44 Mag/my load/kill a Deer ?

[gray wolf]

I know this may be an open ended question but before I go in the field I thought I would ask.
Do to finances that haven't change I have not improved my powder selection and the bullet choice is about the same.
The two loads I have worked up for the 44 Mag are:
250 grain bullet 50/50 ACWW & PB
10 gr. of long shot, near as I can calculate the Vel. should be about 1,100
the load is very accurate, a one gallon water jug at 130 yards is no problem at all, I actually can hit a target half the size.
The second load is 9.3 of Unique with the same bullet. The dead on hold is good with this load out to 75 yards. I don't know what the Vel. of this load is.
I know both of these bullets will kill a deer at 25 yards, what I don't know is what the actual killing power of my pistol is shooting these loads.
How far out can I trust a lung shot ? neck shot ? what is the safe killing distance of the loads that I have. Can someone give a little input ?
I don't want a wounded Animal that I can't track or have to leave to die in the woods. Lets say any hit would be behind the shoulder,( lung shot)
I probably should not risk a neck shot. What say all you pistol hunters.
I hate the fact that I don't have all the pertinent need to know information so help me out.

[MtGun44]

That load will shoot all the way through any deer you run into from just about any
direction. If you put it in the heart lung area, it will fall down pretty quickly.

I'll make you a bet. I'll give you 10 bucks for the first one of those you recover from
a deer. Don't hold your breath on collecting.

If you can do the same on a deer as on the jugs, you are home free and there will
be deer in the freezer.

Bill

[wv109323]

You didn't mention the firearm you are using or the sights. I assume that it is a pistol and not a rifle. The 9.3 Grains of Unique is probably traveling a little slower than your other load. My guess is that you are good out to the 130 yards with a well placed shot.

[geargnasher]

I've killed deer cleanly more than once at bow-distance with a .38 Special. You'll be fine.

Gear

[gray wolf]

The pistol is a Ruger black hawk hunter, 7.5" tube. 44 mag.
The Hodgons load data looks like this.
240 gr. J H P 11 gr. long shot 1249 F P S 29,400 P S I
270 gr. J S P 9.8 gr. long shot 1112 F P S 27,900 P S I
My bullet is lead and 250 gr. so I figure it should be in the middle of the two above
That is how I figured the Vel. to be in the 1100 F P S area.
This load is a little less in recoil than a factory 240 gr. J S P and is very accurate.
I feel better now, you all seem to think it will be no problem, I like to double check things before I try and hunt with them. I know my 270 Win. inside and out but the hand gun for hunting is a new to me venture. My distance will probly be 50 to 75 yards in the thick Maine woods.
Thank you all for the confidence and reassuring, now I need to do my part with the bullet placement and it's dinner.

[Kraschenbirn]

If that Long Shot load is really producing 1100-1150 fps, your downrange performance is gonna just about the same as a .44-40 from a carbine-length levergun and there were an awful lot of whitetail dropped with .44-40s before it was eclipsed by the .30-30...afterwards, too, for that matter. I shoot a load pretty close to yours in my 1894 Marlin and would be perfectly comfortable out to 125 yds, or so.

Bill

[randyrat]

9- 10 grains of Unique is close to 1000 - 1100 ft/sec with a 240-250 grain bullet. I shoot a lot of 240-250 gr with 10 grains of unique. Very nice load. I prefer 10 grains with my 44

[gray wolf]

Sorry, I was asked about the sights. They are fiber optic front and rear. If you have a problem seeing the sights, and don't want to use a scope I highly recommend them. They are like little Christmas tree lights.

[TCFAN]

I also use 10 grs. of Unique with a Lyman 429215 in a super blackhawk and a 230gr RFP Accurate mold boolit in a Marlin 20 inch carbine. I don't have my notes in front of me but I believe the load from the blackhawk is in the 1150-1200fps range. The marlin is just shy of 1400fps.One or both of these loads are going to kill a deer if I have anything to do with it this November..............Terry

[gunseller]

If the loads stated won't kill a deer it is the shooter's fault not the loads. I have killer deer at over 100 yards with a 215 SWC doing 750 out of a Ruger SBH. Have fun with the load you pick. It is deer in the freezer.
Steve

[b52fizzle]

Kilt a stud horse with a 22short ricochet to the neck, dropped him dead in the chicken coop door.

