44 Magnum Factory Deer Round??

[Deet]

I switched to 240 grain semi jacketed hollow points this year, and they failed me. Two shots at fifty yards away, bullets went thru the ribs, lungs and into the opposite side leg. I recovered both bullets. No blood trail at all. Deer walked away, circled back 150 yards and I finally shot him thru the heart/lung. massive blood trail for 20 yards. I had to shoot him a 4th time to kill him. Going back to jacketed soft points.

 

[ChootEm]

I switched to 240 grain semi jacketed hollow points this year, and they failed me. Two shots at fifty yards away, bullets went thru the ribs, lungs and into the opposite side leg. I recovered both bullets. No blood trail at all. Deer walked away, circled back 150 yards and I finally shot him thru the heart/lung. massive blood trail for 20 yards. I had to shoot him a 4th time to kill him. Going back to jacketed soft points.

Did that deer have a big "S" under it's fur? I use the Federal American Eagle JSP and they have passed clean through and dropped them every time. I love that round and my gum loves it to. I would say start out and find what your gun shoots the best and go from there! If you can't put the shot where you want it it doesn't matter what kind it is. This all goes back to shot placement over expansion. Ideally is both but if I had to choose it would be accuracy over expansion!

 

[ChootEm]

So people say. My Marlin hates the stuff. I bought it first and nearly sold my rifle after shooting a couple boxes. I put it away for a year and decided to give it one more chance. I went down to hillside and they didn't have any lever revolution in stock which turned out to be a blessing because I bought the mag tech instead. I went from "all over the place" to MOA at 100yds. Somewhere on INGO is a picture I took with a Mickey Mouse group at 100yds. Was it the ammo or was I just off the last time? Idk but the difference was profound.

Glad it works for you. Just goes to show how different barrel harmonics can be!

"MY GUN HATES THE STUFF ALSO!!!!"......I bought a box thinking this will be great out of my 1894P.....but I used the rest of the box to clean the oil out of the barrel before I start sighting in with what she really likes....

 

[Hookeye]

IMHO those shots look low, if downhill angle, even moreso.

The scalloped jacket suggests Remington. I ran them from MZ's using 100gr FFg and they zipped right through. Dunno the V (never chrono'd). I tried to get them to open up. Reportedly before XTP and newer stuff that was about the only 240 one could get to stay in the critter.

I like my bullets in and out, but occassionally get to save one

 

[Enthusiast]

I stocked up on Hornady Leverevolution for my Marlin 1894 and they ran great in the Redhawk I just traded off. FYI they shot low because, like a fool, I zeroed the sights in with reloads that were kind of mild. I'm sure the deer I shot at was thinking WTF when the ground under his chest threw dust on him.

 

[sangamospecial23j]

I use Cor Bon 240 grain Jacketed Hollow Points. They get 1485 feet per sec out of an 8-1/2 inch barrel. I shoot them out of a 18 inch Ruger 77/44. They always do the job. It hits like a sledge hammer, and I have never had one run off. My Ruger didn't like the Leverevolution either.

 

[Deet]

IMHO those shots look low, if downhill angle, even moreso.

The scalloped jacket suggests Remington. I ran them from MZ's using 100gr FFg and they zipped right through. Dunno the V (never chrono'd). I tried to get them to open up. Reportedly before XTP and newer stuff that was about the only 240 one could get to stay in the critter.

I like my bullets in and out, but occassionally get to save one

First off I love the 44 magnum. These bullets are marked w-w super one the case. They are 240 grain jhp. They 44 failed me for the first time in 8 years. They always worked, but this year they were not what I was used to seeing. The two holes you see are shots 3 and 4 and I was shooting about three feet above him. It was a downhill shot, but not really downhill if that makes sense. The higher shot nicked the heart and punched thru the lungs. I saw a massive amount of tissue where I shot him and a lot of blood and lung matter leading to the tree 20 yards away. It did not immediately kill him, so I approached him and was level with him and placed the 4th shot into his heart. He died. If you look about six inches higher you will see a dark circle where my first shot hit him. It was 50 yards away, when thru a rib thru both lungs and was recovered on the opposite front leg. The second shot was recovered 2 inches from where we found the 1st shot. So shot 1 and 2 when thru the ribs, destroyed both lungs and both failed to exit the deer. Shot placement doesn't get much better than that. My problem is, since the bullets failed to anchor him and exit him, there was no blood trail from where I originally shot him till when I shot him the 3rd and 4th time approximately 150 yards away. If he didn't circle around and come back to me, I would of thought I missed him, and I would not have looked for him. My point is JHP is not as good as JSP. JSP goes thru and leaves a good blood trail to track. Hope this clarifies why I am ashamed I had to shoot him 4 times. The shots in my opinion were all good enough to kill, but by a miracle this deer didn't want to die that day. I only am telling of this story to help others with bullet selection.

