settling on Hornandy XTP .44spl

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JERRY

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ive tried the STHP, underpowered.

the CCI aluminum case, good power but on occasion it will bind my cylinder.

boutique loads are just too expensive for casual carry because i practice with what i carry.

Hornandy 180gr. XTP (not the plastic tip 165gr. stuff) move about 900 fps from a 3" bbl and i can get a box of 20 for $16.00 otd.

would like to hear from folks who shoot a short bbl .44spl and what commercial load they use and why.

this gun is a walking around in non dangerous game woods and occasional personal ccw.

i like the BB 190gr. ballistics but the price seems more stout than the ballistics.

thoughts, comments?
 
I've had the best luck with the old 200 grain LSWHP from Federal. They clock a bit over 900 fps from my 3-inch 29 and give good accuracy. As a bonus, they are far less expensive than the fancy stuff.
 
forgot about them.

id like to be able to find real world velocities for the various rounds from a real world 3" gun......
 
I carry a Rossi 720 and Taurus 431. Both are carried ccw. Both have 3in tubes. I carry the Blazer Gold Dots for defense. I find they shoot point of aim out to 15 yards. I have never had a problem with binding, sticking cartridges in the cylinder. They clock at 875 from the muzzle.
These rounds are not to hot to shoot, and recoil is not bad at all. I reload 200 grain RNFP for practice. I load them over 5.5 to 6 grains Unique. A very nice load for practice. I think the 44 Special is tops for a Big Bore self defense round. I know if I do my job, the gun a bullet will do thiers if needed.:D
 
I do not understand why the manufacturers cannot load the .44 Special appropriately. They seem to end up with .40 S&W ballistics (180gr @900fps?). I think the 200 grainer ought to roll at 1050-1100fps, given the size of the case/burning rates of powders, etc. Pressures should not be too high with the right powders. In most guns, a 240-250gr lead SWC could fly at 850-900 with safe pressure margins. Of course, I'm talking 4-6" barrels (which most maunfacturers use to test). Short barrels are going to lose some of that.
 
Az, my gun is a Rossi 720 also. but i dont go by the box flap for velocities, those are from test barrels or something longer than the 3" tube my gun has.
 
The .44 S&W Special is not a hot round under normal pressures. Push the envelope, if you will - there are small companies that load such - still not up to Elmer Keith's level, but that became the .44 Remington Magnum. The CCI Blazer round uses their Speer #4427 .44 Special Gold Dot, which doubles in size by 800 fps into gelatin. Georgia Arms loads new Starline .44 S&W Special brass with that round - and it makes 805+ fps from my 2.5" S&W 296, just like the Blazers. In the first five years, I shot 1,200+ of those Blazers from the 296, switching to the GA Arms brass cased loads after an Al Blazer case split and got stuck in my 696. The GA Arms loads, when available, are $27/50. Great product - they made 840 fps from my 3" 696 - as did the 200gr Blazers and my loads (200 gr Speer #4427 Gold Dot over 5.7 gr Titegroup in Starline brass with Fed LP primer). Actual range was 837-842 fps. From my 4" 629, it inched up to 851 fps - still not over 900 fps from my long-gone 6.5" 24. They did make 947 fps from my 20" Henry 'Big Boy' in .44 Magnum, also long gone.

I feel properly protected with GA Arms rounds in my 296.

Stainz
 
My daily carry for 20 years has been a Charter Pug or a S&W 696. I load them both with either the Speer Gold Dot HP (200 gr.) or a hard cast 200 gr SWC. Both are traveling around 840 fps. Both are handloads in Federal brass with Federal primers. Both will take a bowling off the table with authority. If you choose factory loads the Speer Gold Dot 200 gr. is available (or was) in brass rather than aluminum. I have personally never had any problems using the aluminum Blazer cases but I hear some have experienced sticky extraction.
 
heres my gun, might as well start a .44 special pic thread.......

102_8993.gif
 
I saw the Buffalo Bore ammo. before I am going to buy a box of the full wadcutters. I can just imagine the damage they would do hitting something.
 
BB's 190gr. LHP is the FBI load version in .44spl. and honest 1,000 fps from a 3" bbl.
 
Last year I shot a 130 lb hog with the 165 gr CorBon .44 Spl load out of my 4" M29. The bullet went through the chest and I found it under the skin on the off side. It had expanded to 0.75".
 
