smallest boolit for deer in 44 mag.

[hanleyfan]

what would be the smallest boolit you use for deer in 44 mag rifle? I have a 200 gr. RF mold and wonder if that would work.

[nagantguy]

Yes it would work, haven't used any that light on deer but my brother is a big fan of 180 semi wad cutters for general plinking and small game. I've used 240, 270, 300 and 320 grain on deer and pigs, the big ones may be over kill but yes a 200 grain boolit to the pump house will kill any deer that has ever lived.

[NSB]

I've shot over fifty deer with the 357mag and the heaviest bullet used was a 180g. I haven't lost even one deer. There's no way the lightest 44mag bullet would be "too light". What allows deer to get away after being shot with a handgun is making a bad shot. Shooting them in the foot with a 458winmag won't kill them and shooting them in the lungs with about anything will almost always kill them. The only deer I ever lost with a handgun was shot with a full power 240g Hornady XTP and it was simply a bad shot. It didn't hit vitals and the deer was lost....hopefully to recover. Any 44mag bullet will kill a deer if the shooter is up to the task. As they say, it's not the bow it's the indian.

[44man]

They will unless you lose penetration so they must be placed better. As boolits get heavier, bones don't become a hindrance.
If it is all you have, go for it. I prefer 300 and up since I am no longer sure I can hit the little X I marked on the deer! :brokenima

[NSB]

No reason to hit bone if you're aiming for the ribs. If I can't get a good angle I do the ethical thing and pass on the shot. It's pretty rare not to be able to put one in the ribs from some angle and a rib won't stop any 44mag bullet. Don't need to hit a "little x", the heart/lung area is a pretty generous target....if you know how to shoot.

[1989toddm]

A bit of a different angle here, would a 210 gr full wadcutter 44 mag be more or less effective than the afore mentioned 200 RNFP?


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[mdi]

Handgun or rifle?

[1989toddm]

A bit of a different angle here, would a 210 gr full wadcutter 44 mag be more or less effective than the afore mentioned 200 RNFP?


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Sorry, revolver. Pietta 1873 SAA


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[DougGuy]

A bit of a different angle here, would a 210 gr full wadcutter 44 mag be more or less effective than the afore mentioned 200 RNFP?

Both being equal in alloy, velocity, the full would cut a slightly larger wound channel, all other variables being the same.

[1989toddm]

Both being equal in alloy, velocity, the full would cut a slightly larger wound channel, all other variables being the same.

Thanks that's what I wanted to hear. I don't know if I will hunt with it, but will carry as backup and on backpacking trips.


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[Mk42gunner]

According to Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th ed., the .44 Magnum with a ~200 grain boolit from a handgun more than equals the .44-40 from a rifle. So I have no doubt it would work, at least at close range.

Robert

[Outpost75]

200-grain bullet in a .44-40 rifle kills deer just fine. In the .44 Magnum you can improve on that performance by quite a bit.

167570167571

[Smoke4320]

yes heart/lung shot at reasonable distance you have steaks, burger and roasts on the hoof

[Blackwater]

I have a friend who has shot many, many deer with about everything you can name, including .22 LR. He often pressed into use whatever he had at that moment. He just kept his shots confined within the bounds of whatever he was using. If a .22 LR will do it, I think a 200 gr. RNFP .44 should knock his ears off! Seriously, you shouldn't have any trouble with it. He's used several pistols in .45 Colt, and used 200 gr. RNFP's in that, and has never had any trouble killing them with that, so one from a rifle should be even more deadly. It's a lot more about bullet placement than it is about caliber and ballistics, assuming it penetrates sufficiently. Put it where it'll do the best work and you'll never fail to eat venison. You might have to trail it a ways, but that's true with most any caliber sometimes. I won't be worrying about you with a 200 gr. .44. Some folks I know started their kids out with .22 Hornet and Barnes X bullets, and they never had a problem. Never lost a deer, and none went more than a few steps, either. Another guy I know of uses a .22 WMR rimfire, and eats venison very regularly. Anohter guy uses a Ruger .22 Hornet because he's very recoil shy. Long ago, he shot a deer with a small caliber of some denomination (.243? I disremember) and got a 7 mag. He never shot a deer with the 7 mag because he was afraid of it, and couldn't hit a car past 100 yds. He went to a .22/.250 for a while, but wouldn't select the right bullets, and his early success turned to the agony of defeat when a few were hit and got up and ran away.

That 200 gr. RNFP should go clean through most deer on a broadside shot, even if not loaded to their full potential. You'll do fine if you place your shots.

[quilbilly]

Having hunted many years with a 45 cal muzzleloader using a .440 PRB weighing 135 gr., all but a few were dead within 40 yards if not DRT. Deer are not armor plated.

[warf73]

If shooting at 100 yards or less the 200gr boolit will kill a deer with a reasonably good hit. My son took his doe this past year with a 30 carbine, using my hand loads of 110gr RN with 2400 behind it. Shot it at 75 yards she walked 10 yards (like nothing happened to her) put her head down, then fell over. Hit was just behind the heart, the upper diaphragm area was full of blood when we dressed her out. Had a nice hole at the entrance and a hole just a little smaller than a quarter on the opposite side. It's all about shot placement not matter the caliber.

