Loads for small game - 44 Special

[am44mag]

The cottontail population in our area is starting to get a little too big, the darn things are everywhere. When rabbit season rolls around in October, I think I'm going to give hunting them a try. I had originally thought of using my 4" Colt Army Special in 38 Special to hunt them, but my 6" S&W 629 is far more accurate and has sights that are light years ahead of the old Colt's. I'm thinking a light 44 Special load would be ok for small game like that. Maybe a 200gr Lee RF, or a 214gr Lee SWC at about 650 FPS? What do you guys think?

[DougGuy]

650fps sounds like a lot of sooty cases. Shoot what groups well, I'd go for accuracy over velocity.

[Abert Rim]

I'm with Doug. I've had good results punching paper with that Lee 429-200 RF at 800-850.

[RED BEAR]

I really like the lee 200 you might try a round ball too. I size down a 440 round ball and they are surprising accurate.

[Duckiller]

I would hunt them with a 22LR, either rifle and/or hand gun. A lot less damaged meat and 22s are cheap again.

[brewer12345]

Accuracy matters far more than size of slug and the speed at which it is going. When you are punching a 43 caliber hole in a bunny, anything that can connect will do.

[Walks]

Lyman #429478/210gr RN over 3.8grs of TiteGroup. Worked for Cowboy Shooting. Tumbles Jack's very well.
Low Pressure/Low Recoil

Or for something a bit harder hitting a Saeco; #944/200gr W/C over 4.5grs of HP38. A bit more recoil & pressure. Head shots are advised with this one.

Both accurate .44Spl loads.

[DeputyDuke]

Having shot cottontails right through the chest with both .45 acp and 44 spl I can unequivocally recommend the classic 246 gr. round nose with 5 grains of Bullseye. I think mine is the 429383.
Duke

[am44mag]

.22 is an option, but this will be good practice for hunting with my 629. Plus, 44 special is just more fun to me. :D

The main thing I was worried about with the velocity was excessive meat damage. I'll see about trying some of the recommended loads. I have an old Lee 240gr RN lying around somewhere, so that might be a good substitute for the 429383. I'll play around with it and see what kind of accuracy I can get.

Thanks fellas.

[Tripplebeards]

Here’s a rabbit I dispatched at a 136 yards with my Ruger 77/44. I was a load of 21 grains of H110 along with a PC’d and GC’d Lyman devastator. Alloy was ac COWW and 2% pewter. Muzzle velocity was around 1750 FPS if I remember.

http://i.imgur.com/kQY8UqQ.jpg

[brewer12345]

Tripplebeards photo is right with a full magnum load. I have shot various small game with 38 special in rifle and handgun and it is efficient and nowhere near as messy. Keep it under 1000 FPS and you get a non-expanding caliber sized hole straight through with minimal meat damage.

[1bluehorse]

If you want to "practice" with your 629 go shoot some targets at different distances. If you want to hunt rabbits to eat (which is why you should shoot them) then use a 22LR or a 410. If you just want to kill them, gut and skin at the same time then go ahead with your plans, just don't call it hunting, that's killing. Any game animal, and a cottontail rabbit is a game animal, it deserves more respect than the "hold my beer" attitude.

[brewer12345]

Like I said, keep it under 1000 fps and you get a clean kill and minimal meat loss.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

TB's favorite pic, lol! The saddle may have been lost, but the legs are still good! Eat right up to the hole!


Here’s a rabbit I dispatched at a 136 yards with my Ruger 77/44. I was a load of 21 grains of H110 along with a PC’d and GC’d Lyman devastator. Alloy was ac COWW and 2% pewter. Muzzle velocity was around 1750 FPS if I remember.

http://i.imgur.com/kQY8UqQ.jpg

[iamdrglass]

That is not completely accurate. I have shot several jacks with 7.5 grns of unique and the 429421 lad. it clocks 950 out of my 4 5/8 sbh. It puts a .430-.431 hole in onside and barley bigger out the other. It does a lot less damage to the meat than most .22rf hollow points. In .22rf rn I will lose more than I find if not hit in the head.
The .357 rifle with lee 158rnfp loaded with 5gns of BE has the same affect. 30/30 loaded same way same affect. oh and jack rabbit makes really fine street tacos.

[brewer12345]

That is not completely accurate. I have shot several jacks with 7.5 grns of unique and the 429421 lad. it clocks 950 out of my 4 5/8 sbh. It puts a .430-.431 hole in onside and barley bigger out the other. It does a lot less damage to the meat than most .22rf hollow points. In .22rf rn I will lose more than I find if not hit in the head.
The .357 rifle with lee 158rnfp loaded with 5gns of BE has the same affect. 30/30 loaded same way same affect. oh and jack rabbit makes really fine street tacos.


357 rifle with a 158 grain rnfp in 38 brass over 4 grains of hp38 is a sweet small game load. .36 hole going in and going out. I have done far more damage to game with a 22 hp (even in short form). 44 special class load should be about the same. I may also try using my 50 cal muzzleloader with a round ball and a greatly reduced powder charge if I can get accuracy down there.

