Originally Posted by H2OBUG
Not saying that this is not an option. But I shot a deer this year with a 44 mag Model 69 S&W and a pretty hot 180 XTP.
Square shoulder shot at 20 yds. That deer ran over 400 yds.

After that I went back to my 45 Colt and the old 250 XTP and the 44 mag 240.

Sticking with the bigger stuff for hunting.

Save the others for wild dogs and devil worshipers.


I had terrible luck with the Hornady 44 180XTP. I called Hornady and was told that bullet was never intended as a hunting bullet. It was designed as a defensive bullet. I had them completely turn inside out out of .44 Specials at lower velocity than the .44 mag. The design and construction of a bullet is as important as the weight. The 125gr bonded bullets in the .357 Sig generally go right through a deer and wreck everything they touch. The 180gr XTP 10mm is much tougher than the 180gr 44. I have recovered one and no tracking was involved on the deer. I don't shoot shoulders and they generally drop in their tracks. Here is a 180gr XTP recovered from a deer at 41 yards.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/g1TWhYn.jpg?1[/img]
img]https://i.imgur.com/TVYlrnm.jpg[/img]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

"A quiet hit in the right place is better than a loud miss in the wrong place followed by 10 more shots on the run"

I was a handgun hunter, when handgun wasn't cool.....