Warf

[Lloyd Smale]

I shot 3 does one year with the 215 lyman swcgc and it gave complete penetration all three times at 1100fps and put backs straps in the freezer. None of them ran out of my sight after being hit.. Shots were between 50 and a 100 yards. Gun was a 4 5/8s blackhawk

[MT Chambers]

I agree with the above poster, that Lyman 215gr. is an excellent bullet and tends to cut down on the recoil somewhat.

[shoot-n-lead]

I know that you are asking about a revolver load...but I have found that a 180gr full wadcutter at 1500fps ( 9grs of Unique) out of my 44 carbine, will devastate a deer, out to 75yds...LARGE hole and complete penetration. Matter of fact, I no longer load heavy bullets for the carbine...this 180 is my all purpose bullet.

[44man]

I hunted Ohio when only shotguns and ML's could be used. Used the flinter in PA too. Mine is a .45 also and the RB never lost a deer. Used it for orchard deer control and have many, many deer with flinters.
I don't think anything is more deadly then the RB. Going larger, .50 to .54 can be a revelation how fast they drop deer. The .54 is like a .300 mag and even the Ruger old Army kills deer right fast.
My light boolit thing is more based on HP's or quick expanding "J" words that I don't like.
A good cast of any weight will do the trick. It is more based on boolit construction or shooting the boolit way too fast. With a revolver you might be wrong with 1400 to 1500+ FPS.
The 44-40 boolits shown are about perfect for upset.
Get it wrong and you can lose deer with the 45-70 and a .500 or .454.
Cast will do everything you ever need. The line from quick kills to losses or utter destruction is contained in your piece of lead.
I think the only reason I went to heavy is accuracy and energy imparted at moderate velocities. I still think a .44 Ruger just comes in at 240 gr and a S&W is best at 250 to 265 tops due to twist and inertia damage from recoil. I never got real light boolits to shoot good enough in the .44.
I truly love the Lee 310 for deer.
Placement is first so you must hit right with what you use. The first requirement is a boolit that hits to the sights. From there on, it is YOU and to hold steady.

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree that heavys can tend to be more accurate. that said the 215 and 244 lymans and the 240swcgc rcbs are all exceptionally accurate bullets. It requires the use of gas checks though and it keeps some that don't want the extra expense from using them

[Outpost75]

I shot 3 does one year with the 215 lyman swcgc and it gave complete penetration all three times at 1100fps and put backs straps in the freezer. None of them ran out of my sight after being hit.. Shots were between 50 and a 100 yards. Gun was a 4 5/8s blackhawk

Agree completely with this^^

This matches .44-40 performance.

Side-by-Side comparisons fired the same day with .44-40 Factory and *Group 2 (+P) loads
fired in two Ruger Vaqueros using the same .44-40 cylinder, with 19.5" H&R single shot rifle for comparison:

Ammunition assembled in fireformed, resized Starline brass with Remington 2-1/2 primers.

Load Description_________Ruger 5-1/2"______Ruger 7-1/2"_____H&R 19.5"

-------------------------------------Cyl.Gap 0.003"-------Cyl.Gap 0.002"---------Solid barrel

Rem-UMC 200 JSP_______________n/f___________1017, 16 Sd_________1231, 19 Sd___Pre WW2 factory Balloon Head

R-P 200-gr. JSP_______________872, 24 Sd_______942, 21 Sd__________1159, 29 Sd___1960s, Bridgeport, CT production

R-P 200-gr. JSP_______________867, 13 Sd_______920, 19 Sd_______1106, 32 Sd___Current Lonoke, AR production

W-W 200-gr. JSP______________856, 19 Sd_______886, 29 Sd_______1105, 25 Sd___Current East Alton, IL production

Rem .427” 200 JSP 24.5 RL7____902, 31 Sd_______1044, 24 Sd______1232, 30 Sd___Safe in Winchester 1873s

*43-230G 1:30Sn/Pb 7.2 BE____997, 10 Sd_______1052, 9 Sd_______1199, 6 Sd____ +P, 1.60" OAL crimped top groove

*200LFN WW .430" 18#2400___1215, 57Sd______1373, 41Sd_______1577, 22Sd___+P Magma Engineering design.

*43-230EB 1:30 24.5 RL7_____1127, 28Sd______1252, 32 Sd_______1439, 25Sd___+P Modified John Kort Design

Side-by-Side comparisons fired same day with .44 Magnum “Medium Velocity” loads
fired in two Vaqueros using the same .44 Magnum cylinder, 20" Marlin 1894S for comparison:

Ammunition assembled in Remington New Factory Primed brass with Remington 2-1/2 primers.

Load Description_________Ruger 5-1/2"______Ruger 7-1/2"____Marlin 20”__Remarks

-------------------------------------Cyl.Gap 0.008"-------Cyl.Gap 0.008"------Solid barrel


43-230G 1:30Sn/Pb 7.2BE______978, 18Sd________1044, 21Sd_____1178, 7Sd___1.59” OAL crimped top groove

43-230G 1:30Sn/Pb 24.5RL7____1022, 18Sd_______1151, 21Sd_____1432, 26Sd__1.59”OAL

Saeco#441-WW 16#2400______1137, 40Sd________1243, 20Sd_____1363, 24Sd__1.66” OAL 265-gr. Keith style