Hey guys, well soon i will be buying a SBH in 44 mag with a 7.5" barrel to start hunting with. Currently i am not reloading but i plan to in the future. I also have a fairly tight budget. I am wondering on the quality and effectiveness of lead RNFP bullets for hunting? i'm not looking for the top shelf quality and i'm probably only going to be shooting to 75 yards or so for hunting. Just trying to find out if i would be wasting my time/money with this type of round. I hunt with flintlocks with PRB and i know they are effective but i'm not sure about the hardness with these bullets and their ability to expand as round balls are very soft lead.

here is a link to the ammo i am looking at.
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/product_info.php/pName/50rds-44-mag-drs-240gr-lead-rnfp-ammo

I'd expect they would work but they don't offer the mv nor hardness so there isn't much to go on. A little wider meplat would be better in a cast slug, but even a round ball will kill a deer if put in the right place.

ok i'm new to this so. mv? meplat?

Meplat = flat front of the bullet

The mv is muzzle velocity.

As mentioned the RNFP style probably isn't the best choice for hunting but it has taken a lot of game with good bullet placement. Another thing to consider is, why not buy 100 good SWC or LBT style slugs just for hunting & use the others for practice. You won't be shooting that many for hunting so they will last you a long time & really are a better bullet.
If cost really is a problem send me your address & I'll give you a hundred, no charge. Good bullet placement always comes first. Don't expect much, if any expansion from a cast sixgun bullet, the big flat nose (meplat) does the work & does it very well.

Dick

Sixshot, that?s a kind offer!!! However I?m not even reloading yet and don?t know when i will start.

I guess until i start reloading I?m at the mercy of what is offered. but what is a good hunting round and a practice round?

Thats what i like about this place.. always some body willing to help a guy out.. generousity abounds good on you six shot. As far as bullets plink and practice with cheap ammo... pick up a couple boxes of hornaday 240 gr xtp for hunting till you can get into reloading. They are pretty accurate and wont break the bank, will take deer just fine.

Alternatively, if money is an issue, you could use the inexpensive rounds to practice with, then get some quality hunting loads for your final sight in and hunt. I also recommend the Hornady 240 grain XTP loads.

Ok sounds reasonable. i assume any expanding bullet with a brass case should work just fine? I know i want to stick with 240 grain but does the hollow point vs soft point really make much of a difference? the farm store just up the road from me had about 10 boxes of American Eagle 44 mag 240 grain jacketed hollow points for $39.99 a box, i figured those should work just fine, no?

They work... out of my gun for linking. Then I switch up to xtp bullets for hunting..

Sam,

It might help to know what you intend to use them on. From your location in your avatar box, probably Whitetail?

A lot of folks here hunt much bigger and or tougher critters, hence the posts about specialty bullets, designed for hunting. American Eagle (federal) ammo is generally considered low cost/plinking type ammo. Or at least it is "generally" not considered premium self defense or hunting ammo.

If you can afford enough to practice and get proficient with that ammo, and your not trying to skewer some monster critter stem to stern, I would think that your shot placement would trump having a premium bullet/load.

This thought is a bit like your original query about LRNFP. These are way different than soft lead muzzle loader bullets, for which you have experience. Depending on the particular ammo maker, you have a high chance of getting a very hard bullet, that will not expand. This would then behave a bit more like a fmj, with a flat that is not quite square and cutting like an LBT or Kieth style bullet.

The good folks here are trying to point you to some bullet, that will not fail you, and get you off on the wrong foot. But the weeds can get real deep, real fast when discussing the best bullet choice. My suggestion would be to by the Federal if you can afford that, plan to try and place a good shot behind the shoulder, and learn from the experience.

Craig

Craig thanks for the info and insight. I have no doubt that the loads everyone is suggesting will/do work great. yes 80% of my handgun hunting will be for whitetails and 20% being hogs in Oklahoma. I will just buy some quality 240 grain hunting ammo and use the cheap stuff for practice.

Sam,

Sounds like a good plan. With hogs on the menu, that first RNFP bullet you posted might not be a bad one to try out. Perhaps pick up a box, and pull one or two of the bullets. Set the bullet on a hard surface, and smack it with a small sledge. If it shatters, it is could be too hard. If it flattens a bit, perhaps just right.

By the way, if you hunt those hogs north to south, you might push a few down my way......;^)

Craig

Deal, you do the same with your bear and elk lol

Sam86, where in Oklahoma are you hunting hogs?

I suggest you seriously consider a basic reloading set as soon as possible. You can get a starter kit (Lee challenger for example) a set of dies 100 rounds of brass, primer, powder, bullets. For a bit over $200. You will probably break even at around 7 or 8 boxes of ammo.

went this spring to AllaboutUranch in Stratford.

I'm going to dig out my dad's old reloading stuff and post what i have and see what i need to get started. i would like 1 simple load for targets, deer and hog.

Ok so what do you guys think about Ultramax 240 grain SWC FPS: 1360 MUZZLE ENERGY: 986? Then use the brass to reload with when i get all set up? From what i gathered a 240 grain SWC at 1360 fps should be good deer medicine no?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/975418/...=ProductFinding

That will certainly work. You can get the 240 XTP for even less money here:

http://shop.reedsammo.com/44-Magnum_c42.htm

Pushing critters around is not hard for me, I'll see what I can do. My native american name, "He who hunts with wind at back". I could turn a hurricane....

One thing to consider about buying the "plinking ammo" to gather brass is you may end up with a lot of different headstamp makes. When I did this last year to start my 45 Colt collection of brass, I tried to focus on factory ammo brands with Starline brass, as I knew I would settle on Starline, once it became available. I try and not mix a lot of different headstamps, when I am loading to full throttle.

Good luck with your Dad's reloading stuff. I hope it works out for you.

Craig