Model12Win
Moderator
Hey guys!
I have a new Charter Arms Bulldog that is quickly becoming one of my most favorite revolvers, and I plan to use it for cooler month EDC and as a primary sidearm while in the woods (Eastern Kansas) all year around, plus using it is a secondary home defense handgun and possibly while traveling.
Needless to say, I need a good defensive load for the gun. I've been doing tons of research online, trying to find a good load that will reliably expand from the 2.5" barrel on my Bulldog. So far, I've tried Winchester 200 grain Silvertips, Blazer 200 grain GDHPs, and Hornady 165 grain Critical Defense rounds in .44 special.
The only one I've shot is the Blazer load. It gets many recommendations as a top carry load for the Charter Arms Bulldogs... but unfortunately, my gun does not like the aluminum cases that round uses. They stick terribly in the chambers, and had to be plucked one by one from the back of the cylinder during reloads. All other loads using brass cases often just fell right out of the gun, I didn't even need to use the ejector most of the time.
As for the other loads, after some research, neither seem very satisfactory. The Hornady 165 grain load does seem to expand from the Bulldogs, but underpenetrates and will only go about 9-10" in ballistics gel. I would greatly prefer something that goes over 12" per the FBI recommendations, but not more than 15-16" or so as I don't want a round that will overpenetrate.
The Winchester 200 grain Silvertips apparantly used to be a great load, but the ones I have are new production with a supposedly tougher jacket that won't reliably expand at Bulldog velocities.
Enter the Federal 200 grain LSWCHP round.
I bought 3 boxes of these from GunBroker just a while ago, and am wondering if this would be a good load for the Bulldog. I have heard it sold under both the "Champion" and "Personal Defense" line, the three boxes I got were listed as the Personal Defense marked ones, though I beliveve it's the same load. I think I read that this uses a softer hollow point bullet and should expand, it looks quite like an enlarger "FBI load" which is a .38 special +P 158 grain LSWCHP.
I am just trying to get some feedback on this particular load form Federal, and to see if anybody else has any experience with it. Will this be a good defense load for my Charter Arms Bulldog with 2.5" barrel? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much all!
I have a new Charter Arms Bulldog that is quickly becoming one of my most favorite revolvers, and I plan to use it for cooler month EDC and as a primary sidearm while in the woods (Eastern Kansas) all year around, plus using it is a secondary home defense handgun and possibly while traveling.
Needless to say, I need a good defensive load for the gun. I've been doing tons of research online, trying to find a good load that will reliably expand from the 2.5" barrel on my Bulldog. So far, I've tried Winchester 200 grain Silvertips, Blazer 200 grain GDHPs, and Hornady 165 grain Critical Defense rounds in .44 special.
The only one I've shot is the Blazer load. It gets many recommendations as a top carry load for the Charter Arms Bulldogs... but unfortunately, my gun does not like the aluminum cases that round uses. They stick terribly in the chambers, and had to be plucked one by one from the back of the cylinder during reloads. All other loads using brass cases often just fell right out of the gun, I didn't even need to use the ejector most of the time.
As for the other loads, after some research, neither seem very satisfactory. The Hornady 165 grain load does seem to expand from the Bulldogs, but underpenetrates and will only go about 9-10" in ballistics gel. I would greatly prefer something that goes over 12" per the FBI recommendations, but not more than 15-16" or so as I don't want a round that will overpenetrate.
The Winchester 200 grain Silvertips apparantly used to be a great load, but the ones I have are new production with a supposedly tougher jacket that won't reliably expand at Bulldog velocities.
Enter the Federal 200 grain LSWCHP round.
I bought 3 boxes of these from GunBroker just a while ago, and am wondering if this would be a good load for the Bulldog. I have heard it sold under both the "Champion" and "Personal Defense" line, the three boxes I got were listed as the Personal Defense marked ones, though I beliveve it's the same load. I think I read that this uses a softer hollow point bullet and should expand, it looks quite like an enlarger "FBI load" which is a .38 special +P 158 grain LSWCHP.
I am just trying to get some feedback on this particular load form Federal, and to see if anybody else has any experience with it. Will this be a good defense load for my Charter Arms Bulldog with 2.5" barrel? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much all!