How far do you shoot your 44spl. & hit.....

[Harve Curry]

I've been playing with this cartiridge in a Colt SAA 1/2 my life and really like it.
I been hitting coyotes at over 200+ yards or coming real close when I miss, which is most of the time.
Today I set up a steel plate 12"x18" hung horizontal at 155 yards from my bench.
The Hornady 180gr JHP over 8.5gr Unique hit it regulary. For some reason these bullets perform better or fly better then any lead bullet I try at long range. I have some of the 200gr Hornadys JHP to try out soon.
The chonograph says MV at 1075fps, must be pretty slow past 200 yards, like Gus shooting that outlaw with the Henry at 300 or 400 yards.

Question is how far do others shoot their 44 specials, what load, how accurate, and what sixgun??

 

[Wil Terry]

I WAS SHOOTING MY COLT NF 5 1/2" 44SPL THIS MORNING OUT AT 250 YARDS.

It puts 'em right in there like a little itty bitty rifle using 429421 250gr SWC bullets at 950fps.
The two USFA 5 1/2" 44SPL's are much more difficult to shoot to way out yonder due to the old style sights.

 

[warwagon]

Pretty good shooting! I had no idea the round was THAT accurate, but seeing as I have a Rossi 720 hamerless, 3", most of my shots are from closer range!

I may have to look into a second .44 special!

 

[shooter429]

I never tried long ranges

I heard that the old-timers like Elmer could shoot stuff at 600+ Yds.

I hold mine to under 100 with open sights and a 4" BBL using Keith-style handloads.

Shooter429

 

[Stainz]

I generally like to plink away at the steel plate de jour at 100yd, usually a 12" - 16" circular plate. With my 696 and 240gr LRNFP/LSWC over 4.6gr Titegroup load making 743 +/-12 fps from it's 3" barrel, I can usually hit that plate three times out of five hand held - with no caffein shake, the misses spent determining the drop. One day I made a 5 ft circle in the berm around the plate, never having pinged it after thirty tries. I had bought a box of mislabelled .44-40 lead! I pulled out my 296 and some 200gr Blazer Gold Dots - they make 805 +/-6 fps from it's 2.5" barrel... and hit the plate the same three out of five consistently. I like hitting it with my 158gr RN loads from my 2" 10, too. Nothing over 100yd at the ranges I use.

Stainz

 

[bpisler]

The best results i've gotten is 2" at 15 yards
wih speer 200gr gold dots.The pistol is a old
Charter arms bulldog and i was firing D/A.

I've tried D/A at 25 yards and have got group
sizes of 5-7" with the gold dots.

 

[Photoman]

Gun: S&W 24-3 with 4" barrel

Load: 210 or 240 LSWC at 850 fps

Distance: +/- 100 yards

Six for six and downright boring after a while.

It's really not that hard to do with a bit of proper technique and a good gun. Very fun!

 

[unspellable]

Best long range coyote shot with a 44

My best long range coyote shot with a 44 is the one I didn't take.

I was sitting on a ridge in Arizona with a pair of binoculars and looking for javalina. I had a S&W 29 with hot 44 Special loads in 44 Magnum brass. (240 grain semiwadcutter at 1000 fps.) At the foot of the ridge a coyote came along and took a squat. I though I would put a round over his head and give him a good fright. Then I decided not to. There just are times when every body deserves a little peace and quiet.

 

[TX_RGR]

I was surprised by the accuracy of this round as well, though I had read about it elsewhere. From a 2.5 inch I can hit the 9 ring @25 yards all day offhand without really trying. I have seen guys struggle to make that at 7 yards with a lot more barrel.

 

[Harve Curry]

I have a new Colt ordered should have it by this fall.
I've ordered it with 3 gold lines on the rear face of the front sight like Elmer Kieth shows in his book sixguns.
It should be a great help in remembering where to hold.

 

[mnrivrat]

I heard that the old-timers like Elmer could shoot stuff at 600+ Yds.

Ah - the old 600 yard mule deer shot that Elmer mentioned in an article put in the Shooters Bible (if I remember right). I have the Shooters Bible with the article in it.

His statement was refering to a .44 magnum round that he said penitrated completely through the chest of a mule deer he shot at 600 yards. He was both critisized for shooting at deer from such a long range, and some insinuated that he was not exactly honest. (not believing he made the shot)

The truth is I'm sure he made the shot , but it was the third one he sent down range at the deer ,and I doubt that even Elmer could do that on a regular basis. He was however a very good long range pistol shooter who spent a lot of time shooting at distances.

Calculate the bullet drop of a .44 mag out of a handgun at 600 yards and you will see why some rolled their eyes at the statement. That said, long range pistol shooting is a real hoot !

 

[ARTiger]

A while back while sighting in my 629 in for hunting at 100 and 150 yards (I was using a hot factory load - IMI Samsom 240 gr JHP's) I ran out of the 44 mag. ammo, but had 2 full speedloaders in my bag. They were .44 special SWC handloads at 900 FPS. Had my best two groups of the day (by far) at 150 yards . . . 3.25". I always knew the .44 special loads were better for short distance target shooting, but after that day I'm a believer in their long range accuracy as well.

Not exactly a flat shooting caliber, and I would wonder how much energy is left past 100 yards, etc., but IMO accuracy trends at indoor range distances can translate well at much longer distances also.

 

[Nhsport]

The 240-250 gr flat nose cast bullet has long held a reputation for amazeing penatration even at longer ranges and presumed lower velocites. Remember that .429 bullet is similar to what many rifle bullets can hope to expand to. Put a .429 hole in some critters vital parts and they will fall down at some point .

 

[Harve Curry]

I don't have that article about Elmer Kieth, but a read it a long time ago. If I'm not mistaken wasn't that deer already wounded from a rifle shooter??
He had people watching, including the rifle shooter, and calling his misses, and hit on the 3rd shot.