.44 mag hunting loads

[44hunter45]

This article is a bit dated as the author is advising wheel weight lead, 2% tin. However, the gas checked Lyman Devastator was used in a Blackhawk field trial, success on a mule deer. So, if you’re thinking to cast and roll your own, Devastator HP may be what works.

Lyman Devastator Hollow Point Bullets, load data, range testing & a bit of the history

From the pages of The IHMSA News, Shooting sports, hand gun, ammo, cartridges, xp 100, reloading, firearm, cast bullet, bullet casting and more information articles

www.lasc.us

Dangerous rabbit hole there. I love Frixell's stuff.

I found a coffee can full of Lyman 429421HP boolits in an old shed about five years ago.

I went to the MP mold because it is the essentially the same boolit with the crimp groove moved back to optimize the longer Ruger cylinder.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve never messed around with casting bullets at all, but those cast hollow points are seriously cool. I bet they make a hell of a wound channel out of a .44 as well.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I’ve never messed around with casting bullets at all, but those cast hollow points are seriously cool. I bet they make a hell of a wound channel out of a .44 as well.

It’s seriously cheap to get a mold and basic necessities (my first run was just a Lee mold, camp stove, pot and spoon from Goodwill, big piece of cardboard). I’ve used Hornady balls and also reclaimed lead from the range, all shoot fine. @44hunter45 has the wisdom for reference; he’s a reloading encyclopedia.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Anyone use all copper Barnes?

 

[44hunter45]

It’s seriously cheap to get a mold and basic necessities (my first run was just a Lee mold, camp stove, pot and spoon from Goodwill, big piece of cardboard). I’ve used Hornady balls and also reclaimed lead from the range, all shoot fine. @44hunter45 has the wisdom for reference; he’s a reloading encyclopedia.

Ha!

I honored you think so. Mostly I’m not afraid to experiment and learned from my mistakes.

 

[MTLabrador]

240 XTP and the book max load of H110 is the winning combo. I spent the afternoon shooting steel from 25-100 with the .44 and doing some speed drills with my carry gun, it was a ton of fun.

 

[MTLabrador]

Here are a couple of mine. I will have to look for my brother’s.

The bear in the top photo was shot with my friend’s revolver and a PMC Starfire. I don’t recall which HP I used on the bear in the bottom photo but I got it in the old stomping grounds of none other than @44hunter45.

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@MTLabrador, I got my first handgun bucks and bulls with a 4” 629. Regrettably, I sold that revolver. I never shot 300 gr bullets in it but I bet it would kick with them. I bought another pre-lock 4” last year but didn’t get anything with it last fall.

Due to some extra funds from horse trading and a ton of overtime, and my old 4” Colt .357 being out of commission, I found myself looking around at some shorter barrel double action revolvers to pack around the mountains and came home with a 4” S&W 629. I always regretting getting rid of the one that I used to have.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Due to some extra funds from horse trading and a ton of overtime, and my old 4” Colt .357 being out of commission, I found myself looking around at some shorter barrel double action revolvers to pack around the mountains and came home with a 4” S&W 629. I always regretting getting rid of the one that I used to have.

View attachment 330939

Nice revolver!

 

[popeyoung12]

Killed a 6x6 elk and 9 deer with 210 gr. Hollow pts. Dirty Harry. Sw model 29.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Killed a 6x6 elk and 9 deer with 210 gr. Hollow pts. Dirty Harry. Sw model 29.

The best elk (only elk) I could get with my 3” was a 5 pt. I got a 6 pt with a 6” but it was smaller than the 5 pt with the 3”.

In hindsight, when the elk came in, I wish I would have thought to say, “You’ve gotta ask yourself a question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”

 

[Dan O]

Another option I recently heard about is cutting edge bullets. They are a 100% copper bullet that sheds 4 petals and the main part continues to penetrate. It sounds lot like hammer bullets. I have not tried them yet but the reviews seem positive.

cuttingedgebullets.com

 

[BAKPAKR]

Another option I recently heard about is cutting edge bullets. They are a 100% copper bullet that sheds 4 petals and the main part continues to penetrate. It sounds lot like hammer bullets. I have not tried them yet but the reviews seem positive.

cuttingedgebullets.com

I wonder how fast you could get those 150 gr bullets going?

 

[Dan O]

I wonder how fast you could get those 150 gr bullets going?

Should be pretty darn fast. I think the 200 grain would be a better choice due to the extra weight if you hit some bone. I'm thinking elk here otherwise either should perform great on deer.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Should be pretty darn fast. I think the 200 grain would be a better choice due to the extra weight if you hit some bone. I'm thinking elk here otherwise either should perform great on deer.

I agree with you. I didn’t see the 200s. Just saw the 240 solids and 150s, and stopped.

 

[Ought Six]

I’ve got a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44mag as well. Never really got into the bullet research side of it. Shot a deer with a 300grainer one time. Following as it would be fun to get it out again and I haven’t shot it in probably 7 or 8 years..

 

[44hunter45]

240 XTP and the book max load of H110 is the winning combo. I spent the afternoon shooting steel from 25-100 with the .44 and doing some speed drills with my carry gun, it was a ton of fun.

View attachment 322491

I use that same Diamond D Guide's Choice chest rig for both my Redhawk and Blackhawk.

I spent some time last week shooting speed drills on clay birds setup at random distances. Had a blast. I have a hoarded crap ton of 300 XTP loads I'd rather shoot than pull down.

 

[Don Fischer]

I shot a S&W 44 mag once. Once was enough for me! Hate the recoil of heavier handguns. Shoot can't even stand the recoil of a 357 mag with jacketed bullets. But, had a Colt Trooper 357 and no problem shooting 38 spec 150gr cast from it!

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

The best elk (only elk) I could get with my 3” was a 5 pt. I got a 6 pt with a 6” but it was smaller than the 5 pt with the 3”.

In hindsight, when the elk came in, I wish I would have thought to say, “You’ve gotta ask yourself a question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”

View attachment 330945View attachment 330946

Back when Army/Navy surplus was all a guy needed for camouflage.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Back when Army/Navy surplus was all a guy needed for camouflage.

Back in the day, I spent an inordinate amount of my limited funds at my hometown’s equivalent of Grogan’s War Surplus.

At about the same time, I was buying 245 gr hard cast Keith-type SWC for $2.99 per 100.

 

[std7mag]

Mono Metal Bullets…A multi year Study

I am always looking for the best mouse trap available. Hunting costs a good bit of money and takes a considerable investment of time; I never want my gear to hold me back. When handgun hunting, I a…

handgunhuntingafield.blog

This is a really good read!!