.44 special ammo

[Pappy Hayes]

What is the best grain of bullet to use in Uberti Type II Richard's? 200 or 240?

[Coffinmaker]

  Pappy 

I find "Best" to be subjective.  First, a CAVEAT.  I'm a recoil wimp and the only shooting I do is CAS.  For CAS, in my Not Really Humble Opine, 240Gr bullets is some silly.  All I have to do is hit and ring a steel plate at Five to Seven yards.  the heaviest bullets I shoot anymore are 180Gr RNFP but I prefer 165Gr RNFP.  Mild recoil and sufficient accuracy for hunting those wily Steels.

[Crow Choker]

In the last 15 yrs I've had good luck starting out with Lee's 200 grain cast bullet, later switching to the Mav Dutchman 200 grain cast bullet, sized .430". I did load and shoot some 240 grain bullets I picked up at a gun show with OK results, but prefer to cast my own 200 grainers. Use the 200 grainers in a 44 Open Top, Richards II, and Richards/Mason Uberti conversion revolvers. Two revolvers were of the longer 7 1/2-8" barrel length, the R/M revolver a 5.5".

 Most of the loads are with FF Goex (alot of the early loadings were with FFF Goex) in 44 Colt brass, but have loaded some black in 44 Special brass. A good quaintly of the Lee 200 grainer's were loaded and shot in 44 Special's using smokeless Titegroup, Red Dot, and 231 powders. Have had good results with accuracy at a variety of ranges and plan on continuing with the same bullet/powder commination in future loadings. All of the powder weights were in the medium category, not puff/ting loads nor heavy over powered. Use Dicks Pearl and SPG lubes.

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[Abilene]

I've been shooting 44 Russian in my Type II with a 175 or 180gr bullet with FFFg.  Have also shot some 44 Spcl with 180gr bullet, nice load.  This is for CAS.  I haven't put them on paper, just steel. 

[Pappy Hayes]

I've been shooting 44 Russian in my Type II with a 175 or 180gr bullet with FFFg.  Have also shot some 44 Spcl with 180gr bullet, nice load.  This is for CAS.  I haven't put them on paper, just steel. 

I prefer 44 Russian but is hard find. Got a friend I am going to get with after first of the year to load my 44 colt brass

[Long Johns Wolf]

I shoot 200 grainers over nitro loads in my conversions and Uberti .44 Special SAAs.
Long Johns Wolf

[Crow Choker]

Pappy-You looking to buy ammo or are you trying to decide what bullet to buy/cast for reloading?

[Dave T]

Most competitive shooters don't care about originality but a 240g bullet is closer to the original 246g projectile circa 1907-8. 246g is the original bullet weight for the Russian cartridge as well. Gamesmen, wanting minimal recoil to enhance speed, seem to prefer 180g to 200g bullets in the 44 Special over light charges of fast burning powder. YMMV!

Dave

[Pappy Hayes]

Pappy-You looking to buy ammo or are you trying to decide what bullet to buy/cast for reloading?

The 44 special is more available over the 44 russian so am looking to shoot it so just trying to find the best one to shoot

[Crow Choker]

The 44 special is more available over the 44 russian so am looking to shoot it so just trying to find the best one to shoot

That's why I reload so I'm not at the mercy of ammo manufacturers, ammo sellers, availability, and any gov't bureaucracy sticking their noses where it doesn't belong.

[Graveyard Jack]

It really depends on you and what you want. I used to use strictly 240/250gr bullets in the .44's and .45's strictly on principle but I'm also not a CAS shooter. However, with a little more age, wisdom and rising prices, I've switched to 200gr RNFP's for practice/plinking and even some field carry in the .44Colt, .44Spl and .45Colt. Because they're cheaper and why not? That said, some guns don't like them, like my Cimarron 1866 .44Special. So you'll have to try them and see.

[RoyceP]

My 44 Open Top (Uberti) likes these 200 grain plated Extreme bullets over 6 grains of Unique.

[DeaconKC]

Try these guys out, I have used their .45 Colt and .44-40 before with great results.
https://choiceammunition.com/product-category/cowboy-action/cowboy-44/44-special-cowboy/

[Coffinmaker]

  Well Now 

I are in complete agreement with DaveT and CraigC, your hugely ahead to Try before you Fly.  Our individual idea(s) of perfection may well leave you stone cold.

A BIG THANK YOU to the Deacon as well.  His reference provides a ready source of ammunition loaded with different weight/power bullets you can try without braking the bank.  And you get a swell cartridge bag to boot.

[Galloway]

Id let poi decide for you. That revolver was designed originally to shoot 200-215 gr bullets with around 21-23 grs of powder if thats important to you.

[RoyceP]

Id let poi decide for you. That revolver was designed originally to shoot 200-215 gr bullets with around 21-23 grs of powder if thats important to you.

Exactly right. I tried 44 Special ammo / loads and all of it shot low. Which led me to the light loads and light bullets.