44 mag load ?

Mr. Longbeard · 01-07-2007, 07:02 PM

Thinking about reloading some loads for deer hunting... I can shoot the gun pretty good off the bench with factory loads... But when free hand shooting I'm only confident out to about 40 yards...

I really trhink I could shoot my 44 better if the loads were tamed down a little...

What would you guy think the minimum load would be for deer hunting...

I'd still like to shoot a 200-240gr bullet

01-07-2007, 09:54 PM

I nice but deadly load is240gr Laser cast bullet with 10.5gr of Unique. Only kicking out at 1100fps with a 5" barrel, but works great. For serious heat, I shoot 240gr XTP and 24gr of H110. But its a handfull.

Soilarch · 01-08-2007, 06:53 AM

Bigcountry read my mind. 240gr lead (wide flat nose, or hollowpoint) bullet over 10gr or so of Unique powder. Unless you've got a snubnose you won't need to go much lower than that.

Have you tried sitting on the ground with your back against a tree and shooting off your knee? Not exactly "freehand" but not a bench either and its really really tightens my groups and can be used in the field.

Mr. Longbeard · 01-08-2007, 05:10 PM

Yea I shot a awsome group with my pistol like that... 6 shots in a group the size of a baseball at 50 yards... But I very rarily hunt from the ground... 99% of the time I'm in a lock on stand and all my shots are free handed...

pahntr760 · 01-08-2007, 07:06 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: bigcountry

I nice but deadly load is240gr Laser cast bullet with 10.5gr of Unique. Only kicking out at 1100fps with a 5" barrel, but works great. For serious heat, I shoot 240gr XTP and 24gr of H110. But its a handfull.

Handfull indeed! But it puts a hurt on the other side too!

TUK101 · 01-09-2007, 06:18 PM

I have been loading 240gr cast bullets with 22.5gr of H110 and shooting those through my 44 mag levergun with great accuracy. They kick a bit more than the box loads that I was shooting, but I think that the bullet is a bit more accurate too.