My "new" deer slayer

[bremraf]

Well, hopefully it will be. Still working on my form and a good load. Started with the lee 215swc with csb-1 and this weekend gonna try an RCBS 200RF(pictured). The lee gave decent results close in, 25 and under, but groups seem to open up past that. It could be me, I haven't shot a revolver in several years. Well without further delay.....
152012
The scope mount is a new old stock Redfield I snagged off the evilbay for 25 bucks. Grips i got from a member here, and its topped with a Millet red dot.

[35 shooter]

Nice rig! I would like to get back into doing a bit of hunting with handguns.

You should do well with that one. Good luck!!

[tazman]

What brand and model grip is that? It looks intriguing. That might just cure my knuckle problem with blackhawks.

[bremraf]

It's a hogue monogrip for super bh's. It's almost to big for my hand, but stock grips are almost too small. I seem to shoot slightly better with the hogues, so I'm gonna stick to them for now.

[armoredman]

That's one serious single action sidearm, sir! Very nice!

[luvtn]

Is that a 41 mag? If a .44 mag, why not shoot heavier bullets. I think your accuracy would improve. IMO
luvtn

[bremraf]

It is a 44, and Ive heard of a few people that have good success with the lighter bullets, and they are a little cheaper to shoot. Plus deer can't tell between 240 or 200. If these rcbs 200rf don't shoot well I'll definitely be trying something heavier.

[randyrat]

Nice gun! Now that your gonna hunting with a pistol, you'll see all kinds of deer at 200 yards!

I bring a shooting stick with me if I'm pistol hunting, there is enough going against you if your hunting with a pistol, cold, wind, excitement, heart pumping. A hundred yards hunting is like 300 on the range.

Friend of mine popped a nice buck at 113 yds last year with his 44, one shot!. He had just enough time to lean on a tree.

[chuckbuster]

Suggest you switch to a 250gr range SWC or an "LFN/WFN" style for improved terminal ballistics. Combination of light for caliber and "RF" bullet form you are using is recipe for difficult tracking....

[44man]

Suggest you switch to a 250gr range SWC or an "LFN/WFN" style for improved terminal ballistics. Combination of light for caliber and "RF" bullet form you are using is recipe for difficult tracking....
I agree, get away from the light boolits. A Rugers twist just starts to work at 240.
Yes deer can tell too. You lose penetration. My hunting starts at the 310 Lee and my own boolit is 330 gr, 21.5 gr of 296 with the 310 Lee and 21 with the 330, Fed 150 primer for all .44 loads no matter what.
I have just last week killed my 181st revolver deer and most with the .44. Some out to 120 yards.
You handicap one of the best deer guns made by shooting aspirin tablets.
Another thing if you move to a heavy boolit, don't think you can shoot them slow, not going to happen! Toss the Unique! 296 and the right primer is what a Ruger needs.
Don't consider CHEAP, what is a deer worth? 10 cents a shot is my cost.
Accuracy? How about a 330 gr at 200 yards?152028 1-5/16", lots of drop but it is only a few inches at 100. I sight 1" high at 50.
The Lee 310 is a great deer boolit too.

[bdicki]

I agree with the others that recommend a heavier bullet, my best luck with Ruger 44's was with bullets over 300 grains.

[bremraf]

Thanks for weighing in chuckbuster and 44man. I certainly appreciate the advice. I'll see what I can dig up for some other powder in my area, good pistol powder is hard to come by here. I don't have a chrony but I figure my loads will run maybe north of 1200fps. It seems the consensus is this isn't enough for Midwestern corn fed deer around 50 yards?

[kenyerian]

Some great advice on this topic. I Especially endorse RandyRat's comments on using a shooting stick. They are very helpful.. I also agree with all of the advice about heavier Bullets. 44mnan;s loads are similar to what I like.
" my own boolit is 330 gr, 21.5 gr of 296 with the 310 Lee and 21 with the 330, Fed 150 primer for all .44 loads no matter what. "

[kenyerian]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=564 I am going to break in my new mold today . Although I've had good success with the Lee 310 I'm going to give these a try this season.

