[fiVe]

Greetings all,

Where can I get a good deal on .44 Special ammo? What is considered a good "starter" load?

As always, thanks for your input.

R/fiVe

[JBP]

Natchez (http://www.natchezss.com/) and Outdoor Marksman's Online Store (http://www.outdoormarksman.com/) have the cheapest I've been able to find for a little under $11.00 per 50 for both 200gr and 240gr loads. My preference is for the 240gr.

[ElToro]

good question.. i recently acquired (2) 24-3 3inch S&W's the only ammo at the range was a PMC 240 grn SWC and winchester cowboy. while the cowboy grouped well it shot about 5 inches low of point of aim both guns. The PMC just sucked.. keyholed in both guns, groups all over the place again both guns.. i dont know if i got a bad box so i complained at the checkout and they opened another box of the same lot and shot with a range gun 3 inch 629 and shot a decent group.

either way im not using either of those as a primary defensive ammo.

some time after new years, (due to impending xmas costs) im going to get a good quantity of silvertips, gold dot blazers and cor bon and maybe a box of buffalo bore. take both guns to the range and do some serious testing. see how each gun behaves and try and find a suitable round. next question is where can i get these ammos at a raesonable cost... obviously blazer is non-reloadable but i always save the revolver brass when i shoot because i always tell myself that i will reload in the future..

was at a gun show this weekend and my dad was telling me to buy some no-name reloads.. i told him to buy some and shoot them in his gun first and let me know.. not that i dont trust other peoples reloads, i have more recourse against a known manufacturer and only myself to blame if i made the reloads and blow up a nice gun.

anyway... on paper, buffalo bore HP's, cor-bon, and WW silvertips and gold dots, in that order with a tie for 3rd seem to be best .44 spc ammo..

id like to see proload make a decent ammo and id like to see the hydra-shock 240 grn bullet at about 1000 fps in a .44 spc.

[Standing Wolf]

The best way to take advantage of the .44 special's famous accuracy is to roll your own. It's no longer a popular enough cartridge for manufacturers to make a wide variety of loads and sellers to stock them.

[Jim March]

If you're NOT gonna reload, the Gold Dot 200grainer as loaded by Speer, Proload and I think Georgia Arms is a fine load without pushing the power to the firewall. The Cor-Bon defensive load in that caliber is hotter and may slowly beat up some guns - or rapidly trash a Charter 44Spl.

For practice: cowboy loads will be the cheapest.

[Hal]

id like to see proload make a decent ammo and id like to see the hydra-shock 240 grn bullet at about 1000 fps in a .44 spc. So would I,,,, problem here is that 1000 fps is nudging the 1100 fps the Federal .44 Rem Magnum offering does.

[Pappy John]

I reload most of what I shoot, but occasionally pick up a box or two of the Blazers and I'm always very happy with thier accuracy. Those 200 gr. Golddots that they come with do around 830 to 850 fps out of my 3" 696 and group as tight as my best handloads. A very consistent round that I use when carrying. I just have to adjust the rear sight up about eight clicks since my usual target punching handloads use a 250 gr. Kieth that shoots four to five inches higher at 25 yards.