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I have a Taurus tracker and a Marlin rifle. These are the components I have on hand.
Powders-
Lil gun,2400,green dot, unique,bullseye,tight group,red dot,w231,power pistol,trail boss,and some others
Boolits- hard cast 200 grain rnfp
CCI primers LP and Mag
I will be hunting Whitetails at 100 yards or less.
Thanks,
Dave
First thing I wuld do is get some heavier bullets. A 200 grainer is light for a 44 mag. I would prefer something in the 275 to 300 gr range.
Hi Homesteading1:
Your 200 grainers will work well enough if you stay within the 100 yard hunting distances you've mentioned.
You'll need to practice alot with your chosen load because, it's not really optimum for hunting white tails but, with good shot placement, it will get the job done. Be prepared for the possibility of having to track a wounded deer.
I use 296 and Unique powders myself. Unique powder is used for my light loads. (240 gr. semi wad cutters- 8.5 grains) Rabbits, coyotes and paper targets are the only thing I've ever shot at with this load. Works extremely well for all of the above.
The 296 powder is used for my full-power loads but, I've never had the opportunity of shooting anything larger than a coyote with these loads either. When deer hunting, I've generally used my 308 winchester. The 44 was just my backup gun.
HollowPoint
2400 Magnum powder? I like that stuff but, don't have a 44 mag. I use 15.5 grains in a 41 mag load, gets around 1350 fps.
Develop the accuracy load for the rifle staying within published handgun data. If you develop the load for the revolver manytimes it is then too fast for good accuracy in the rifle. Suggest you start with the LP primers and Unique. Start at 10 gr and work up to 13 gr (Lyman #4 max) in 1/2 gr increments. Test with 7 - 10 shot groups at 100 yards with the rifle. When you find the best load for the rifle then odds are it will also shoot well in the revolver.Quote:
Originally Posted by homesteading1
Larry Gibson
Thanks for the information, I am glad you told me about developing the rifle first. I will load up some tonight to test next weekend. The deer here are mostly in the 100-150 lb range or smaller and mostly will be taken from my deck at 35 to 50 yards.
I also plan on putting many hundreds of rounds into both guns this year and want to be ready for open season next fall.:razz:
Dave
I'd use the 2400 and get an accuracy load an go forth and practice an then wack a deer!
I would look at a hevier bullet as stated before...at least for next year
I think that you would be real happy with the performance of a 265gr Ranch Dog if you cast your own? ....I find the fit of this bullet in the Marlin to be awsome as well as the accuracy and hard hitting nock down power due to it's round flat nose!
I am not sure of the numbers but I know that the fine folks on here can tell you all kinds of molds that will drop the nessisary .431-.432 bullet needed for the Marlin barrel!
just a thought but I would want to work up loads with a bullet that will exceed my wants not fall short of them ..roght from the get go so I don't have to waste powder and primeres on loads that I know are going to be juts ok under the right blue moon conditions and have to sit there watching deer that would be good shots with a hevier round have to walk or be hesitent that my round might not get it done properly....just my.02!
Jonathan
240+ grains for the boolit and 296 for full tilt boogey.
I really like 12 grains of HS6 and a 265 H&G 503 swc for 1200 fps. It is accurate and very pleasant to shoot.
The deer here are mostly in the 100-150 lb range or smaller and mostly will be taken from my deck at 35 to 50 yards.
The 200 gr cast bullet will kill that size deer every bit as well as any heavier bullet.......unless of course the deer in your local have been PITA reengineered with body armor:bigsmyl2:
Larry Gibson
since when was 200 grains light?
It is light for a 44 caliber bullet.
Wile a 200 gr bullet will kill deer I do think a longer, heavier bullet will give better penetration, especially if he really wants to take a 100 yard shot. The heavier bullet will also retain velocity better and I find short, light bullets don't tend to shoot as well as the range increases.
I just prefer a bullet in the 250 to 300 gr range for a 44 mag for hunting. Just my preference.
No question the 200gr boolit can and will kill a deer with proper shot placement.
Personally I would want to have something a bit heavier, simply for the reason they are likely to shoot/group better. The 200 grain is really on the light for caliber range.
