Light hunting load

[Bigscot]

I bought a Ruger SBH with a 5.5" in barrel in .44 mag last Jan and am needing a recommendation for a boolit and speed or load for a light hunting load. I have a SRH with a 9.5 in barrel and Win 94 all in .44 mag and the hunting loads I use in them are a little stout in the shorter barreled SBH. I got the gun to carry during hunting season as an opportunity gun like squirrel hunting an walking up on a deer. Or for use as a finisher.
I was wondering if it would be better to go with a light (~200gr) boolit fast or heavier (250-280 gr) slower. Or if there was something in between.
I have the 207 gr gc, RD 285 and the Lyman 285 gr group buy moulds, a Lee 240 gr swc (have neve been able to get it to cast well or shoot) and RCBS 250gr K mould. I shoot WC820, Unique, 2400, bullseye and 296.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Bigscot

[Tn_River_Ratt]

I prefer the Keith style boolits. Start with 8gr of unique and work up slowly til your gun tells you what it likes. Just my $.02


Ratt

[bigdog454]

Any 200 gr boolit, at 1000fps plus will pass thru any deer here in Ohio, side to side. I don't know how big the deer are in NC, (would like to find out), but I would think that whatever shoots well in you gun should work well.

[Lloyd Smale]

i agree with ratt. A good 240-250 grain swc and 8-9 grains of unique, power pistol, universal clays or herco should get you what you need.

[Don McDowell]

Another 240+ Keith type bullet with 9 grs of unique (8 grs in 44 special cases) 12 grs of bluedot, 15 grs of 2400.
For silly lil slow loads 5.5 grs of trailboss is a mild mannered load, not on top of the heap for accuracy, but really easy on the hands and ears.

[9.3X62AL]

What Lloyd & Co. said. 90% of my 44 Magnum revolver shooting gets done these days with 8.0-9.0 grains of Unique under Lyman #429421 (or #429244 if the plain-base castings get used up). 9.0 grains of Unique runs right around 1000 FPS with either boolit from my Redhawk x 5.5". An all-day load, for sure.