hunting with miha 305 grain 44 mag

I finally got a miha 305 grain GC 44/444 mold with all the pins. Now the hard part, for deer out of a rifle(77/44 Ruger) do i want to use a 305 grain solid, or the round deep hollowpoint, or penta hollowpoint? i was planning on ACWW (possibly adding some stick ons to soften) and they drop @.434 i was planning on sizing to .432 and using TAC1 that i got from Randyrat. I am favoring the solid and pushing it to 1200 -1500fps depending on powder Bluedot or H110. i do have some 1:16 and 1:20 alloy if need be.

has anybody else used this boolit on game? My shots are from point blank to 150-175yards most are under 125.

thoughts
Gutpile

Not the miha, but I shoot the Lee 310 gr. gc at just over 1200. in a Ruger Redhawk. I use air cooled Lyman #2 equiv.(14 bhn) I have never recovered a bullet on a whitetail. I lube with 50/50 moly- beeswax. Full dose of w-296

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Originally Posted by stubert

Not the miha, but I shoot the Lee 310 gr. gc at just over 1200. in a Ruger Redhawk. I use air cooled Lyman #2 equiv.(14 bhn) I have never recovered a bullet on a whitetail. I lube with 50/50 moly- beeswax. Full dose of w-296

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:goodpost:My exact recipe, but with the twin powder H-110. Absolutely lethal. For whitetail, I don't think it will matter much which configuration you use.

The Lyman HP (270 grains approx) has a huge nose cavity, but reports are that it works quite well on deer despite this. Also, it is easy to reduce the nose pin's size. Some argue that non expanding boolits do well enough, forget the holow point. So we should just as well use .44 specials as that is still more than needed to punch a hole. The energy is there to waste or to utilize. As for HP expansion reliability, I'll turn their argument against them and say if it doesn't expand it will kill well anyway - by their own logic.

I use that boolit and a smaller 260 gr version as well
personally I use hp's on deer never shoot bone or shoulders haven't had an issue yet
the penta's may be a bit tougher but that is just my theory no real proof
I like the looks of the penta's
my alloys are 50/50 16/1 or 20/1 but I let the gun and load tell me for sure which one to use
nice mold by the way :lovebooli

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Originally Posted by leftiye

The Lyman HP (270 grains approx) has a huge nose cavity, but reports are that it works quite well on deer despite this. Also, it is easy to reduce the nose pin's size. Some argue that non expanding boolits do well enough, forget the holow point. So we should just as well use .44 specials as that is still more than needed to punch a hole. The energy is there to waste or to utilize. As for HP expansion reliability, I'll turn their argument against them and say if it doesn't expand it will kill well anyway - by their own logic.

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Good point. A hollow point may not help, but it certainly won't hurt with a boolit that heavy. Its going through regardless. Not sure if anything that heavy, even if it were very soft, would expand in a whitetail, unless it hit bone. Of course you may run into one of those big mean bear that so many threads get preoccupied with! :kidding:

I used a 300gr HP bullet similar to that one out of my SRH in 44mag. I would recommend a 'shallow' HP as the regular HP I had was quite large and I used ACWW's. I hit the deer ribcage shot broadside at about 50 yds, it fragged quite well and I found some in the neck. :( I suspect the shallow HP would not have fragmented so badly and done just as good a job.

Out of your M77/44 it may be clocking along a tad faster, so a solid or a dish HP (shallow HP) is what I'd recommend.

With your range out to 175 yds, I'd know your drop for sure and suggest you use a range finder (or know the property so well you know the yardage) especially with a 300+gr bullet.

My 444 marlin rockin the 300gr bullets drops a LOT at 200yds if I remember right.

The solid is always a good choice but for fun and variety, I'd just have to try the penta with some added tin to make it "tougher" and see how that works.

I'd be interested in any load you come up with that will shoot under 4" in the 77/44. Mine doesn't seem to care for cast at all.

This is my go to boolit for my 44 mag's. With the large HP and WW with some added tin the peddles will break off but your still left with probably a 240 gr wad cutter shape. The deer I have taken with this boolit and a Ruger Bisley Hunter out to 75 yds was amazing, complete pass threw and a blood trail a blind man could follow. I have made some up with 50/50 because I think it will help the peddles stay together better but havn't been able to harvest and or test them out yet. Good luck.

I have this mold. For your use I don't think you have to bother with any of the hollowpoints and can just use a solid. Better yet make some soft points. The metplat on this bullet is not huge but it is not small either.

I've shot several deer with Miha's 44/444 300 grain HP. Mine is several years old and back then came with only the round HP pins reversible to cast solids. The HP is utterly destructive on white tail. I shooy mine from a Super Blackhawk at about 1250 fps with 50% coww and 50% range salvaged lead. There is no doubt in my mind as to whether or not they expand. They expand. They have the added advantage of being very easy to come up with an accurate load with quite a few different powders. You picked a good bullet and I'm sure you are going to be pleased and impressed with it.


Nighthunter

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Originally Posted by Rally

I'd be interested in any load you come up with that will shoot under 4" in the 77/44. Mine doesn't seem to care for cast at all.

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Lee 310 grain running 1400 FPS shoots under 2" at 100 yards from the 77/44 I gave my grandson.

For a Hunting bullet it is darn hard to beat the Lee 310Gr RNFP/GC in the .44 Mag as that is what it was designed for.

It was one of the few bullets that I could semi get to shoot in my Marlin 1894 SS in .44 Mag with a very healthy dose of W-296 and a standard LPP. It was right at 2 1/4-2 1/2" at 100 yards with a scope if I did my part.