Hunting elk with 44 mag

Has anyone hunted elk with a 44 mag? What type of load did you use and any issues with taken down power?

I haven't, but I don't see why not. Limit your shots to 75-100 yards, but more importantly, use heavy bullets like JD Jones' 310 gr. lead he developed years ago. A lot of animals larger than elk have been taken with it.
Even good ol' Kieth 240 gr. SWCs would do good, but the SSKs are better.
Penetration is the name of the game with big animals.

Did it with a 240 Hornady pre XTP with a full 23 gr of 296. If I did it today I would use a Swift A Frame. Make sure you put the bullet in the boiler room

I've taken 5 elk with the 44 magnum, 4 were with the Keith 250 gr. cast slug & the other one was with a 270 gr. Speer Gold Dot. Used my old 44 flat top on 4 of them & my SRH on one, all using iron sights. Shots were from 35 yds out to about 80 yds & the 44 was easily up to the task. Also took 4 with the 45 & one of those shots was considerably longer & 2 with the 41 magnum, all using cast bullets.

Dick

My son used my SRH with Montana bullets 300gr WFN backed with 21.5 gr 296 and a CCI 350. All 4 shots went through including breaking the shoulder and the elk made it approx. 60 yds. We shoot till its down for good. The shots were 73 lazered yards. The wound channels were approx. 2" wide. In hindsight I can't help wonder what a bonded jacketed bullet would do as far as putting the animal down faster. Elk can take a lot! I shot a bull with a 400 gr WFN from a 475 Linebaugh. [different story and faster kill]

My buddy shot a 450 LB cow elk last fall out of a 14" Contender, 240 XTP, 24 grains H-110, dropped in her tracks, if I were going to use the 44 on Elk, I would go with the 300 grain bullet.

Try these-

https://underwoodammo.com/shop/44-remington-magnum-p-340-grain-lead-flat-nose-gas-check/

Just get a 280 or 300gr aframe and run as much 296 as u can stand.

Thanks for the feedback

I agree.

A lot of experience here

^ X 2. Some good advice from years of experiences.

There was a great soft cover book I got in the late 80s or early 90s written by JD Jones and Larry Kelly about the best read on the subject Ive seen.You wont believe what Larry Kelly did with a 44 magnum.

I have taken thirty plus red stag with my 44. Granted, a bit smaller than the elk but similar. Lead sponges when in the rut. All were shot with 44 mag 240 gr XTP from 15 yards to 140. 6.5" 629 classic. 1300 fps so definitely a mild load, but it does the job. Love the XPT in this weight. at 140 it was too slow and i pinholed the lungs but he went down within a couple hundred yards. Inside of 120 they take steps if anything. Recovered bullets look great.

For elk I would go with 240's at 1350fps or more or with 300 grains as fast as they comfortably go. A frames sound great too, but i have piles of 240's hoarded...

For whitetail I open the hollow point to 0.125" and deepen the hole a little. Weight loss is 9 grains. Load them to 1350 fps. Expansion is great from the 2 i have recovered at 75 and 111 yards. The regular XTP is too hard. Still kills them well but the open point seems to hammer them more.

Don't mean to hijack, but conclusion is i like a hollow point, even on thick skinned game.

SnT

Those guys, larry kelly in particular, did some great work with the 44 mag.

The swift aframe opens up early and easy but maintains its weight even at extreme velocities. I agree with the hollow point with the right bullet and elk are pretty easy to kill, but not always before they make it to a gully or down into some hellish place that makes recovery difficult. Thats why i like the aframe and barnes. They open early and retain weight. If a 475 cal hole is better than 45 cal and its supposedly better than a 429 cal hole how can a 65 or 70 cal hole not better than all the above?? And yes a 44 with those bullets will penetrate plenty for elk. And if ya like the larry kelly book check
Out whits latest book. Lots of hunting info with the 44 in that book.