[Blammer]

Yep, I'd use that load if accurate enough out to 109yds easy. :)

[jdgabbard]

I wouldn't worry about that load. If you can hit it behind the shoulder at that distance that boolit, even if it doesn't exit, will do more than enough damage to the internals to drop that deer. May run on you a little ways, but it won't be very far. You'll find it fast.

[10 ga]

You're good to go. My daughter has killed deer with a patched .490 RB at 176 gr. wt. and 50 gr. of FF Swiss out of a 24" barrel ML. Not even as much energy as you are pushing out there. Shoot them in the ribs and theyll be dead PDQ. 10 ga




x

[762 shooter]

I read and reread and must have missed what type of 250 grain boolit.

I shot an deer with a round nose 250 and killed it dead, It took me two weeks to find it. Ran about 200 yards through swamp, no blood trail, heart-lung.

I shot a deer with a 270 grain big meplat boolit, heart-lung, and a blind man could have found the blood trail.

As said before, anything up from a 22 short will kill, Blood trail=recovery where I live.

45 colt but same principle.

762

[Wayne Smith]

Sam, those swaged bullets I sent you are filled with close to pure lead. 40 cal cases aren't thick. I'll bet those will expand well in deer.

[GP100man]

A solid SWC is the best choice for long distance revolver huntin .

I shot a deer closer with a very slow 44spc. load & like MtGun said no boolit recovered, but I had 2 holes a leaking !!! Deer expired 41 yds from the point of lead contact.

Good Huntin Sam !!!

Stay Safe ,Warm & Dry!!

[runfiverun]

run a torch over the nose of those swaged boiullets that wayne sent for 4 seconds and i'll give a personal guarantee they open.
i've tried it with ww's and soft [core] and the 40 case and they open easily down to 700 muzzle velocity.
especially if there is any exposed lead at the tip.

[sw282]

Wolf --l shot IHMSA w/9.5gr Unique 240gr 44 swc for years in a SW Mod 29 and Ruger SBH. The load would knock down a 55lb steel ram @ 200 M and killed a few deer too. l remember one nice 6pt. l shot him LENGTHWISE from back to front. He simply flopped over DEAD

[44man]

You really don't want a fast opening boolit with the .44.
The 50-50 alloy and a good meplat is ideal at 1100 or so. I would water drop for accuracy because it will have no affect on upset of the nose. The alloy also works best with a GC.
Gray wolf, I feel you will be very happy.
We have shot and recovered swaged soft lead bullets from .40 annealed brass and they OPEN TOO FAST to insure complete penetration every shot. They will indeed kill but I prefer two holes. They seem to expand faster then a 240 XTP. I would fear a big bone hit with either.
Now it is BASH time for those that fear recoil when hunting and need light loads. If you feel it when you shoot at game you must eat milk toast! [smilie=l: Feel free to jump on me! :holysheep
It is like buying a .458 and shooting 10 gr of Unique.

[flipajig]

Your load sounds good to me. 1100 fPs will get the job done for the longer shot and a larger critter you want more fps. My personal load is 19.5 grn of 2400 and it's running at 1260 fps out of a SBH 1450 out of a super 14 TC contender and 1660 out of a M94 Winchester the boolet is a 429244 some are gas checked and some are not I'm not afraid of griz with these
Flip

[runfiverun]

james:
the bigger issue with the swaged 44's is core separation, even with a good canellure they will separate on bone, or in dirt etc.
the jaxket will tear instead of rolling back making the separation easier.

sam:
the 9.3 or the longshot load will be fine.
i know you know how far you can shoot reliably.

[gray wolf]

sam:
the 9.3 or the longshot load will be fine.
i know you know how far you can shoot reliably.
__________________
Yes sir, I know me too, I hit clay birds off a bag at 129 yards.
So while in the field I will limit my shots to 65 - 75 yards.
I like to do what I know I can do--not what I believe I can do, keeps me honest.
This venture that started early summer with the 44 mag has given me such pleasure, I couldn't explain it. I got a lot of help from some great members here.
May I add, the whole venture would have been a miss-fire without this forum.
Come this spring I am going to try and get my own mold,
I think I like the 250 or 265 gr. R N F P, --- A member sent me some and I have grown to like them, they are 250 gr.
I still like my 45 ACP Springfield 1911-A1 loaded but there seems to be something about this Ruger 44 mag Bisley Hunter that grabbed me and wont let go.