Your Best Handgun Hunting Bullet For The 44 Mag/44Spl

[huntersdog]

I know there are a lot of choices for hunting bullets for the 44 Mag/Spl. What bullet have you settled on for your medium and big game hunting?

Anyone hunt small game with their 44`s? If so may I ask what bullet you are using.


Thank you kindly

[rintinglen]

I have pretty much settled on the venerable 429-421 for just about everything in the 44 mag. 20 grains of 2400 or 23.5 grains of H-110 and there's darned little that I would fear in lower 48.

But in the 44 special I am fickle. The NOE 230 grain WC sees a lot of use and would be my choice for small game. I use the 429-383 for general plinking and I have a 200 grain RN that also works in that regard. I also use a lot the Skeeter load, 7.5 grains of Unique under a 429-421. I also use the MP-434-640 HP. To be clear, I don't hunt with the 44 Special

[BruceB]

From extensive PERSONAL experience with the .44 Magnum on heavy animals in the far North (moose and Wood Bison), I concluded that there is very little reason for bullets heavier than the regular weight of 250 grains or so.

In my case, the actual bullet used was the Lyman 429244, which ran around 265 grains in my alloy.

Used mostly without the gascheck, it gave me COMPLETE PENETRATION on animals that were often over 1000 pounds. Why on earth would I need anything heavier? From any angle, those bullets would reach the vitals AND break bone in doing so.

With the 429421, I believe there's little to fear about anything in North America, not just the lower 48. I wouldn't actually hunt the big bears with a .44, but I carried my .44 Mags as protection against griz and polar bears.... and never doubted their ability to kill them if need be.

[Hickory]

The 429421 used to be my boolit of choice, but the 429640 HP has proven to be a better killer then the former for deer.
The 429421 would be better for big game.

[leftiye]

I was going to say Lee 310 RNFPGC, but I changed my mind for my Lyman devastator (429640) 265 (casts 270) with the nose cavity modified to a cup nose.

[contender1]

If you notice a theme here, it's a good quality, SWC design, cast slug, with a flat nose design. There are several out there, so you have to find the one your gun prefers. As noted, the 429421 is a time proven, well designed by the grand old master himself, Elmer Keith. (If you get one with the square cut lube groove!)

[winelover]

Took this years deer with NOE's 265 RNFP PB loaded with 16 grains of 2400 in a Marlin 1894 carbine. Have had success with RCBS 240 SWC in a RH.

Winelover

[harley45]

I like the 429244 with a check has killed several good sized hogs for me, and I like the check as a lot of my alloy is a mystery!

[Loudenboomer]

Another for the for the 429421 with unique on the low end and 2400 on the upper end loads. I also like the Ranch Dog (or the NOE copy) 265 RNFP with AA#9 or Win 296.

[Shuz]

429640PB and 17g of WC820 works for me!

[Redd508]

My CVA scout likes the Lee 240 swc in mags and specials but i havent had the chance to make meat with it yet. I'd like to try the 310 gr RNFP tho. But the 240 shoots 1 1/2" at 100 yards.

Just realized you did ask about handguns. I use the same ammo in my Rossi snubby. It shoots well at 25 but like the rifle hasnt taken any deer yet.

[waco]

I don't hunt with handguns but the 429421 gets my vote too. My 29 loves this boolit with 8grs of Unique for 910fps and great accuracy.

19gr 2400 is what the blackhawk likes.

The Lee 310gr is a good boolit as well.

[GaryN]

I also like the 429421. It shoots good with a large variety of powders.

[Lloyd Smale]

in 44s ive shot more game with the 240 rcbs swcgc bullet then all the others combined. Why? because its been the most consistently accurate bullet ive found for the 44s. Second choise would be the lbt 280 lfngc

[44man]

I love heavy boolits for deer, lee 310, LBT 320 and my own 330 gr. lee and LBT use 21.5 gr of 296 with Fed 150 primer and my 330 uses 21 gr. I would not neglect the RD 265 either with 22 gr of 296. No light fast boolits or hollow points for me. No Unique either. Not for hunting.

[kevmc]

The 429421 used to be my boolit of choice, but the 429640 HP has proven to be a better killer then the former for deer.
The 429421 would be better for big game.

I made a flat nose pin for my 429640 mold..
429640 solid for BIG game...hp for deer!

