Mackay, no, I haven't tried shooting a .44 mag handgun at over 100 yards, much less 500. No need to do so. I also don't shoot my rifles much over 200 - not many places in my area with that much open space, in my defense. I do shoot a lot of .44 mag loads at under 100, though. I am very much aware of the killing power of a big, slow bullet - like a 335 gr hard cast .44 mag launched at under 1100fps. At the same time, such a bullet drops very quickly past 75 yards or so. It has too, physics won't let it not drop. I have a Ruger .44 mag carbine, and would not expect to do long range shooting in any serious manner with it, also. If just shooting for the fun of it, I suppose I can see the appeal, and the challenge. We just don't have open prairies and lot of hills and rocks here on the Texas Coast.
I am aware of Elmer Keith's contributions to the sport, but have always taken some of his feats with a grain of salt. The long range mule deer kill does make me wonder if the bullet would retain enough energy to shoot through both sides of the deer at that range, and this is from "researching" ballistics tables.
I love to shoot all sorts of handguns, have several .44 mags, from a SBH to Contenders, to a Contender with a suppressor and shoulder stock used strictly with subsonic rounds for hunting. I like the .44 mag round VERY much, but other than "target" shooting, would not try to use it for a job that a .270 or .300 mag rifle would be better suited for.
Just my opinion, ya'll can keep launching long range .44's, and I probably would, also, given the right terrain and some free time.
some 30+ years ago, scenarshooter and i were firing .44 mags at a stump about 12 inches in diameter--it wasn't long range, only about 45-50 yards distant. being newer to the game, i thought that we were missing the stump (as the audible impacts in the wood at that close range were masked by the sound of firing), but when we went and looked, the pills had effortlessly plowed right on through...
this was a surprise to me back then. i've fired them through 14 inch doug fir logs, and they even went right on through the milk jugs behind the log, and then into the earthen backstop--
CHUG X 2.i don't know if this is factually correct, but years ago i once read that colonel charles askins (an experienced handgun shooter), when hearing of keith shooting big bore revolvers out at 600 yards, had supposedly said, "i'll stand out at 600 yards with a catchers mitt and catch those .44 pills in flight
(ouch)...if this statement is true--that he actually said that--it is truly remarkable, given askin's significant experience and knowledge of handguns. it may however, illustrate that he had little experience with big bores at extended ranges.
it can be fun to play the "long range game" with handguns on targets--just to see what a chap can do with any given rig--although in the field i don't advocate their use on game past about the 75 yard mark, though guys use them successfully at much farther ranges. i've got a shooting bud that can use a handgun out to 200 yards, much like a reasonable fellow will do with a hunting rifle--he has over 30 years of shooting experience in long range handgunning, and 35 years in disciplined bullseye shooting with handgun--the most gifted handgun shooter i've ever seen...
