HR handi-rifle ammo selection

newguy07 · August 8, 2009, 08:27 PM

Just bought a HR 44 mag single shot to use for deer season this year in Indiana. Does anyone have any recommendations of the best bullet for this application?

bswiv · August 8, 2009, 08:50 PM

Used a TC Contender with a 14 inch barrel for quite a few deer and hogs here in Fl. While your barrel is much longer, and therefor performance signifantly enhansed, bullet selection criteria is not that much different.

In the velocities we got out of the Contender it seemed that 240, or at most 260 grain, hollow points seem to work well. A good balence between penetration and expansion.

With that said it may be that your much bigger deer may call for a heavier bullet. And I think with the longer barrel you may get the velocity to take advantage of them.

As for brand few folks will say bad things about the Hornady XTP. I've taken quite a few animals with them. I'll also admit to having a preference for the standard Remington 240 HP. It really opens up depositing all the energy fast.

Of course you sacrifice the value of two holes with a fast expanding bullet. As I get older seems I like the larger slower stuff because of less meat damage and so that I have two holes making a blood trail.......

treg · August 8, 2009, 09:09 PM

Hard cast LSWC, LBT style hard cast with a big meplat, or a JSP. Any of those in a 240 gr configuration will work great. Choose a load that's accurate in your gun, know your caliber and load, practice a lot, and a deer (bear, coyote, etc.) ain't never gonna know the difference.
No HP's, too much meat wrecked and questionable performance especially at rifle velocities. Like bswiv said 2 holes makes for easier tracking.

Art Eatman · August 9, 2009, 11:39 AM

Ross Seyfried has hunted extensively with .44 Mag handguns, and also the bigger stuff. He has often said the same thing as treg as to hard-cast and large meplats.

kwells6 · August 9, 2009, 01:18 PM

my friend yancy hunts with a 44 handi. ill get his load data here in a few. i can guarentee he shoots around 2" at 100yds ive seen it and done it with his rifle

hardluk1 · August 9, 2009, 07:23 PM

Stay away from hard cast for deer as they can punch a nice 44 cal hole through use on hogs or bear. Any soft point ,bonded hp or barnes x and you would will have a great deer thumper. Go to the hotter heavier rounds and you now have rifle that can reach out to 175 may be bit farther. You can use some of the black powder scopes and get to use the circles in them for 100 grain loads.

Rampant_Colt · August 9, 2009, 07:53 PM

For deer, you'll be well-served with any of the loads below:

W-W 250gr Partition Gold
W-W 250gr Supreme Platinum Tip [Black Talons w/o evil black Lubalox coating]
W-W 240gr USA SP [50rd box]
Speer 240gr Gold Dot HP
Speer 270gr Gold Dot SP
Hornady 240gr & 300gr XTP
Hornady LeveRevolution 225gr FTX
Federal 240gr JHP
Federal 225gr DPX "Vital-Shok" all-copper bullet
Federal 240gr Hydra-Shok
Federal 240gr American Eagle [50rd box]
Federal 240gr Fusion 240gr SP
Remington 240gr JHP
Remington 270gr Core-Lokt <---- Golden Saber design
Remington UMC 180gr SP [HOT stuff! 50rd box]
Magtech 240gr SP [50rd box]

I foresee a H&R Handi-Rifle in my very near future. [if only they'd make a 7.62x54R barrel...]

~happy hunting!

.284 · August 11, 2009, 08:53 PM

Bigger isn't always better boys. I would lean towards a 200 gr Hornady XTP that you could stuff some serious powder in. You will gain a little velocity and the change in ft./lbs. of energy will be minimal. Ultimately, it is going to take a little range time on your part to see what your gun likes. But, hey that's half the fun of buying it. Good luck!

hardluk1 · August 12, 2009, 11:30 AM

.284 The twist they use does typicaly like heavier bullets than lite bullets so must times the heavies will shoot better, and does in mine . Also some of the hotter rounds are heavier unlike most ammo on the market and retain energy down range better.Except maybe those new hornady rubber tip rounds.

.284 · August 12, 2009, 04:36 PM

I stand corrected. I am going off what my S&W 629 likes. So, I keep seeing these Handi-rifles popping up in various threads, I may have to investigate.

treg · August 16, 2009, 09:23 AM

Quote:

they're called cartridges!

There's cartridges and there's bullets. OP asked about bullets and got bullet answers.

hardluk1 · August 16, 2009, 09:54 AM

treg ,, Feel better now. all post cover BULLET weights to some point. gesss.

Jack O'Conner · August 29, 2009, 06:27 AM

I've had excellent luck with Hornady's 200 grain XTP. This is an acronym for Extreme Terminal Performance. There is never an exit hole; the animal absorbs the full wallop of mighty 44 MAG.

Years ago, I worked in Northern California and hunted the steep ridges of Napa and Sonoma counties. These areas were loaded with coastal blacktails and bag limits were generous. My 44 MAG carbine toppled many blacktails with one shot. None got away.

I thought Indiana was a shotgun only state.

Jack

August 8, 2009, 08:27 PM	#1
newguy07 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2007 Posts: 134	HR handi-rifle ammo selection Just bought a HR 44 mag single shot to use for deer season this year in Indiana. Does anyone have any recommendations of the best bullet for this application?

