.44 Rem Mag Deer Bullet

Veener 7mm

Veener 7mm

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Hey All,

So I'm going to start reloading for my .44 (Marlin 1894) and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good bullet for deer hunting in BC (under 100yds). I checked reloadersnest but it doesn't tell you what they use each load for and I believe you ***can't hunt with hollow points here in BC*** so... what to use?

***2008-2009 BC Hunting / Trapping Synopsis
- Page 17 - Legal Hunting Methods - Firearms - Last Point.

Thanks,

Veener
 
Hornady web site has 265 grain flat nose listed. plus load listed in their book.

I use 240 grain Winchester ..I think Higginson Powder may still have some.
296 powder wlp primer .. winchester brass. 1500 to 1700 fps
 
Hollow point bullets are perfectly legal for hunting in BC, but I doubt if you would want them.
My friends that shoot deer with 44 mag tell me it doesn't much matter what bullet you use in the 44. On the testing I have done with shooting into various types of paper, I found the factory made jacketed bullets broke up awfully bad. Lead alloy bullets, basically wheel weights, hung together and penetrated best.
I don't think you have to worry about a 44 calibre bullet, "Opening up," for deer hunting. That bullet makes a wicked hole, just itself.

Edited to say, I checked the section of the regs you outlined and hollow points are not, "Explosive bullets."
 
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I shot a big mule deer doe 2 years ago with a 44 mag (Win 94 Trapper). I was using a Hornady 240 gr XTP. It performed great. I wouldn't hesitiate to use it again.
 
H4831 said:
Edited to say, I checked the section of the regs you outlined and hollow points are not, "Explosive bullets."
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification on that. Also good to know I probably shouldn't use them.

kf123 said:
I shot a big mule deer doe 2 years ago with a 44 mag (Win 94 Trapper). I was using a Hornady 240 gr XTP. It performed great. I wouldn't hesitiate to use it again.
Click to expand...

Hornady XTP was going to be my next question as those are the loads I saw on Reloadersnest and was curious about their affectiveness for deer / blackies.

Thanks for the info folks.

Cheers, Veener
 
Nosler makes a 250gr Partition that has worked superbly for me on black bears, however they can be costly and hard to find. The best 44 mag bullet I've used is a 280gr Swift-A frame which I have taken many bears with both in 44mag and 444Marlin. I Believe that the Partitions/A-Frames are much more effective in a hollow point design than the XTP's because you are guarranteed more weight retention.

I shot a very large Muley buck @ 40yds quartering towards me, with the 280gr Swift A-frame with my 444Marlin. The bullet totaly smashed the front shoulder, penetrated the entire lenght of the body, and lodged in the opposite hind quarter ham. All of the petals from the hollow point were gone(probably in the front quarter)but the remaining partitioned core remained intact for about 36-40 inches of penetration. Even with 44 mag speeds, I like the idea of having a hollow point for massive expansion upon impact, yet a rear partition of lead for continued penetration even when impacting large bones. I guess that's why the Nosler Partition's have had such a good reputation for decades.
 
I saw a box of the Partitions that Diesel Weasel mentioned at the new Bass Pro here in Calgary. That's probably what I would try too.
 
i would use the hornady 265 it will stand up to 444 velocity. 444 shoots a 2200 to 2300 fps. in a 44 mag speed i would be a sound choice and would hang together on a shoulder shot..
 
A member of our hunting party uses the Ruger 44 carbine. The 240 gr solids kill well. Some exit, most do not. Range is typically around 50 yards.

If I was you, I would start with 240 soft points. If you get exit holes you could decide whether you want to continue ( a blood trail is not a bad thing) or switch to hollow points). Personally, I would opt for the penetration of the non-hollow point.
 
44 mag load

I have a Marlin in 44mag an older one with the microgrove rifleing . I have found 24 or 25 grains of H110 with a 240 grain solid gave me the best accuracy at 50 yards . most were almost touching . that is the max load also . some people like a hollow point and some like a solid that punches a hole right through . I also use a heavy crimp . good luck .
 
