.44 special factory defense loads

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Barry the Bear

Barry the Bear

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I cant find any .44 spl factory loads for ccw and home defense . Anyone got a link to any source ? Im not considering the winchester silvertips due to my own testing with them awhile back where performed poorly.
 
Anyone have any comparisons on the blazer gold dot vs the speer brand one? And bob not a single one matches what you would call adequate? Im trying to stay away from handloads for self defense while carrying.
 
The Speer and Blazer Gold Dots are both good. Buffalo Bore has a couple of different ones. Been meaning to try their 190gr LSWCHP.
Quite honestly just about anything with with a .429 diameter at over 750fps or so will get the job done most of the time. Perhaps not the ideal load, but I'm not too picky when it comes to big bores.
 
All I find in stores, namely Cabela's of late, is Hornady with FTX bullets. As a reloader, I would rather have standard length cases. The Hornadys are shortened and lightened up to accommodate the FTX bullet.

We can't be too particular when we cannot find ANYTHING. I do watch my cost per shot, not that I shoot up much SD ammo, so I haven't done much with the boutique ammo guys. Underwood Ammo or Georgia Arms usually have something and typically work with XTPs, it seems.
 
I load my own. 200gr Nosler JHP, using their recommended load for the most accuracy.
 
I'm making do with Speer 200 grain Gold Dot but lately I've been testing Hornady's 200 grain XTP specifically designed for the .44 Special.

Specs for this bullet from Hornady claim reliable expansion from about 725fps to about 1,650fps. The chart of their bullet's reliability expansion ranges is not all that precise.

My load clocks at between 925-950fps and accuracy is very good which is typical for XTPs in my guns. Being I favor deep penetration, the XTP is a good fit for me.
 
I have never found a .44 Special factory round I would rely upon for close social work.
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180 grain jacketed hollow point at 1,000 fps at close range isn't adequate? Really? Then .45 ACP and 9 mm wouldn't be acceptable either.

Hornady .44 Special 180 grain XTP. I use them in my .44 Special. If you're using them as protection against normal human beings, not grizzly bears, space aliens, etc. - they should work just fine.
 
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Ive my choice and decided to try the 210 grain .44 magnum short barrel gold dot from speer. It doesnt seem to be a true mag load but also not a cowboy special load either, thanks for all the replies guys.
 
Buffalo Bore offers several to cover just about any need you'd have in the caliber, from SD around town to bigger critters in the hills.

Expensive, but very dependable for serious uses.
Denis
 
I think the Speer 200 gr .44 Special Gold Dot is #4427 (My reloading info is elsewhere!). In any case, it was designed to open up fully by 800fps and passed that mark easily in my 2.5" S&W 296 whether in Speer's brass case or Al-cased Blazers, GA Arms brass loads, or my homebrews over a mid-point load of Titegroup. They would all break 1,000 fps from my 20" Henry .44 Magnum 'Big Boy'. Incidentally, they were $12/50 as Blazers at Academy several years ago. I shot over 1k of them over the years from that 296 - until I had a hard to extract case in my 696 - it was split! I shot the rest of them in my 696 and then banned them here. It was easy to do - GA Arms got $25-$30/100 then for their loads - in fresh/new Starline brass. I still have some - for carry - I practice with my reloads. When woods-bumming, I pocket-carry the 296 with a first up 240gr LSWC (for 4-legged aggravators) followed by four 200gr Gold Dots (for 2-legged snakes). Check Georgia Arms.

Stainz
 
Buckhorn_cortez said: 180 grain jacketed hollow point at 1,000 fps at close range isn't adequate? Really? Then .45 ACP and 9 mm wouldn't be acceptable either.

Hornady .44 Special 180 grain XTP. I use them in my .44 Special. If you're using them as protection against normal human beings, not grizzly bears, space aliens, etc. - they should work just fine.
Click to expand...

I have always preferred a heavy bullet over the fast light ones for personal protection. I use the 240 gr. Remington Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) which has a very generous exposed soft lead nose. And you're right about the 9mm, but I do like the .45 ACP with the 230 gr. Flat Point, but since my gun is a Ruger Blackhawk, why bother?

Bob Wright
 
BobWright said:
I have always preferred a heavy bullet over the fast light ones for personal protection. I use the 240 gr. Remington Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) which has a very generous exposed soft lead nose. And you're right about the 9mm, but I do like the .45 ACP with the 230 gr. Flat Point, but since my gun is a Ruger Blackhawk, why bother?

Bob Wright
Click to expand...
If that's the old Core-Loct that is what I still carry. Loaded to 850 FPS it expands nicely to 77 cal, loses no weight and penetrates deeper into clay than 44 mag Black Talons.
 
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