most data going to the Speer
bullet.

The 200 grain SPEER Gold Dot in .44 Special just looks plain wicked.

Deep and wide cavern for the hollow-point and it's also a bonded bullet that holds onto the jacket for the most part
in testing that I've seen with the larger caliber Gold Dots, or bonded Defense JHPs, ect.

Same bullet- but different names.

Advertised velocity for the SPEER load is 875 fps, with energy at 340 ft/lbs

You can also buy the 200 gr. BLAZER Gold Dot load that's identical in both muzzle velocity and energy.

Know for high-performance ammo:

DOUBLE TAP, steps up to the plate with an advertised velocity of 980 fps for the applicable 2.5 inch barrel, but no energy figures,
however - it should be near the Speer specs.


You can see some other .44 Special loads as well.

240 gr. BBWC and 210 gr. Remington JHP that are both handl-loads with less power than the Speer or DT loads.

These run about 800-820 fps have always shot nicely through my various .44 Mags and a S&W Model 624 back when I lived in Idaho,
and had both a room and time to reload.

Not too shabby through the Bulldog as well.



In looking at the more expensive but more advanced (according to some people ) TAC-XP load.

It is both longer than the SPEER Gold Dots and the DT Bonded Defense load, but also slower for the 2.5 inch
barrel mark at 900 fps.


Solid copper/lead free technology with a ICBM missile profile- and a deeper cavity than the Gold Dots.

No need to be bonded...it has 100% expansion and also full weight retention in most media/testing.

You can see it alongside the Bonded Defense 200 grain load a very old SPEER Lawman lead round nose .38 Special
bullet from my Dad's old police K-38 stash of ammo.

We have came a long ways in the past 25 years of ammo evolution and some think the X bullet to be the
zenith in both defensive and hunting ammunition.

Yes, it is more expensive than a traditional JHP, but the cost is coming down a bit..especially for hand loaders.

There seems to be a number of people who shoot and carry it from Double Tap in .380/9mm, .40, .357 SIG, the 38+P/357M

and of course- .44 Special!

Others like it in Cor-Bon DPX or even from Wilson, and love the very adequate/tactical penetration and perfect expansion it provides.

I don't know of any Double Tap defensive shootings with the TAC-XP other than in hunting situations, but the DPX
has performed very well on the streets in actual shootings.

Some savvy cops and ccw holders use DPX or nothing else!


Well, whether you decide Speer or Double Tap GOLD DOTS, you will be getting powerful ammo for your .44 SPECIAL that you can
count on.

Proven Gold Dots bullets that have been dropping bad guys and game for decades!

Or you can choose the BARNES TAC-XP bullet that is gaining steam across the country each day.


Me, I like them both!

I'm hoping to get out and shoot this ammo through the Bulldog, but it might be a while with this heat wave here in Washington state.

For more information:

DoubleTap Ammunition

DoubleTap Ammunition



I think I'll save up for a 386 Night Guard now.

Thanks for viewing!

KEV

 

[stevemb]

It looks like you answered your own question. I was given a box of the Corbon DPX by the factory rep at a course we both attended. I know of many tacty types who swear by the DPX loadings, a Barnes bullet offering. Less expesive options you've already found, the Gold Dots and Blazer versions. How about the Hornady Custom loading ? I've it and handloads using the same 180 and 200gr XTP's. They make good .44spec bullets as they open at lower velo's than most other jhp's. I truly miss the Speer 225gr HP,as it worked great at special velo's ! For closr range, CCW usage, don't forget the full wadcutter bullets available to reload. I have some from Penn's, Matt's bullets offers some too. stevemb

 

[Enigma]

I truly miss the Speer 225gr HP,as it worked great at special velo's !

I've got an old Herter's 9-Ton Swaging Press and a bunch of half-jackets in .44; I'm going to have to swage up something very similar to that old Speer bullet! I miss that one, and the .357" version.

 

[gramps]

I used to carry Corbon 165 gr JHP in my Charter 2000 til I sold it last year. I found it to be potent and easy to control in rapid fire.
gramps

 

[Dale53]

I cast my own bullets and have an excellent bullet in the Mihec (MP Molds) 250 gr H.P. When cast of the proper alloy, this bullet EXPANDS!

