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Post by bulasteve on Sept 29, 2015 12:34:29 GMT -5
Am gearing up for a weekend in the northern Penn woods. Early leaf peeping, brook trout, wineries, hiking, bears,yup, bears. In trying to maximise what the little 25oz Bulldog .44spec can do, have put a fair bit of wear n tear on my Lee press over the yrs.. I have enough old bullets of odd designs to play with for quite awhile. My current favorite, Copper-clad or plain is an old National Bullet offering called a 265gr SWC.. Not really a SWC, no shoulder, but bulk of weight outta the case, more of a LFN.. My scale says the they weigh more like 270grs.. These bullets on 6grs of Unique, should be near the best penetration available for this format/cartridge. I do wish someone of repute would do a REAL article on the Charter Arms 44spec Bulldog. It has gotten a bit of lip service and an honorable mention or two over the yrs. It deserves better. The 200gr XTP may be the best jacketed bullet for this gun since the 225gr Speer is long gone now. The 255gr WFN works. I love the Penn 185gr DEFWC over 7grs of Unique. Just received another box of 500.. ole weird steve
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Post by magnumwheelman on Sept 29, 2015 13:10:30 GMT -5
my favorite to carry in the woods right now, is my S&W 396...& I don't remember the load, but I shoot a 240 grain hard cast strunc cone bullet for "the woods" & a Speer Gold Dot for 2 legged varmints... both loads shoot to the same point of aim...
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Post by bulasteve on Sept 30, 2015 10:46:43 GMT -5
I can already see what might have to be the next bought gun down the line. After the 480 SBH.. An upgrade to my dog walkin'/fishin' gun battery. An Alaskan to help out the poor little Bulldog. Sigh...Maybe another Bulldog, an understudy so to speak, ya, break it in gently..
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Post by seak89 on Sept 30, 2015 12:20:25 GMT -5
They are a handy piece of work and can keep the beast off you even up here in Alaska.
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Post by bulasteve on Oct 1, 2015 11:47:38 GMT -5
Just seated a bunch'a Matt's 250gr HP's over 6 grs of Unique. This more for 2 legged vermin. A nice load in the Bulldog.
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Post by bagdadjoe on Oct 2, 2015 9:50:32 GMT -5
I have an older 3" blue Bulldog that I firelapped and regulated sights for a 429421 mold dedicated to it. 225g with my 4 ww/1 lino mix.It will keep them in a palm size group or better at 25yds, I've posted the target photos here til people have them memorized. ;-) I'm loading them with Herco, and not too hot.The gun will take it, but my "older" hands won't. My loads "should" be enough for my purpose.
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Post by bulasteve on Oct 2, 2015 10:42:27 GMT -5
I could try slower powders and tweek things, but without a chrony or a lab..will stay the course here. Stay safe folks. Local friend/'smith says he can improve my DA trigger, may let him go with it later. He was the 'Smith our local Troopers barracks used back in the .357 days.
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awp101
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Post by awp101 on Oct 2, 2015 16:52:19 GMT -5
I do wish someone of repute would do a REAL article on the Charter Arms 44spec Bulldog. Everything I've read says the original Bulldogs were good and serviceable but near the end of the original Charter Arms things started to slip. Charter 2000 came about after that and started good but went iffy pretty quick. The current iteration of CA and the various Bulldogs seem to have the same reputation as the original, good revolvers and good company. Not an article, but I am of ill-repute. You only said "someone of repute" without specifying good or ill...  I want to try a new Bulldog but I want to work more with my .44 Special Vaquero first to see how I really like the caliber. Only 20-30 rounds so far but I need to shoot it more before I decide I really do enjoy it. I almost went with a 4" Pathfinder or Target but found a Smith Model 63 at a price I could live with before deciding which CA .22 to get. |
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Post by bulasteve on Oct 3, 2015 5:28:37 GMT -5
One of our camp members bought a new 2 1/2" bobbed hammer version. He decided he didn't like it, wanted easier SA use. Poor gun ended up in the drawer. Suggested he call C.A. and ask if regular hammer was an easy swap. They said yes and sent him one. He is now another happy Bulldog owner. Go forth and multipy ! Mine in my fleece vest pocket right now. It lives there until I have pants w/belt on, as I wander the house in the am in fleece pants. Stay safe folks.
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Post by bulasteve on Oct 3, 2015 6:57:25 GMT -5
As much as I like my Bulldog and love the .44spec.., the thought has often come to me, that this lil revolver would make a great .41 spec.. I've loaded n shot a fair number of 205-210gr RNFP's outta this gun that could be just as well been .41spec.. I just didn't get any good accuracy. Not much bearing surface, maybe a twist issue too. So, have gone to longer bullets, or at least FWC's that are all bearing surface !
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Post by skipper49 on Oct 3, 2015 19:22:42 GMT -5
Well, after a few years of reading the positive reviews of the Bulldog on this site, I grabbed my own a week or so ago. I had a friend/customer come in the other day who had a Bulldog Pug, DAO, that he bought new in 1997. He bought 100 rds of ammo with it, shot 15 rds of the 100 out of it, and decided it just wasn,t for him. It had not seen the light of day since Sept, '97 until he brought it to me last week, along with the 85 rds left from that original 100. I got what I thought was a REALLY sweet deal on it, and he was happy.
Been raining here every day, but finally got tired of waiting and ran out back to shoot it. Really wasn't expecting too much with that trigger, but boy, did I get fooled. Fired 10 rds of Magtech,s 240 gr lead Cowboy load and was shocked at the tight 6 yard group it produced. Then I switched to some old, 200 gr Silvertips that I had on hand. That's when I got the biggest surprise. That crazy thing put 4 out of 5 in one ragged hole, with the 5th just barely outside the hole of the first 4.
Now I'm old enough to know when to go back in the house, and that's just what I did, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to really like this Pug, a lot. Thanks guys.
Skip
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Post by skipper49 on Oct 5, 2015 7:58:34 GMT -5
Big correction to above post. The Bulldog was purchased new in 2007, not 1997. It is one of the "Charter 2000" guns. That kind of date mistake is common amongst us older folk! LOL
SKIP
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Post by bulasteve on Oct 5, 2015 8:04:22 GMT -5
WooHoo ! I love happy endings. Skipper49, I believe my buddy has the same model as you. Mine an older SS 3". I also have an old box of the Silver Tips in the basement, a box of Triton 165gr HP's, and one box each of the old Speer 3/4 jacketed bullets. Oh, no bears were harmed during our weekend in the hills, though the restaurants dumpster did get raided during the night.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Oct 5, 2015 8:34:03 GMT -5
my "bulldog" is pre Charter Arms... ( by about 75ish years ) I picked up this ( appeared to be unfired ) American Bulldog in 44 Bulldog several years ago ( 44 Bulldog is like a 44 Special, Special )... I load lighter loads of smokeless in shortened 44 special cases ( about 1/8" shorter than 44 Special ) using lighter weight cast bullets... this is what an early 44 Bulldog looks like  ( note the bulldog heads on the grips )  |
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Post by bulasteve on Oct 5, 2015 9:15:20 GMT -5
Well that just pegged the needle on the cool meter ! Thanks for posting.
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( note the bulldog heads on the grips )