...and despite usually being THE Great Procrastinator, I hit the range today with the Charter Arms Bulldog that I only got with the last week or two. I also brought along my Marlin Model 70P (Papoose) which I received back in February this year and was unfired until today and my Remington 870 that I got this past January which was & sadly remains unfired. The reason the Remington remains unfired is that the range I went to today, Texarkana Gun Barn, does not allow shotguns even if firing slugs. That was a disappointing revelation.
Anyway, I got to shoot the other two. First off, I started with the Marlin Papoose. I fired 7 rounds (what its mag holds) at a target set at 15 yards from a standing unsupported position. The group was not too pleasing but nor was it extremely displeasing. It was off to the right and mostly high and just too big for my liking. Still, it would be okay for a hiking carry survival rifle if I could adjust the windage but alas it did not look like it could be adjusted to me. I will have to check the manual and take another look at the front sight to see if it can be drifted but it looked as if it could not at first glance. I was anxious to shoot the Bulldog so did not look too long.
I put that same target back out but only to 7 yards the next time and loaded up the Charter Arms Bulldog. The first shot went kaboom and it kicked like a small mule (as opposed to my Ruger Redhawk in 44 Magnum that kicks like a full sized mule). I fired its compliment of 5 shots. At first I thought I somehow had missed the paper with one of the shots but they are all there in two holes. I was firing slow fire, two hands unsupported. I am pretty darned happy with the group.
After those first shots, I put the target back out to 15 yards and shot the Papoose from a seated position with only ,my left elbow resting on the bench. The group size improved markedly but was still off to the right and a bit high.
I was firing Aguila, 40 grain, standard velocity, lead round-nose ammo at it. Although either would do as a survival rifle, I probably would carry this takedown rifle with me on hikes instead of my Henry U.S. Survival rifle, it is definitely the more accurate of the two. Granted, it does not breakdown and then fit into its own stock like the Henry but does break down to barrel & stock/receiver combo and comes with a case in which to store it.
After that it was back to the Bulldog. I fired another 10 shots from it, this time at 10 yards. I shot with an unsupported two hand hold, slow to medium rate of fire. For a revolver that has only a ramp front sight and groove for the rear sight, it shoots pretty darned good.
As you can see, my groups on this and the previous 5 shot target were low and there was the one low flyer too on the 10 shot target. I am not sure if my groups were because of the gun, the ammo or me anticipating recoil (it certainly was on my mind at least a little bit considering the caliber but not much). Yet, I am quite happy with the way it shot. It was the only gun, in the last Hessney Auction on which I bid without first asking for & getting a rundown on its condition from the auction house. I do that now and again and have regretted it a couple or few times but this one had some better quality photos of it on the auction site and I took a shot. I am happy I did!
In all I fired 25 rounds through the Bulldog - not many but enough to assure it went bang every time. I had suspected the trigger pull seemed as if someone maybe had ground down the main spring when fired single action (I only fired it double action today). Yep, even with the factory bobbed hammer, it can be cocked easily enough (at least at the range but you do need to be careful since it is a very short hammer spur if you can even call it a spur) to fire it single action and it has one heck of a light single action trigger pull. Double action felt pretty heavy - by my guess at least 10 pounds. When I looked at the spent primers after firing it, I no longer had any concerns about the mainspring maybe having been worked because the indentations in the primers were pretty deep and were consistent from round to round.
Now to hope for ammo prices to fall for this not rare but still not very popular round. I got three boxes of 25 rounds each for about $25.00 per box; the ammo I used was PMC 180 grain JHP (actually looks more like semi-JHP). I need to order at least a few more boxes because that was the same price or less than I saw for FMJ 44 Special Ammo. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention why I need more ammo - that's because this one is a keeper!
All the best,
Glenn B