[44man]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=564 I am going to break in my new mold today . Although I've had good success with the Lee 310 I'm going to give these a try this season.
That will work just fine. Nice looking boolit.

[nagantguy]

Good looking wheel gun, another vote for go heavy or go home. The Lee 310 has brought my revolver hunting to a whole new level and it's real dynamite out of a carbine. My old go to was the speer 270gr gold dot, a few deer a few hogs I took with that load and I was happy but thought I could get a little more bang for my buck. The Lee 310 was the next step, don't plan on any further experimenting for a while I'm sold on that wide flat nose, pc for lube and a full dose of h110 over a cci mag primer. All one shot kills, including my daughters 1st deer this year.

[taco650]

Thanks for weighing in chuckbuster and 44man. I certainly appreciate the advice. I'll see what I can dig up for some other powder in my area, good pistol powder is hard to come by here. I don't have a chrony but I figure my loads will run maybe north of 1200fps. It seems the consensus is this isn't enough for Midwestern corn fed deer around 50 yards?

I have to agree with 44man on the speed thing with the Lee 310. I tried running mine around 8-900 but accuracy was really bad. Got them up over 1K and things improved a lot. Good luck!

[44man]

It took years for me to be able to hunt with a revolver. I did go to PA from Ohio with my SBH but it was buck only and to even see one was pure luck. Hard to hold back as 80 doe walked past me.
Then I had to transfer to Dulles from Cle Hopkins and moved to WV instead of VA, crazy place.
My first 3 deer were shot with the 240 XTP's. I was still shooting IHMSA and it is very accurate. However none were pass throughs and I seen the deer fall over 60 yards because my property was more open then. I have a habit of back tracking to POI and found no blood on the ground. 152123 Here are the 3 bullets. I now hunt all my neighbors properties and one jump will put deer out of sight.
I had enough but had no molds then for a boolit I would trust. I bought LBT 320 gr WLN and worked a load. To say it was dramatic would be an understatement.
I bought the Lee mold and started to make my own molds. My big boolit works but I ran out one season and had only 5 loads with the Lee left. I put them in and shot 3 deer with 2 left in the gun and all were fast kills with huge blood trails that I never had to look at. I see or hear deer fall close. If I had only one deer boolit, it would be the Lee 310. If I could only have one deer revolver, it would be the .44.
I am not a believer in "poking" a big hole or the 900 fps stuff, you MUST transmit energy in passage. The .44 has the right mix so you do not need soft boolits or HP's. Many still search for a light, fast HP thinking that it is needed.
I shot this deer in the neck at 67 yards with my 330 gr 22 bhn boolit. Most of the shoulder was a mess too. 152124 Hand me a box of 180 gr jacketed loads and I will find enough water bottles to shoot.

[bremraf]

Well I guess I'll scratch using the 44 this year and shoot for next. Itll take me some time to find the proper powder and get a mold coming, and I'm less than 4 weeks away from the season. And since I'm in communist Illinois I can only hunt 3 days. So the old smooth bore 12 ga slugger will have to do. I do plan on trying the Lee 310, it just might have to wait till the spring. I'll be sure to post results up when I get around to developing a "real" load!

[Thumbcocker]

Where in Illinois are you? I have molds and could spare some boolits.

[MattN]

If you are around Windsor, Il. Send me a pm. I'll give you the name of a guy that should have some 296. He had quite a bit of pistol powder of various flavors a few weeks ago.

[CHeatermk3]

It may be too late for you this year but Powder Valley has 296 in stock-$19.50 for 1# $144 for 8.

[bremraf]

Thumcocker I sent you a pm.

Mattn if its New Windsor I'm only about 30 minutes, Windsor is about 3.5 hours away. Thanks for the help guys, I'm not too worried about it. I'll find what I need just gotta put the feelers out.

