First Deer with a Handgun; The .44 Special Works!

[35 Whelen]

Last year I got involved in Cowboy Action shooting and chose the .44 Special a my cartridge because 1) I've always been enamored by the cartridge and 2) My firearms have to have dual purposes and not be used just for games. As a result I've become quite infatuated with single action pistols and old school levers. The first pistol I bought was a 4 3/4" Uberti made for Cabela's and chambered for the 44-40. After receiving it I ordered and fit a .44 Special cylinder. Since then I've fallen in love with the pistol and have fired hundreds of rounds here at the house learning to use it with one of my goals being to shoot a deer.

So I slipped down back this morning and this old dry doe, after standing behind my brush blind and blowing and stomping for seemed like an eternity, walked out. After practicing my shooting incessantly at a 50 yd. target, the old girl walked out at 16 yds.! The 260 gr. RCBS 44-250KT @ 947 fps MV entered mid-way up just behind her right shoulder and exited the left shoulder. She ran 36 yards and gave up the ghost. Ahh....the wonders of cast bullets....

86265

35W

[badge176]

That there is good eatin! What grip material do you have on the ole girl?

[35 Whelen]

That there is good eatin! What grip material do you have on the ole girl?

Synthetic? Imitation aged ivory, and that's what it looks like except in bright light or when using a flash with a camera, then they look Big Bird yellow.

35W

[w5pv]

Congratulations,I have my first deer to take with a hand gun hope to this year.

[35 Whelen]

Thanks, w5. There are more factors involved with handgun than I first realized, ambient light being first and foremost. I had to really focus and pay attention to align the small-ish sights on the Uberti.

35W

[jmort]

Big slow cast bullets are beautiful things. Two holes, just right. Thanks for the post.

[Baja_Traveler]

Nice! I pick up my 80's vintage Colt New Frontier later this month in 44 special. Can't wait to work up a load for it. I shoot that same boolit out of my Redhawk and really like it. What powder are you using?

[35 Whelen]

Nice! I pick up my 80's vintage Colt New Frontier later this month in 44 special. Can't wait to work up a load for it. I shoot that same boolit out of my Redhawk and really like it. What powder are you using?

Show us pics of your Colt when you get it! The load is 7.5 grs. of AL 20/28. Burns a teeny, teeny bit faster than Unique (about 2.5% velocity increase), meters better, burns cleaner and best of all, is on dealer shelves when Unique isn't!

35W

[missionary5155]

Greetins and Congradulations !
That is a fine looking doe ready to fill your skillet !
Popping a corn cruncher with a 6 shooter is a fine way to go deer hunting. First year ILLinois realised we could be trusted with handguns that's what I did. Just something very satisfying about dragging out that deer dropped with your own boolit fired from your handgun.
Now ya have to think about a recurve bow !
Mike in Peru

[44Vaquero]

Congratulations! Nice shot, big and slow works wonders.

[No_1]

And to think there are still some who think a 44 Special is lacking in the power department.

[nickE10mm]

Great deer, great shot and great gun! Thanks for sharing. Love those single actions!!

I'll be out this opening weekend with my SBHH loaded with a medium 44m load (255gr WFNPB @ 1250 using 2400) and open sights.

Can't wait!

[FergusonTO35]

Cool! I've been thinking about getting a Marlin 1894 so I can enjoy this awesome old cartridge.

[Lefty SRH]

I have been practicing with the same cartridge but in a Ruger flat top. Can't wait for the gun season opens here. Hope to do the same thing on my own land.

[CastingFool]

Congrats on your handgun doe! Taking a whitetail with my RBH has been on my bucket list for a while. Seems like when I do take it out, the deer don't come in close enough, but when I leave it at the house, they'll come in within 25 yds!

[Hogdaddy]

35W,, CONGRATS,, That sure looks like a nott head (Button Buck),, What's that on her head??
Good eating either way ; )
H/D

[35 Whelen]

35W,, CONGRATS,, That sure looks like a nott head (Button Buck),, What's that on her head??
Good eating either way ; )
H/D

Thanks so mcu! It DOES look like a toe-head buck, but it's not! I noticed that when I looked at the pictire, it's just brown hair on her forehead.

35W

[DanWalker]

Nicely done sir! Handgun hunting is very addicting. Before you know it, you'll be shooting all sorts of critters with pistolas....

[Djones]

Congrats! thanks for sharing. your practice paid off. I hope to get a deer with my SBH 44 mag this year too.

[white eagle]

congratulations to you sir
aint it grand

[PS Paul]

Inspiring, man. Just showed it to my wife, but she was not quite as enthused about your success as I am. he he.....

To me, the "heavy and slow" boolits under 1,000 fps just seem to always get 'er done, you know?

Good work!

[35 Whelen]

And to think there are still some who think a 44 Special is lacking in the power department.


