I had a brief fling with a Ruger Model 44 shooting Hornady 240 grain XTP's. I managed to plug a buck at about 100 yards, and he piled up within a reasonable distance.

Story and pics here:

Bob's Model 44 and the Buck

My conclusions out of this exercise were that 44 Mag out of a carbine was plenty good for a whitetail at 100 yards-- not stellar, but quite adequate. I could find no fault except that. . . well, there is nothing bad about overkill. I've hunted with 30-06, 308, and even 35 Whelen. I won't say anything bad about 44 Mag except that it is not a 30-06. After this exercise, I finally gave up on the idea of short-range deer rifles and cartridges. My next "short-range" rifle purchase was a 7mm-08. My buck this year was taken with a 308 WIN at 80 yards.

If I wanted a chambering for the PCR states like Ohio, I would seriously consider a 44 Mag, but I'm not itching for another one.

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