[chuckbuster]

Thanks for weighing in chuckbuster and 44man. I certainly appreciate the advice. I'll see what I can dig up for some other powder in my area, good pistol powder is hard to come by here. I don't have a chrony but I figure my loads will run maybe north of 1200fps. It seems the consensus is this isn't enough for Midwestern corn fed deer around 50 yards?

Don't want to put words in his mouth but I think what 44man is saying is that it takes some speed to truly realize the accuracy these guns are capable of and that Unique is not the best choice of powder for full potential loads with heavy boolits. The "classics" are H110/W296 and 2400, but since your are in a limited market of sorts there are also Accurate #9 & 4100, Ramshot Enforcer, and I am sure a couple more I am forgetting. A little searching and you will find published data for any or all of them. The heavier boolits will of course carry their velocity better over distance and penetrate better than the lighter ones. With cast boolits, at least in solid non-HP form, penetration is key. A good Meplat or SWC Form is also important to creating a good wound channel.
I'm beginning to ramble
Kevin

[TCLouis]

44Man
What velocity are you talking about, 1100, 1200, 1400?

My absolute best shooting load by far in the SRH is 18.5 gr. OLD WC 820 (H110 speed) pushing the 310 Lee.
That said it is only moseying about at 1105 fps with that load.

More powder equaled bigger groups, all the way to the max of 21.5 grains in the 9.5 SRH.

[44man]

44Man
What are you talking about with velocity.

My absolute best shooting load in the SRH is 18.5 gr. pushing the 310 Lee by far.
That said it is moseying about at 1105 fps with that load.

More powder equaled bigger groups, all the way to 21.5 grains.
Spin rate. The 1 in 20 of Ruger needs a velocity for stability. 21.5 was best and less or more opened groups.
I can show what 1100 fps is like with a heavy boolit.152237Is that good for you? Did you ever try a 1 in 38" Marlin?
The SRH can hit beer cans at 200 yards with the Lee and 21.5 gr of 296 with a Fed 150 primer. I hate this junk but show us.
I don't have a magic gun or GPS cast boolits.

[bremraf]

44man, what is optimum charge weight and velocity for 265gr boolit? Thumbcocker is gonna send me some to try, I need to scour my local gunshops this week for powders. Gonna look for lil'gun, h110/296, 2400. Basically whatever I can get my hands on.

[TCLouis]

I'll try to get some lead down range with 296, someone gave me a 8 # can so I might as well put it to use.


Dang I checked the ol boolit supply and I'm out of Lee 310s, gonna fire up the pot and correct that. Good thing to do with the lost hour today.

Funny there are a bunch of other 44 boolits, but none shoot like the 310s (or Hornady coated 300s), not even close.

[tdoyka]

i had a stroke about 3 years ago(4 years is coming up in january), i haven't been able to shoot my revolver becuase the right half of my body doesn't work. 2 or 3 weeks ago, just to see if i could, i shot it at my target 50 yards away. its a ruger super redhawk in 44 mag that goes 200gr xtp with 27.0gr of win296. needless to say, dang that hurt!!! left hand and unsupported will do that. anyway, i tried trail boss and i liked it. i'm going to go with a 220gr wadcutter(15bhn) from montana( http://www.montanabulletworks.com/44_Mag_U99O.html ) with a load of trail boss. it should kill a deer at 50 yards. i'm not going to shoot it at 75 or 100 yards because i have a rifle to do that.

my days are gone shooting a 7.5" barrel at a deer 100-125 yards away. but under 50 yards, well i see meat on the table!!!

in case you are wonderin, i have a bog pod tripod and a set of primos triggerstick bipod being hauled around by my polaris utv. i can't get up trees anymore, so i decided to take my "treestand" with me![smilie=w:

[bisleyfan41]

