Super Accurate 44 Special Load

[gunprofit]

I love shooting wadcutters from my revolvers. Mostly because they have little recoil and are super accurate. Recently, I've been using Trail Boss in my big bore cartridges, developing new loads that shoot well. Instead of the usual Red Dot or WW231. I find Trail Boss to very consistent. Here is my latest load I would like to share.

44 Special
188 grain Wadcutter
4.8 grail Trail Boss
Velocity 801 fps, Standard Deviation 7 fps
Firearm - Freedom Arms, 44 Special, 4 1/4" barrel
Distance 25 yards, Bench Rest





I know there are a lot of young guys out there that enjoy shooting 9mm plastic guns. I enjoy shooting those also. But, I also enjoy shooting Bullseye competition. That sport requires a handgun with great accuracy potential if you expect to do well. Hopefully, many of the younger shooters will progress into some firearms that are about "shooting small groups". I've been shooting bullseye style for over 40 years. It's sad to see that type of competition dwindle down to just a handful of competitors. Perhaps it's time is over. I hope not. Then again, I also like to compete in the combat style shooting. Seems to be lots of competitors there, a very healthy amount. Those two styles of competition (Bullseye & Combat) are very different, but the basics are the same, hit your target.

[dfletcher]

Where do you get the 188 grain full wadcutter? I use Penn Bullets for a 225 grain .452 diameter full wadcutter out of the Smith 25. Penn takes a while to deliver but has quite a variety and excellent quality.

[gunprofit]

Where do you get the 188 grain full wadcutter? I use Penn Bullets for a 225 grain .452 diameter full wadcutter out of the Smith 25. Penn takes a while to deliver but has quite a variety and excellent quality.

Sorry, I should have included bullet information. My wife's brother owns Bear Creek Supply, which is a cast bullet, moly dry lube bullet manufacturer. He makes them for me.

He also makes me a 208 grain full wadcutter in 44 caliber. I don't know if he is going to sell them (market them). They are swaged for consistency. Steve cast the core, then runs them thru a swager. On a Brinell scale they are a 12. Which is what I want them to be for the velocity I am shooting them. Any harder and I don't believe they would obturate properly.

Took me quite a while to get Steve to make them. I don't like to cast bullets if I don't have too, and since he does it for a living, it seems like the natural thing to do, to get him to make them for me. I've been trying to get Steve to make me a 45 caliber wadcutter, but it might be awhile before I get it.

I have also used Penn Bullets. They are ok. Many of them are wrinkled. Which as you know, means the mould was not hot enough, and they don't fill the mould fully. I like Matt's Bullets, very high quality. But they are expensive !

It is hard to find the big bore wadcutters, 41 caliber and up that are high quality and fairly priced. My brother-in-law, and his cast bullet company are a dying breed.

[hambam105]

They most certainly are. Bad for them, bad for us, bad for the industry, bad for the country.

I've been shooting Bear Creek for decades, and I've always wanted to say thank you to the man personally.

[gunprofit]

Yes, Steve is a great guy.

Back in the 1970's, 1980's & 1990's, one of my companies was a commerical ammo manufacturing company. In the peak years my annual production was in excess of 15 million rounds. I sold the company in 2001. I used Bear Creek bullets in quite a few of my revolver calibers and a few semi-auto calibers. But, it seemed like most people wanted to purchase the plated bullet calibers. The accuracy of a good lead bullet vs. a plated bullet is far better. You can't tell guys that. You can only sell them what they want. I quit trying to educate shooters a long time ago.

[kurac]

Nice group and six gun. I am sure the Freedom Arms revolver is a big part of the one hole group. Bear Creek are my favorite bullets as well. The coating fouls up the bore a little but probably are only 10% as dirty as the traditional lubed cast lead bullets out there. "Steve" makes a great .45 200gr lead round nose hollow base that my 1911's and 1955 target love.