300 grain Nosler HP in 44 Mag

Reloader2 · March 1, 2014, 02:07 AM

Can anybody recommend a powder that works well with this bullet?
Is this a suitable bullet for use on small deer at fairly close range?

Mike / Tx · March 1, 2014, 09:55 AM

It will absolutely kill a deer, but so will the lighter one in 240grs if you can find those. Just thought I would add that as with some 300gr loads I have had issues with running out of adjustment on my sights due to them shooting higher due to more recoil.

That said, I could have probably easily loaded them to work, but I wanted a specific load for a specific purpose and deer wasn't it.

On the powders, There are several that would work well, but if I were loading those I would lean towards using 2400, H-110/296, Accurate-9 for the best performance. Of the three I would suggest #9 as it usually has a wider load range, as well as being able to deliver top end velocity without the muzzle flash associated with 2400. If the flash isn't going to be an issue in lower light then 2400 will work really well also.

With 2400 or AA-9 you don't need a magnum primer, with 110/296 many recommend using one.

Hope this helps.

Rifleman1776 · March 1, 2014, 10:57 AM

It has long been my policy to not memorize loads. Memories can be faulty. Meaning dangerous.

for health reasons I had to give up my .44 mag. Redhawk.

I don't remember my 300 gr. loads. But, I can tell you this. Unless you really need that whomper-stomper load, stick with 240 gr. bullets. The recoil with a 300 gr. bullet and a (safe) max load is very substantial. I believe shooting should be fun. Even with that heavy R'hawk the recoil was punishing, not fun at all. I would forego practicing with those heavy bear loads and just shoot when you can smell bruins bad breath.
Sorry, I can't (won't) reccomend loads on forum. I think that is a potentially dangerous practice.

buck460XVR · March 1, 2014, 11:35 AM

The 300 grainer will certainly take a deer(small or large) at close range if you do your part. If you already have the bullets I recommend you use H110/W296 or IMR4227. Like the others, if you don't already have the bullets, I recommend something a tad smaller for small deer. If you are uncomfortable with 240s, Speer's 270gr is a good alternative to the 300s.

Reloader2 · March 1, 2014, 06:51 PM

I recently bought a box because they were on sale at the Nosler pro shop. I hadn't shot the 44 for awhile and forgot how much kick and noise it made even with the 240 grain loads. Kind of a shock after playing with the 9 mm's the past few months m
I don't plan on loading them too hot.

FrankenMauser · March 2, 2014, 03:35 AM

Quote:

I don't plan on loading them too hot.

It's not a big deal. There isn't a huge difference between a "moderate" 300 grain load and a "hot" 300 grain load.
Just work up to the approximate velocity you want, or the accuracy you desire, and call it good.

Personally, I load 310 gr bullets to about 1,050 fps (7.5" SBH). That seems to be the sweet spot, so I don't push them any harder. There's recoil, but nothing like the 'punishment' some other shooters had me expecting.

As for powders....
I use H110 and Alliant 2400.
Power Pro 300-MP would be a good choice, as well.

I run Winchester primers in heavy .44 Mag loads, so the whole "magnum vs non-magnum primer" debate is irrelevant to me. I really don't know if using a 'magnum' primer matters...

For what it's worth, Sierra recommends AA9, pushing their 300 gr bullet to about 1,050 fps, for accuracy. ...and Nosler recommends the same powder (but they use a longer barrel, so velocity is irrelevant).

Mike / Tx · March 2, 2014, 08:29 AM

Quote:

For what it's worth, Sierra recommends AA9, pushing their 300 gr bullet to about 1,050 fps, for accuracy. ...and Nosler recommends the same powder (but they use a longer barrel, so velocity is irrelevant).

It's been quite a few years ago now, just before the newer super RH's were out on the general market, there was a group of shooters who were from Ruger's shooting team, I guess as they were all done up in Ruger gear and had the SRH's before they were out to the general public. Anyhow, they came out to one of the ranges I used to frequent and were checking out the 200yd range where I was shooting. There were only two or three of us over there that evening and it wasn't long before the cease fire was called and the range was shut down for them to practice.

I was all over this now as I was shooting my then scoped standard RH in 44 to 100 quite a bit, and I REALLY wanted to see how these folks did with this new breed RH and at 200 to boot. They proceeded to shoot some groups with iron sights that were to me awesome. Each one after the other shot 6 rounds then the next would go. When they were done they were easily holding 3 or so inch groups on the paper. Well the questions began to fly and I was more interested in the loads and bullets than the to me behemoth looking SRH. As mentioned at the top, they were using the then new Sierra 300gr, loaded over a dose of AA-9.

It did me little good to try that load out in my scoped RH as all it ended up doing was sheering the mounting screws off. Accurate, absolutely, and the recoil however wasn't nearly as bad as what I thought it should be, and not as much perceived as with the 180's I was using. They did however have a more sustained push which is I am sure what sheered the screws. None the less I went back to iron sights after that and have left the optic to things with barrels longer than 12" since.

