44 Mag hunting bullet

COBrad said:

got tired of the ferocious recoil. It was hell for accurate though, took too many marmots out around 150-160 yards to remember. Freedom Arms, 44 will be an FA as well.

Click to expand...

I'm kind of kicking around the idea of getting the FA premier in 475 linbaugh. 350 gr @ 11-1400 sounds like things would stop happening fast after that hit something. Talk about a .475 meplat. Yikes, what a hammer that would be.

Either a 200 grain xtp or a hornady xtp of 240-300 grain for bigger game like elk.Ingush the 200's around 2000 fps out of a 14" desert eagle,really good medicine for deer and pigs.

What are you shooting this out of?

Different platform but results were phenomenal. I still use a 44 cal 180gr XTP with a plastic sabot in my flintlock and they work extremely well. Buddy shot a doe that turned to run as he was shooting with it one year and hit her just left of the bung hole. With about 18" of penetration she didn't go far.

Specifically for hunting I'm not sure I'd want a bullet that shed any weight, especially starting out at just 200 gr. For big game I think the Lehigh Extreme Penetrator would be best, also for bear protection. They also have the solid copper Wide Flat Nose at 265 gr. Either that or a flat nose hardcast. You want something that will go deep and as straight as possible, assuming you can shoot straight in the first place, of course! I would definitely stay away from bullets such as the Sierra or Nosler 180 gr, which makes a great and explosive self defense bullet against varmints of the two legged variety but I think they lack the penetration required for hunting things that can bite. I think I would reserve the heavy, 250 - 300 gr bullets for a .44 rifle as they are simply too slow from a pistol.
Cheers,
crkckr

I've used 240 gr XTP to take a monster Hog in Pennsylvania. Blew out his shoulder and went through his chest cavity. Rolled him over the pole as if he was hit by a freight train. I should mention, it was Hog of the burrowing variety. I was using a medium load of IMR4227 but have since switched to 2400.


In all seriousness, I have not had a chance to try anything on a larger animal although it's not from a lack of trying.

6.5x300 WBY said:

Wish you lived in NJ I have probably 1000's of HC bullets from beartooth bullets in weights from 240 to 325 GC. I think 1000 or 2000 or so you can just have. LFNGC WFNGC WLNGC. Just boxes and boxes of them. Haven't actually counted them but the box is way too heavy to lift lol.

Click to expand...

I found some 400+ gr WNFPGC .430 diameter bullets somewhere at a gunshow a while back. I doubt the Mag casing could push it properly but a 445 SM or 444 Marlin probably would.

In my case, it's hard to beat the Kieth 255gr SWC Hard Cast from my handgun, it works well in my rifles, but... Rem 240gr JSP is what I use in my rifles, Ruger 77/44 and Win 94 top-eject. I wish Nosler would bring back their 250gr Partition JHP that bullet killed like lighting from my .44 Mag rifles and my .444 Marlin, I didn't find the Nosler 250gr all that impressive out of my S&W 29 so I pretty much stay with the Keith 255gr and Sierra's 180gr JHP Sports Master, the 180gr bullets are great all-around bullets for rifles and revolvers in .44 Mag. Just my 0.2 Cheers

Noslers 250gr JHP .44 cal Partition.

My own personal experience with 44 mag is limited to the Sierra 240 JHC bullet driven by 24.5gr H110 from a 7.5" S&W 629 Stealth Hunter. I only have three whitetail deer kills with this bullet, but two of the three were instant drops with one running 30 yards and piling up.

I've been quite pleased with bullet performance and intend to keep using the Sierra 240 JHC, but also plan to try the Hornady 240 XTP as well.

6.5x300 WBY said:

I'm kind of kicking around the idea of getting the FA premier in 475 linbaugh. 350 gr @ 11-1400 sounds like things would stop happening fast after that hit something. Talk about a .475 meplat. Yikes, what a hammer that would be.

Click to expand...

I used a 475 Linebaugh in a BFR and killed lots of game with it . I used MBW hard cast 400 grain WN bullets at 1000 to 1100PPS . Goes right through a Bull Bison . I also use their 300 grain hard cast FP at about the same speed in my S&W 44 Mag . Also a deadly combination . You do not need super high velocity to get good penetration and kill stuff . I had a FA Premier in 454 and shot heavy loads in it . It was a nasty kicking beast .Got rid of it . JMHO

G19Jeeper said:

I found some 400+ gr WNFPGC .430 diameter bullets somewhere at a gunshow a while back. I doubt the Mag casing could push it properly but a 445 SM or 444 Marlin probably would.

Click to expand...

Missouri bullet company makes a 405gr .429/430 bullet. That and a full case of 4227 seated standard length is subsonic. It's cool suppressed, but I only use it at the range.

My only problem with 2400, is that while it's usually accurate the brite white muzzle flash is distracting. 296 and H110 are also bad with the brite white. Medium to warm loads of 4227 tend to be orange in color and not as noticable... at least, it's ok until you get into the max loads when it too gets brite white. I'm not sure there are any powders available that will give top 357 & 44 Mag velocities without the brite white flash. While Accurate said their ball powders were "reduced" flash (as opposed to suppressed flash) hot loads of AA9 will flash just as brite as 2400 & 296, so that's down the tubes! I have loaded reduced loads in 44 Mag using IMR4227 under a 200 gr Speer Gold Dot that results in about 1200 fps and no visible flash at all. But since that bullet was designed for much lower velocity in the .44 Special, the 1200 fps works perfectly as a self/home defense round, although the .44 is not my first choice for that role.

I think a perfect, but no longer available, bullet for deep penetration and no expansion would be tge old Hornady 240 gr Silhouette bullet. Fortunately, I have a few of them all loaded up over a stout load of 296. I would carry those in bear country.
Cheers,
crkckr

Huntz said:

I used a 475 Linebaugh in a BFR and killed lots of game with it . I used MBW hard cast 400 grain WN bullets at 1000 to 1100PPS . Goes right through a Bull Bison . I also use their 300 grain hard cast FP at about the same speed in my S&W 44 Mag . Also a deadly combination . You do not need super high velocity to get good penetration and kill stuff . I had a FA Premier in 454 and shot heavy loads in it . It was a nasty kicking beast .Got rid of it . JMHO

Click to expand...

That massive penetration with heavy bullets and a slower velocity confirms what I've read from the Linebaugh penetration tests done back in the day!

6.5x300 WBY said:

Wish you lived in NJ I have probably 1000's of HC bullets from beartooth bullets in weights from 240 to 325 GC. I think 1000 or 2000 or so you can just have. LFNGC WFNGC WLNGC. Just boxes and boxes of them. Haven't actually counted them but the box is way too heavy to lift lol.

Click to expand...

Which ones do you have? I'd be more than happy to pay you for some of them! I'd love to get some of those heavy WFN Beartooth Bullets!

wilkup said:

That massive penetration with heavy bullets and a slower velocity confirms what I've read from the Linebaugh penetration tests done back in the day!

Click to expand...

I got my loads from Linebaugh at one of his seminars . I have to look , but think I was using HS 6 with the 475 .