.44 Magnum Deer Loads?

[frankwright]

I bought a CVA .44 Mag single shot this year and put a 3-9X scope on it.
I sighted it dead on at 100 yards and also checked to see where it hit at 50 yards.
I was using W296/H110 powder with a 240gr Hornady XTP. It was very accurate.

Two weeks ago sitting in an elevated box shortly before it got dark and four does came into the field. I picked the biggest one, put it on the base of her neck and fired. She spun, ducked under a fence and was gone. We never found a drop of blood. We looked for an hour and then my friend who owns the property, went back and looked the next morning. He is a great tracker and I have watched him find many a deer after everyone gave up. The deer was shot at around 80 yards.
Last night the exact same thing happened. I had a good rest, aimed for shoulder and pressed the shot. The doe ran off like it was not hit. We searched and searched and never found any sign of a hit and my friend who knows every inch of the land just visibly looked for her.

I was sick, I am not 100% sure I have ever missed a deer with a rifle. I told him the scope must be off and left the gun with him. He shot it today from a rest and got a cloverleaf 3 shot group.
He wanted one more doe he took it out is afternoon and said the same thing happened but he finally found good blood about 100 yards away and kicked the deer up at 250 yards but did not see it. He is going back to look in the morning.
I have killed 9 or 10 deer with my .41 mag but using JSP bullets. I am starting to question if I hit those deer but the XTP did not go get enough penetration or something?

 

[fishfryer]

I bought a CVA .44 Mag single shot this year and put a 3-9X scope on it.
I sighted it dead on at 100 yards and also checked to see where it hit at 50 yards.
I was using W296/H110 powder with a 240gr Hornady XTP. It was very accurate.

Two weeks ago sitting in an elevated box shortly before it got dark and four does came into the field. I picked the biggest one, put it on the base of her neck and fired. She spun, ducked under a fence and was gone. We never found a drop of blood. We looked for an hour and then my friend who owns the property, went back and looked the next morning. He is a great tracker and I have watched him find many a deer after everyone gave up. The deer was shot at around 80 yards.
Last night the exact same thing happened. I had a good rest, aimed for shoulder and pressed the shot. The doe ran off like it was not hit. We searched and searched and never found any sign of a hit and my friend who knows every inch of the land just visibly looked for her.

I was sick, I am not 100% sure I have ever missed a deer with a rifle. I told him the scope must be off and left the gun with him. He shot it today from a rest and got a cloverleaf 3 shot group.
He wanted one more doe he took it out is afternoon and said the same thing happened but he finally found good blood about 100 yards away and kicked the deer up at 250 yards but did not see it. He is going back to look in the morning.
I have killed 9 or 10 deer with my .41 mag but using JSP bullets. I am starting to question if I hit those deer but the XTP did not go get enough penetration or something?

Twenty grains of 2400 and a 240 grain Keith style cast bullet will put a deer on the ground.

 

[Jester896]

personally...I don't understand how a bullet came be suited for target shooting, hunting, self defense and law enforcement applications. I think it is going to fail at one of those if it is good for 2 of those..ymmv. Take the Nosler bullets don't seem to mention self defense or law enforcement uses.

I have always struggled not to try them.

 

[Railroader]

I don't reload, but white box Winchester 240sp's
do a fine job...Very basic recipe, I'm sure.

 

[tcward]

I bought a CVA .44 Mag single shot this year and put a 3-9X scope on it.
I sighted it dead on at 100 yards and also checked to see where it hit at 50 yards.
I was using W296/H110 powder with a 240gr Hornady XTP. It was very accurate.

Two weeks ago sitting in an elevated box shortly before it got dark and four does came into the field. I picked the biggest one, put it on the base of her neck and fired. She spun, ducked under a fence and was gone. We never found a drop of blood. We looked for an hour and then my friend who owns the property, went back and looked the next morning. He is a great tracker and I have watched him find many a deer after everyone gave up. The deer was shot at around 80 yards.
Last night the exact same thing happened. I had a good rest, aimed for shoulder and pressed the shot. The doe ran off like it was not hit. We searched and searched and never found any sign of a hit and my friend who knows every inch of the land just visibly looked for her.

