1st Generation Bulldog .44 Special

[Captainkirk]

Good luck with your Bulldog. I shot one back when I worked PT for the gun shop. It was brutal with Remington 200gr FN ammo. Brutal.
That was the main reason I decided to go with my Super Blackhawk.
The Pachmayrs might help, but there's not much metal there to absorb the recoil.

[Grizzly]

As I was reading old threads almost everywhere on this Bulldog before and after I committed to it, I read one comment more than once that seemed to make no sense to me. They said that this gun was more accurate on double action than single action. As I reviewed my targets from yesterday, I too noticed that, and it is very strange.

When I shot single action and tried to see where poi was, it was very awkward. This is not range toy. It is hard to get a comfortable shooting position. At the indoor range, I had no rest, just a wall to lean against or a box to rest on. Most all groups were about 1" left of poa. I wasn't very happy with that. Also, 200 gr loads were 1" low, 240 gr loads with a decent charge, but still a std load were 1" high. The slow moving 246gr were centered, and all were about 1" left. I'm hoping my 215 cast loads will be close to centered on elevation. Now, when I shot double action, the groups opened a bit, but all clustered around the center of the target. The last three shots I fired were in rapid succession, and I was very comfortable and pleased with where they hit. go figure. This thing might shoot tight groups from a sandbag rest in single action, but trying to lean against something is awkward because I think you're leary of drawing blood as you bounce off anything close.

I wouldn't call it brutal with standard saami spec loads. If I bumped them up to stage two or +P I'd probably agree. But I don't want to shoot this thing loose as I've seen +P do to the nice old pinned barrel Smith & Wesson all steel model 36's

This is not a gun I'd recommend to anyone either. You have to be crazy enough on your own to want one of these things. I love 3" barrels and blue steel. This one has a nice rich blue finish (for a Charter Arms) without the typical purple/blue haze that many have. There is just an ever so small noticeable amount of that. If I had any sense at all, I would have bought one of the police trade in Smith 640 all stainless 2 1/8" .357's - for less money. If they had exposed hammers, I know i would have. The little revolver I really wanted was a Smith model 60-10 with a 3" barrel and adj sights in all stainless. They don't do one in rich blue. I'm not sure anyone does.

[Grizzly]

Well, Charter Arms has my Bulldog for the second time. No complaints yet, I'm satisfied with their work, but now we are trying to get point of aim to be the same as point of impact. It still shoots and inch left up close at 5 yards and it spreads to almost 3" left at 15 yards. It can hold a nice group and The recoil really isn't as bad as it's reputation unless you feed it warm to hot loads. With target loads like 4.6 to 5.0 grains of Bullseye powder and a 215 gr SWC, it is almost pleasant to shoot. I spotted my old Ideal hand press in the basement and brought it, the scale and powder measure up to my desk. Pretty handy. Easy to whip up a box of reloads here at my desk. I found this tool and 38/357 dies in a box under a shelf at a lgs. Bought it real cheap in the '80s. Later I spotted some 44mag/spc dies and grabbed them also. Pretty handy at times when you don't want to use the bench presses.

Charter called today and we discussed zeroing the Bulldog in. The first time a tech filed a little off the left side of the front sight. That didn't do much. This tech will begin by checking to see if the front sight is aligned to the barrel and frame square. Then he will check to see if the barrel was rifled straight or off center. Then, if that is good, he'll use the targets I sent him along with how it shoots for him and file the front sight more. The don't like to open up the rear. I told him I was worried that if it needed a new barrel that I'd probably wind up with the finish they use today. But, he said, no, they can match the bluing in shop. I said, "Bless your heart". Then I asked if, while he searched to find another 3" barrel, if he could look to see if an older set of the larger wood Bulldog grips were gathering dust. He agreed and sounded like they just might have some. "Hotdog".