Years ago, I shot a deer at 10-15 yards with my 44 magnum, Marlin 1894, using a 265 Hornady bullet. I shot through the left rib, and somehowe the bullet deflected 90 degree's when hitting the other sid of the ribs/shoulder bones, then went out through the belly and into one of the hind legs, and was stopped by the leg bone.

This 265 grain, soft point, never expandet through this whole trip of the deer, and acted more like a solid bullet. I guess that the velocities of the .44 mag are to slow to expand this particular bullet.

I think that the 240 Hornady "XTP" bullet would be a better choice against deer, and have also found that the 180 grain "XTP" bullet to fine accuracy in my micro grove barreled Marlin 1894, with far less recoil, but I have no hunting experience on deer with these bullets.

Hornady now also makes those, factory loaded pointed bullets for the .44 mag, which have a better down range trajectory.
 
-I like the 250gr Partition for similar reasons as Diesel Weasel. I dropped two whitetail bucks inside 20yds with them from a Win 94 Trapper in .44 Mag. One was at a bad oblique angle that entered the front right shoulder and lodged under the skin on the left rear flank. It didn't 'explode', 'blow-up', or create instantaneous cold-fusion or release sudden bursts of random energy pulses. What it did do was what it was designed to do: open the front portion to about twice bullet diameter, and stop expanding when it hit the partition. The remainder penetrated consistantly without any extremes of tissue/meat damage, and the 250gr bullet weighed 237gr on recovery.
The second buck was also hit at a bad angle; and the bullet went in behind the right ear, out around the left eye, and on into the ground deep enough that I never recovered it. Both deer dropped on the spot & never took another pace after being hit. I've had good results with the 250gr Partition firing them at .44 mag velocities from a short-barrel carbine, but I wasn't firing them at .444 Marlin velocities. While I'd like to think that performance would be similarly consistent, I don't know so I can't say if you'd be looking at the same kind of results. .444 is a big step up!
 
Stay away from the cup and core pistol bullets...

I recommend either a 300 - 320gn wide flat nose hardcast or the Partition.

I had two miserable failures using 240gn hollow point pistol bullets. On both deer the bullets blew up upon striking a rib and failed to penetrate. Muzzle vel. was 1850 fps and range was only 25ish feet. Too much for those bullets obviously.

Managed to collect both deer but had quite a time tracking them down.
 
:agree:
cement head said:
I have a Marlin in 44mag an older one with the microgrove rifleing . I have found 24 or 25 grains of H110 with a 240 grain solid gave me the best accuracy at 50 yards . most were almost touching . that is the max load also . some people like a hollow point and some like a solid that punches a hole right through . I also use a heavy crimp . good luck .
Click to expand...

:agree:
 
I've killed a Whitetail buck (75 yards) as well as 5 bears in less then 30 seconds at 20 yards with my 44/40 using XTP's. They open very well even at the slightly lower 44/40 velocities. I's reccomend them without a second thought. One thing to consider that some of the others may be missing is to be sure that the heavy bullets feed 100% in your rifle. And don't just "granny shift" it when you're testing it. Cycle the action like you mean it, the way you would if you were 20 yards from 5 bears.
 
I have used the LBT 325gr WFN-GC over H110 in both my Ruger SBH and the Marlin 1894 (sadly no longer in my possession) :( , and they both did the trick. I shot a fair-sized buck in N Michigan with the Ruger at 65 yds and he dropped on the spot like he'd been slapped by the hand of God...


blake
 
The 325 gr. WFN-GC is the be-all and the end-all in .44 Mag. bullets for big game, does very much what a hot loaded 45/70 does. Folks going that route should make sure that the big hammer feeds good in your levergun, length should be O.K., just watch for the edges catching on entry to chamber, and like someone else mentioned, work the lever like you mean it!
 
Must be nice to be able to hunt with a .44 mag. Alberta we have a minimum Caliber of .23 and an empty case of 1.75" (44 case is 1.285"). I thought all provinces were the same but I guess you learn something new everyday.lol
 
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