The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Solids or hollow-points for whitetails in .44 mag?

Paul B. · January 12, 2001, 01:23 PM

I've only shot two deer with a .44 magnum. The first was with a 240 gr. Remington hollow point. The bullet hit the left shoulder, leaving the jacket imbedded in the shoulder blade, the lead core continuing through both lungs and lodging against the off shoulder blade. Deer ran maybe 15 yards and dropped.
Second deer was about 25 yards away, behind some brush. All I could see was about half the neck and head. Bullet was a hard cast 245 gr. Keith type semi-wadcutter. Bullet struck deer at the base of the skull, just behind the ear. Dropped like he was poleaxed.
Gun in both cases was a Ruger Super Blackhawk with 7.5 inch barrel.
My first .44 was a 5 screw S&W, purchased in late 1956. Jacketed bullets were still a gleam in some designers eye at the time, so all that was available was lead bullets. I cast my own from wheelweight metal. After I sold the gun is was 44less for a while. In 1976, I got the Ruger for use as a trail gun. Still shot my cast lead bullets though, and many a jackrabbit felt it's bite. Then deer hunting with a handgun was opened up in 1977, if I remember right. (In Nevada) I bought a couple of boxes of the jacketed ammo mentioned above, and used that. I was not too impressed with the shed jacket, although striking velocity at about 35-40 yards was still fairly high. I went back to cast bullets and have stayed there ever since. I am sure, that if I do my part, any deer I shoot at is meat in the pot.
Paul B.

January 12, 2001, 01:23 PM	#8
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	I've only shot two deer with a .44 magnum. The first was with a 240 gr. Remington hollow point. The bullet hit the left shoulder, leaving the jacket imbedded in the shoulder blade, the lead core continuing through both lungs and lodging against the off shoulder blade. Deer ran maybe 15 yards and dropped. Second deer was about 25 yards away, behind some brush. All I could see was about half the neck and head. Bullet was a hard cast 245 gr. Keith type semi-wadcutter. Bullet struck deer at the base of the skull, just behind the ear. Dropped like he was poleaxed. Gun in both cases was a Ruger Super Blackhawk with 7.5 inch barrel. My first .44 was a 5 screw S&W, purchased in late 1956. Jacketed bullets were still a gleam in some designers eye at the time, so all that was available was lead bullets. I cast my own from wheelweight metal. After I sold the gun is was 44less for a while. In 1976, I got the Ruger for use as a trail gun. Still shot my cast lead bullets though, and many a jackrabbit felt it's bite. Then deer hunting with a handgun was opened up in 1977, if I remember right. (In Nevada) I bought a couple of boxes of the jacketed ammo mentioned above, and used that. I was not too impressed with the shed jacket, although striking velocity at about 35-40 yards was still fairly high. I went back to cast bullets and have stayed there ever since. I am sure, that if I do my part, any deer I shoot at is meat in the pot. Paul B.