It would be hard not to be pleased with Charter Arms Service. The first time they had it, the pin that had worked loose was replaced with a new design and they smoothed up the tirgger pull for me. Still no Smith and Wesson K frame, but much better. They also included a few extreemly thin nylon washers that they now put under the head of the screw that secures the cylinder crane. They even through in an older rubber grip to absorb recoil better than those in the photos. I had to pay $49.99 since the company changed hands a few times and mine was made in 1984, while the first company still owned the business. I'm good with that and glad they are this good about servicing them. Since they are still trying to get it right, they sent me a bow with prepaid shipping. I wouldn't be afraid to buy another handgun from them but at my age, probably wont

What is interesting about these two targets is what happens when your grips are a little too wide and large for you. The top target is single action, slow fire where your grip placement is not so critical since you are resting on something. You usually get the handgun to shoot straight. Now when the grips are too wide, as the Pachmyer Compacs are, and my tirgger finger wont reach all the way into the first crease unless my hand moves around the gun some, you see how that tends to pull the shots to the right. Which, in this case brings them on target better. Do I want to live with that? I decided no, I'd rather use the thinner Charter rubber grips and trust that point of impact will be the same double action and slow aimed fire in single action. Now it's up to the service department.

Target 1.jpg (51.17 KiB) Viewed 152 times

Target 2.jpg (72.66 KiB) Viewed 152 times

[White Falcon]

Does that say 5 ft.?

[Grizzly]

No, 5 yards. I' sure hope that when I get it back this time it will group in the black on single action and double action.
At 7, 10 and 15 yards, the groups move left more and more. 1" left at 5 yards and 3" left at 15 yards.

This .44 Special only weighs 19 ounces. A pleasure to carry for sure. For double action you have to get your grip figured out, just like on a bow so the you don't pull your shots. You read about many folks who pull their shots on da.

Another reason that I like a 3" revolver over the 2" is that they stay put much better if you use inside the pants carry. That extra inch seems to stabilize the gun better and makes it less prone to work it's way up and out of your belt line when you are getting up and down alot or in and out of a car.

[White Falcon]

Don't know if this will help any. Thought it was interesting.

[White Falcon]

Had to resize pic.

[Grizzly]

Thanks for trying to help. You never know when someone will say something that is that magic pill you need. I've seen this target recommended before, so I googled the picture.
I learned something I never knew about that target. To get value from the target, you must:
https://pistol-training.com/archives/292
1. Shoot one handed
2. Use the appropriate target (right or left handed)
3. Shoot slowly
4. Have a perfect sight picture for every shot

I'll bet this is an aid from the old Bullseye shooting days when one handed was the way many competed. Also, they were using full size pistols weighting 35-40+ ounces with 5 or 6 inch barrels.

This little jewel is 3" and 19 ounces and shot two handed. To add to all the confusion. I shoot it left. The first tech who filed the front sight shot it left. The second tech shoots it right!!!!!!!!!!!! grr. This is why you never recommend these light weight snubs to beginners. They can be difficult to master. Years ago, I could run a bowing pin table with my wife's 3" steel Smith and Wesson model 36 .38special small frame 21 ounce snub as fast as guys with full size guns - and hit all 5 pins in 4 to 5 seconds. I could get into 3 1/2 seconds with my 6" model 14 and probably faster than that If I'd bought an L frame with more barrel weight. But, as they say, that was over 30 years ago. The only thing that is still the same are the guns in the safe. I sure ain't.

I was pretty sure it was no longer me when I switched to the more narrow rubber grips and both sa and da hit the same point of impact - a little too far to the left. Now by comparison, I had a 2" Taurus 85 that also shot about the same amount left. You would immediately think, well there's the problem YOU shoot these little guns left, BUT, you could easily see that the threads in the frame were not drilled square for the barrel and the barrel was pointing off to the left when you held it up and closely inspected it. I had a gunsmith notice that before I got rid of it.

Never buy a new production revolver on line, they must be inspected because they are having so much trouble getting the barrels on straight and turned just perfect to line up with the frame. Look at 6 models of the same revolver on a shelf and most of them will be tightened too much or not enough causing the sights to be too far to the left or the right on these fixed sight revolvers.

[stumper]

Hmm my special revolver is a 70s state department stamped model 13 357 and is a joy to shoot. The k frame on that revolver really makes for a nice shooter. I don't know much about Bulldogs but will probably get a 44 mag handgun here soonish to match the 44 mag rifle I just bought. Probably get a Redhawk.

[Captainkirk]

Redhawk is a mastodon of a gun...heavy, with a fairly "lawyer-ish" DA pull on the trigger. I much prefer my Super Blackhawk even though it is a S/A. For a DA revolver in .44M I might suggest one of the Smiths.