I was sick, I am not 100% sure I have ever missed a deer with a rifle. I told him the scope must be off and left the gun with him. He shot it today from a rest and got a cloverleaf 3 shot group.
He wanted one more doe he took it out is afternoon and said the same thing happened but he finally found good blood about 100 yards away and kicked the deer up at 250 yards but did not see it. He is going back to look in the morning.
I have killed 9 or 10 deer with my .41 mag but using JSP bullets. I am starting to question if I hit those deer but the XTP did not go get enough penetration or something?

I’ve always had good luck with the XTP but it was the .41 mag variety. Mainly behind the shoulder shots.

 

[01Foreman400]

So far I have been really impressed with the performance of the Barnes 225 gr. XPB bullet on deer. Complete pass throughs and they don’t go far. This is out of a 7.5” barrel revolver.

 

[rosewood]

I’ve always had good luck with the XTP but it was the .41 mag variety. Mainly behind the shoulder shots.

I shot a small buck a few years back from my contender in .357 mag using the 180 XTP, went clean thru, nice exist wound. He ran about 20 yards and piled up.

That being said, I have 308 grain WFNGC I cast for use in my CVA 44. I have yet to take it hunting, but I bet it will go clean thru anything I shoot with it.

Frank,
You got me, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I would think a 240 grain anything would penetrate a deer.

Rosewood

 

[jglenn]

I hunted with the 44 for many years in the late 70s. Used a marlin 1894 and the ruger carbine.. the absolute best bullet i ever used was a 240 gr hornady. Simple exposed lead Hp.. dynamite on game out to 80 yds. Never fired twice. Closest thing to it today probably is the white box Winchester although it isn't a HP. 296 is the powder for the 44 though 2400 follows closely. Velocity is the issue at 100yds so use the softest nose bullet you can find. BTW i only used a lung shot. Right behind the shoulder. Never failed.

Not sure why I quit using the 44..guess I needed something fancier.

 

[treemanjohn]

I really like hard cast lead in .44s. Especially with bear. The hit like a ton of brick and provide deep penetration

 

[bullethead]

I just don't know of an animal that can live with a hole in the lungs and or heart. An exit hole is ideal but not necessary to kill. It seems odd that a 240gr XTP wouldn't get past a shoulder blade or bone at rifle velocities out near 80 to 100yds. Shots with a rifle a those distances should have the velocity and energy similar to what revolvers produce at close range and the 240gr XTPs have always been reliable performers at 1200 to 1400fps in revolvers for me. I know guys that use them in Inline muzzleladers which drive them 1700-1800fps and the bullets perform very well even at close range. Typically they get exits on shots behind the shoulders and find the bullets on opposite side when shoulder shots are taken.
Rifle velocities will cause pistol bullets to expand more quickly and penetrate less a closer ranges and especially with the more resistance they have to travel through like shoulder bones and heavy muscles.

 

[BriarPatch99]

If you can find them the Barnes 200 & 225 XPB bullets would work very well in the .44 Mag at rifle velocity. .....

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I often shoot a .44 mag carbine. When going after hogs and desiring more penetration, my buddy would load Barnes for me and they worked great. I shot a deer with it at around 50-55 yards one day. Chip shot , she spun and hit the cutover. I found nothing, no blood no hair nothing. I can only assume the bullet punched straight thru, I know she died, but I don’t know where. I’m pretty good at finding them with or without blood. I switched to white box Winchester when my reloads were gone, they don’t group quiet as well……..but you know when you hit one. If it doesn’t roll them, it opens them up .

Here is the recipe on the Barnes I had trouble with on the deer. Great on hogs tho.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I don't trust hollowpoint bullets for shooting large, live animals. The Winchester white box 240 grain softpoints are an excellent deer and hog load.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I should add that I keep my .44 zeroed at 50 yards. Where we hunt it is super thick. I’m sure y’all did, but I would check the zero at the distance you shot at the deer. Seems there was a pretty good drop on mine at 100 yards.

