Favorite .44 mag load for hunting deer

[barrycarraway]

I will be deer hunting with a ruger redhawk .44 mag 7.5" open sights at about 40 yards. What is your favorite load/bullet or factory ammo for this purpose? :mrgreen:

 

[Rumrunner]

So far all I have used are Hornady 240 grain XTP HP's loaded with a near max load of H-110. I have taken 4 deer with these and none traveled very far afterwards. These are accurate and work in my Redhawk, Super Redhawk, and Encore.

Swift A-Frames get a lot of good reviews as well as a good lead cast WFN in 240 to 310 grains.

 

[contender]

I reload.
I also allow my guns to tell me what load they prefer. Accuracy is paramount. I select a quality bullet, and I experiment with different powders & all to see if I can get a good accurate load. If not, I select another bullet, and start over.
Each & every gun is a beast within itself. I let the beast decide what's best.

 

[wwb]

I reload.
I also allow my guns to tell me what load they prefer........

Yup.... what works well in one gun may very well be a poor performer in another..... or not.

After many years and a boatload of different loads, 23.5 grains of Li'l Gun and a 240 grain Speer JSN is the best I've found, but that's out of a 96/44 carbine. Just shy of 1900 fps at the muzzle. Originally loaded with a 240 grain XTP, but at carbine velocities, the XTP disintegrated when it hit.... had to trail that deer almost 1/4 mile, and it was still going when a second shot put it down but not out.... a .22 behind the ear finished the job. Pulled the XTPs, saved them for revolver loads, and replaced them with the JSN bullets.

 

[mikld]

I have 5, 44 Magnums and there is mebbe 3 loads that work well in all, but it seems like there's always at least one that doesn't like the load. My Ruger SBH likes a 240 gr. LRNFP Ranch Dog design over an upper load of Bluedot, which gives me about 1,200 fps. Other powders with that bullet that have worked well are 2400 and WC820, and none have been "bad"...

 

[sixshot]

Deer at 40 yds with a 44 magnum are pretty easy with correct hits. A lot of different bullets will work, just match the bullet to the velocity. A light weight bullet at very high velocity can be a real problem. In a handgun you aren't going to get rifle velocity & massive expansion/shock so you need bullet placement & penetration. If you get that you will eat back straps for supper.

Dick

 

[Thumbcocker]

NOE Ranch Dog 265 RNFP 22.0 of H110. Standard primers.

 

[Divernhunter]

My fav load for deer/pigs/bear/squirrels is a mag primer(usually win) with 29grs of H-110 under a 200gr HP from Nosler or Hornady. I have used this in a 7.5" SBH and RH. Friends have used it also in SRH's. I have also used it in my Ruger semi-auto before I sold it. Very deadly. This is a max load.

 

[mike campbell]

Ditto the 200gr HP. I killed a couple of whitetails with cast bullets but saw no practical advantage to them. I took a dozen or so whitetails over a decade with the Hornady 200gr HP (pre-XTP) and 28grains of 296.

 

[btmonnat]

CCI 350 primer, 23.5 gr. H110, 240 gr. Hornady XTP in nickel brass = 1,335 fps. Very accurate in my S & W Classic model 629 6.5 " barrel. Killed a spike buck @ 45 yds. Most accurate load in my gun tested.