Further, it can be tailored to the job at hand by any knowledeable reloader. I may be old school, but I believe there is nothing better than the ol' cast hollow point...

Dale53

 

[Nowata]

Ya gotta get over this "jacketed" bullet thing. For me, deer die quicker(less distance between shot and collapse) with hardcast. Way, way cheaper. OK, jacketed look "cooler". Pleaase see article on Beartoothbullets website, regarding actual wound tracs of hardcast and expanding jacketed bullets...there is a reason buffalo hunters in the 1870's used hardcast bullets

 

[Cholo]

I have an old blue 3" Bulldog I keep over my computer. I have no idea what the pressure levels are of the loads listed above. It's a stout gun, but I'd be leary of shooting anything over standard pressure loads in a CA .44 Bulldog. Mine is loaded with a hard cast 235 gr. SWC and 6.3 grains of Unique.

Just my dos centavos that won't buy you a cheap burrito off a Tijuana s$it wagon...

 

[dougader]

DOUBLE TAP, steps up to the plate with an advertised velocity of 980 fps for the applicable 2.5 inch barrel, but no energy figures,

200 x 890 x 890/450400 = 352 foot pounds muzzle energy. 8)

 

[mr surveyor]

DOUBLE TAP, steps up to the plate with an advertised velocity of 980 fps for the applicable 2.5 inch barrel, but no energy figures,

200 x 890 x 890/450400 = 352 foot pounds muzzle energy. 8)

and if you use 980 fps in the equation it comes closer to 426 fpe :wink:


sorry....couldn't help myself.... I'm a number nanny sometimes

 

[dougader]

I wondered why the numbers changed on me...

 

[anachronism]

I still don't understand the original post. It starts with a question, then goes into a lengthy tutorial of practically every 44 Spl load currently available.

If it's opinions you want, I use cast semi-wadcutters or wadcutters for all low-pressure calibers. Come to think of it, I use them for the high pressure calibers too. Coincidence?

 

[kelbro]

I cast my own bullets and have an excellent bullet in the Mihec (MP Molds) 250 gr H.P. When cast of the proper alloy, this bullet EXPANDS!
Dale53

What alloy are you using for those beauties?

 

[Dale53]

I cast these out of 20/1 lead/tin. Several others whose opinions I trust report using 50/50 WW's/Lead with 2% tin with good results.

Dale53

 

[kelbro]

I cast these out of 20/1 lead/tin. Several others whose opinions I trust report using 50/50 WW's/Lead with 2% tin with good results.

Dale53

Thanks. That's the alloy that I use (50/50) but they don't come out that pretty.

 

[Dale53]

I cast these out of 20/1 lead/tin. Several others whose opinions I trust report using 50/50 WW's/Lead with 2% tin with good results.

Dale53

Thanks. That's the alloy that I use (50/50) but they don't come out that pretty.

That's the result of casting several hundred thousands of bullets and those great moulds from Mihec!

Dale53

 

[VAdoublegunner]

That 200gr Speer Gold Dot really is a seriously businesslike looking bullet. If you recall the old 45ACP hollowpoints nicknamed the "flying ashtray" I have been referring to that 200gr Gold Dot 44 as the Flying Chalice.

It is easily possible to get it up to around 1200fps in short barrels (1250-1300fps in longer barrels) with 2400 or H110/WW296 using Pearce's data from Handloader issues #236 and #260, in guns capable of handling 25Kpsi pressures (Ruger flattop Blackhawks or recent manufacture S&W N or L frames). It would be a wicked self defense load indeed at anything over 1200fps! I keep 20 loaded up for my S&W 696 or 3" Model 624-3 just for such purposes. However, I would not want to use it for a big game hunting bullet, especially when exceeding its design limits with that velocity. It would have no hope of holding together long enough to ensure adequate penetration.

 

[Yankee_Papa]

I have a CA Bulldog and a Ruger GP100 in 44 Spl. All hollow points depend on velocity to expand. I have no confidence that ANY bullet will expand from their short barrels. So I handload 200 grain, copper-plated flat nose bullets at about 800 fps. That bullet WILL penetrate to the vitals.