Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .44 for deer and bear hunting...hard cast, or jacketed?

You guys that hunt with .44 mags for deer and the occasional black bear. Do you recommend hard cast lead, or jacketed hollow points or soft points? What's your favorite bullet?

Ask JJHACK. He's been in on more bear kills than most anyone else out there.

My favorite?

Beartooth bullets in two flavors.

For my rifle, the 300 grain WFNGC. For my revolvers, the 300 grain LCMN GC. The LCMN GC allows the use of the spacious cylinders and a slight increase in performance.

At 1575 fps out of my rifle, the WFN bullet will easily break big bones on bear and pig, and offer deep penetration. I've never recovered one, and have put them through deer at just about every angle.

I get right at 1200 fps out of my 4.62" revolver, and over 1200 fps with my 7.5" Redhawk with the LCMN bullet, and they also penetrate quite well.

The revolver load still has some potential for more speed, but the present load has proven to be fairly accurate in both revolvers.

I'd be comfortable with either for deer, as long as well constructed. Hardcast for bear.

Ive killed 3 bears, two elk, and nine deer with hard cast.That said, aim it like an arrow...single lung doesn't get the job done. Best to break shoulder bones on whatever.You can eat right up to the hole.

Use Hornady XTP's and you won't be disappointed

Sort of a half bubble off your question but I've killed a fair share of venison over the years using Keith style bullets with softer alloys in 41 and 44 mag but still use 20:1 with all my handgun hunting loads.Never thought hard cast was necessary..No bear experience except for a 12ga slug which does the job as well.

I'm with you, Woody. I poked several 0.45" diameter holes through deer with hard cast bullets, then poked some more with softer 0.45" bullets, and the deer died just as well with the softer bullets. Keith style SWC's kill as well as LBT profile bullets, too, I've found.

I like and use hardcast the moose on the left and the grizz were dropped with one bullet each. The bear went spread eagle and could not get up.

Wow, Thursday already.

Thanks for your insightful reply. It'll prove very helpful, no doubt...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/50...meter-300-grain-semi-wadcutter-gas-check

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/51...flat-nose-gas-check?cm_vc=ProductFinding

cast from 95% WW alloy and 5% pure TIN, size .001 over bore diam.
use
20 grains of H110 and this lyman 300, or LEE 310 grain seated just shy of cylinder length and crimp firmly in a 44 mag revolver
its worked well for over 15 years now for me

I have used a 250 gr. Keith design cast bullet on several deer with good results. I am going to try one of LBT's designs in the near future, just because it comes highly recommended. Either one should be fine for your application. I cast my own, so cast bullets are about all I ever shoot except to shoot a few jacketed thru prior to cleaning. Helps get any lead out that might be lurking.....

P.S. Cast bullets don't need to be too hard if they fit your chamber/throat/bore properly. Cast or jacketed? Both will work if the proper bullet is used. Whatever floats your boat.

Yes, absolutely!

My vote is for hard cast 300g sitting on top of 296/H110. Works.

I've used Hornady XTPs in the 44 for deer, hogs and bears with great success. If I were to use a 44 revolver on a big bear, on purpose, It would be a hard cast hands down.

If someone told me today that I had to go kill a Brownie with an XTP on purpose, it would be an XTP out of my 500S&W.

Xtp on soft game has done fine for me. For bigger stuff like elk and bears i prefer a hardcast.

Soon to try some XTP Mags as they reportedly hold together better then regular XTP's due to a thicker jacket.

I carry my 5.5" Redhawk loaded with 240gr. XTP bullets while in the deer woods. Lately I have been carrying it loaded with 265gr. Hornady Soft points designed for the 444 Marlin when lugging around the woods looking for elk. I'm sure that bullet would be plenty stout for a Blackie as well!

Elk Country

That 265 is stoutly constructed and penetrates well.

Deer are thin skinned and not very thick so an xtp will be fine. Bears are a different story; hard cast for penetration.