Do NOT give up. I also think that 200 gr MIGHT be a little light, but tons of deer have been and are killed each year with 44 loads well under 300 grains; mostly good ol 240 gr loads. And 200 yard energy/accuracy is meaningless if your max range is 50 yds. or so.
While the posts above are true and you can seek to replicate those loads next year when the stars align just right, don't scrap your plans. It seems time is of the essence for you so if nothing else, there are several 300 grain cast factory loads available to help you make it this season. Also, and this might be heresy on this forum, you could work up a jacketed load or even purchase a good jacketed factory load (GASP!!!) to help get your 44 into the field this year. In the past, I've shot over a dozen deer with the 240 gr American Eagle JHP "bargain" load. Farthest shot was just under 60 yds, closest 1 yd; all were complete pass-throughs and dead deer within 40 yards. pick your shot. I'd just REALLY hate to see a handgunner miss his season over something this silly.

[44man]

44man, what is optimum charge weight and velocity for 265gr boolit? Thumbcocker is gonna send me some to try, I need to scour my local gunshops this week for powders. Gonna look for lil'gun, h110/296, 2400. Basically whatever I can get my hands on.
22 gr of 296 with a Fed 150 primer. I never chronographed it but it will hold 3/4" at 50 and 1-1/4" at 100.
Stay away from Lil'gun. You can have luck with 2400 but I don't have a load.
I have the RD mold for the 265 and it is great with Felix lube. It is a tack driver from the S&W too.152303 This is what it does. I hit the rail with the 100 yard can so aimed higher for the last shot.

[bremraf]

Thanks!

[Plate plinker]

What a great thread. I would listen to 44man for advice. With 181 deer down he seems to know a thing our two. I have a 70 year old uncle who has been a wheelgun hunter for a lonnnnnnnnngggg time. He is the only other guy I know who has done that many deer that way, but he just buys ammo.

[tdoyka]

22 gr of 296 with a Fed 150 primer. I never chronographed it but it will hold 3/4" at 50 and 1-1/4" at 100.
Stay away from Lil'gun. You can have luck with 2400 but I don't have a load.
I have the RD mold for the 265 and it is great with Felix lube. It is a tack driver from the S&W too.152303 This is what it does. I hit the rail with the 100 yard can so aimed higher for the last shot.

that sir, is awesome! the best i've ever done(only once) was with my 44 mag in ruger srh with 27.0gr win296 and 200gr xtp was (5 shots) a little over 1 1/4". normally it ran 2 - 2 1/2" from a bench. using a tree or a limb or a shovel handle(with out the spade:p) it would run 2 1/2 - 3 3/4" at 100 yards.
i have a few of the 280gr ranch dogs(265 or 275gr) that go great with my 444 marlin(tc encore with 23" mgm barrel). i thought about trying a few 280gr in my 44 mag with trail boss but i decided not to. i think the 220gr wadcutter/trail boss ought to be enough out to 50 yards. i want it(220gr) to go into a 3" circle at 50 yards but that is for next year.

once again, that is a fine group!!!

[44man]

Does no good to look for the most velocity you can get. The best thing is to reduce to the best and forget how fast. The .44 is just wonderful.

[bremraf]

I scored a mostly full can of 296 from a local guy! Woohoo!. Maybe the SBH will make it to the woods this year after all, at least as backup to the 12 gauge.

[44man]

I tried that 30 years ago and it never worked. I decided the revolver was going to be the primary gun and I will never go back.
You will tell yourself that if a deer is close, you will use the revolver but you won't because what do you do with the rifle or shotgun?
The freedom of a revolver on the hip or shoulder holster is so much better.
You will ask yourself "what am I doing with this little thing." Next thoughts are how to rig a shoulder stock---YEAH, had them all. Once deer start to fall, you will wonder why you carried all the heavy stuff.
I don't equate it to archery because with a little support you can extend to 30-30 distances.
Go enjoy a new thing.

