44 Mag pistol loads for Deer

[Buckheart]

Looking for some opinions. Should I use Hornady 240 grain XTP hollow points or 240 grain round nose soft point projectiles in my 44 mag. Some writers claim that solids work better as they may go right through leaving a bleed out hole on both sides of the animal, while hollow points create shallow wound cavities. Any thoughts?

[Pygmy]

I have no experience with the .44 mag in a centerfire, either a handgun or rifle.

However, I have seen some nasty shallow wounds when guys shoot 240 grain sabotted pistol bullets out of thier muzzleloaders at velocities higher than those the bullet is designed for.

I suspect that either one would work fine in your handgun or carbine, but if it were me, I'd probably hedge my bets and use the softpoint rather than the HP.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Pygmy

[Warren]

I've taken 3 NY whitetails with a 44 using 240gr jhp and one with a 180gr jhp. They both worked great but did not exit the deer. Hit them in the heart/lung area and you have your deer. I would like to have a complete pass thru and I expect the soft points would do that.

[Larry]

i have taken 11 deer with a 44mag go with the 240 xtp if you are reloading use h110 or 296 powder and cci350 primers

[jusputtn]

I happen to use a 210 gr. jacketed hollow core in my 44. Why? Beats me, guess because it's what was on the dealers shelf when I first worked up the load.

IMHO, the bigger concern is that you put the bullet where it needs to go. An entrance hole only or and entrance/exit hole won't matter with a good shot as the deer won't be going far. I've taken two deer with mine. One was a spine shot, not something to be proud of but a very effective "miss" of the vitals. The other was through the body. Don't remember if it exited but the deer laid down and died within sight.

Also I highly recommend wearing hearing protection while hunting with one. I wear plugs and muffs while target shooting mine.

[Pistol Pete]

What?????

[Larry]

i do use ear plugs sonic's i can hear almost as well with them as i can without them

[BUCKrub91]

I know from experience that the 240 grain xtp hollow points work great

[BUCKrub91]

Also I highly recommend wearing hearing protection while hunting with one. I wear plugs and muffs while target shooting mine.

i disagree with the hearing protection.. at the range YES hunting.. no

[Pistol Pete]

If you're 20? You can't own a 44 in NYS write back when you're 65

[wny9p]

I use the factory American Eagle 240gr JHPs. At about 50 yards I got a very nice exit hole. I double lunged the deer and was amazed at how much damage the JHP did on it's way through. I have no experience with any other .44mag round. Younger guys listen up - I wear ear plugs when shooting AND hunting with any firearm because I want to preserve what hearing I have left. I wish I had worn them when I was younger.

[screamon demon]

I have only used 240 gr jhp in my .44 have taken a few deer with it. I dont think the deer cares what you use. Shot placement is the key to killing the animal. A few deer i have had marginal hits on didn't bleed very much and I lost them. I may have lost them with a long gun but IMO would have had more blood to track with.

[NFA-ADK]

I have taken 2 deer with my 44 mag in the Winchester model 94-AE. I use the Federal 300 grain CastCore, they seem to work well and will pass through at close range. That might be a little but much for a handgun. At close range with a handgun I would stick with the 240 round nose soft point to get better penetration. Shot placement is critical as stated by screamon demon...

[Fitzy]

I've taken a couple with handloads. Sierra 180 gr in front of Blue Dot. They have more speed for a flatter trajectory and great penetration without the muzzle blast from a heavier bullet.

[Pistol Pete]

I hand load 200 gr hp pushed by 22.8 grs. of 2400 powder muzzle velocity 1500+ -

recoil is not sooo bad and at 75yds it will do the job!!

[Fitzy]

Hey Pete, that sounds like a nice load. According to the Aliant load tables you're pretty safe at 1.2 gr. under max. load. Good luck.

[Pistol Pete]

My Red hawk did not like the Max load but with this load I can kill alot of paper plates At 100 yds with the help of the bench Deer shiver with fear at 50 to 75 yds

[raymerlo]

Any body use a .45 colt out of a S&W 25 5 or similar hand gun,what kind of bullet weights,what kind of results

[ants]

Do not use a pistol for deer..... i know I just pissed people off but use enough gun... Even the biggest pistol rounds suck....Sorry.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Do not use a pistol for deer..... i know I just pissed people off but use enough gun... Even the biggest pistol rounds suck....Sorry.