August 8, 2009, 09:09 PM	#3
treg Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Posts: 1,102	Hard cast LSWC, LBT style hard cast with a big meplat, or a JSP. Any of those in a 240 gr configuration will work great. Choose a load that's accurate in your gun, know your caliber and load, practice a lot, and a deer (bear, coyote, etc.) ain't never gonna know the difference. No HP's, too much meat wrecked and questionable performance especially at rifle velocities. Like bswiv said 2 holes makes for easier tracking. __________________ .44 Special: For those who get it, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible. Last edited by treg; August 8, 2009 at 09:15 PM.

August 9, 2009, 01:18 PM	#5
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	my friend yancy hunts with a 44 handi. ill get his load data here in a few. i can guarentee he shoots around 2" at 100yds ive seen it and done it with his rifle __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

August 9, 2009, 07:53 PM	#7
Rampant_Colt Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2006 Location: Parts Unknown Posts: 1,478	they're called cartridges! For deer, you'll be well-served with any of the loads below: W-W 250gr Partition Gold W-W 250gr Supreme Platinum Tip [Black Talons w/o evil black Lubalox coating] W-W 240gr USA SP [50rd box] Speer 240gr Gold Dot HP Speer 270gr Gold Dot SP Hornady 240gr & 300gr XTP Hornady LeveRevolution 225gr FTX Federal 240gr JHP Federal 225gr DPX "Vital-Shok" all-copper bullet Federal 240gr Hydra-Shok Federal 240gr American Eagle [50rd box] Federal 240gr Fusion 240gr SP Remington 240gr JHP Remington 270gr Core-Lokt <---- Golden Saber design Remington UMC 180gr SP [HOT stuff! 50rd box] Magtech 240gr SP [50rd box] I foresee a H&R Handi-Rifle in my very near future. [if only they'd make a 7.62x54R barrel...] ~happy hunting! __________________ member of an elite paramilitary organization: Eagle Scouts

August 11, 2009, 08:53 PM	#8
.284 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2009 Location: davison, michigan Posts: 665	Bigger isn't always better boys. I would lean towards a 200 gr Hornady XTP that you could stuff some serious powder in. You will gain a little velocity and the change in ft./lbs. of energy will be minimal. Ultimately, it is going to take a little range time on your part to see what your gun likes. But, hey that's half the fun of buying it. Good luck! __________________ Guns have only two enemies, rust and politicians! Deer are amazing creatures....so please don't burn the sauteed onions and I'll pass on the steak sauce, thank you.

August 8, 2009, 08:50 PM	#2
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: NE FL....... Posts: 1,081	Used a TC Contender with a 14 inch barrel for quite a few deer and hogs here in Fl. While your barrel is much longer, and therefor performance signifantly enhansed, bullet selection criteria is not that much different. In the velocities we got out of the Contender it seemed that 240, or at most 260 grain, hollow points seem to work well. A good balence between penetration and expansion. With that said it may be that your much bigger deer may call for a heavier bullet. And I think with the longer barrel you may get the velocity to take advantage of them. As for brand few folks will say bad things about the Hornady XTP. I've taken quite a few animals with them. I'll also admit to having a preference for the standard Remington 240 HP. It really opens up depositing all the energy fast. Of course you sacrifice the value of two holes with a fast expanding bullet. As I get older seems I like the larger slower stuff because of less meat damage and so that I have two holes making a blood trail.......

August 9, 2009, 11:39 AM	#4
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Ross Seyfried has hunted extensively with .44 Mag handguns, and also the bigger stuff. He has often said the same thing as treg as to hard-cast and large meplats.

August 9, 2009, 07:23 PM	#6
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	Stay away from hard cast for deer as they can punch a nice 44 cal hole through use on hogs or bear. Any soft point ,bonded hp or barnes x and you would will have a great deer thumper. Go to the hotter heavier rounds and you now have rifle that can reach out to 175 may be bit farther. You can use some of the black powder scopes and get to use the circles in them for 100 grain loads.

August 12, 2009, 11:30 AM	#9
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	.284 The twist they use does typicaly like heavier bullets than lite bullets so must times the heavies will shoot better, and does in mine . Also some of the hotter rounds are heavier unlike most ammo on the market and retain energy down range better.Except maybe those new hornady rubber tip rounds.

August 12, 2009, 04:36 PM	#10
.284 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2009 Location: davison, michigan Posts: 665	hardluk1 I stand corrected. I am going off what my S&W 629 likes. So, I keep seeing these Handi-rifles popping up in various threads, I may have to investigate. __________________ Guns have only two enemies, rust and politicians! Deer are amazing creatures....so please don't burn the sauteed onions and I'll pass on the steak sauce, thank you.

August 16, 2009, 09:54 AM	#12
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	treg ,, Feel better now. all post cover BULLET weights to some point. gesss.

August 29, 2009, 06:27 AM	#13
Jack O'Conner Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2005 Location: Manatee County, Florida Posts: 1,976	I've had excellent luck with Hornady's 200 grain XTP. This is an acronym for Extreme Terminal Performance. There is never an exit hole; the animal absorbs the full wallop of mighty 44 MAG. Years ago, I worked in Northern California and hunted the steep ridges of Napa and Sonoma counties. These areas were loaded with coastal blacktails and bag limits were generous. My 44 MAG carbine toppled many blacktails with one shot. None got away. I thought Indiana was a shotgun only state. Jack __________________ Fire up the grill! Deer hunting IS NOT catch and release.