Favorite deer bullet - 44 MAG

What's everyone's favorite deer hunting bullet and why? I have been out of the handgun hunting game for the last couple of years but I'm back now. Just got a new Ruger Blackhawk Bisley Hunter and topped it off with a Bushnell Trophy 2-6X32 scope. I now have over 100 pieces of once fired brass so I'll be ordering dies/bullets and start loading for myself soon and am torn between trying 180, 200, or 240 grain projectiles to use. I like the fast/flat trajectories of the lighter fare but realize there's more "thump" to be had with the heavier ones. Help me decide where to start guys! Thanks.

Size helps with momentum and penetration. Once you have enough penetration, the issue is damage which comes with reliable expansion and speed. I havent seen a deer yet i needed a particularly heavy bullet for so for me In 44 mag itd be a 200-225 gr xpb or a 240 gr aframe.

cast 240 gr semi wadcutter. poking along at about 1100-1200fps. thats all i use for everything. then im not hunting big bears,elk, or shooting at long distance. 75 yards would be a booming long way.

I've used the Keith #429421 cast bullet for over 50 years & it's never failed me from any angle on deer, elk, bear antelope or bull frogs. I've never recovered a Keith solid.

Dick

240gr Hornady XTP pushed as fast as I can get them going in the respective firearm.

Inexpensive
Accurate
Effective

Another vote for the 240 XTP. I've taken several deer with this bullet.

240 xtp on top of some 296.

Can't go wrong with 240 XTP and 296

Looks like the 240gr XTP is becoming the clear front runner. Thanks for the responses guys.

I like the XTP also, H-110& 296, have served me well.

Ditto on the 240 XTP over H-110.

Another vote for 240 XTP and W296

250gr home cast Keith

Hey sw282, we almost got them! Only lost something like 10-2!!!

Dick

Accurate moulds copy of Elmer's SWC. Works every time.

240 XTP
#2 would be that factory Remington 240

240xtp + H110

We're getting are butts kicked!!

Dick

Well I have had good luck with the XTP, I am interested in everyone's or ya'll (for my friends in the south) Option of the Speer Deep Curl? is it too much for deer?

I really like the Deep Curl bullets...they're bonded and inexpensive

I like that!!

Yuuup. Good bullets

I've killed more deer with the 240 xtp than any other I've used and they're extremely accurate in everything I shoot them in. I do have some of the 270 deep curls loads up for my FA 83, they shoot great, but I haven't tested their performance on deer yet.

I don't reload. My Encore shoots the Leverevolution 225 grain bullet very well.

Same here - 240XTP over 23.0 grains of H-110 or WW296.

Have to test them out in the Spring with the boys down in Ohio!

Yes Sir!!! Do that

Had varying results with both the xtp's and cast some good some not so good. Not saying they don't work,they both killed the deer. I just prefer predictable results. That's why I lean towards Nosler Partition and Swift A-Frame. I base this solely from my personal experience.
Kim and Dick have taken considerable amounts of game and I respect there input. Maybe may experience is an Anomaly.

Norm, I much prefer the Partitions over the xtp's, but I have no experience with the Partition in 44. I have just recently acquired my first Partitions in 44(2 boxes), but haven't had the time to load any yet.

Considering the fact that Speer 240 grain Deep Curls cost the same or less than XTPs, the choice for me at least is obvious. I've seen too much hit or miss with XTPs to trust them fully.

Since I don't use jacketed I just like to joke a little but just about any jacketed bullet will work if things are ideal. The 2 variables in hunting that you can't control are distance & angles. That's why most guys use maybe a little more bullet than they need.
I've never used the 240 gr deep curl Max mentions but I have used the 270 gr deep curl to take one elk & it worked great. I'm just guessing here but I'd say the 240 Speer might have an edge over the 240 XTP if things were less than ideal.

Dick

I've killed more deer with the 200 gr XTP in the 44 (run faaaast) than the 240's, but tend to gravitate to the Factory 240's these days for convenience. And they shoot super well out of my FA.

SChunter, how does the 200gr XTP hold up when pushed hard?
I'm getting 1325fps out of my 5 1/2" model 97 in 44 special.

I tried loading the 200 grain xtp in my 14 inch contender. I was getting 1950 fps and great groups but it blew up in the first gallon jug of water I shot it into at 30 yards.

Norm, I have a collection of recovered bullets that I'll post...got an exit about 50% of the time, but the terminal effects were impressive.

Note - I wasn't quite getting the 1900+ fps that Michael was with the Tender, but I was running a "max plus" load in the Redhawk

I don't really know how many deer I've killed with the 240xtp 44 mag, but it's been more than a couple. I've only retrieved one bullet from a whitetail and this is it....



It was retrieved from underneath the hide of the offside shoulder of this 252lb Illinois buck....



Look close and you can see the bullet under the hide. The load was 24.5gr of H110 and shot from a 7.5" FA. Shot was broad side at 60 yards. When I removed the bullet, it was a picture perfect mushroom. While cleaning the bullet, I dropped it on some concrete and the core seperated from the jacket. Bullet failure??? I guess it depends on how you look at it. There are betters choices for better/more predictable bullets than the xtp's, but for whitetail, they work very well. There's alway lots of internal damage and more than not, two holes. That being said, I wouldn't go hunt African plains game with an xtp. Xtp's are plentiful, inexpensive and very accurate; that's what's great about them.

Yes it is. I think it depends how one defines favorite. I would use all the above on whitetails. Im just smitten by a bullet that opens on whitetails but can be used on a waterbuff, then grab the gun and go smack down an elk so i may be looking at it a bit differently. I havent had a gun that wouldnt shoot xtps?s accurately and yes they are affordable. If hornady would bond em like theyre doing for their africa lines without raising the price much we would be onto something good i think. Btw nice buck Kim!!! What a beauty!

Thanks, Mark. I agree 100%. A bonded xtp would be a very interesting bullet. Seems it could be a fairly easy option being they already have the capabilities.