Handgun Deer Bullet

[Ironworker]

Never seen a question about hand guns. So here goes .What's best bullet for Mule Deer from a 44 magnum ?

 

[snert]

Hard and big. I prefer 300 grains of hard lead myself for handguns and meaty thick targets. More interested in penetration and horsepower than expansion, cause you are already at a .44 cal hole.

Looking at this again I read "elk", you said Mule deer. I concur with the others. I really need to have my brain box examined...I keep seeing things

 

[MQ1]

Never seen a question about hand guns. So here goes .What's best bullet for Mule Deer from a 44 magnum ?

Depends on who you ask and what your pistol likes.

Hard to beat a 240 JHP, although there are those who swear by hardcast 250gr Keith boolits.

Last Whitetail I shot I used a 225 Barnes because it shoots well in my SBH and is what I load for California's crazy laws. Worked just fine.

MQ1

 

[Sniper338]

Hornady xtp hollow points!

 

[2506]

The bullet that you can put consistently into the vitals is the best one to use. Anything from a Keith style cast semi wad cutter to most any hollow point or soft point. I have killed a number of white tail with 180 and 240gr jacketed hollow points of different makes as well as cast Keith style 250s and they work well. The newer bullets like the Speer gold dot/deep curl or the Hornady xtp expand well and usually hold together. Some like the 300 gr bullets but I have never seen the need for them on deer. One thing to keep in mind when using conventional pistol rounds it that they do not kill like high power rifles that impart high velocity shock. The conventional pistol bullet kills by drilling a hole through the vitals to impart blood lose. Deer usually will run off a little ways about like a arrow shot deer until blood loss causes them to die. Be ready to trail up your deer.

 

[rcparker1]

Hornady xtp hollow points!

I've had very good luck with them in several pistols including 44 mag

 

[284winner]

That's one heck of a question. One that certainly will stir up many different opinions. Here goes. Underwood 200 grain jacketed HP. Personally I don't see any reason to go extremely heavy for mule deer. Alot depends on range. Most anything over 100 yards with a .44 mag is considered quite long. That Underwood 200 hp will bring home the venison.

 

[msinc]

I like to cast my own...so my vote is for the Lyman Devastator. Not that you need a hollow point with that big of a hole in it, but the thing is just flat slap accurate. 22.5 grains of 2400 sends it pretty good, but not so bad that recoil is stupid. Don't fall into the "hard cast" trap....when it comes to lead, lead is like a good woman {hey, there might be one somewhere!!!}...the softer the better. A bullet caster finding some dead soft pure lead is like finding gold bars to a treasure hunter!!!

 

[Berger.Fan222]

240 XTP

 

[Intheshop]

If using cast,IME....the sharper (mould fill out) you can keep the meplat and fwd drive band edges the better.

Range,shot angle and abilities are part of this equation.....if not more so than this hunting bullet vs that.

I've had VG success with .44 180 g jhp on smallish whitetail.....but isn't what I'd recommend.Patience and dbl lung shots with velocity works.Deer ain't armor plated.But shot angles are critical.240g jhp or Lyman 429421( Keith) loaded up will do the job.Practice A LOT!

 

[JRS]

Sierra 180 gr JHC, or the 210 gr JHC will drop anything in North America, and then some

 

[JLT]

I've used the Lyman 429421 cast with linotype metal for years and to good effect. I've shot a handful of jacketed loads in the .44 but I always end up going back to the Keith.

 

[Sniper338]

I used to shoot those 300 XTP HPs in a 460SW.. that sob came alive!

In a 44 mag you do not need a huge bullet. The bigger the bullet the more recoil it adds. 240gr is pretty standard in 44 mag, BUT id drop to the 180-200gr area if you can.

Ive killed a lot of hogs in the brush with a 44 mag. And when I say hogs, not yalls northern ground squirls, Im talking pork.. Ive never had one, no one that can handle a 44 mag bullet, it drops em everytime.

It is very likely a 44 mag bullet will go into the animal and not exit. Due to slower velocity and big bullet, but it has a wallop of a shock wave that makes up for full penetration.

We use 44 mag instead of 357 on hogs running dogs because the 44 mag wont go through to accidently get a dog on the otherside of a hog... when a knife aint used..

Ive had a good bit of experience with it.

Jmo again here. Ita drop a deer. Done that too.

 

[Pappy42]

Heavy, hard cast, big meplat. If possible; shoot through both front shoulders. Makes it hard for them to run off, and leaves a good blood trail.

 

[C.E.Smith043]

Hornady xtp hollow points!

This^^^^

 

[Jaybo]

240 or 300 Hornady xtp work great on deer and elk.

 

[Barlow]

A guy I used to work with was a Bear and Deer hunter and like to use a 44 magnum pistol. He swore by Hawk bullets for both. I don't recall the weight. Barlow

 

[Rem06]

Never seen a question about hand guns. So here goes .What's best bullet for Mule Deer from a 44 magnum ?

any of them from a .44 mag seem to work fine. I personally am itching to use the 240gr Nosler on one.

maybe a better question would be : what bullet don't work well in a 44 mag?

 

[spaniel]

I've killed a large truckful...maybe several...of deer with the ancient 240 HTP and the 240 XTP out of a muzzleloader (former) and Ruger carbine (latter). The muzzleloader was probably more pistol velocity and the bullet performed very well; great expansion and reliable exit.

The XTP is driven quite a bit faster than pistol velocity and consistently comes apart right as it exits. Usually I find the jacket caught in the far side hide.

Out of a pistol it is probably perfect with respect to expansion, energy transfer, and leaving 2 holes (in and out). Muleys are bigger on average than whitetails, so for them and certainly elk the 300 XTP would not be bad to try.

I would NOT try the 200s. Being shorter and driven faster I would not expect them to reliably exit, and I like two holes to bleed from.

 

[cmillard]

my guess is that mule deer are fairly thin skinned like white tails. to that, I would recommend a 225 grain barnes xpb with some h-110. last deer with that combo at 45 yards with ruger sbh and 10.5 inch barrel---deer dropped dead in tracks and bled out big time!