Bulldog Boomer Ammo

[FlippinHippie]

I'm currently using the Underwood 200 grain full wad cutter in my Boomer. Since this is a two inch ported barrel, I'm probably getting between 800 to 850 fps rather than the advertised 1000 fps advertised velocity. Underwood says they use 4 inch barrels for their ballistic testing. Problem is, that the recoil is pretty brutal with small stock grips on this gun.

I recently scored a couple boxes of their 125 grain "extreme defender" loads in hopes of reducing felt recoil. I shot five rounds through the little Boomer and indeed, the recoil was quite manageable with the lighter load. The advertised velocity is 1250. That means I'm probable getting around 1050.

I can't find any ballistic data on this load out of a two inch barrel. The 125 grain "screwdriver" load is supposed to mimic hollow point ammo performance. But how will it fare in a two inch? Traditional .44 special hollow point ammo just does not reliably expand out of a two inch barrel. That's why I shoot wad cutters. This new loading supposedly fixes the issue. Is it true? Or marketing hype? What are your thoughts?

 

[Buckeye63]

In my Boomer I carry 200gr Gold Dots … my next choice would be 200gr LSWC

 

[Gordon]

Full wadcutter warm 200 grain loads sound ideal ! You won't shoot that many just keep familiar where it hits at maybe 50 feet max . I keep old winchester silvertips in my 3" Bulldogs. It does expand well in those and the old bridgeport made blue gun I have is insanely accurate and right on POA at 50 foot with them , I bought 500 10 years ago , got a box and a 1/2 left in my mid80s Stainless one I shoot my reloads to practice .

 

[FlippinHippie]

I shoot the 200 grain just fine...with an oversized full grip. A bit harder to conceal, and weighs in at around 23 oz. With the stock service grips and the 125 grain, the gun weighs 19.79 oz. and shoots like a hot .38 special. Very controllable. Not so with the 200 grain. ( Arthritic hands ) The wad cutter is a trade off. No expansion but awesome penetration. A good hollow point that actually expands AND penetrates seems to be the holy grail. I've not found that yet in the .44 out of this particular gun. Until possibly now. Just can't find any data other than my own perception of recoil. I dropped almost a hundred bucks on forty rounds of this stuff. ( Down to 35 now. ) Money well spent if the load lives up to the hype. Plenty of gel test information on the 9mm version and even the .38 special. ( From longer barrels ) But nothing on the .44. A Bulldog with a 2.5 or 3 inch tube will outperform the 2 inch. Question is...how much?

 

[Walkalong]

Full wadcutter warm 200 grain loads sound ideal !

These 208 Gr WCs cut full size holes through everything I shot with them in my 3" .44 Spl Bulldog.

 

[Buckeye63]

But nothing on the .44. A Bulldog with a 2.5 or 3 inch tube will outperform the 2 inch. Question is...how much?

With heavy low pressure bullets their couldn’t be alot of difference in velocity..

 

[Buckeye63]

Pic of my Bulldog 44spl ..

 

[FlippinHippie]

With heavy low pressure bullets their couldn’t be alot of difference in velocity..

That's my point, this load is 75 grains lighter and 250 fps faster than my current load. The weight and velocity is on par with the .38 +p. Do you guys think that the light .44 Underwood extreme defender in the same weight as the .38 special version is a step up? A .38 with a larger hole? Or would the larger diameter of the .44 reduce penetration?

 

[Buckeye63]

That's my point, this load is 75 grains lighter and 250 fps faster than my current load. The weight and velocity is on par with the .38 +p. Do you guys think that the light .44 Underwood extreme defender in the same weight as the .38 special version is a step up? A .38 with a larger hole? Or would the larger diameter of the .44 reduce penetration?

44 hole in 44 hole out
Or as close as out as possible

 

[Hartkopf]

I don’t believe the hype around the screwdriver tip bullets. They’re not terrible but I would rather use a heavier, flat faced wad cutter, at even lower velocity.

 

[FlippinHippie]

I don’t believe the hype around the screwdriver tip bullets. They’re not terrible but I would rather use a heavier, flat faced wad cutter, at even lower velocity. View attachment 1004424

I use the wadcutter as a step up from round nose or semi-wadcutter. I would prefer a good hollow point, but they don't work so well at lower velocities. And when they do, they lack adequate penetration. I was thinking the extreme defender might be the answer. Would love to see some gel tests for this load out of a two inch. Not holding my breath.

 

[DocRock]

I can’t imagine anything more devastating than those 200 grs wad cutters. Provided they aren’t too hard, even if you backed them down to 700 FPS for less recoil, they will remain devastating…

 

[Hartkopf]

I use the wadcutter as a step up from round nose or semi-wadcutter. I would prefer a good hollow point, but they don't work so well at lower velocities. And when they do, they lack adequate penetration. I was thinking the extreme defender might be the answer. Would love to see some gel tests for this load out of a two inch. Not holding my breath.

