Is anybody shooting Johnson and Dow .44 caliber bullets?

[Jubal Starbuck]

   I am wondering if anybody has tried the Johnson and Dow .44 caliber conical bullets in percussion revolvers, either as loose ammunition or in paper cartridges?  If so how does accuracy compare to round balls?  I am intrigued by these bullets and I would like to learn a little more about them before I shell out for a mold.

     Regards,

     Jubal Starbuck

[hellgate]

Jubal,
I need a little more info on the molds you mentioned as I have never heard of them. I have used the LEE conical molds in 36 (both HP & solids) and the 44 cal. All of which are nice "thumpers". A diagram or description of the J&D bullet would be appreciated. There is another bullet  (So sorry I can't remember it) that is available which is a bit heavier than the LEE and several people have used it to good effect for hunting in their Walkers. My orientation is primarily Cowboy Action shooting and we rarely encounter falling targets to the degree we used to when the sport was young. I started SASS shoots in 1993. The Lee .44 conical (and the 36 for Navies) has  rebated driving bands & lube grooves to allow them to chamber into various C&B pistol makes. If I ever encounter knockdown targets in a match I load the conicals in my pistols but need to aim a few inches LOW because the heavier bullets always go higher than the roundball.  99% of my shooting is with the roundball.
If I am serious about killing performance, I load the conicals. e.g. my finishing guns (Coup de gras) for a wounded deer or elk is with either a 36 or 44 cal conical in one of my numerous C&B revolvers. For CAS matches i use the .454 roundball in all my 44s.

[LongWalker]

   I am wondering if anybody has tried the Johnson and Dow .44 caliber conical bullets in percussion revolvers, either as loose ammunition or in paper cartridges?  If so how does accuracy compare to round balls?  I am intrigued by these bullets and I would like to learn a little more about them before I shell out for a mold.

     Regards,

     Jubal Starbuck

I've used some a friend passed on to me.  There's a hangup or two, but manageable.  I shot them as loose ammo out of a mostly-original 1860 parts gun, tried a few cylinders in an Uberti. 

Accuracy. . . well, it wasn't up to a round ball in the 1860, but I was shooting full-power loads with the conical instead of target loads with round balls.  Once I figured where it was hitting, I could keep 'em in a 6" circle at 50 yards.  At 100 yards, they will knock down a Pepper Popper. 

I used a few to make up mock combustible cartridges; they would have loaded OK in the original, didn't try them in the Uberti.  I want to get a mould and try them out in a Dragoon.   

[Jubal Starbuck]

The Johnson and Dow bullets are from molds from Eras Gone and are copied from the original civil war era bullets of the name. I think they weigh about 216 grains with a pointed nose and what appears to me to be a tapered heel.  They have a website with more information and a couple of .36 caliber molds copied from originals also.
   I'm not a frequent conical shooter, but I still have a .456" Lee conical mold around; these just look like they'd be fun to play around with .  Looks like they work well in paper cartridges,too.
   Thanks for your input guys,

    Jubal Starbuck

[Bunk]

I can't speak for the Johnson & Dow bullet ,but the .36 Colt factory bullet seems to be very accurate in my "Goonized" 1851 Navy. At 10 yards a 15 shot group could be covered with a playing card except for 3 rounds I pulled off. Two handed seated position and I expect some one with younger eyes could do better. The load was 14 grains (weighed)  Du Pont FFFg with a lube felt wad under the bullet. With a clean barrel and cylinder 10 rounds with the same volume, which was 11 grains weighted of Shokey's Gold (APP) FFFg ,did about the same.The JSG was shot with an as cast bullet using no lube as per Coffinmakers instruction.
YMMV
Bunk

[scrubby2009]

I've put a couple hundred homecast/home built paper cartridges through my NMA. 155 year old pistol loves these bullets. Two foot steel plate rings over and over shooting duelist at 35 yards. Makes me all tingly in the drawers.