Here is my 296 - bought new 2/03 for $349 from a LGS - on 'closeout' - shown with GA Arms 200gr Gold Dot loads and a R. Mika pocket holster.

IMG_0596.jpg

Here is my 696 - bought new along with the 296 above for the 'regular' store price of $439 - less $10 since I bought both at the same time!

IMG_3708.jpg


Stainz
 
Stainz,

its always bothered me that Rossi, Taurus, and even Charter Arms can make a descent .44spl on the "K" frame but S&W can not. they always have to over build it on an L frame.
 
I have a 696 no dash and it is currently carrying a payload of factory Hornady 180g XTPHP ammunition.

My 24-3, also a 3" barrel, but an N frame has 240g GDHP over 17g of 2400 in it. I wouldn't think of shooting these in the L frame.

I've never chrono'd the 180's out of a 3", but my handloads are doing around 950fps out of my N frame.
 
Older Charter (Stamford).44 SS

200 gr XTP normally. Like it so much, bought the bullets and will reload them.
Light, powerful gun. 24 oz loaded, great pocket carry. Must load down for practice rounds, however.
 
Fellas, I have shot a lot of .44 Spcl. and I see there is some misundestanding. Firstly, the Speer Gold Dot is a loser in a short barrel in this ctg. Failed the FBI 4 layer denim/gel test miserably. The clear winners are the Win. ST (the revised version post circa. 2004) and the best of the best, the Corbon DPX 200 gr. which opened up to over .80 cal. in the aforementioned test from a 2" barrel. The ST did about .72 cal.

You only need to shoot a cylinder full if that to gauge POA and then forget about it. You'll go broke shooting factory .44 Special. Reload if you want to practice a lot.

I have shot the two aforementioned new Buffalo Bore loads and the 190 HP is not recommended for the CA Bulldog. It's hot. I shot both in my S&W 696 "no dash" and they are accurate. However, penetration is not the question in a snubby .44. Expansion is the test and NOTHING bests the Barnes solid copper HP's. They are loaded by both Corbon & Double Tap in .44 Special and are what I keep in my CA Bulldog. They shoot POA to 15 yds. in mine.
 
Boge, youve raised some good food for thought.

id like to see a .44spl snubby ballistic test chart with the varous available factory loads mentioned here.

no test tube barrels like B.B.T.I. or long barrels like cowboy guns often used for testing.....and not tests that only show shots to water jugs.

actually chrony reading AND water jug shots for expansion and pen.

seems everybody has an opinion with this caliber but there is a lack of good media for it.
 
My 696 no dash with 180gr XTP's. The steel plate at 50yds is not safe with this combo.

IMG_1264Medium.jpg

I reload the XTP's for practice when I can get them at a good price, otherwise I practice with 200gr RNFP.
 
Sigh... my C A Pug is no longer reliable on cylinder rotation, even after a trip back to its makers, and I havent spotted the "new" (DAO vs bobbed hammer w/ stubby barrel) semi-equvalent at a show. My LGS's are wanting about $50 more than I think I "should" pay for a DAO "substitute" for my preferred old-timey bobbed hammer.

I still LMAO that when I took the CCW course locally, the trainer described the firearm as a "PuB" model (and remarked that was a stange thing to call a gun) on my course certificate!

I would love to find a six pack or so of the originals in good shape (one each for bedside, deskside, BOB and vehicles, plus spare).

Something about the guy who taught me to shoot (but is smaller and likes lighter kick) who put my Pug down after firing one round, calling it an unpleasant and unmanageable "hand cannon" has an extra element of appeal to me.... Bigger hole plus similer KE to stubby .357 has a lot of appeal to me :)
 
44 Special-Test pistols-Taurus titanium snub and S&W Model 21

.44 Spec DPX 200gr load

2" barrel 12 1/2" thru 4 layers denim/perma gel. -recovered dia-.71"
4" barrel 13" thru 4 layers denim/perma gel. -recovered dia-.75"

Win. .44 Spcl. Silver Tip through 4 laerys denim/calibrated ballistic gel.

S&W .44 Spl. w/ 2.5" barrel.

Round # 1:
Penetration: 14.00"
Recovered Weight: 187.0 gr.
Expansion: .711 cal.
 
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