Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Who hunts with a 44mag Rifle?

Haven't hunted it in awhile but have a Remington 788 .44 Magnum that goes into the woods once in awhile. I generally use a handloaded Nosler 240 gr JHP that shoots tiny groups at 100 yards.

There are several .44 in my hunting family. All Ruger's
I've noticd the bullet matters.

Many .44 bullets are designd for handgun use, not hunting use.

My son shot a buck from the front, Deer staggered 30 yards and dropped. We found the bullet in the back ham. The bullet did not expand at all, same exact shape and size as an unshot bullet. It was a 240 gr jacketed softpoint.

Same gun, 240 grain hollow point and most deer haven't done more than fall down. Better expansion and energy release.

No 'serious' hunters that I know....and that's many!!

not as many as you might think!

When I was growing up in NH, the Ruger 44 Carbines were pretty popular. My Father, who was the most indifferent of deer hunters, would usually spend a few days at deer camp with his WW2 USMC buddies in the Errol, NH, area. There was a great picture of him and Bearrr264's Father that was taken on the main street in Colebrook, NH, where they had 2 heavy NH whitetail bucks on the hood of an old Jeep station wagon, Wagoneer?, and their Ruger 44 Carbines. When I started hunting, the 2 rifles that my Father equipped me with were a Remington 660 in 6mm to use when over-watching fields and a Ruger 44 International to use when still-hunting in cover. I think that he did a good job picking and that if I still only had 2 rifles for deer hunting, those 2 would be up to the task in most places.

I prefer 240 JSP to Hp in my Ruger 44 auto.

I've hunted with one since 1969. It is a Marlin 336. Where I hunt the biggest portion of my shots are under 50 yards but I have no problems using the 44 well past 100. I have used several other 44's as well. One is a Ruger and the others all Marlins. I have a lot of confidence with them and would recommend them to someone wanting a woods rifle.

The only animal that took more than one shot was a large hog that I shot with a Speer 225 grain. That bullet stopped on the backbone and I had to shoot it again. I was using a pistol on the pig if memory serves me right and the shot was about 70 yards. The second shot was about 5 feet and that is another whole story. I'm not sure I consider that a failure, but I was surprised it didn't break the spine. I've never shot the 77/44 but all the Marlins and the Ruger shoot hand loads around 1.5 inches or less. I love a 44 mag.

Marlin 1894 and 240gr XTP over 110. less than 2" groups @ 100 and I wouldn't hesitate out to 150, although I have not had to. I bought mine to hunt Ohio and it has produced dead deer both years. Those XTPs make a mess out of the heart/lungs.

I've got a Henry Big Boy in 44mag but I haven't hunted with it yet. I've got two other Henry Golden's in 22LR. I've owned a lot of lever guns but none as smooth as the Henry's

I have been killing things dead with a Marlin 1894S for many years. 270 grain GDSP over H110 powder. Shoots clover leaf patterns at 50 yards, and about an inch and a half at 100.
Where I hunt, swamps, thickets and creek bottoms, it's just about perfect.
It would not be my choice for hunting a clear cut, or a power line cut, but for it's intended terrain, it works well.

I have a Marlin 1894 CB II Limited that I have Killed 8 or so deer with. I always used the 240 gr Speer soft points because of a time when a XTP deflected off a shoulder and exited on the same side when shot out of a muzzle loader( long trail to a dead deer though).
I will add that the XTP did kill a bunch of deer fast but the soft point has always exited and I like Exits!
Out to 150 yards I think its a good killer.

Yes, I have carried a 44 rem mag rifle during a season in which other people shoot deer.

It was beautiful to look at, it was also heavy.

Nothing else to report.

Did for a couple years. Winchester 94 trapper. I put a Weaver K2.5 on it. Load was a 300 grain XTP HP and 20 grains of Win 296 seated to the front cannelure.

The only deer I shot with it was a head shot at about 12 feet. It was a small-ish 4x4 blacktail. He was hot after a doe. I think she saw me and tried to rub him off 'cause she passed within 3 feet of me on my left. He kept coming, nose to the ground, so I shot him right down through the top of the skull. Bullet hit about an inch BEHIND where the horns attach. Dead before he hit the ground.

Tom

What powder and charge are you using with the Speer bullet.

Doc

I've killed a few deer with ruger 44 semi auto. Handy little rifle in the eastern deer woods. Shots under 100yds with factory rem 240gr kills plenty good.

about the same as muzzleloader hunting to me.only with a second shot.

My little 94 Trapper has wacked a number of hogs. I have no doubt it would take a whitetail out to 150 if needed. It is light weight, short, and deadly.

Doc, I use 24 grs of 296 or H110 over CCI 350 primers. Usually with Winchester brass.