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.44 mag hunting bullet choice

Re: .44 mag hunting bullet choice

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: attherange</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you can hunt thin skinned animals with a 44mag with just about any bullets you want. </div></div>

Yes indeed; anything made out of lead and/or copper.
 
Re: .44 mag hunting bullet choice

Just about any bullet will work. I prefer a Hornady 240 XTP. I've taken deer, turkey (at 260 yards), and many hogs.
I recently bought a bunch of the Hornady 265 grain Flex point bullets to try in my 44 lever gun. This would be a great hunting bullet. I have a ton of these. Let me know if you would like to try some.
 
Re: .44 mag hunting bullet choice

I like good hard cast bullets out of the 44mag. I shoot 310 grain FN bullets from Montana Bullet Works under H110. I don't have any problem dropping animals from my lever gun or revolver. If you want something a little lighter recoiling give the 250 grain Keith bullets a shot. I like the hard cast bullets, I put it on the shoulder and it blows through anything in its path and leaves a .430 hole on the other side which gives you a great blood trail if the animal doesn't drop in its tracks.
 
Re: .44 mag hunting bullet choice

For small, thin-skinned (120 pound and smaller whitetail), the 200 grain XTP is pretty sweet. At rifle velocities, it will expand dramatically, and I get groups around two inches at 100 yards from my <span style="font-style: italic">handgun</span>. The other jacketed bullet I have had great luck with is the 300 grain XTP, and it's my go-to bullet when I'm not shooting hand-cast slugs. I haven't shot anything but big hogs with the 300, so I don't know what it will do on small critters, but based on my results it should do just fine.
 
Re: .44 mag hunting bullet choice

I have killed hundreds of critters. Up to deer in size. But a bunch of smaller critters like ground hogs with a 240 grain bullet(no GC) that I cast. I normally cast from straight WW alloy. And keep the velocities around 1700 fps from a rifle, and less from a revolver. I normally get expansion out to about .7". With about 60% weight retention. A real killer, and great on the pocket book.

You can use a harder alloy if you wish. But I see no need to. Just as long as the bullets are properly sized and lubed. Tom.