Best .44 bullet for deer? Opinions please.

First off I'd like to say I really enjoy this forum and I've learned alot from you guys. Now I'm wondering what you guys think the best bullet weight/configuration for deer would be for a .44 mag. I would like to get enough penetration for a quartering away shot but would also like a bullet that would stay in the deer on a broadside shot as I think I would like to have all the energy transferred into the deer. I've been using Federal 180 grain hollow points with good results but I think they may expand too quickly for a quartering away shot. The last buck I shot was trotting broadside and I swung a little too far and hit it in the neck. A skinny neck at that. I was suprised that the bullet didn't even exit and but did turn a large section of the neck to jelly. What do you guys think would be best?

Knute,
If you don't think 180's will do what you want, you can always use 200 or 240 grn bullets. I personally had extremely good luck with 180 grn. bullets over a healthy charge of H-110 in both a 14" Contender and a 7 1/2 Ruger Redhawk. I really see no need for 300 grn bullets in a handgun, unless you're just into pain.

Molon Labe

Kim

I personally like the Hornady 240XTP for everything. With a healthy charge of 296 or H110, they should give you what you're looking for in a 44 bullet. This is just my opinion though

If the 180's did not perfom to your expectations just bump up a little to 200gr or 210gr bullets. The 200gr XTP's are supposed to do well and my brother has used the 210gr Sierra on deer from a Winny M94AE .44 Magnum carbine with good results.

Personally I like two holes in deer...one in and one out.

having just gotten my 44 magnum all i know is what i have read and heard.after reading dan b's article,i bought a box of factory remington 180 gr.jsp ammo to try.(very accurate out of my sbh 7 1/2")i may or may not get to try it on a deer but im leaning to the 180 or 200 gr.xtp for some reason.then again the standard 240 gr. loading has probably accounted for ALOT of kills around the world...now you have me wondering , ...jim257

Knute,
Personally I’ve never bought into the bullet expending all of its energy inside the animal philosophy. I like a bullet to retain its weight and offer penetration and a reliable exit on a quartering or less than favorable angles. Two holes are better than one! The Swift 240-grain A-frame should do what you want. I’ve been using the 280-grain A-frames and really like how they shoot. I chose the 280 because I wanted to use the bullet for wild hogs as well as deer. I also like the 250-grain Partition Gold and Platinum Tip loads from Winchester.

I agree with Magman. Have seen good results with Hornady 240gr XTPs. Have taken from Impala to Wildebeest with them using a Freedom Arms revolver. Only recovered one on a frontal quartering shot on a blesbuck (not sure of the equivalent size game in the US). It showed full expansion and shed about 3 grains. These were chased with fairly healthy loads of our equivalent to H110.

i don't think i'd have any trouble with any 240gr bullet out there. i also think i could kill a whitetail deer with any bullet fron 180-240gr. the 240 may give some insurance of full penetration.
i have seen a 180gr xtp in a muzzle loader penetrate a button buck full length with a front on shot, to rear quarter under the hide.
i need a little more testing, but i believe the 240 xtp is gonna shoot a little more accurately than the 200 xtp in my 14" 44mag.

I would pick the bullet / load that shoots the best and not worry too much about not having an exit on broadside shots (personally I want an exit wound). Any thing from a 300-310 grain cast to 180 JHP's will kill a deer dead as a doornail if you hit them in the right spot. It sure is comforting to have a nice wide blood trail to follow.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody! You guys bring up some interesting points. Especially the facts about pass-throughs versus the bullet staying in the deer. When I was a kid I shot 3 deer with a 3030 and the bullets would always pass through (on a broadside shot) and the deer would always seem to run quite a ways even when shot in the vitals.....a lung shot for instance. I then started using a 25.06rem with 100 grain bullets and proceeded to drop deer almost on the spot as the bullets stayed in them but of course they didn't leave a blood trail. One dropped on the spot with a lung shot that weighed 169lbs field dressed. The devastation in the heart lung area from the 100 grain bullet was incredible and that is what has started me on this theory. I've only shot 2 deer with the 25.06 so I can hardly state it as a proven fact though and I certainly understand the need for a blood trail. As far as the .44 I have only shot 2 deer and the first deer was running and I was ….how do I say it……not very accurate. I hit the deer 4 times. I couldn’t really make a good judgement with the 180 grain bullet performance on that deer. I also lung shot a buck at just over 50 yds broadside with a 158 grain hollow point out of a .357 and it only went 10 yds before it dropped. Again, the bullet didn’t exit. I do know that the .357 is a bit light for deer and I bought the .44 the following year. I do think based on your suggestions I’m going to move up to at least a 200 to 210 grain solid point Federals. Unfortuantely I’m not able to reload. It’s a topic I been wanting to ask for quite a while and again I appreciate everyones input.

Really the only way a deer will drop in it's tracks is if you disrupt the spine or brain. Even a heart shot deer will run 30-50 yards. Lung shot deer often goes a bit further.

are you sure gary? you mean you don't need a
"SUPER WHIZBANG MAGNUM"
hehehe
it's not best to have a caliber that will "drop it right now"

yep....i'm with gary. even a lil ol 80gr 6mm bullet in the spine will drop it on the spot......or a big ol 180gr 30 cal thru the neck. even a few bullet fragments from a high shot with a greatly expanding bullet can put it down quick.
......and then that "super whizbang magnum" can let one run a ways, depending where it connects. a lot of times they are running dead.....they just don't know it yet.

KnuteStoner,

I've killed alot of deer with my Ruger SBH and used alot of differant bullets. Quite a few were with the Hornady 240gr.XTP. and had fairly good results, but not with 100%complete pass throughs I like. 180's of any brand will get the job done, but they will not give exit wounds. I've used 300gr. XTP's on deer and had better results than the lighter bullets. The passed two years I used the Nosler 250gr.PT's and even though both deer didn't go very far (less than 30 yds.), those 250 gr. bullets at over 1400 fps. still didn't penetrate completely. I would NOT use this bullet on anything bigger than deer. Some other fellow hunters have had the same results. If you haven't noticed, I like full penetration. IMO exit wounds are the way to go. If for some reason I have to track a animal I want large amounts of blood to follow. Therefore, I like heavy jacketed or large meplat cast bullets for my hunting. With the .44 and above calibers you really don't need expansion anyway. Try some LBT or Cast Performance gas checks in your .44. Load'um up and crush anything that gets in their way.

Good Hunting,

Rugernut

I'm with the rugernut. 300 XTP's have given me the best performance for my 44's. I use a load that was printed in an article in the Sept '92 Shooting Times, by Layne Simpson, that seats the bullet out in the second cannelure, atop a pile of 296, recoil is stiff but it certainly hammered them dead, the first eight pt I shot with this load in a 7 inch Redhawk spouted blood instantly-(25yd broadside, heart shot), the buck ran in a circle,just like a cart that lost its wheel, there was snow on the ground, strangest looking blood trail. The others dropped almost as quickly.