Boy I don't understand that?

[WNYBuckHunter]

Ants, thats just simply not true. Plenty of deer have been taken over the years by all kinds of pistols. Pistols are alot like bows, in that you just have to know the limitations and limit your shots accordingly.

[NFA-ADK]

I have to agree with Ants on this one. Most pistol rounds are just a little shy on the power side IMO while using a handgun for deer. Talking 9mm, 38, 44, 45 rounds in general. (I hunt large deer usually over 200 lbs) Better off using a larger caliber in a handgun if possible. 308 is nice and judging by a recent post on here they are accurate up to 100+ yards in a handgun... I like my 44 mag for its short barrel, (model 94AE) quick follow up shot plus it is much easyer to carry than my 30-06 or 308 semi. But I would not use this round in a hangun for deer... The rounds I shoot are not designed for handguns and have a higher velocity making penetration fairly good yet as many said here it does not always pass through... Use the proper caliber for the prey you are after!!! And yes as always shot placement is key no matter what round you use... I hunt mainly for deer yet I have large bear in the area i hunt and would feel very underpowered if I had to take one with my 44 mag... If bear was my prey the 30-06 would be my primary weapon...

Again I think Ants is on the money here, match your caliber for your prey... Most hand guns are just not good for deer, will they work sure but a better matched caliber for you prey will result in less tracking, better penetration and a quick ethical kill IMO...

A 22 can kill a deer yet it's not very practicle, remember penetration with larger animals is key. If you hit a bone with a smaller slower trajectory it might not get pasted the bone yet a faster and larger caliber will smash the bone and keep on going... Force = mass times acceleration... Faster larger bullets cause more damage plain and simple... I think speed of your trajectory is the biggest factor with penetration beyond a foot being the minimum for ethical kills. My 44 mag is just on the border as far as I am concerned for deer in a rifle. I contemplate getting a bolt action 308 for better penetration but can not give up my lever action at this point in time...

Will a handgun work for deer? Yes but much better calibers exist for hunting large game that can be used in a handgun... I had a guy who used a 357 Mag due to a double hip surgery and he did take deer with it but he was a dam good shot and had been hunting for over 50 years... Again much better rounds for hunting exist, handgun rounds were designed to stop people not deer.

Balistics show my 44 Mag shoots 1160FPS with 300 grain federal ammo. This give me confidence up to about 100 yards, (that slow and heavy bullet drops fast!) beyond that is a crap shoot depending on shot placement. Still hunting you are more likely to get a shot at less than 50 yards and that is why I stick with this round... If i had larger more open area's to shoot I would go with a 308 or the 30-06 for extra long range... Your impact at longer distances would have much better results as the FPS is more than doubled with these bullets equalling more ft/lb impact at the target. JMO...

[WNYBuckHunter]

NFA, the 308 Culver is talking about in his pistol, is the same as the 308 used in a rifle. TC Encores and other handguns like it, are commonly chambered in rifle calibers.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Well inside 150 yards you will find rounds that have energy in the same rating as the 30-30. but let's stay conservative. I bet most NYdeer shots are under 100 yards. if you get a well constructed bullet for the purpose and it is designed for the speeds you are shooting it will perform well. Inside 100 yards the pistol rounds in 44 mag and up ( Long colt, 454 casull,460...475...480 and the 50) have similar if not supperior energy ratings to the 30-30.

Are we going to sit here and say that the 30-30 in an inferior and unsuitable hunting round?

I think a bigger problem for pistols is the selection of bullets and the available choices out there. They are getting better every year.

My 2 cents.

[NFA-ADK]

I agree with you WNYBUCK, many deer have been taken by handguns. It just has some limitations and knowing them is key!!! My main point is better calibers for large game exist and are better suited for large game in general... A handgun is not the prefered choice for most big game hunters.

My main reason for using a handgun round in my rifle is wieght of the gun, follow up shot and easy of use. EX: you can walk with the barrel down in one hand and not have the barrel hit the ground, no sling needed gun in hand ready to shoot...