DGindlesperger
New member
thinking of trying 44 specials in my Dan Wesson 44 mag for practice. any sugestions?
44 specials
- Thread starter DGindlesperger
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DGindlesperger
New member
front sight is nice, but have a red dot mounted on it. 10" barrel for silhouette matches 
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
aside from the kick... I think you can buy cheap 44 mag ammo for less money than you can find 44 special ammo...
if cost is not the reason for trying the special, I use Speer Gold Dots for my carry gun, but there are likely some lead cowboy loads available...
if cost is not the reason for trying the special, I use Speer Gold Dots for my carry gun, but there are likely some lead cowboy loads available...
.44 Special is one of those cartridges that one should reload as it is hard to find and expensive, (even 'Cowboy" loads can run over $25/box of 50).
Given that, it is a great round. Very accurate, fun to shoot, and a good home/woods defense choice. If you want commercial ammo, I suggest CCI Blazer 200 gr GDHP.
Given that, it is a great round. Very accurate, fun to shoot, and a good home/woods defense choice. If you want commercial ammo, I suggest CCI Blazer 200 gr GDHP.
I don't know if you reload or not but I can make 240 gr swc soft 44 mag loads for about .08 each. Its much more pleasant to shoot 2-300 rounds in a session with thses soft mag loads and accuracy is quite good. 44 Special loads will create a 'new burn ring' in your magnum cylinder just as 38's in a 357 magnum.
CCI Blazer 200gr Gold Dots are about as cheap as it gets in .44 Special from the majors. That's what I use in my 21, 296, 696, and 624 for target shooting. When I use them in my Magnum, it requires extra attention to scrub the carbon ring out of the chambers; don't want that fouling to cause an overpressure situation by interfering with the crimping on the Maggie rounds.
Mike Irwin
Staff
"CCI Blazer 200gr Gold Dots are about as cheap as it gets in .44 Special from the majors."
Here in Northern Virginia the CCIs are running $25 a box of 50.
Here in Northern Virginia the CCIs are running $25 a box of 50.
DGindlesperger
New member
"Before I started reloading, I was buying 240gr Triton .44specials from sportsmansguide.com for about $16.50 a box (club price). They have decent prices over there." great advice, but Sportsmans guide has lost my business for good. Thank you alll for the advice, I have the reloading stuf, just been lazy.
YosemiteSam357
New member
DGindlesperger
I see you're in OR, too. Just south of you in Salem is Outdoor Marksman, who has these Miwall .44 special loads for $15/50.
I've been using this place for 3-4 years now and they've never let me down. Shipping is pretty reasonable, and delivery time is amazingly fast. I ordered yesterday before 3pm and had the package today. I got some of the above loads but haven't had a chance to shoot them yet. They have a couple of other bullet weights in .44 spl, too.
I have no connection to the company, just a satisfied customer.
-- Sam
P.S. I hear they have different pricing if you go in for a pickup instead of having it shipped. I have not confirmed this, though.
I see you're in OR, too. Just south of you in Salem is Outdoor Marksman, who has these Miwall .44 special loads for $15/50.
I've been using this place for 3-4 years now and they've never let me down. Shipping is pretty reasonable, and delivery time is amazingly fast. I ordered yesterday before 3pm and had the package today. I got some of the above loads but haven't had a chance to shoot them yet. They have a couple of other bullet weights in .44 spl, too.
I have no connection to the company, just a satisfied customer.
-- Sam
P.S. I hear they have different pricing if you go in for a pickup instead of having it shipped. I have not confirmed this, though.
DGindlesperger
New member
Sam that is a great price. thanks!!!!!!
Georgia Arms (1-800-624-6861) has the expensive Speer #4427 low speed designed (800 fps+) 200gr Gold Dot JHP in .44 Special loaded in fresh new Starline brass for $43.50/100 - equivalent to the Blazers, but with a brass case. I get 805 fps from my 2.5" 296; 840 from my 3" 696; and 875 from my 4" 629 with those (or the Blazers) - great stoppers. I had a Blazer Al case split in my 696 a couple of years back, so I quit using them in my Ti cylindered 296.
They also have a new-brass 100gr JHP .32 H&RM that I've chrono-ed at 1,186 fps from my 4" SP101 - it's hot & nasty - and $30.50/100. Their recycled brass +P .38 Specials state 158gr LSWC, but they are actually 'LSWCHP' - like the expensive Remington R38S12's I kept loaded for my HD & PD .38's. It runs $17.50/100, making them less than a third of the Remi's cost. Decent ammo, fair price, nice folks... almost sad I reload now - I bought tons of their .45 Colt cowboy loads years back, now just the defensive stuff.
Stainz
They also have a new-brass 100gr JHP .32 H&RM that I've chrono-ed at 1,186 fps from my 4" SP101 - it's hot & nasty - and $30.50/100. Their recycled brass +P .38 Specials state 158gr LSWC, but they are actually 'LSWCHP' - like the expensive Remington R38S12's I kept loaded for my HD & PD .38's. It runs $17.50/100, making them less than a third of the Remi's cost. Decent ammo, fair price, nice folks... almost sad I reload now - I bought tons of their .45 Colt cowboy loads years back, now just the defensive stuff.
Stainz
i got bit by thee 44 special bug this year. i shot about 40 rounds out of my 44 mag.and as a result i had to scrub the heck out of the cylinders to get rid of the carbon ring.
i then began looking for a 6" 44 special,and i just now got a taurus 6" 44 special,and the gun feels pretty strong ,seems tight,and the bore looks pretty good . i've got 150 rounds loaded for tomorrow, i do hope i do more than make noise. the one thing i know for sure they are fun to shoot.
i then began looking for a 6" 44 special,and i just now got a taurus 6" 44 special,and the gun feels pretty strong ,seems tight,and the bore looks pretty good . i've got 150 rounds loaded for tomorrow, i do hope i do more than make noise. the one thing i know for sure they are fun to shoot.
17 to 17.5 grains of Alliant 2400 under a Hornady swaged lead .430" dia bullet - new .44mag brass -and all seated/loaded over a standard large pistol primer (not a magnum primer) = my idea of "special" .44 special.
Velocity out of a 4" barrel model 29 is just under sonic (~1100fps) and the round is scarry accurate.
The Hornady swaged lead bullet uses a dry powder type lube & the Alliant 2400 (slow burning powder) doesn't generate as much heat as a faster burning powder does. This translates into a somewhat "dirty" load that leaves little of the baked on carbon ring that plagues most factory ammo.
Velocity out of a 4" barrel model 29 is just under sonic (~1100fps) and the round is scarry accurate.
The Hornady swaged lead bullet uses a dry powder type lube & the Alliant 2400 (slow burning powder) doesn't generate as much heat as a faster burning powder does. This translates into a somewhat "dirty" load that leaves little of the baked on carbon ring that plagues most factory ammo.
Load 44 Specials in 44 Specials. Makes the clean up easier.
I have loaded several thousand rounds of 44 Mag with a 240 LSWC with 8.5 grains Unique in a 44 Mag case. Any brand case, any brand primer. This will duplicate the top end of a 44 Special load, is extremely accurate, and is a good combination of power and accuracy without being too powerful.
I have loaded several thousand rounds of 44 Mag with a 240 LSWC with 8.5 grains Unique in a 44 Mag case. Any brand case, any brand primer. This will duplicate the top end of a 44 Special load, is extremely accurate, and is a good combination of power and accuracy without being too powerful.