But the first thing I picked up on was that RNFP boolit design.
Wanting to have a boolit be as effective as possible in cleanly putting down a game animal, move towards a boolit more in line with the Wide Flat Nose designs.
That boolit shape is simply awesome in it's game taking ability, while a round nose flatpoint is going to lessen the wound channel and shock factor.
Check with the mold makers to see what nose profiles work well in your rifle.
I have used a 310gr LBT, long flat nose (LFN) in BlackHawks, and now in my RedHawk and used the same load in a Marlin .44 I wish I still had.
This boolit gets a touch over 1300fps from my 5.5" RedHawk, so it would have been something over that in the rifle.
This boolit nose is a bit long for the Marlin, so I needed to work the action slowly to feed them through the action.
I think that something in the 240 - 280gr range should be fine in your Taurus, but would question using heavy loads with heavier boolits.
My RedHawk takes a lick'in and keeps on tick'in, but no one has ever said they were under built.
Keep em coming!
Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
Have you fellows ever heard of the 44-40?
It's fine by me that you all like your heavy bullets. However you don't want to get stuck thinking heavy for caliber is the only way to skin a buck.
I've 240 and 255 grain 44 bullets myslef. However I've also 200 and 215 grain bullets. They all work.
I am well aware of the 44-40. And yes, a 200 gr projectile is adequate. I just PREFER a heavier bullet.
If I owned a 44-40 I would hunt deer with it. I would also be very likely to limit myself to 50 yards and broadside shots.
I also tend to take into consideration tha the OP may be new to hunting. He may not be looking at things like penetration potential as it relates to bullet weight. He may take a poor angle shot at 100 yards and the bullet may not be up to the task. As I don't know these things I prefer to err on the side of caution and assume the worst. Now if it was a person who I knew was an experienced hunter who understood the potential limitations I would have told him to just have fun and go to town.
Yup, it is a well known fact ever since Ross Seyfreid (SP?) shot that water buffalo in Australia some years back with the .45 Colt using a 300+ gr bullet that lighter weight bullets just won't "penetrate" through dear any more.............
That hard cast 200 gr RNFP at 13-1400 fps out of the rifle will give more than sufficient pentration on any deer with any reasonable shot within 100 yards. As GabbyM mentions, it has been doing that for 130+ years in the 44-40. The use of 300+ gr bullets out of the .44 Magnum and larger cartridges on little deers has not negated that fact.
Larry Gibson
Well, as you can see in my post, I didn't recommend the 300gr + boolits.
Do I feel that there are better boolits in the .44 then a 200grain? Without a doubt, YES!
However, as good hunters and sportsman, we should bring the best available ammo to the hunt that we can, and the "RNFP" is not the best.
Will it do? Yep with a good hit, on a good day, but if you have hunted any length of time, you have had a hit that was less then you wanted for some reason or other.
Therefore, I still say there are much better boolits the a RNFP for the taking of eating sized game.
Stack the odds in your favor of making a clean quick kill and the WFN boolits are well proven in their ability to do just that.
Keep em coming!
Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
My .44 mag hunting load (and range/target load) is a 310gr flatnose (Lee mold) water dropped wheel weight bullet over (I think, I would have to look it up to be sure) 20grs of 1680. I get around 1200 FPS out of my Redhawk.
But remember, Redhawks are one of the stronger pistols, I wouldn't suggest a load like this for a Taurus.
Does your Marlin have microgroove rifling? This might seriously affect what you can shoot. I have had success with these gas checked 310gr bullets out of a Marlin 336 but a lighter non-checked bullet might have problems.
I never said a heavy bullet was required. Never said it was fact.
I don't beleive that per penetration exists. I will take a standard to heavy weight bullet for caliber for hunting every time.
Will a 200 gr bullet work? Yes. Does it leave much margin for error? Nope.
btroj:
205 grain bullet is the standard weight bullet in a 44. 240 and 255 grain bullets are the heavies. Just because it's common to shoot heavy 240 grain bullets in a 44 magnum does not suddenly reclassify them as standard and the 205 grain as the light bullet.
See Photo below of a couple standard weight 44 bullets in 200 grain weight.
Lee and Saeco.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/pict...pictureid=1771