whats your bullet of choice for the 44 special or mag to use
for deer hunting..only powder I have on hand is unique until
I get some red dot or 2400..
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whats your bullet of choice for the 44 special or mag to use
for deer hunting..only powder I have on hand is unique until
I get some red dot or 2400..
I like cast lead ones from 240 grs. to about 300grs. with a large meplat. I like them to fit my chamber mouths and be at least .001" over my bore size. After much shooting, I find I prefer them powder coated. And I tend to prefer 2400.
Lee 310
MP 432256 which is copy of the H&G 503. They have a hollow point option which when cast a little soft and powder coated ought to make an excellent deer bullet.
Missouri bullet co has a great 240 gr. Hi-tek coated bullet that shoots great in my cva hunter 44 mag.
429421 Keith bullet over 7.5 Unique in Special cases, or 10 Unique in Magnum cases.
I, too, prefer a 240 grain Keith bullet. Unique is more than capable, but 2400 is pretty nice as well. Either powder will give you pleasant to shoot ammo that will get the job done without having to run maximum loads.
another Keith fan 250-260 gr should get it done
get accuracy first unique is a good start
2400 is also good
One more Keith fan, gas checked and tumble lubed with liquid alox. My powder of choice is H110. Keep yer powder dry...……….robin
the NOE copy of the ranch dog 265 with 18gr. of 2400 works for me. I have played around with 240 gr. and the 310gr. but liked the ranch dog 265gr. best. every rifle is different and you need to see what your rifle likes.
Any bullet with a decent meplat. I have taken deer with 240 grain SWC, 240 RNFP, as well as, NOE's 265 RNFP (ranch dogs version). None were ever recovered........complete pass through's.
Winelover
270 grain WFN GC is an excellent boolit and Unique will get where you need to go. Pleasant but accurate load that can take game cleanly provided the placement is good.
I've been a fan of "Keith" style SWCs (429421, 44-250-K and 429244) cast bullets for hunting since '68. I cast them hard and soft, used them as solids or HPs. I found the 429244 GC'd cast of a soft binary alloy and HP'd gave the quickest kills. When Lyman came out with the 429640 "Devastator" I gave it a try. Also cast of a binary alloy (20-1 or 16-1) It proves considerably better in terminal performance than any of the SWCs in the 44 magnum from both rifle and handgun when pushed with H110 to 1350 - 1600 fps. It has become my standard hunting bullet for the 44 Magnum. I still use the afore mentioned SWCs along with a couple others for 44 SPL and midrange velocity loads but the Devestator is my preferred hunting bullet in the 44 Magnum.
Attachment 248139
What Larry Gibson said!!! Although I use Blue Dot and 296.
haven't hunted with it but the RCBS 44-245-KT is a tack driver with a big meplat over 9+ grns of unique
if not mistaken antimony ad's brittleness to the alloy
personally I use the same alloy's and have had good results with them
+2 on the Lee C430-310-RF I like these cast soft, I am with Larry Gibson on the alloy, and soft lube as well. These are 50/50+2% soft enough to scratch with a thumbnail so what is that Larry 20:1 or thereabouts? I have never recovered one so I don't know if they expand much, I load them to 1200fps at the muzzle, the gun is a 7 1/2" SBH with the rear sight screwed all the way down and the sight blade filed flush with the body of the sight, and a new notch filed in the middle. The gun is regulated for this load and it's the only load I shoot with it.
https://i1202.photobucket.com/albums...psbf58e491.jpg
For my hunting preferences I like to get in the woods where it is really thick, get in a climbing stand above a point where several trails come together, whack down some saplings to open a few shooting lanes and sit with this old SBH in a cross draw holster, once settled I cock the hammer and just wait patiently with the web of my hand between the hammer and the back of the frame.
A good trick to use and I often use it, go to Hardees and get two sausage biscuits, smear them heavily with grape jelly. Wrap 'em back up and put them in your knapsack, lay that on the ground while you climb then pull it up with a rope. Deer cannot resist the smell of that jelly, they will walk in circles around your tree trying to find it. I have taken a BUNCH of deer shooting straight down like this. :bigsmyl2:
The sausage biscuit and jelly trick works on bears too, but if he climbs up the tree you will need to share 8-).