There has been lots of tests posted online for the extreme defender bullet but most of them use gel that makes the wound track look huge. (not clear gel) Then they rave over the size of the wound track. Never seen short barrel testing for this bullet.

The testing I’ve read from hunters killing game, is not that great.

 

[Dunross]

If you don't reload then you're stuck with the very limited offerings of commercial 44spl ammo.

If you do reload you can improve the situation greatly. I think Underwood has the right idea with a 200gr full wadcutter, but they load it much too hot. There's no need for the extra velocity. A wadcutter is not going to expand and will still penetrate well at more moderate velocities. Step it down to about 750fps, even 700fps if you have to, and it will still perform while being more controllable.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I'm currently using the Underwood 200 grain full wad cutter in my Boomer. Since this is a two inch ported barrel, I'm probably getting between 800 to 850 fps rather than the advertised 1000 fps advertised velocity. Underwood says they use 4 inch barrels for their ballistic testing. Problem is, that the recoil is pretty brutal with small stock grips on this gun.

I recently scored a couple boxes of their 125 grain "extreme defender" loads in hopes of reducing felt recoil. I shot five rounds through the little Boomer and indeed, the recoil was quite manageable with the lighter load. The advertised velocity is 1250. That means I'm probable getting around 1050.

I can't find any ballistic data on this load out of a two inch barrel. The 125 grain "screwdriver" load is supposed to mimic hollow point ammo performance. But how will it fare in a two inch? Traditional .44 special hollow point ammo just does not reliably expand out of a two inch barrel. That's why I shoot wad cutters. This new loading supposedly fixes the issue. Is it true? Or marketing hype? What are your thoughts?

Well, I got a couple questions to start with that may help (I hope they do). First off, do you have or have access to a chronograph? Assuming velocities is not really going to help much but knowing them might. Second, do you reload or have access to reloading equipment? I know there's some trepidation about using reloads for self defense - and understandably - but in my experience, if you run into the clutches of a prosecutor who wants to make a case where there isn't one, they will find something to make a case on, including using "more lethal than necessary" ammunition. It's like a retired Circuit Court judge told me once, "Every elected prosecutor really wants to be elected to Congress. And that's just for starters..." Third and I guess last, have you tried various loads in a plain old water jug test for yourself? There's some good articles online about to do one, if you have the place and time. Might be a worthwhile exercise.

Good luck and remember the Boomer is meant to be a gun you hope you never have to use.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

These 208 Gr WCs cut full size holes through everything I shot with them in my 3" .44 Spl Bulldog.
View attachment 1004385
View attachment 1004386

Soup can. Works good! For about everything. I also like the Speer 200gr. GD but not in a snubbie and I like it a whole lot more in a .44Mag. That little GD bullet expands nicely when shot out of a Contender or SBH over 2400 powder and a 8-10" barrel. Can 't run it too fast or it comes apart just past the skin but, close in at around 1200fps it's a good bullet and cheap for jacketed. For snubs I like the Speer swaged 240gr. SWC over 6.5gr. of Unique. I've chronographed that load at ~800fps from a 3" Taurus. I don't think an inch less bbl will hurt it much.

 

[Buckeye63]

https://www.thereloadersnetwork.com...er-gold-dot-hollow-point-bare-gel-pc-hp-test/
Gel test on 200gr Speer Gold dot … 44 spl

 

[pairof44sp]

Re: velocity; You might be getting velocities much lower than you are expecting.

My Other Pair of 44s are 2 Boomers currently on Baramis.

I so 200g full wadcutters with as little Unique as I can get away with. Five point something.

The first time I shot the Boomers, it was with 7.2g Unique and that was murder on the hand. It felt like the gun was going to break.

Even that load was supposed to obtain very modest velocities. With five point something, out of this little ported barrel, I'm guessing it struggles to do 650 fps.

When I finally get a chrono, I'll offer better info.

 

[wcwhitey]

Re: velocity; You might be getting velocities much lower than you are expecting.

My Other Pair of 44s are 2 Boomers currently on Baramis.

I so 200g full wadcutters with as little Unique as I can get away with. Five point something.

The first time I shot the Boomers, it was with 7.2g Unique and that was murder on the hand. It felt like the gun was going to break.

Even that load was supposed to obtain very modest velocities. With five point something, out of this little ported barrel, I'm guessing it struggles to do 650 fps.

When I finally get a chrono, I'll offer better info.

View attachment 1004888

View attachment 1004887

I think of my Bulldog as a Bulldog, a belly gun. Short range big slow bullets. If you find something that shoots to point of aim, I have read and watched videos where the Boomer can be difficult to hit with, stick with it. I have been playing with loads and I am coming close to finding something I enjoy shooting. As fo now if I carry it I use Magtech 240 Gr FP Cowboy Action Loads. No idea what the velocity is but they shoot to point of aim and don’t beat me up too much.