super_hunt54

We'll have to agree to disagree there Mercy. Ballistic calculators and such are wonderful tools and can give you a relative idea, but not to much trumps actual experience at range. And I've seen several attempts at ranges beyond 150 yards with .44mag and the penetration just wasn't there. Granted they were with 240gr and 265gr not the newer fangled FTX's and other tipped bullets but I have to base my opinions on actual viewed end processes and the few times I've seen connection at ranges beyond 150 yards resulted in poor penetration that required a distant tracking job and a followup to put them down. A couple of these were from handguns and there were 2 times with .44mag rifles. 3 hogs and 1 whitetail with the whitetail being the only one there was even enough penetration to take out the shot side lung.

In essence, I agree whole heartedly about trajectory management being an issue but until I see the penetration on an animal at ranges beyond 150, I have to stick with what I have personally seen and not what some program SAYS it will do. And I doubt one such as yourself would have attempted to range out past 150 with a .44mag on anything other than maybe a pot shot at a yote because you would also have some doubts yourself. You don't seem the type to me to chance injuring an animal when you know you should just get closer to MAKE SURE you are well within effective terminal ballistics ranges.

BrushyPines

I believe the barrel length is 20 inches and I haven't made up my mind on what load I'm going to use. Still trying to figure it all out. I'm leaning towards Hornady, just don't know what grain yet.

Nomercy448

While I value the ballistic calculators, I don't base my opinion only on paper results.
I've killed over a dozen deer with 44mags past 150, half of those with a revolver.

Ballistic calculators help get me on steel with it at 250-300yrds, but the drop isn't really manageable anymore for field shooting at that range, so if I'm off by 3yrds on live game, it's the difference in a miss and a hit. So while I don't hunt the 44mag THAT far, connecting on game at 150yrds is manageable, and the power is there. A non-expanding hard cast does it deeper than the XTP's or Gold Dot Hunting (now the Deep Curl), but I've been happy to get quarter sized exits with massive tissue damage on the way through. Hard casts punch through and kill, but they make my legs tired.

Taking deer past 150 with 44mag is not for everyone (kinda like killing deer with a 30-06 past 600yrds), but the 44mag will do the work if you can put it where it needs to go (kinda like the 30-06 past 600yrds). Hard to argue with 300grns, at any speed.

Nomercy448

If shooting Hornady bullets, start with the 240's. You'll likely not have to look any farther. I prefer the 300 XTP's, but in general, the 240grn is more likely to shoot straight.

Since you're reloading, a 240 XTP seated to the cannelure over 23.5grn H110/W296 should shoot well. I've used this as my "test load" for over a hundred 44mags, if it doesn't shoot well, usually there's something wrong with the firearm, not the load.

super_hunt54

Lmao@ "they make my legs tired"..That's why when I use my casts in my .45's I ALWAYS go for breaking the shoulders down or high shoulder shot..Legs don't get tired from tracking that way I try to base a lot of my penetration opinions on Hogs. If it penetrates well on a good sized hog, it will penetrate pretty much anything else short of a Moose. That cartilage shield aint bullet proof but it sure displaces a hell of a lot of energy.

BrushyPines

I try the 240 XTP's then! Gonna shoot it when I purchase a scope for it, so will prolly be around February before I get around to shooting it. I'll let you know how those XTP's perform!

BrushyPines

The more we talk about this caliber the more I've decided to aim for the shoulder! lol I hate losing meat, but it beats tracking a deer a mile or 2 in the woods!

Nomercy448

Absolutely agree there - I don't shoot cast much any more, so when I do, I even put an orange target paster on the inside of my scope cap to remind me! Take that shoulder shot and knock a wheel off. When I'm shooting jacketed expanders, I stay off of the shoulder to ensure I punch through the far side. With the XTP's, in the 50yrd ballpark where my gas tank is still full, I'm not adverse to the shoulder shot, but any time things get farther out, I want two holes.

super_hunt54

With most shots and MOST bullet grains from the .44mag Brushy, you won't lose much meat at all from a shoulder shot. Big and slow bullets don't create that blood shot mess that the faster velocity bullets do. I load 265gr Interlocks in my .44mag as well as in my .444Marlin and can USUALLY eat right up to the hole unless I was right on top of the animal when shooting. Pretty much the same thing with the 240gr CoreLocts out of the MAG but the .444MAR would mess up some meat until around 40 yards out with them.

Nomercy448

Yup - way less bloodshot meat with low velocity pills. I've ruined a lot more meat with a 243win than ever with a 44mag/454C/475L/45-70/other punkin chunker.