Forty-Four Special range day......

Damon555 · November 28, 2017, 08:49 PM

The Lipsey's 44 special that I put on layaway at the beginning of this month showed up at my FFL dealer today thanks to my holiday bonus! My initial inspection of the revolver turned up no glaring deficiencies so it was accepted and taken back to my man cave for a cursory cleaning. After a few swabs from a patch and a dab of oil it was off to the range.

I had 4 different loads to try. I was a little worried because I had put the cart before the horse and ordered a pretty good quantity of 180 and 200 grain cast bullets from MBC.....The chance of them not shooting well was in the forefront of my mind because of the cash I had already spent......I was put at ease with the very first group of five.......it shot excellent! The sights we only slightly off and it didn't take much time to get it dialed in. Once my preferred sight picture was achieved (a six-o'clock hold) it shot all 4 loads very well......one was noticeably better than the others though. Much to my relief it shot the 180 grain RNFP into an oblong hole, rested at 15 yards. Luckily, very accurate for an educated guess on what powder and charge weight to use.....7.6 grains of Unique worked like a charm......The other 3 loads used Universal as the powder and were loaded on the lighter side.....If I step them up a little I'm pretty sure that they will tighten up some.....Although not as accurate as the Unique load they still shot into the size of a quarter or so.....not too shabby.

The sights are very nice IMHO.....I love a front fiber-optic sight and this one did not disappoint. Extremely easy to see at the dimly lit range. The sight picture is perfect for my not-so-good close up eyesight too. The rear sight adjusted easily and predictably.....typical of all the Ruger revolvers that I've shot.

The trigger is one of the finest factory offerings that I've ever felt. Right up there with any of the S&W revolvers that I've handled and much nicer than any other new Ruger that has crossed my bench. It's so nice in fact, that I swear it has had some trigger work done to it.....but I don't think that Lipsey's does anything to them.....Who knows, maybe Ruger is ahead of the game when it comes to new model revolver triggers? I was within a millimeter of ordering a wolf spring kit for it even before the gun showed up....I'm glad I didn't waste my money!

I should also mention that the 5" barrel seems to be perfect for the GP100....it is very balanced as opposed to the 6" 357 version that I have which is slightly nose heavy (even more so while wearing a red dot)

The 2 other 44 special revolvers that came along with me were a Taurus 445 that I recently traded for and my Charter Arms Bulldog. The Bulldog has proven itself to be pretty accurate and easy to conceal so it gets carried more than any other gun that I own......It's a fine weapon for its intended purpose as a carry piece.....although not much fun to shoot at the range! The Taurus is quite soft shooting....the ported barrel and soft rubber grips are responsible for its "shootability". Once I get a load tailored to its fixed sights I'm sure it will be a pleasure to shoot too.....it shot pretty high with my reloads so I'll need to go back to the drawing board on that one.

I have no idea why I've fallen for the 44 special.....but the ability to go from mild to wild with my reloads really makes this a great caliber.....From powder-puff to "dead-right-there" the modern 44 special is a great option for those looking for something a little different.

JERRYS. · November 28, 2017, 08:59 PM

Taurus really missed the boat when they stopped making their 445 or whatever that one above is.... it was a more solid gun than the charter arms gun.

CDR_Glock · November 28, 2017, 10:06 PM

15 yards is pretty darn good for accuracy. From holding or a rest?

Instagram: MuzzleblastMD

Damon555 · November 28, 2017, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDR_Glock

15 yards is pretty darn good for accuracy. From holding or a rest?

Instagram: MuzzleblastMD

CDR.....Since I was sighting it in and testing different loads I shot it mostly from a rest. My offhand shooting isn't much worse at 15 yards though.....I can hold my own quite well with a pistol. I would have gone to 25 but the lane I was assigned at the range had a hiccup in the target track and it wouldn't go out past 15......next time I go I'll wait on my preferred lane....#10 way down on the end away from the riff-raff.

CDR_Glock · November 28, 2017, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damon555

CDR.....Since I was sighting it in and testing different loads I shot it mostly from a rest. My offhand shooting isn't much worse at 15 yards though.....I can hold my own quite well with a pistol. I would have gone to 25 but the lane I was assigned at the range had a hiccup in the target track and it wouldn't go out past 15......next time I go I'll wait on my preferred lane....#10 way down on the end away from the riff-raff.

Hahahahaha.

I haven’t shot indoors regularly, now, for 4 years, now.

I love my Large bore Magnums. I’m sure Specials are pretty darn fun, too.

Instagram: MuzzleblastMD

Damon555 · November 29, 2017, 12:21 AM

Quote:

I haven’t shot indoors regularly, now, for 4 years, now.

I absolutely hate shooting indoors....but I don't have much choice because my outdoor range lost its lease and I've been waiting almost a year for them to purchase some land and build a new one.......and I refuse to go to a public outdoor range....it's like a war zone here in Tennessee.

GeauxTide · November 29, 2017, 01:38 PM

My Lipsey's Bisley didn't need any trigger work, either. Matt's Bullets 255 Keith SWC shoots almost one hole at 25yard with 8gr of Unique.

Snub357 · November 29, 2017, 01:41 PM

I am a big fan of .44 special. Lots of big bore fun without all the blast of .44 magnum.

Buckeye! · November 29, 2017, 07:18 PM

Great looking 44's !!!!!
Thanks for sharing...

rclark · November 30, 2017, 09:22 AM

I enjoy shooting my .44 Specials too. The .44Mag revolvers rarely get out. I've settled on the Skeeter load with 240g SWCs with the one exception for the Bulldog (still 240g SWC but lighter load).

