I shot a deer in NC with my 629. I used 180 JHP handloads. Where we hunt, you're not allowed to discharge a rifle bigger than a .22 unless your feet are 10 feet off the ground. Deer hunting by treestand only! On the ground, I got tired of walking into deer on the way to my stand, taking a bathroom break... so I started carrying my 629. I expected the deer to be close so the HP's. I had a doe behind the tree I was in and it wouldn't walk around. I reached around the tree and shot it at 25 maybe yards. I saw the fur fly and the deer ran. I watched it go 100 yards maybe and then kind of lay down and conk out. Nice shoulder shot deer, I thought the .44 would blow the deer off it's feet. It ran. The bullet blew right through the little deer too. Dime sized hole going in, quarter sized going out. A lot of guys up here covet the little Ruger .44 carbines for deer and black bear hunting in Maine. I didn't see any spectacular result with the pistol. I wouldn't take it bear hunting as a primary gun without a lot more thought on bullet choice.