My thoughts EXACTLY!!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

congratulation nice doe

[Gibbs44]

Congratulations on your hunt, looks like the special did the trick.

[oscarflytyer]

Kudo's! I have Ruger FT's in 44 SPC and 45 Colt. Both 4 5/8" bbls. Both shooting cast. I carry them constantly. And hope to take a deer, or hog, with both.

[Grendel99]

Congrats! Got my first deer with a revolver this year as well. Did you have a good blood trail?

[35 Whelen]

Congrats! Got my first deer with a revolver this year as well. Did you have a good blood trail?

Didn't really look. I just followed a little ways in the direction the doe went and saw her. I did see some blood, but didn't look much.

35W

[Tedak]

I was debating whether to take my 44Spl RugerFT out this season or my 41Mag S&W M57. I can't go wrong either way, but I'm planning (and practicing with) the 41, due to the red-ramp insert on that front sight. It's nice to see success stories with sub-1K projectiles. Nice doe, thanks for the post.

[RugerFan]

Great job! That's some great eating there.

[kevmc]

Didn't really look. I just followed a little ways in the direction the doe went and saw her. I did see some blood, but didn't look much.

35W

I like to check the blood trail, even if I see the deer fall.
Always something to learn, from the color, consistency and bubbles or not........

[35 Whelen]

I like to check the blood trail, even if I see the deer fall.
Always something to learn, from the color, consistency and bubbles or not........

Yep. The blood I did see was consistent with that I've seen over the years of blood that came from the lungs of bounding deer. Pink-ish. frothy and somewhat strung out.

[Swede44mag]

Congrats on your deer should be some tasty eating.

First deer I shot with a pistol was a S&W 44mag shooting a 240gr Keith style boolit going about 950fps the deer ran past me I took one fast shot and found the deer shot through both shoulders about 15yards away DRT.
The next year I shot a doe standing about 50 yards from me a little too far back and tracked her in the snow for about 300 yards I had hit her with my Taurus Raging Bull 454 at 1600fps using a XTP mag bullet with no expansion but we did find the deer.

Lesson I learned is better bullet placement and it doesn’t have to be supersonic plus to punch through and drop a deer.

[badguybuster]

That's awesome. I love 44spl. Been dying to use my new SBH 44spl

[taco650]

And to think there are still some who think a 44 Special is lacking in the power department.

They've probably never heard of Elmer Keith and his exploits with the cartridge either.

Congrats.

[Treetop]

35Whelen, congratulations on a fine shot!

I just bought a Cimarron Model P (Uberti), 4 3/4" in .45 Colt. I love it and plan to buy a 5 1/2" in .44 Special soon.

The grips on your .44 remind me of "the Duke's" handgun grips. Are they custom or did you buy them off the shelf? Tt.

[Baja_Traveler]

Hey! Got my own 44 special today - and she is one sweet shooter! Put 50 rounds through her after the silhouette match today, and man can this gun shoot nice. Serial number lookup shows it left the Colt Factory in late 1981. I'm going to look into replacing those plain grips with something nicer. Hopefully I will some day be able to duplicate your feat...

87056

[OnHoPr]

Congrats

[35 Whelen]

35Whelen, congratulations on a fine shot!

I just bought a Cimarron Model P (Uberti), 4 3/4" in .45 Colt. I love it and plan to buy a 5 1/2" in .44 Special soon.

The grips on your .44 remind me of "the Duke's" handgun grips. Are they custom or did you buy them off the shelf? Tt.

Thanks all! I found the grips on Gunbroker awhile back. The color didn't quite suit me so I colored them with a little leather dye. Of course repeated shooting of somewhat stiff loads wears the dye off after a while and right now they're about due a fresh application of dye!

I have a 5 1/2" Model P .44 Special too and it shoots great, but I mainly use it for CAS with the 4 3/4" shown in the original post getting the call for most of my work.

That's a pretty Colt, Baja!

35W

[taco650]

Hey! Got my own 44 special today - and she is one sweet shooter! Put 50 rounds through her after the silhouette match today, and man can this gun shoot nice. Serial number lookup shows it left the Colt Factory in late 1981. I'm going to look into replacing those plain grips with something nicer. Hopefully I will some day be able to duplicate your feat...

87056

That's a sweet looking revolver!

[Fisher]

.44's are just special...

[gray wolf]

Food on the table is food on the table ----- **BUT**
There is something special when it's with a handgun specially when it's a 44 special.
Great job, nice story, enjoy the moment.

[35 Whelen]

Thanks to all you guys! I'm still working at it and hoping for a buck. I'll be in the stand 30 minutes before dawn tomorrow morning!

35W

[Baja_Traveler]

Good luck! And post up a report!

[Sheriff]

Congrats!! Still waiting on our 'gun' season to open.

[garymcgehee52]

Good shot. Should be some great eating. The 44 special works.

[harley45]

I love seeing the 44 at work!