[DougGuy]

Lee C430-310-RF cast in 50/50+2%, lubed soft with Felix lube, over 17.0gr 2400 WLP primer does right under 1200f/s out of a 7 1/2" SBH, excellent shooting boolit, no leading to speak of. This is the 310gr gas checked boolit that you see a LOT of references to on this forum. Very good hunting boolit for the caliber, against any and every animal in North America, no hollpwpoint needed.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/466c9cd3-4396-4945-8fd1-d7edadfffdf2_zpsdbbc2485.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/466c9cd3-4396-4945-8fd1-d7edadfffdf2_zpsdbbc2485.jpg.html)

[Lloyd Smale]

nothing wrong with heavys but ive seen 240s spit through about every deer bear and pig ive ever shot with it. I shot a buffalo with a 44 mag using a 280 devastator hp at about 1100 fps and funny thing was that everyone present agreed that that buffalo went down faster then any buffalo kill they've seen even includeing rifles. At the shot blood shot out of her mouth and she crumbled on the spot. Bullet penetrated through both shoulders and did a pile of damage inside. Would I have intentionaly went hunting buffalo that day with that load? no. If I knew a buffalo kill was on the plate for that day id have probably had one of my linebaughs on my hip or at least a heavy bullet 44 mag but the opportunity presented it self and that load definitely got the job done.

Ive also witnessed one day miserable failure of cast hp bullets on a buffalo. We put at least 4 into one one day before finishing it off with you guessed it, a 44 mag shooting an rcbs240 at about a 1000 fps. the hps were out of mine and my buddys 500 linebaughs. They were cast by someone else and given to us to test. they had huge cavitys in them and were pretty soft and they expanded to violently and only penetrated about 6 inches into the animal. Point is if you match your alloy to the game your hunting a 240-250 grain 44 bullet will do a lot of killing. If you don't believe that look at elmer kieth. Hps are fine but to me there deer only anymore. Deer don't take much to kill. Are they any better then a flat nose bullet? Nope but there something else to play with. Jim your load with 22 grains of 296 and a 330 is surely not needed on deer. It surely will get the job done. Kind of like going to get grocerys in a z06 corvette. .
I love heavy boolits for deer, lee 310, LBT 320 and my own 330 gr. lee and LBT use 21.5 gr of 296 with Fed 150 primer and my 330 uses 21 gr. I would not neglect the RD 265 either with 22 gr of 296. No light fast boolits or hollow points for me. No Unique either. Not for hunting.

[jwp475]

Lloyd is spot on IMHO

[44man]

Just 21 gr with my 330 gr Lloyd. You and JWP are so correct for large animals but I use the same on deer. They are not easy to kill. No soft hollow points for me. My deer loads will work an the largest animals too.
You fellas have seen failures on large game with HP's but destruction of meat on deer is where I draw the line. My buff loads work on deer. No way I will speed up boolits, make them soft or make a HP.

[jwp475]

Just 21 gr with my 330 gr Lloyd. You and JWP are so correct for large animals but I use the same on deer. They are not easy to kill. No soft hollow points for me. My deer loads will work an the largest animals too.
You fellas have seen failures on large game with HP's but destruction of meat on deer is where I draw the line. My buff loads work on deer. No way I will speed up boolits, make them soft or make a HP.


Nothing wrong with a big bullet, except recoil. I load mine the same way and keep them sighted in with big bullets that way I am covered for any size or species of game.

[35 Whelen]

I haven't used any of my .44's on small game, but have taken three deer. I completely agree with BruceB that heavy bullets, at least in my limited experience, really aren't required. I have three versions of the 429421 and reserve it for practice although if that bullets was all I had I'd use it on deer without hesitation. That said, my all time favorite bullet and the most accurate is the RCBS 44-250KT. With WW's mine drops at about 258 grs. and slices through deer even at relatively low velocities. Did I mention it's a very accurate bullet?

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Single%20Actions/55100yds-ed_zps13d02494.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Single%20Actions/55100yds-ed_zps13d02494.jpg.html)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Single%20Actions/Ubertigroup100ed-2_zps0dccaed2.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Single%20Actions/Ubertigroup100ed-2_zps0dccaed2.jpg.html)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Single%20Actions/Ubertigroup-1mod_zpsa7642578.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Single%20Actions/Ubertigroup-1mod_zpsa7642578.jpg.html)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/P1010061-mod_zps18892e62.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/P1010061-mod_zps18892e62.jpg.html)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/Blackhawk100_zps5c81b27d.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/Blackhawk100_zps5c81b27d.jpg.html)

35W

[EDK]