[Conditor22]

If you shoot harder boolits you're more likely to punch round holes through them

[megasupermagnum]

I'd be looking at a RN, like the Lee 240 grain round nose. No need to risk a stuck bullet looking for ultra slow velocity. 44 special load data shows starting loads in the 750 fps range, max in the 825 fps range. Pick the most accurate combo. A round nose at those speeds will just pencil through, little damage.

[dkf]

Pick up some 175gr Himmelwright WCs from Matts bullets and load them for accuracy with a faster pistol powder.

[bluejay75]

Make sure its a hard boolit. I near filleted a raccoon with a 240 XTP.

[curioushooter]

I take it you don't eat the rabbits silvercreek.

Anyone have a small game 44 special loads which are not terribly destructive?

I was wondering if a roundnose bullet may be better than flat nosed?

What is the ideal velocity range for ranges out to 50 yards at most?

Particular bullets?

My lightest .429 is the 429215.

[gunseller]

I have and still load a 210swc over 6 or 7 grains of Red Dot in a 44 mag case. Never check led it but it has got to be around 650 or 700. I have shot hundreds of rabbits and squirrels and 1 deer with that load. Not proud of the deer but it died within 15 feet. With the shorter special case you can get leading buildup in the chamber in front of the shorter special case.
Steve

[Larry Gibson]

Shot many rabbits with my standard 44 SPL load using a 240 gr cast [Lee 240 TL SWC or 426360] over 5 gr Bullseye for 800 fps +/-. Can be used with the RCBS 44-250-KT or Lyman 429421 also. Mostly body shot jacks and it dropped them fine with minimal damage. With edible cotton tails or snow shoes most often I head shot them and that 44 SPL load worked fine as accuracy was excellent. If I was specifically hunting the cotton tail or snow shoes for table fare I preferred my S&W M15 38 SPL with target WCs or my Ruger Single Six 32 H&R also with HBWC target loads with head shots being customary.

[Dale53]

I have, over the years, experimented with many calibers of handguns on edible small game. If I were hunting rabbits, both cottontails and snowshoe rabbits, exclusively, my favorite calibers are .32 S&W Longs/.32 H&R Magnum, or .38 Special/.357 Magnums. I have some superb “Perfect Packing” revolvers that are a delight to carry, while being especially effective on edible small game.

On the other hand, many times while I was roaming in a particular area, I preferred a bigger caliber. I have some dandy revolvers in .44 Special and .45 ACP that work extremely well, both for edible small game as well as for feral dog packs, and personal protection.

My S&W Model 624, with 4” barrel, has done exemplary duty for both small game and protection. My favored load is the “Skeeter” load (7.5 grs. Of Unique behind a home cast 250 gr. Keith bullet).

If the rabbits are close, I use a head shot. If they are farther, a shot “Through the Slats” gives an instant kill with no significant meat damage. My bullet alloy is COWW’s with 2% tin. NO hollow points - standard Keith design.

FWIW
Dale53

[missionary5155]

For small game that 44 is going to do them in if you hit them.. So I would find the most accurate load and get good with it.

[onelight]

I have taken a lot of rabbits and squirrels with 44 and 45 loaded between 750 and 850 FPS both BP guns and cartridge revolvers . If you pick your shot you won't loose any thing worth eating :)

[JoeJames]

With my soft cast (non water quenched) Lee .430" 240 grain swc's or Speer swaged .430" 240 grain swc's sitting on 6.8 grains of Unique I get around 894 fps out of my 4" Ruger BH. I have tried lighter loads, but accuracy tends to fall off, and dwell time kicks in. It seems to me that the Skeeter load of 7.5 grains of Unique would plumb blow a rabbit up, and would not be fun to shoot either. But I am kind of OCD on accuracy.

[44 flattop]

I've hunted small game with .44s for over forty years now. I almost always use a headshot, although I've shot grouse at the wing butt and bunnies behind the shoulders more than once with negligible damage. In the magnum case using 9grs of Unique with any Lyman or RCBS bullet between 215 and 275 grains does a great job. The same bullets with 7.5 grs of Unique in a .44 special case offers the same results. I've only used the 429383 from .44 Russian cases and five grains of Unique. I always like to carry an extra six of the Russian load in my belt loops while I'm on the trail, especially when carrying a .44 Rifle. Easy to thumb one into the chamber to nip the head from a grouse.

[Texas by God]

.433" rb with some LLA over 4 grs of Bullseye took many cottontails and squirrels for me back when I used a SBH and a S&W .44 Special. I used a similar load recently in my .44 WCF carbine for a couple of very delicious "fancy rats".

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Goofy]

I really like the lee 200 you might try a round ball too. I size down a 440 round ball and they are surprising accurate.

^^^The RB will be your friend. ^^^

[trapper9260]

I was thinking a RB would be best for lite load for use on small game like rabbit, for all what texas by God posted on it will work out then with RB size to what is needed then . From my understanding then .