[bremraf]

I agree with ya. I have been wanting to go revolver all the way, I'm just hesitant about my ability to kill a deer at 50 plus yards. Specifically one of my setups this year is on a close trail, about 10 yards and also overlooks another nice trail about 60-70 yards away. My luck all the deer would be on the far trail and I wouldn't feel confident enough to take the shot. I'm gonna practice my heart out these next three weeks, we shall see what happens. Thanks for the encouragement.

[Thumbcocker]

I agree with .44 man. Handgun hunting, as is much of life, is mental. If you are going to be a handgun hunter hunt with a handgun. I literally had deer walk out of sight while I tried to decide whether to shoot at them with the slug gun or revolver. Not a n issue if the only gun you have with you is a revolver. Remember; the gun doesn't know the difference between 10 and 65 yards. Only you do. The gun doesn't care. Good gun good loads good rest and operate the system.


If you are hunting on public ground get to the woods as early as possible (legal) and get into the nastiest thickest stuff you can find. Let the coffee shop hunters push the critters to you. Stay on stand all day till dark. Let the coffee shop boys going out to refuel push deer to you or make the deer think the woods are empty. While I have witnessed some legendary feats of marksmanship and hunting from coffee shop stools lots of the people making the shots and doing the hunting did not have hooves sticking up in the truck bed.

[bremraf]

Man some good advice. I definitely plan on hunting all day, as long as I can stand. I'm really excited I found some good sign, and Ive cleared my schedule so no wife or kid interruptions Lord willing! Good luck to all and enjoy this season!

[Plate plinker]

50 yards should be a easy shot if you can use a rest. Be bold .

[waarp8nt]

I agree with .44 man. Handgun hunting, as is much of life, is mental. If you are going to be a handgun hunter hunt with a handgun. I literally had deer walk out of sight while I tried to decide whether to shoot at them with the slug gun or revolver. Not a n issue if the only gun you have with you is a revolver. Remember; the gun doesn't know the difference between 10 and 65 yards. Only you do. The gun doesn't care. Good gun good loads good rest and operate the system.


If you are hunting on public ground get to the woods as early as possible (legal) and get into the nastiest thickest stuff you can find. Let the coffee shop hunters push the critters to you. Stay on stand all day till dark. Let the coffee shop boys going out to refuel push deer to you or make the deer think the woods are empty. While I have witnessed some legendary feats of marksmanship and hunting from coffee shop stools lots of the people making the shots and doing the hunting did not have hooves sticking up in the truck bed.

Wise words uttered by a wise man!

[Ric-san]

Nice lookin' powder coated boolits...

[44man]

One of my best stands for the ground is a few pieces of plywood with the back hinged to the seat so it folds. I put a 2x4 across the front seat bottom so it sits flat when against a tree because the ground always slopes there. Use a good cushion. You can brace your arms on your knees.
Still did not work once when a buck came out way to my left, had to shoot off hand but made a perfect shot at 120 yards. You can use some sticks to make it easier. A ladder stand with the rails should be great too.
Make use of any rest you can.
There is no way I can stand and hunt, even when I did nothing but archery.

[bremraf]

I have two stand placements. One a low tree stand, and one in a makeshift ground blind, back against a tree. Sitting on the ground is nice, can rest my arms in my knees, tree stand setup doesn't have a rail, but shots will be closer. Two weeks to go! Getting excited! Gonna shoot the boolits thumcocker sent me this weekend.

[Lonegun1894]

You'll do great, just remember two things. You've been given excellent advice, and we want pictures! :) Best of luck.

[bremraf]

153451
153452
Here are my groups from today, about 55-60 yards resting both barrel and grip. They are both 5 shot groups, second one I pulled #4 shot to the left off target. Thanks for the advice everyone and thanks thumbcocker for the 265gr ranchdogs. Load is 21.8grs 296 and WLP primer.

[Thumbcocker]

Did you notice any difference in the air cooled boolits as opposed to the water dropped ones?

[bremraf]

Water dropped seemed more accurate, but I don't have measurements to prove it.