44 special for concealed carry?

[GoodOlBoy]

What do you guys think of a 44 special like the charter arms bulldog for concealed carry? I haven't been able to find anybody who still has the 45 colt taurus tracker and was thinking about this instead.

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

Good caliber..I got an L frame 44 spec in an auction this spring..and I already had an old but unused Charter Arms Target Bulldog.. Factory loads WILL be 'nuff or load some with SWCs

[Jack]

I've been using a Bulldog for concealed carry for the last few years, under summer clothes. Works fine.
I believe Rocky uses one, too.
One thing about the little Bulldog: standard loads kick plenty!
My typical load is Winchester Silvertip HP's, although sometimes I carry 240 LSWC handloads.
The 44 Special is also a fine cartridge for using shot loads. Not for CCW, but can be handy for roaming the woods.
High Noon holsters makes an IWB type that works fine with the Bulldog - they list it as their J frame S&W holster, but it fits the 3" Bulldog just fine.

[GoodOlBoy]

Good to know. I will deffinantly look thataway then. The only problem is that it really violates one of my current hard and fast rules about not adding another caliber into the mess I already have. Oh well. Looks like I can get a Charter Bulldog Stainless standard with a 2 1/2" barrel and the standard hammer (which I prefere) for between $349 and $379 new. Hopefully I will be able to scrounge that together in the next few months and be able to pick one up. I had the cash saved, but you know how life goes.

GoodOlBoy

[Mr. 16 gauge]

High Noon holsters makes an IWB type that works fine with the Bulldog - they list it as their J frame S&W holster, but it fits the 3" Bulldog just fine.

This is one of the reasons that I have been hesitant to get a Charter .44 for concealed carry: There really aren't a whole lot of good holsters available for these guns for concealed carry.

Another issue (at least in my neck of the woods) is the availability of ammo.......went to several gun stores over the last few months; only a couple had any .44 special ammo in stock, and what they had was just the lead, RN bullet at more than $1/round! That makes practice a bit difficult.:(

[GoodOlBoy]

I understand that mr 16 guage, but the only reason I am willing to is because I do reload.

GoodOlBoy

[wrenchman]

There are lots of guy that hand load that round before the 44 mag elmer keith use to hunt with it and reloaded for it lot of guys have rugers chamered in it was real popular.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I understand that mr 16 guage, but the only reason I am willing to is because I do reload.

I reload as well, but brass, bullets, ect. are just as hard to come by.....maybe even moreso than loaded ammo.

[skeet]

Wow Mr 16..Reloading components really aren't that hard to get..in fact easier than finding new factory ammo.. And most shotgun powders work just fine for loading..Heck even Cabela's has stuff for the 44.

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah and Tennessee Valley Bullets has great offerins for it for handloaders.

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

BTW GOB..Got 2 cans(jars) of Trailboss today. Think I might try it in my 45 Colt loads..Don't like 'em hot anyway....It's just that I still have sooo much 700X 800 X and Red Dot.. I got an old can(3 lb metal) that was unopened today..In exc condition..Paid...well hate to say it..5 bucks...5 bucks???..I'll get more'n that for the metal can.. Bet the powder is good.

[Adam Helmer]

Mr. 16 gauge,

I cast a Lyman 245 grain SWC bullet for both my .44 Specials and .44 Magnum ammo. I use 2400 in the Specials and use it in the Mag as well. My gun shop has bags of new .44Special brass for about $30 per hundred cases.

Adam

[GoodOlBoy]

Hey Skeet that trailboss powder has rapidly gleaned alot of favor with me. So far it shoots so accurate in all my cowboy calibers (And in my 30-30 as well) that I don't know if I will ever use anything else again, despit the fact that I still have half a can of unique and a full can of hp-38.

GoodOlBoy

[wrenchman]

I would have to stick up for 16 he is right in the sense there is not much in the way on factory loads if you were to hand load you can do lot.
Facotry loads are lacking

[GoodOlBoy]

If you online order factory loads are not a problem and there are ALOT of flavors of them (check out midwayusa) Other than that I agree with 16 myself Wrench. I can't remember the last time I actually saw a box of them on the shelf around here.

GoodOlBoy

[Mr. 16 gauge]

If you online order factory loads are not a problem and there are ALOT of flavors of them

No doubt about that.....mail order is great from the standpoint that I don't have to "settle" for whatever my local shop has in stock.
However, it's a double edged sword....while I can get anything I want via mail order, I have to pay shipping and handling, which adds to the cost as to sometimes make it MORE than what I would pay locally. Also, because I can now order on line or via mail (catalog), the gunshops in my area only carry the bare minimum basics for reloading, since they don't what stuff sitting on their shelves for any length of time.....case in point: I tried to buy a bag of #6 shot for reloading last weekend; went to 6 different stores and NOBODY had any! Had plenty of other sizes, but no #6. I know I can mail order it, but anybody hazard to guess what the shipping cost of 25lbs of lead shot would be?:eek:
.....and while I'm sure that the .44 special is potentially a great manstopper, I have to wonder what kind of a beating I would take from such a powerful cartridge in such a small handgun......I've heard it has one hell of a kick! Personally, I don't want to take more of a beating than I'm dishing out, esp. from my own sidearm!:rolleyes:

O.K., you can revoke my man card now.................;)

[skeet]

Awwww Man..you a WIMP...LOL Actually the Bulldog isn't all that bad.But factory type loads are enough. And you'll have what I consider twice the stopping power of a 38 Sp. JMO you know but the 44 is easy to load for..accurate and enough for most of us to use. And when it comes to recoil the Bulldog is enough for me..I'm a wimp when it comes to recoil. I also have a 500 S&W and find it hurts less than a 454 Casull Got it for carrying in the mountains for grizz backup.. But a 240-250 gr SWC at 700 ft per second will make most human targets sit up and take notice...or lay down for permanent...Just jokin bout the wimp..I really don't like recoil either. Doesn't matter where ya get the reloading stuff..just go ahead..get the stuff and reload. Find a load you like and can live with. Couple hundred bullets are all you will ever need even for the practice you may occassionally feel you need. Order on line and you could be shooting home rolled by next weekend. We aren't talkin bout saving money here..We're talkin bout savin your butt. What's it worth/??

[Jack]

I agree with Skeet.
You're not going to shoot the Bulldog for giggles every weekend, but the recoil isn't that bad- not like a magnum revolver, IME.
BTW, at the speeds you get from a 3" Bulldog barrel (around 700) you don't want a hard cast bullet- it won't obturate. Been there, done that. The bullets you want, if you want lead, is the soft swaged types that Hornady and Speer make- they're often cheaper than hard cast ones, anyway.

[8X56MS]

Never cared much for a .44 Special, but I do carry a S&W 629 Mountain Gun in .44 Mag from time to time.
I use a 240 grain LSWC over Unique or Blue Dot powder.

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah the saxet gunshow is comming up in conroe on Sept 11th and 12th. Good Lord willin and the creeks don't rise I will still have the cash then and will be able to pick up either the 45 colt, or the 44 special.

GoodOlBoy