I don't handload, so what suggestions can you give on good deer loads from the factory? I have Hornady XTP 240 grain pills. Any better?

Ron loads quite a few options for the store-buyer.

http://shop.reedsammo.com/category.sc?categoryId=42

I don't think there's a deer around that won't fall to the 240 xtp. You shouldn't need to venture any further....notice I said "need" not "want"...

I would have to ask what type of accuracy are you getting out of your current ammo? Second, you can get set up VERY cheaply with a Lee handloader... just a thought. (I know, this isn't the question and I think outside the box...)


Lee handloader 25.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=410804

Dies 22.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=696271

240 XTP Bullets 21.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=224132

Brass 20.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=941403700

Powder 21.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=326035

Primers 34.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=276481

That is $143.00 for the first 100 and $75.00 for the second 100.

Note that one pound of powder should load 280 rounds of 44 Mag.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/powder.htm

When I was a kid, I had a Lee handloader for 12 ga. I have'nt done any loading in over 20 years, but I may get into it again some day when I don't have so many kids in the house. LOL. I know the XTP will do the job, if the gun likes them well enough, and should. Just got the gun and have'nt had enough time to really play with it yet. (hate being busy all the time) Just was looking for some factory options. I know a few loaders that may work up some loads for me if I'm not satisfied with these.

Try the Black Hills load using the 240 gr XTP @~1250 fps or so. Very accurate in my 44s. A bit pricey @ $47/50 though.

The 240gr XTP will work just fine and for a little more insurance on those odd angle shots the 300gr XTP should give that much more penetration....Good luck and good hunting.

What he said!

How much more kick can I expect out of the 300g? the 240 is not unbearable at all but 60 grains can make a big difference. and how bad is the fouling in the hard cast?

Deep thought, it is definitively manageable, but you know it is there...


I can't believe no one caught my poor math above...
The second 100 would cost 21 and the third 100 would cost 42...

The 300 XTPs in the loaded Hornady ammo is really pretty mild, in my opinion. It is not abusive in the least (maybe my sense of what is abusive and what isn't is a bit skewed). As far as hardcasts fouling, I shoot nearly all hardcast save for a few exceptions, and don't get any lead fouling.

The 300 XTP is not bad at all--I can not tell a huge chage from the 240.

To me there is a bigger jump from the 180 to 240 than from the 240 to 300

Using a 3.0 lb gun weight and assuming the 240 @ 1400 and the 300 @ 1100 on the Barsness's index the 300 has 17.4 and the 240 has 18.6 ft-lbs

That's all good info guys. Thanks. I'm looking foward to bustin' some deer this year with it. All things considered, I think the 240s will be plenty for whitetail, but I look toward the hardcast 300s for hog. Thanks again, fellas- Al

The 240's work on hogs too.

Nice, goin'. You guys never cease to making me more excited about handgun hunting. I was getting really disenchanted with hunting. It was getting too easy, and the challenge wasn't there anymore. My rifles will suffer this year for sure. - Al

Does anyone have any experience with 180 grain loads for whitetail deer?

I've killed a few southern whitetails with the Remington UMC 180gr factory loads. Can't complain, all were complete pass thru's with ranges varying from 20-80 yards.

wheeler45, the 240 gr. seems excessive to me, but I've never hunted with a handgun before. 200gr. was the largest pill I ever tried to give game. I have killed deer with a .223 at 200 yds., so I'm sure it will do the job. Bullet placement is the important part, so practice, practice, practice. I'm finding out that 50 yard shots with a 44 are not as easy as shooting a rifle, so I'm thinking big for bone penetration in case my shot is off. As I get to be a better shot, I may go with a lighter bullet. This year I think the 240.

The 240 XTP opens too fast and though it kills OK, you can have trouble finding deer because of almost no blood trails. You really want two holes.
I shot three deer with the 240 and if I had not seen them fall, I might not have found them because even back tracking showed no blood trail. I shot all three behind the shoulder and never hit a bone. I found all three bullets on the off side. I had to wonder about quartering shots or big bone hits so I went to a heavy WLN or WFN hard cast and will never go back to jacketed. If I had to use jacketed I would use a 300 gr.
Here are my three bullets.

If you want to use a 200 grain bullet get a 41 mag

I have to agree. 200 grains is really light for caliber.

The more I chat here, the more I think a 300g hard cast would be more appropriate. Is this right? I don't have a problem with heavy loads if that's what I need. Coming from the rifle world into handgun hunting, I just made the statement according to my experiences, And I think all but for the handgun bullet weight I would stand behind it. This will be my first year with a handgun so that's why I'm here. jwp, 430, and Whit, thanks for the input. I need to know these things. There's a big difference between a long gun and a handgun, and some ways of thinking are almost opposite between the two. Having fun figuring it all out tho.

For what it's worth, a good 240 - 255 gr cast or jacketed will kill anything you're likly to encounter in Oklahoma. Sierra, Speer, Nosler or Hornady make good jacketed. I 'roll my own' 240 cast or buy Cast Performance 255gr WFN.

That's one thing Ive wondered also. Does cast have an advantage over jackets?

That's the cause of more debates than Carter's got pills! It's been debated/ argued here on more than one occassion. I load both, used both, and have no quams about either one, I prefer cast.

LOL. Figures. I think I'll have some worked up in a few varieties.

A few animals taken with hard cast without any drama


















A wide meplat makes a large wound channel and does not take a back seat to jacketed

Yes indeed, jwp!

Hadn't heard that old saying in a long time! Mom would say, "...than Carter's got liver pills...".

Thanks for the retro-laugh this morning.

The whole problem here is some expect one bullet to do it all just because it is a revolver. It is the same idea that the twist rate of a revolver can shoot any boolit at any velocity. You would NEVER think like that with a rifle.
Shoot chucks with a 40 gr bullet from a 22-250--would you shoot deer with it? The 30-06 and .308 work best with 150 to 165 gr but the .300 will blow meat to mush with them. The wrong bullet in a magnum rifle can actually lose deer for you.
Why is the revolver different?
The velocity you shoot a bullet is so very important that it can't be sluffed off.
Match velocity to bullet construction or match construction to velocity. I will never understand revolver hunters, they get so far out of the loop it is stupid. Some think the best deer killer is a bullet that will blow one water jug up or a pop can sky high. A bullet fully mushroomed is so great and just makes nice pictures.
This thing is so complicated I really hate to post about it. Just because an animal is killed does not make bullet choice right because eventually it will fail. Most likely they have already failed but only animals killed are shown.
I think like JWP in that a boolit MUST work all the time no matter what size game is shot.

Point taken. Thanks-Al

I have used the speer gold dot soft point in 270 grain factory. I found thes very accurate and the heavier bullets shoot more accurately in my Redhawk. I also handload for it.

Great pictures. That is what I was going to ask. What cast bullets are you folks using? I see you can buy up to around 440gr ones.