44 Special for home defense

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stchman

stchman

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Hello all,

I have a 44 Magnum revolver (Taurus Raging Bull 6.5") and I keep it loaded for home defense.

I would like to get people's opinion of the 44 Special round for home defense. The 44 Magnum would be way too powerful as it will go through many walls.

Thanks.
 
Last I knew Corbon had some 165 gr JHPs in .44 Sp that would seem to fill the bill.
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Seems like I would want a heavier bullet than that for defense purposes. That would probably be similar to a 40S&W with a little fatter bullet. Of course, it may have superior ballistics, I am ignorant of that cartridge.
 
Great caliber. Excellent boogie man round.

.44 Spl
.45 ACP
.45 Colt

They will all get the job done. Large caliber, heavy bullets at a leisurely pace.
 
The .44 Spl is an EXCELLENT Self / Home Defense round. I don't rmrber who made it now but there is/was a 200grn LSWCHP in soft lead that I used when I had a .44. I was either Federal, Winchester or Remington.
 
I recently did some water expansion shots (no fabric) with a couple of factory defensive loads out of my 4" 624. They were the Hornady Custom .44 Special (180 gr. XTP) and the Winchester Super-X Silvertip (200 gr. JHP- current nickle plated copper jacket, not the older aluminum jacket). I know that water is not the best medium, but usually if bullets expand very well in water you can get decent expansion in gelatin + other.

Both loads were disappointing. The XTP just started to deform the nose, probably indicating that the XTP bullet is more intended for .44 Mag velocities than .44 Special velocities. I wish it was loaded by Hornady as a .44 special +P- it would probably be perfect. The Silvertip was even more disappointing, considering it is a custom bullet for that specific load and has a huge cavity. The projectiles showed even less deformation that the XTPs.

I am still looking for that ultimate .44 Special factory load for two-legged urban defense. Next to be tested will be the 165 gr. Corbon, with other possibilities including Federal's 200 gr. LHP, Speer/Blazer's 200 gr. Gold-Dot, and perhaps the Buffalo Bore 180 gr. JHP.

Just food for thought.
 
I like that CorBon round a lot. Good expansion in my informal testing, and it reaches advertised velocities in my 44s.

My only complaint is the POI/POA thing. WAY different than my standard 44 mag stuff the gun's sighted for. At room distance(20' max) it's not too bad. Past that it gets bad in a hurry.
 
I would like to get people's opinion of the 44 Special round for home defense.
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Unless he's dying of some very painful disease, no home invader is going to thank you for putting a couple of 200gr. Gold Dots in his chest.

My 4" 29-2 is one of my primary home defense guns. I shoot almost nothing in it except .44 Special handloads, and keep the 200gr. .44 Special Blazers in it for home defense.
 
I don't rmrber who made it now but there is/was a 200grn LSWCHP in soft lead that I used when I had a .44. I was either Federal, Winchester or Remington.
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Federal. I have a few of them. I switched to the Speer Gold Dot 200gr. because they were easier to get and cheaper.
 
I love 44 Special, and have one stoked and ready for home defense with either Glasers or Gold Dots. But, I have yet to actively defend against anyone so I don't know what that adds up to but my opinion, which is about all you get from anyone on any of this stuff. If I get to actually shoot anyone, I will update the info.
 
Hey, if .44Spl was good enough for Harry Calahan it should be good enough for us.... :D

There was some material on the benefits of heavier wadcutters as an SD ammo for .38Spl. They acted sort of like an expanded hollow point at velocities that could not guarantee expansion due to the .38Spl velocities. Seems like the same info would apply here. Go with a heavy straight blunt end cylindrical bullet and gain the effect of the blunt nose pushing material to the sides to widen the wound channel. Sorry, no idea where the link was at this point but it had gel tests, charts and other stuff to make it look decent. Seemed like a nice pragmatic report unlike some.
 
I also like the Cor-Bon 165 gr HP both in the special loading and the mag. I keep my Alaskan stroked with the Cor-Bon's in the mag version in the winter and the Spl load in the summer.
I am getting ready to try some Double Tap 200 gr GD in .44 Spl. to see how they compare with muzzle flash of the CB's out of my short barrel.
My main concern is reliablity and muzzle flash, don't help if they don't go bang or blind you in the process.
 
I have my 44 spl. S-W loaded with win 200 gr. silver tip.
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I would caution against wasting money on the pathetic Win. Silver Tip load. I chrono'd a box I bought out of my 4" 629 and got only a hair over 700 fps! :what:

I would go with the CorBons, but, considering that many .44 Spc. factory loads appear to be loaded with use in very weak firearms in mind, I'd test the loads well to see what they really are doing.

My personal carry load puts out a 200 gr. XTP at around 1250 fps. But it may be considered a bit above "Special.'

-Sam
 
Good loads for the .44spl...

Hi
If you want to use the big Taurus .44spl, I suggest loading it with CorBon's Glaser Safety Slug(silver) or the Magsafe .44spl load. These fragmented rounds would work better for home defense or protection. The 200gr JHP load would be good for a more common .44spl round.
 
My S&W #296 CCW, and the HKS #29 speedloaders for my 629s, carry the Georgia Arms loading of the Speer #4427 200gr low speed .44 Special Gold Dot. It is ballistically equivalent to the CCI Blazer version, but is cheaper and loaded in new Starline brass (I had an Al cased Blazer burst in my 696!). Speer claims reliable opening, which has been independently documented, at 800 fps up - with an upper end of <1 kfps. I've chrono-ed them at 805 fps from my 2.5" 296; 835 fps from my 3" 696; and 870+ fps from my 4" 629.

It's stout from the 19.7 oz 296 with boot grips. it really is impressive on 2L pop bottles full of water, if you fear attacks of marauding pop bottles. I feel prorected.

Stainz
 
My nightstand gun is a S&W M24-3 stoked with 200 gr Gold Dots...............excellent choice in my opinion.
 
Georgia Arms

Georgia Arms sells some nice HP defensive stuff in 44 Special.Their prices are pretty good also.
You're right,44 Mag is too much bullet for HD,especially if live where houses are close together.Additionally you WILL blow out your ears lighting one off indoors.
The 44 Special is a lot like the 45 ACP,which I have fired indoors with no ear protection.It won't deafen you like the mags will.
 
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