All that said, the 240gr XTP is an awesome bullet if you don't like the 300's. It will do anything your looking to do on a whitetial the size you mention, as will most others in that weight. The biggest thing you need to consider, IMO, is which one you can get several hundred of, in order to practice enough to get proficient at the ranges you want to shoot. Some folks are simply naturally good shots, but put a deer in front of them and it all goes out the window. There is a saying tossed around that you need to shoot and be able to hit the bull area of a target 10 or more times at what ever ranges you plan to hunt at, or shoot a hundred rounds per 10yd increment. I don't know about either of them but I have put many thousands of rounds down range since the early 80's and am still working on being consistent. That isn't to say I can't hit what I am aiming at, not the case at all, but throw in wind, heavy breathing, and several other distractions, and it is a bit more than loading up a few bullets and heading to the woods.

I wish you the absolute best of luck with your endeavor. Hunting with handguns is akin to archery. The ranges are usually up close and personal, and you have to be on your game to pull it off.

totaldla · March 2, 2014, 02:43 PM

I'm wondering how fast that 300 needs to be moving to open up? I know the 300gr XTP needs to be impacting at 1100fps or so to open up reliably.

riverratt · March 3, 2014, 10:54 PM

As far as the effectivness of a .44 mag on deer i load 240gr xtp at around 1200 fps and have taken several 100lb-150lb whitetail with it (all inside of 50yrd) most were broadside and it passed through. I did make a quartering shot on one and hit the off shoulder, bullet did not pass through and was found as a perfect mushroom just under the hide.

I also load an H&R 18'' barrel for my kids with a 200gr xtp around 1300fps. They have taken 4 deer with them upto 75yrds all dead deer only one passthrough.

As far as expantion goes on a .44 it is nice to have but with a bluntnose bullet it is not nesasary with good shot placement. I have a close friend that hunts with a 300gr hardcast out of his srh and he has killed several with it. I dressed a deer he had shot in the chest, found the bullet in the hip against the bone no expantion at all. Personally i like a bullet to expand but have seen enough of my buddys dead deer to realize that you dont need it with a bullet that big.

March 1, 2014, 02:07 AM	#1
Reloader2 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2013 Posts: 263	300 grain Nosler HP in 44 Mag Can anybody recommend a powder that works well with this bullet? Is this a suitable bullet for use on small deer at fairly close range?

March 1, 2014, 09:55 AM	#2
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2000 Posts: 2,139	It will absolutely kill a deer, but so will the lighter one in 240grs if you can find those. Just thought I would add that as with some 300gr loads I have had issues with running out of adjustment on my sights due to them shooting higher due to more recoil. That said, I could have probably easily loaded them to work, but I wanted a specific load for a specific purpose and deer wasn't it. On the powders, There are several that would work well, but if I were loading those I would lean towards using 2400, H-110/296, Accurate-9 for the best performance. Of the three I would suggest #9 as it usually has a wider load range, as well as being able to deliver top end velocity without the muzzle flash associated with 2400. If the flash isn't going to be an issue in lower light then 2400 will work really well also. With 2400 or AA-9 you don't need a magnum primer, with 110/296 many recommend using one. Hope this helps. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

March 2, 2014, 02:43 PM	#8
totaldla Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2009 Location: SW Idaho Posts: 1,499	I'm wondering how fast that 300 needs to be moving to open up? I know the 300gr XTP needs to be impacting at 1100fps or so to open up reliably. __________________ Keltec P15 at 1200 rounds

March 1, 2014, 10:57 AM	#3
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	It has long been my policy to not memorize loads. Memories can be faulty. Meaning dangerous. for health reasons I had to give up my .44 mag. Redhawk. I don't remember my 300 gr. loads. But, I can tell you this. Unless you really need that whomper-stomper load, stick with 240 gr. bullets. The recoil with a 300 gr. bullet and a (safe) max load is very substantial. I believe shooting should be fun. Even with that heavy R'hawk the recoil was punishing, not fun at all. I would forego practicing with those heavy bear loads and just shoot when you can smell bruins bad breath. Sorry, I can't (won't) reccomend loads on forum. I think that is a potentially dangerous practice.

March 1, 2014, 11:35 AM	#4
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	The 300 grainer will certainly take a deer(small or large) at close range if you do your part. If you already have the bullets I recommend you use H110/W296 or IMR4227. Like the others, if you don't already have the bullets, I recommend something a tad smaller for small deer. If you are uncomfortable with 240s, Speer's 270gr is a good alternative to the 300s.

March 1, 2014, 06:51 PM	#5
Reloader2 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2013 Posts: 263	I recently bought a box because they were on sale at the Nosler pro shop. I hadn't shot the 44 for awhile and forgot how much kick and noise it made even with the 240 grain loads. Kind of a shock after playing with the 9 mm's the past few months m I don't plan on loading them too hot.

March 3, 2014, 10:54 PM	#9
riverratt Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2014 Posts: 314	As far as the effectivness of a .44 mag on deer i load 240gr xtp at around 1200 fps and have taken several 100lb-150lb whitetail with it (all inside of 50yrd) most were broadside and it passed through. I did make a quartering shot on one and hit the off shoulder, bullet did not pass through and was found as a perfect mushroom just under the hide. I also load an H&R 18'' barrel for my kids with a 200gr xtp around 1300fps. They have taken 4 deer with them upto 75yrds all dead deer only one passthrough. As far as expantion goes on a .44 it is nice to have but with a bluntnose bullet it is not nesasary with good shot placement. I have a close friend that hunts with a 300gr hardcast out of his srh and he has killed several with it. I dressed a deer he had shot in the chest, found the bullet in the hip against the bone no expantion at all. Personally i like a bullet to expand but have seen enough of my buddys dead deer to realize that you dont need it with a bullet that big.