reduced loads for whitetail

[14cm]

i was chronoing some hot loads out of my f/a 454 today and i am done with the punishment this gun produces with full house loads. normaly i would push a 300 gr xtp mag around 1800 fps. this has been causing my wrist to hurt all day. i loades some 300 gr xtp non mag bullets with 12.5gr of unique this produced 1150 fps. the recoil was light and the 100 yd groups were awsome. i atribute the groups to the lower recoil and no flintch on my part.

MY question, is a 300 gr xtp non mag bullet at 1150, good whitetail medicin? this is about 100 fps slower than a hot 44 with a 300 gr bullet. i can bump it up fairly easy to 1250.

 

[Art Eatman]

Yeah, anything around the 1,200 mark would work. 1,150/1,250, Bambi won't care.

 

[VaFisher]

I agree, there has been many animals taken with a lot less of the years.

 

[bswiv]

I see no problem with it at all. Over the years I've taken more than 20 hogs and deer, most off of Cumberland Island, with a T-C Contender in .44mag. Used the 240 grain on almost all of them. With reasonable shot placement it is very effective. I'd say the 300 grain at the velocities you suggest would produce very similar results.

One benifit of the bigger bullet at lower velocities is that there will be less meat damage should you hit a shoulder or ham by accident. As a meat hunter I like that.

 

[treg]

Although they were very accurate, I've had 300 gr .44 cal XTP's not perform as intended on game. A hard cast Kieth, LBT or similar style bullet is highly recomended medicine for deer and other game at your desired velocity range.

 

[14cm]

I have allways been scared to deth of lead bullets. i have owned a dozen 44 mags and a couple 45lc and 2 454's. have shot jacket bullets through all of them. i do not have a good reason why, just was nervious about leading the bores, i guess. I am going to bump the load up to 13gr. this should get me up around 1200fps. what would be a good lead bullet out of this gun. 7.5" f/a model 83. i do have 100 lb ingot of pure lead that uncle sam gave me 20 years ago.

 

[banditt007]

I'd just keep the shots to heart/lung broadside.

 

[publius]

I think your recipe should work fine. I'm a hard cast man myself and have taken many whitetail doe w/a .45 colt throwing a 255SWC at about the velocity you're talking about. I wouldn't think twice about using a good HP though.

 

[Jack O'Conner]

This northern California buck rec'd a 200 grain hollow tip, delivery by 44 MAG. The buck rose up on his hind legs and pawed the air like a stallion before toppling over. He was dead as Julius Caesar by the time I walked up to him.

Placement + rapid expansion + reasonable penetration = dead animal.

TR