44spl cowboy loads

[MikeD256]

Just picked up a Charter Arms Target Bulldog 44spl. Appears to be in a like new condition in stainless steel with fully adjustable sights and a 4.2 inch full under lug barrel. Looking for a nice lightweight bullet load data. Graf’s sells a 174gr coated cowboy action bullet for around $60 for 500 including shipping but I can’t find any loading data. Anyone have any experience using this bullet?

 

[bigpower491]

Coated lead bullets, use 180 gr cast data for the usual powders such as Unique, Titegroup, 231, etc. That's what I would do

 

[Targa]

X2^^^

 

[Obturation]

For mild 45 colt loads I like trailboss or clays. Not sure how it translates to 44 special but should be a useable load in there some place

 

[wcwhitey]

I use these .430 44 Cal, 160 gr FP - SC, Hunters Supply (hunters-supply.com) for my Bulldog. With this data Winchester WinClean® 244™ | Hodgdon (hodgdonreloading.com) for 165 RNFP. Really nice and soft shooting, accurate too.

 

[35 Whelen]

Just picked up a Charter Arms Target Bulldog 44spl. Appears to be in a like new condition in stainless steel with fully adjustable sights and a 4.2 inch full under lug barrel. Looking for a nice lightweight bullet load data. Graf’s sells a 174gr coated cowboy action bullet for around $60 for 500 including shipping but I can’t find any loading data. Anyone have any experience using this bullet?

I never had much luck with the cowboy action bullets in my .44 Specials.
This is one of the bullets and loads I use in my CA Bulldog-



It cuts nice, clean holes, is very accurate and is available from Matt's bullets.

35W

 

[MikeD256]

Appreciate the replies, I think I’ll try the ones from Hunter’s supply since they are coated, at my age I’m trying to avoid handling straight lead bullets plus I checked the price on those bullets from Matt’s and at over $100 per 500 they are a bit too pricey for my taste.

 

[N555]

Next time I load 44spl I'll be looking at loading a 180gr bullet over around 5gr of CBI.
No load data for it but I would be going for about 800fps.

 

[Typetwelve]

I did my best to replicate self defense rounds made by Buffalo Bore and Underwood. I know BB still offers a 200g hard cast WC that is cooking along at 1000 fps, supposedly from a Bulldog (and BB states that it is safe to use in a Bulldog).

I was using 185g WC from Matt's bullets. Now, as usual, this is my load data, use it at your own risk.

With that said, from my 2016 3" Bulldog, here's what I got with those:

8.3g of Unique, 920 fps at 3 yds
18g of IMR 4227, 828 fps at 3 yds

Those are both hot loads, but are within what a Bulldog hand handle on occasion. I wouldn't go shooting them on the reg, but I'm more than confident to use them for home defense. That Bulldog just doesn't get the vel to properly expand most hollow points, so those HC WC should be much more effective.

 

[wcwhitey]

Appreciate the replies, I think I’ll try the ones from Hunter’s supply since they are coated, at my age I’m trying to avoid handling straight lead bullets plus I checked the price on those bullets from Matt’s and at over $100 per 500 they are a bit too pricey for my taste.

They shoot nicely and are very light in the Bulldog which can be a bear with heavier loads. Doable but not a range toy. Your Target Bulldog will appreciate target loads. The one benefit to the 160 grain bullet loaded to 950 fps is it will replicate the Hornady .44 Special Critical Defense 165 FTX. No sight adjustment necessary in case you wanted a walking around or self defense load for the gun.

 

[bigpower491]

Appreciate the replies, I think I’ll try the ones from Hunter’s supply since they are coated, at my age I’m trying to avoid handling straight lead bullets plus I checked the price on those bullets from Matt’s and at over $100 per 500 they are a bit too pricey for my taste.

I like the Acme coated bullets myself. Last time I grabbed some they were reasonable

 

[ahutch71]

The Lyman Cast manual doesn’t have load data for 180gr in 44 Spl, but does for 44 Russian. Smaller case, but I expect you’d be able to use the data as guideposts as long as you use powders that aren’t very position or airspace sensitive, or use Trailboss. The powders that fit that profile they have data for are Bullseye, Red Dot, Titegroup, and Accurate No 2. I’ve been substituting Shooters World Cleanshot for Accurate No 2 with great results. Becoming my go-to for plinking and target rounds for 38 up through 45.

 

[N555]

Since about 2006 I reloaded most my 44spls with 180gr bullets with 10gr of unique.
I only have 44mags so all my 44spl reloads are a bit hot.
My old speer manual which had a lot of pretty enthusiastic loads shows the max for a 200gr 44spl being 8.5 to 8.7gr of unique, the higher amount going under cast bulets.