.44 Special Hunting Ammo

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pavelow

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Hello All,

I am wondering if any of you can give me recommendations on .44 special ammunition for whitetail deer hunting.

Bullet weight? Manufacturer? Velocity and Engergy info from a 4" revolver?

Thanks.
 
Err, .44 Special for whitetail ... doesn't sound like a good idea, pavelow. That's about a ballistic equivalent to a .45 ACP. Not really adequate to insure a humane kill, unless you are within, say, 30 yds (100 ft).
 
sixgunner.com...check out HOME page ~1/2 down

Those are abput the only ammo I would go with as
they will handle deer for sure. GOOD LUCK...dewey
( Cor_bon has a 165grn. at 1100 or so but with
your 4 inch brrl. I would caution to try and shoot
a deer at much past 40 yards...HUNTING SKILLS ! )
 
I agree with the above. If you want to hunt whitetails with a 44 then you really need a 44 magnum, not a special. It can be done with a stout special but circumstances would be SO limited that it wouldn't be worth it. My two cents.
 
Like WESHOOT2 asked...¿ What kind of gun ?

The majors cannot afford to market stoutish .44 spec ammo. Somebody might try it in an L frame or smaller and then sue when they couldn't find all the pieces. Same reason we can't get off the shelf 38/44 or .38 spec high velocity. People break their watch fob guns and then complain. People don't read n heed anymore.

44 spec is a grand ol cartridge, and you used to be able to load er stout if you had a stout gun.

Sam
 
Thanks for the replies...to clarify things a little I am shooting a .44 mountain gun.

The reason that I'm asking about the .44 spl for whitetail is this...I already have my archery stand set up and my longest shot there is no more than 25 yards (I'm in the thick stuff in a swamp by a river crossing ). It's a great spot for Archery and I am considering sitting there on the firearm opener as well.

As with most people, I enjoy shooting the .44 spl more than the .44 mag in the aforementioned gun. I'm just wondering about a good load (handload or otherwise) that will humanely take a whitetail at 25 yards.

Thanks,

Pavelow:
 
Your archery stand is for shots closer than 25yards... so that means that your shots with a 44Spec will be beyond 25 yards, correct? Or is it the other way around? If you plan on hitting the deer the first time, then do it a favor and use 44Mag at the minimum. The energy out of the barrel for a 44Spec is only around 400fpe.... then be reasonable and make it a 30-40 yard shot if lucky. The potency lost at such a distance is too great. A 44Spec doesn't put up much energy and I figure you can handle the 44Mag's recoil for one shot. Save the 44Spec for target. FWIW, I like Hornady's stuff.
http://www.hornady.com/

Besides, what did Bambi ever do to you? :p
Ben
 
A 245 gr. Keith bullet at 900-1000 fps will work quite well for your whitetail provided proper shot placement. You don't even have to use .44 Special cases if you don't want. Any good reloading manual should have data for loading the .44 Mag to this level. E-mail me and I will share my load data and testing results. Most .44 Special data and factory ammo is kept on the low end in deference to the Colt SAA. Buffalo Bore is the exception, though you will pay handsomely for it. Check out www.sixgunner.com for more information on their heavy .44 Special loads.
 
I agree - use Magnums. Especially if your gun is chambered for it, there's no excuse for using a lighter load. Otherwise, it's like taking your 357 Maximum rifle out and trying to hunt with 38spl in it.
 
Let me clarify one more time. The longest shot in my swamp stand is 25 yards...the brush and trees prevent a longer shot even with a gun.

I'm just looking for opinions on the lowest recoiling (.44 caliber) cartridge that will cleanly take deer. I have read articles that state at close ranges (25 yards) the .44 spl can cleanly take deer size game.

Thanks again.

Pavelow
 
:cool: try cor bons 165gr. jhp
they produce 1150 fps and 485 ftlbs
buy a couple boxes and see how they shoot in your gun first
good shootin and good huntin
 
I hunt whitetail with a 4" 629 and I would call 25 yds an average shot,I also bowhunt with traditional archery equipment and five yards is what I call a close shot,I wouldnt use 44 special anything,I would use 180 grain factory loads if you are concerned with recoil,if you handload try 240 grain bullets over eight grains of bullseye its my favorite practice load and a 240 grain bullet at 1150 feet per second out of your 4" barrel packs enough punch for deer at moderate ranges,remember no matter what you use shot placement is the most important thing keep in mind these are just my opinions
 
If you must use a 44 Special instead of 44 Magnum and need factory ammo I'd suggest looking at http://www.sixguns.com/info/44special.htm for 255 grain WFN @ 1000 fps in a 4" revolver.

If you can handle a bit more recoil and still want the 44 Special Keiths load of 17gr of 2400 under a 250gr LSWC @1,200 fps is plenty for deer. This load should only be fired in 44 magnum revolvers, NOT 44 Specials.
 
Pavelow, try the 44 Spl Blaser 200gr Gold Dot hollow Point. Cheap, fast, powerful, and I love them out of my own 629. I know not everyone will agree with this choice, but these WILL drop a 150 pound whitetail, especially from above. :D
Sure, a magnum will do it, but at 100 feet or less so will a .22 Mag. Don't sweat the power level, just concentrate on bullet placement. ;)
 
Go ahead and use your .44 spl.

If you will truly keep your shots in the 25 yd range or less and place them well, the .44 spl. will cleanly take a whitetail deer. There are several good loads on the market or you can handload. John Taffins site, www.sixguns.com, has an offer for some good, hot lead loads that will whack your whitetail admirably.

I have killed feral hogs with this load so I know it will take the more delicate whitetail. It is true that a hot .44 mag. HP is a better round for deer. It is also true that a good .30-06 rifle is a better round for deer than any handgun. I have killed whitetail deer with handgun (.44 spl. .44 mag. and .45 Colt), bow (compound and recurve), muzzleloader, modern rifle (.22 l.r., .30-30 Win. .242 Win. and 7mm Rem mag.) and shotgun. They all ended up dead and in my freezer.

It is up to the hunter to decide on the clean, sure shot. The choice of weapon or caliber matters little.
 
Thanks to all who replied.

After considering your opinions and experience along with others that I trust and my own thinking...I have decided that I will try a lighter load .44 mag this fall. Maybe a 180 grain bullet.

Thanks again...great site w/friendly informative people.

Pavelow
 
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