Looks like you have a nice collection of specials started there.

Quote:

My Lipsey's Bisley didn't need any trigger work

You were lucky! Most all my Ruger SAs that I regularly shoot so far have had a tune-up... polish, spring adjustments, get down to ~2# pull, and no discernible creep with a nice slick action.

Damon555 · November 30, 2017, 01:09 PM

Thanks for the load advice fellas.....At the moment I'm shooting on the cheap.....just to get things ironed out and broken in. I have a feeling that the GP will like the 240-250 weight range of 429 caliber bullets.....but these lighter bullets are much easier to shoot in the smaller guns.....the Bulldog especially is a bear with stout loads....it really beats up the palm of your hand.....but the Bulldog and the Taurus won't get shot as extensively as the Ruger. I don't think they can handle thousands of rounds of even mid power 44 special loads.....although the Taurus really does a good job of soaking up the recoil with the ported barrel and the soft rubber grips.

November 29, 2017, 01:41 PM	#8
Snub357 Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2002 Posts: 484	I am a big fan of .44 special. Lots of big bore fun without all the blast of .44 magnum. __________________ [Insert prattle here]

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November 28, 2017, 08:49 PM	#1
Damon555 Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Posts: 384	Forty-Four Special range day...... The Lipsey's 44 special that I put on layaway at the beginning of this month showed up at my FFL dealer today thanks to my holiday bonus! My initial inspection of the revolver turned up no glaring deficiencies so it was accepted and taken back to my man cave for a cursory cleaning. After a few swabs from a patch and a dab of oil it was off to the range. I had 4 different loads to try. I was a little worried because I had put the cart before the horse and ordered a pretty good quantity of 180 and 200 grain cast bullets from MBC.....The chance of them not shooting well was in the forefront of my mind because of the cash I had already spent......I was put at ease with the very first group of five.......it shot excellent! The sights we only slightly off and it didn't take much time to get it dialed in. Once my preferred sight picture was achieved (a six-o'clock hold) it shot all 4 loads very well......one was noticeably better than the others though. Much to my relief it shot the 180 grain RNFP into an oblong hole, rested at 15 yards. Luckily, very accurate for an educated guess on what powder and charge weight to use.....7.6 grains of Unique worked like a charm......The other 3 loads used Universal as the powder and were loaded on the lighter side.....If I step them up a little I'm pretty sure that they will tighten up some.....Although not as accurate as the Unique load they still shot into the size of a quarter or so.....not too shabby. The sights are very nice IMHO.....I love a front fiber-optic sight and this one did not disappoint. Extremely easy to see at the dimly lit range. The sight picture is perfect for my not-so-good close up eyesight too. The rear sight adjusted easily and predictably.....typical of all the Ruger revolvers that I've shot. The trigger is one of the finest factory offerings that I've ever felt. Right up there with any of the S&W revolvers that I've handled and much nicer than any other new Ruger that has crossed my bench. It's so nice in fact, that I swear it has had some trigger work done to it.....but I don't think that Lipsey's does anything to them.....Who knows, maybe Ruger is ahead of the game when it comes to new model revolver triggers? I was within a millimeter of ordering a wolf spring kit for it even before the gun showed up....I'm glad I didn't waste my money! I should also mention that the 5" barrel seems to be perfect for the GP100....it is very balanced as opposed to the 6" 357 version that I have which is slightly nose heavy (even more so while wearing a red dot) The 2 other 44 special revolvers that came along with me were a Taurus 445 that I recently traded for and my Charter Arms Bulldog. The Bulldog has proven itself to be pretty accurate and easy to conceal so it gets carried more than any other gun that I own......It's a fine weapon for its intended purpose as a carry piece.....although not much fun to shoot at the range! The Taurus is quite soft shooting....the ported barrel and soft rubber grips are responsible for its "shootability". Once I get a load tailored to its fixed sights I'm sure it will be a pleasure to shoot too.....it shot pretty high with my reloads so I'll need to go back to the drawing board on that one. I have no idea why I've fallen for the 44 special.....but the ability to go from mild to wild with my reloads really makes this a great caliber.....From powder-puff to "dead-right-there" the modern 44 special is a great option for those looking for something a little different. Last edited by Damon555; November 28, 2017 at 08:59 PM.

November 28, 2017, 08:59 PM	#2
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,968	Taurus really missed the boat when they stopped making their 445 or whatever that one above is.... it was a more solid gun than the charter arms gun.

November 28, 2017, 10:06 PM	#3
CDR_Glock Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2010 Posts: 704	15 yards is pretty darn good for accuracy. From holding or a rest? Instagram: MuzzleblastMD

November 29, 2017, 01:38 PM	#7
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,423	My Lipsey's Bisley didn't need any trigger work, either. Matt's Bullets 255 Keith SWC shoots almost one hole at 25yard with 8gr of Unique.

November 29, 2017, 07:18 PM	#9
Buckeye! Senior Member Join Date: September 1, 2008 Posts: 849	Great looking 44's !!!!! Thanks for sharing...

November 30, 2017, 01:09 PM	#11
Damon555 Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Posts: 384	Thanks for the load advice fellas.....At the moment I'm shooting on the cheap.....just to get things ironed out and broken in. I have a feeling that the GP will like the 240-250 weight range of 429 caliber bullets.....but these lighter bullets are much easier to shoot in the smaller guns.....the Bulldog especially is a bear with stout loads....it really beats up the palm of your hand.....but the Bulldog and the Taurus won't get shot as extensively as the Ruger. I don't think they can handle thousands of rounds of even mid power 44 special loads.....although the Taurus really does a good job of soaking up the recoil with the ported barrel and the soft rubber grips.