My favorite HANDGUN boolit is a full wadcutter 44 for animals under 70 pounds...got a LEE, a MIHEC, and Blammer's 429352 clone. For larger animals, MIHEC 429640 or RANCH DOG 265/NOE clone or various 429421 clones. 429244 feeds in unaltered MARLIN rifles.
Pick one you like. They're all good for me.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have at least a half a dozen 44 mags at any given time. I don't need to have a one bullet fits all mentality when it comes to a 44. If I want to shoot deer I can grab a nice smith or a lighter ruger and if I want to hunt bigger game ive got 44s that are set up for big bullets but for the most part if anything bigger then deer, black bear or hogs comes along I use a bigger gun. Ive got bigger guns and its kind of silly to not use them when its an advantage. that said id bet the 99 percent of the handgun hunters here will never shoot anything bigger then a deer or pig. A 240-250 swc or lfn or wfn in that weight range at 1100-1300 fps will kill any deer, black bear or pig on the planet. Sure its not the only answer and your choice is just a viable and like I said I do have guns set up just like that. I too was caught up the the big bullet craze back in the 70s and 80s. Just had to have 300 grain and up bullets in my 44s. I got older and a bit wiser and found that elmer keiths good old 250 killed just as quick and was more fun to shoot. I doubt theres many animals that that bullet wont shoot through lengthwise if casted out of a proper alloy and launched at 1100-1300 fps. .
Just 21 gr with my 330 gr Lloyd. You and JWP are so correct for large animals but I use the same on deer. They are not easy to kill. No soft hollow points for me. My deer loads will work an the largest animals too.
You fellas have seen failures on large game with HP's but destruction of meat on deer is where I draw the line. My buff loads work on deer. No way I will speed up boolits, make them soft or make a HP.

[44man]

Why did I go heavy in the .44? Darn hard to say but it started with the 240 XTP. I shot 3 deer with it and I seen them fall after a good run. I back track every deer to where shot and I found no blood on the ground. I recovered all 3 bullets. If I was in the thick, I might have lost them.
I did not make molds then so I bought the 320 gr LBT's. It was amazing with blood all over the place and runs were around 20 to 30 yards instead of 60 to 100. Then I bought the Lee 310 and it is amazing too. My 330 gr has an ogive to fit the cone angle so is very accurate. It is a WLN but the meplat is really 79%. The boolit will not stop and does 34" of soaked paper. I would not fear shooting the largest animal with it. With around 1300 fps it is perfect. But nothing works as good as the .475 or .500 JRH to put deer on the ground at the shot with less meat damage.
I thought I used the .475 on my first deer this season but not true, I used the JRH. 4 of the five were legs up at the shot and a buck made 20 yards. The JRH is a deer bomb but I would shoot the largest buff with the same thing. Bigger is better.
My gripe is I can't make a keith shoot as accurate in any gun. It works if you hit but I can't tweak it.

[Outpost75]

Of all the people who use #429421 or its clones such as Saeco #441, how many are using it in LEVER ACTION rifles and actually get it to feed with no drips, runs or errors?

In my experience the SWCs work fine in revoilvers, but are nothing but TROUBLE in leverguns, and I am tired of jiggling the lever trying to get the things in.

I prefer a standard weight 230-250 grain ogival nosed bullet with large (0.3") meplat in the .44s. I find that bullets heavier than about 250 grains mess up the zero, so that you cannot use lighter bullets without holdover or readjusting your sights.

The 240-grainers penetrate quite well enough. I am not shooting dinosaurs. The heavier bullets don't shoot as flat and gobble more lead. I don't see the need for them.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have to agree that the swcs are a bit more difficult to work with then an lfn. Even more so in the 45s then in the 44s. That little rcbs 240 swcgc bullet is just plain a shooter though and so is the 429422 and 421. Only downfall to all three of those bullets Is there gas check bullets and you have to deal with that but the way they shoot ill deal with it. Another good swc is the lyman 330 swcgc. As to all the kieths and generic kieth swcs yes you have to play more with size, alloy and even then one gun might shoot them well and another very poorly. Don't know what it is with the 45 colt but ive always struggled with 250-260 swcs. I have one mold a discontinued version of the rcbs 255 (they made at least three versions) that seems to be a step above the rest but for the most part its 280 grain and heavier lfns for me in the 45.
Why did I go heavy in the .44? Darn hard to say but it started with the 240 XTP. I shot 3 deer with it and I seen them fall after a good run. I back track every deer to where shot and I found no blood on the ground. I recovered all 3 bullets. If I was in the thick, I might have lost them.
I did not make molds then so I bought the 320 gr LBT's. It was amazing with blood all over the place and runs were around 20 to 30 yards instead of 60 to 100. Then I bought the Lee 310 and it is amazing too. My 330 gr has an ogive to fit the cone angle so is very accurate. It is a WLN but the meplat is really 79%. The boolit will not stop and does 34" of soaked paper. I would not fear shooting the largest animal with it. With around 1300 fps it is perfect. But nothing works as good as the .475 or .500 JRH to put deer on the ground at the shot with less meat damage.
I thought I used the .475 on my first deer this season but not true, I used the JRH. 4 of the five were legs up at the shot and a buck made 20 yards. The JRH is a deer bomb but I would shoot the largest buff with the same thing. Bigger is better.
My gripe is I can't make a keith shoot as accurate in any gun. It works if you hit but I can't tweak it.