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44 Ammo "Hog Hunting"
- Thread starter mvp0623
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Craig Knight
Senior Member
check out some of Buffalo Bores hard cast lead ammo. They leave a nice sized hole in just about anything you want to kill with a handgun, usually get full penetration on hogs and definetly any deer. Some will go ahead and let you know that they are not legal to hunt with but on hogs they work wonders and I use them regardless.
ATLRoach
Senior Member
What are you shooting?
Jason280
Senior Member
Any hard cast lead bullets in the 240gr and up weights should work fine.
Hoyt
Senior Member
I use to cast 310gr. hardcast wheelweights using the Lee mold..those would do it if you reloaded and cast your own.
Otherwise I'd go with a Hornady 240gr or 300gr XTP.
Otherwise I'd go with a Hornady 240gr or 300gr XTP.
44 Super Red Hawk
hawgrider1200
Senior Member
If you handload, you can load more powder using the 200 grain and 180 grain bullets, without raising CUP over the recommended limit. According to ballistic charts I've seen, the lighter weight bullets actually have more velocity out of the muzzle and more energy when it hits the target. Try loading your own using the 180 grain bullets or if you can find 180 grain Hornady ammo try that. You gotta be close up to a hog to get full penetration with a handgun.
ATLRoach
Senior Member
Sorry I meant what ammo are you currently shooting that is not penetrating.
dertiedawg
Senior Member
Hard Cast IS legal, any lead bullet is legal!!
Federal 240 grain jacketed soft point.
Federal 240 grain Hydroshock.
I have not taken head shots rather shoulder shots. I'm sure I'm killing them but I'm not able to recover them from the palmettos. I suspect I'm not getting an exit wound and that fat is plugging the entrance wound. Starts out with a good blood trail and ends with a couple of drops.
Have you ever shot the corebond full metal jacketed bullets?
tv_racin_fan
Senior Member
I believe I would try some Buffalo Bore ammo myself.
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Bro...***691***&sortBy=RetailPrice asc&brandId=2118
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Bro...***691***&sortBy=RetailPrice asc&brandId=2118
hawgrider1200
Senior Member
That shield (gristle) may plug up the hollow point and cause it to fail to expand also. I know I made a great hit on a hog at 10 yds with an arrow (It was a complete pass through) and never found the first drop of blood, so there is a good argument for the exit wound becoming plugged. If u can get really close and shoot em right behind the ear while they are slightly quartered away. A 22 lr will put them down with that shot placement.
Apex Predator
Senior Member
Any heavier soft point, or cast bullet should penetrate out the far side of a large hog. Stay away from the lighter bullets traveling fast. Yeah, they have higher velocity, but so what? You only need 1,100 or 1,200 to blow through a large critter with the right bullet. The last hog I shot with a .44 was with the wrong bullet, but it's all I had on hand. It was a mature boar at a quartering angle. The bullet was lodged just under the shield on the far side. He only made it 40 yards. It was a max hand-loaded 200 grain jacketed hollow point. I normally use 240 grain softpoints.
hawgrider1200
Senior Member
If u are shooting factory loads you are only getting 1180 fps at the muzzle if u r using Remington cartridges and 240 grain bullets. The 180 grain bullets are moving 1600fps. That develops a lot more kenetic energy and would be more likely to penetrate a mature boar. follow the link http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/results/default.aspx?type=pistol&cal=16
Philbow
Senior Member
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/products.asp
Get the 330 grain hammerhead. you will not have to worry about poor penetration. But they are pricey, $100 per 50 cartridges.
Get the 330 grain hammerhead. you will not have to worry about poor penetration. But they are pricey, $100 per 50 cartridges.
tv_racin_fan
Senior Member
Hawg sir I hate to disagree with you but have you really looked at those numbers? Lets take a 240 and a 180 and seriously compare the numbers.
240gr-1180-1081-1010 180gr-1610-1365-1175 this is velocity. Notice how the lighter bullet loses velocity much quicker than the heavier bullet. Not far past 100 yards the lighter bullet loses the velocity race and it becomes slower than the heavier bullet and is still shedding speed at a faster rate.
240gr-741-623-543 180gr-1036-745-551 this is energy (calculated). Notice how the lighter bullets loses energy much faster than the heavier bullet to the point where at 100 yards they are virually the same and from 100 or so on the heavier bullet is going to carry more energy than the lighter bullet.
240gr-1180-1081-1010 180gr-1610-1365-1175 this is velocity. Notice how the lighter bullet loses velocity much quicker than the heavier bullet. Not far past 100 yards the lighter bullet loses the velocity race and it becomes slower than the heavier bullet and is still shedding speed at a faster rate.
240gr-741-623-543 180gr-1036-745-551 this is energy (calculated). Notice how the lighter bullets loses energy much faster than the heavier bullet to the point where at 100 yards they are virually the same and from 100 or so on the heavier bullet is going to carry more energy than the lighter bullet.
hawgrider1200
Senior Member
I would not figure to shoot a deer or hog at that distance with a revolver. Sure would not expect a bullet out of my revolver to go all the way through a hog at that distance. But yeah at 100 yards that is what the chart says. It almost evens out. 240 grain drops 3.7inches at 100 yards too. 180 only drops 2.3 inches. I guess I just figured everyone would be using the 44 mag at ranges up to 50 yards. I'd probably hold my range to 30 yards. I'm only using my revolver for those shots where the deer or hog comes in under your right arm and u can't shoot him with the rifle without turning around. If ur talkin handloads u might find slightly different numbers than factory too. I'd like to try shooting into that ballistic gel at close ranges to see where the break point for penetration would be. Of course a hog is gonna stop a bullet before a deer would. That gristle that folks call the shield is tough stuff. Thick too.
Apex Predator
Senior Member
I've killed around 30 big game critters with a .44, and I can promise you that light and fast hollow points will penetrate less than slow and heavy soft points. Things don't happen in the real world like you would think. The more violent the expansion, the less penetration you are gonna get. If you want two holes reliably, stay away from hollow points.
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44 Mag
Firm believer in using heavy for caliber LBT style hard cast bullets. Penetration will not be a problem when loaded correctly. Will most definitely out penetrate any HP or JSP at the same velocity.
Here is a good link that has a lot of different styles and calibers with heavy for caliber bullets. That and the price is right!
http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page6.html
GAR
Firm believer in using heavy for caliber LBT style hard cast bullets. Penetration will not be a problem when loaded correctly. Will most definitely out penetrate any HP or JSP at the same velocity.
Here is a good link that has a lot of different styles and calibers with heavy for caliber bullets. That and the price is right!
http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page6.html
GAR
deadgame
Senior Member
winchester supreme has a 250 grain nosler partition loading that works great on deer and hogs alike, but if you reload ,hardcast high antimony lead bullets are definitely the way to go. afterall who really needs expansion? just be sure and use the flattest tip with almost wadcutter edges so it will cut close to a full .429 diameter wound channel and voila', bloodtrail courtesy of .44 cal. irrigation pipe.
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