 

[Hookeye]

FWIW the old 236 gr Norma JHPs are notorious for not expanding and just whistling through. So IMHO there's more to it than if there's a dimple up front or not.

Are the bullets you used this year from a different ammo lot #?

I wonder what bullet construction differences there might be.

Shot him 4 times..............hit him each time and recovered the deer. I don't see where there's any shame in that.

There are plenty of purists who shoot once and end up eating beef or chicken that evening and not backstraps

 

[Deet]

FWIW the old 236 gr Norma JHPs are notorious for not expanding and just whistling through. So IMHO there's more to it than if there's a dimple up front or not.

Are the bullets you used this year from a different ammo lot #?

I wonder what bullet construction differences there might be.

Shot him 4 times..............hit him each time and recovered the deer. I don't see where there's any shame in that.

There are plenty of purists who shoot once and end up eating beef or chicken that evening and not backstraps

My shame may be more a matter of being upset, I hated having to shoot him 4 times. You brought up a great point about the ammo. I should of stated that I purchased 15 boxes of 44 mag from a friend at work that belong to his dad. His dad passed away in 2000 if I remember correctly. I purchased the ammo in 2008 and all of it was in factory boxes. The boxes were falling apart, so I put the rounds in plastic cases. (these rounds could be 30 years old or older) Most of the rounds were JSP. I have used the JSP many times and it works great at 50 yards. I never recovered the bullet as it always goes thru the deer. I used the JHP over the years and they also go straight thru the deer. This year was different. As I replay the hunt over in my head, the only weird thing is the animal not going down after shot 1 and 2. The bullets #1 and 2 both penetrated about 14-16 inches. Thru the rib, lungs and stopped under his skin opposite side. Expansion was 1/2" diameter. They just had no effect on this buck, if that makes sense. I have talked to several and one said, "good bullet expansion and penetration, but zero shock value." Your theory about bullet construction/MV may also help explain why this buck wasn't effected by the first or second shot. I guess I just needed to talk about this hunt as it is making me sleepless. I feel less shame, and am now feel better about my shots. Thanks.

 

[Hookeye]

You got enough resistance to get good bullet expansion. Hide trap, eh I get that now and then, even with bigger stuff (but blasting shoulder to ham or through both shoulders. Have had it on some MZ and HG stuff, few fosters in 12 as well.

Dude, you got the deer and you got BOOLITS. That's extra cool stuff (not kidding).

Some energy transfer, but with less than 2K FPS contact V (reported threshold for hydrostatic shock).......yeah it aint like a HP rifle hit.

Big fat bullets kill 'em dead though. Sometimes quickly, sometimes not.

Factory boxes............could have been reloaded and put in them. Lots of folks do that.

If you have any left from that group it'd be neat to chrono them, and pull a bullet and X section it, maybe measure jacket walls. Yeah, not everybody has the equip for that, but back in the day my lab at work did.............yeah was a spell of Partitions and paperweights

Shot a doe a few yrs back with 1980-82 purchase Norma 236 gr JHP..........shot fine, dunno V............whistled through my doe after exploding onside shoulder. Notoriously stiff, for rifle use. If I had any deer to mess with this year I'd try that load and rifle (Ruger auto) out again

Got a box of 180 gr JHP PMC to try, but use from handgun.

Have used 180 and 200 gr as hot as I can push them, from revolvers. Most times exits. The closer they are the more apt they are to not. Dunno how much slower they are at 50 and 75 (and a few farther). So many variables.

Yeah, you had to shoot a few times. Not ideal but good enough IMHO. I'd not lose sleep over it, just maybe look into it a bit, or maybe just say screw it and make a change and see what happens next year. I'm not a .44 rifle guy, have only 1 data point..............but from those who shoot clay/mud and deer, check bullet stuff..............240gr is min, and 265 or heavier seems favored.

I'd try 265's or hard cast 255. Doubt the recoil of 300's needed. They are nasty in a revolver

 

[manley82]

I second the Cor Bon 240's. I have had great results as well. Tried and true for myself for what its worth...

 

[Amkriz]

Not sure if you found an ammo you are happy with but I just switched to hunting with a 44 mag rifle this year (CVA Hunter) and I have been using the Corbon Hunter rounds in 180 and 240 grain and have been happy with both. Two nice clean kills with 180 this fall with one shot right at 100 yards.