 

[Nimrod71]

I have always loaded Sierra 240 gr. bullets for my 44's. I have killed a large number of deer with these with ranges up to 150 yds. I do have to say most of the deer were killed around the 50 yd. mark. I have never lost a deer I shot at with my 44's. My wife killed two in one morning with her 44 Marlin, I had to clean her's and mine.

 

[frankwright]

Thanks, before next season I will figure it out. I have some Lasercast lead SWC's loaded and also a mostly full box of Winchester 240 SP's.
Like I said the 210 JSP in .41 mag has put them right down so I may get away from the hollow point and try soft points or a hard cast bullet.
I always intended it to be a 100 yard max gun but am sick and questioning myself over these last two deer.
I want the deer to either go right down or leave a good blood trail.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I have a few experiences with Hornady XTPs. I have had many instances of what I would call unsatisfactory bullet performance but no instances of deer I could not locate. All have been pass throughs.

Many of my unsatisfactory results were from deer which ran 200 or more yards before recovery only to find an exit hole smaller than the entry hole.

I shot 10 or so deer with a muzzleloader and saboted 240 gr XTPs in front of 2 Pyrodex pellets. All the deer fell within sight but all ran off 100 yds are more. This was behind the shoulder shots. Never noticed a blood trail because I saw them fall.

Years later I chose Hornady factory 300 gr XTPs for my 1894 rifle since they grouped the best and I was somewhat in a time crunch for deer season otherwise I would have tried my best not to use them. Even still, a .430 hole is big whether you get expansion or not.

I shot two deer with those and had excellent blood trails that I could see with the snow that was on the ground which I had never had previously with the muzzleloader. They each ran only 30-40 yds before expiring. Those had satisfactory results finally. Maybe it was because they were 300 gr instead of 240.

I don’t like XTPs either way because of and despite these experiences. JSPs such as the American Eagle 240 gr flat nose JSP have been excellent.

 

[bullethead]

In all reality, pistol bullets are designed for pistol velocities. Pushing them faster creates over expansion and loss of jackets and lead to where if you get an exit it is often from a portion of the initial projectile. Using a more well constructed bullet and/or a heavier bullet will be the fix.
I know Hornady makes a 240gr MAG XTP that is designed to hold together better, but it is .45cal. It was made for the increased velocities of Inlines

 

[gma1320]

With that being a HP bullet, it is possible that upon hitting flesh it clogged the tip and did not expand. It would then of course pass through with minimal damage and a small exit hole with little to no blood. Particularly if you are elevated enough to have a low exit hole. Also that bullet is designed to work with velocities between 700 and 1500 FPS. This could effect expansion as well

 

[BriarPatch99]

I often shoot a .44 mag carbine. When going after hogs and desiring more penetration, my buddy would load Barnes for me and they worked great. I shot a deer with it at around 50-55 yards one day. Chip shot , she spun and hit the cutover. I found nothing, no blood no hair nothing. I can only assume the bullet punched straight thru, I know she died, but I don’t know where. I’m pretty good at finding them with or without blood. I switched to white box Winchester when my reloads were gone, they don’t group quiet as well……..but you know when you hit one. If it doesn’t roll them, it opens them up .

Here is the recipe on the Barnes I had trouble with on the deer. Great on hogs tho.

The Barnes I spoke of (XPB)are only made in 200 & 225 grain and expand pretty similar to the TTSX in rifle .... not sure which Barnes bullet you used ....but the folks that I know who have used the XPB on deer and bear have had really good luck with them ....they have killed a bunch ...

Can't condemn a bullet that was a different bullet than what you used ... just like the Nosler Ballistic Tip is now a different bullet than it was years ago .....

I know folks who use the XPB with sabots in muzzle loaders with good results ....

The bullet you used according to the label was a Flat Point bullet .... I can't condemn it because I know of no experience with it except what you have said ...