Comparing a Few Special 44's

tallball

New member
I like 44 specials. I was going to the range today to compare a few 32acp's that I have acquired in the past year or so. I figured that while I was at it I might as well compare some 44 specials, too. I brought all of the ones I have right now: A Rossi 720 3", a Taurus ultra-light snub (2", I believe), a Charter Arms Bulldog snub with shrouded hammer (also 2", I think), and my old-fashioned JP Sauer and Sohn single-action (6" or so). All of them were fun to shoot.

I shot about 25 rounds through each of them. It was all Magtech Cowboy Action Loads. The recoil was fairly gentle with all four revolvers. There were zero malfunctions. Some shots were standing, some kneeling, some rapid fire, some slow. I usually shot in groups of five and tried to adjust POA in between groups. Usually the very first round or two was way off as I adjusted my extra-large hands and middle-aged eyes to the pistol. Let's please pretend that I shot these from farther away than seven yards. As you can see, I am a poor shot. :)

The Rossi's grips are a little small for me, but I managed. The sights are good. The trigger is great. It is very easy to shoot double action. This is only the second time I have shot it, and I was adjusting the sights as I went along. By the end the results were improving. This little revolver is a lot of fun to shoot! It took me months to track one down at a decent price, but it was worth the wait.

The Taurus has excellent grips - the rubbery feel and the shape are very good for my hand. It is very light-weight, but that didn't seem to affect the felt recoil, which was inconsequential. The sights are tiny. It feels good to shoot. I like the way it points and balances. The trigger is heavier than I prefer, and the sights are very small, but I had fun shooting it. With more practice I could adjust my POA and be fairly accurate... accurate for me, anyway. :)

The Charter Arms is okay. I don't like the feel of it in my hand as much as the other three. There is something about the action that feels kind of cheap to me. The recoil wasn't much, but I felt it more than the other three. I like the hammer shroud. The single-action trigger is average and the double-action a bit heavier than average, but they are both acceptable. I don't love it, but I have carried it a few times. The shrouded hammer keeps it from getting tangled up with a shirt or a pocket.

The Sauer and Sohn has the lightest single-action trigger I have ever felt. I had forgotten how light it is... as you can see from the first shot. The sights aren't great, but I adjusted after a while. It is easy to shoot. It's really a 44 magnum revolver, so it's a pussycat when loaded with 44 special. I wanted a 44 magnum for less than $300, and this seemed like a pretty good deal for $299. My Ruger Blackhawk fits my hand a little better, but the JP Sauer is a quality weapon that I enjoy shooting.

I enjoyed shooting my little 44 collection. It is a fun and underrated caliber, IMHO. I enjoy target shooting and plinking with it, and definitely don't feel under-gunned when I am holding one. And I think I have almost convinced my FiL to start hand-loading it (fingers crossed)!
 
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Now I know why people LOVE their Rossi 720's! :)
 
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I know that some people have had trouble with Taurus revolvers. I have eleven good ones and one that needs to go back to the factory for the second time. This little 44 is one of the good ones. The size, shape, and angle of the grip are excellent. It is a pleasure to shoot.
 
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I am guessing that someone shot a LOT of rounds through this old German SAA piece back in the day. It still locks up very tight. Since I shoot 95% 44 special Cowboy Action Loads through it, it should hold up to quite a bit more shooting. I love the way a single-action revolver fits my hand. Be careful, it has a hair trigger!
 
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Here is the Charter Arms Bulldog. I don't love it, but it works fine. It took me a while to adjust my aim. After I aimed high enough I got a few near the bullseye towards the end. It doesn't have a great trigger, but I definitely like the hammer shroud.
 
I also have a Taurus .44 special ultralite. I agree: a pleasure to shoot. Recoil is minimal with the large rubber grips. I have found POA and POI to be roughly the same at 15 yards with Buffalo Bore 200gr. hard cast wadcutters, which is the defense load when the Taurus accompanies me. The extra speedloader has hollowpoints because the wadcutters do not speedload easily.

It is not an easy revolver to conceal, though. It is bigger than a J-frame and LCR and production holsters are not available.
 
Being a new owner of a Charter Arms Bulldog DAO I would like suggestions on good carry ammo options. With a busy schedule, and recent bad weather I haven't had a chance to get to my range with it yet. I am very happy with my first impressions. It feels very good in my hand, and although a little scratchy feeling at first, the DAO trigger is smoothing out nicely with dry firing.
The only ammo I have found so far is cast bullet Cowboy Action stuff. I'm thinking for carry to use Speer Gold Dot, but have seen video reviews that said their Bulldog preferred lighter, faster bullets.
Where my new Bulldog was purchased more because I always wanted one than for a dedicated CCW firearm, I think with the right ammo it could be a very viable option in the coldest weather where an assailant would be wearing heavy clothing that would have to be punched through. I'm sure my XD40 Subcompact would do an equally decent job, but I think the DAO revolver in a heavy caliber is a better choice for coat pocket carry.
 
Cheapshooter... Hornady makes a Critical Defense 165 grain that they claim to travel 900 fps at the muzzle dropping proportionally to about 800fps at 100 yards. My later day Bulldog shoots them well and the recoil is easily manageable.
 
Cheapshooter; I don't remember where I read it but the bulldog is factory set with a 200 gr. bullet around 850-900 fps, wish I could remember where I read that at.
I have a M720 that I've sighted in to shoot POA at 15-20 yards with 200 gr, bullets. Speer, blazer and Underwood (bulldog) all use a 200 gr.gold dot, federal's Champion line makes a 200 gr. LSWC and I also like the Hornady 180 gr. XTP. I also have about half a box of Winchester 200 gr. STHP.

Hornady Critical Defense with the 165 gr.FTX is very easy to find and is around $20 for a 20 round box.
 
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