Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Help with .44 lack of blood trail

I have a Thompson contender with a 20inch Match Grade Machine .44 Magnum barrel that is a absolute tack driver. the problem is I have .shot a few deer at around 50 yards with this gun. The deer run off with their tail down and unless I see the deer fall it is a rather long day due to a lack of a blood trail. I have been shooting Winchester 240 grain soft lead point. Any recommendation for a more lethal round ?
Thanks

TD -

The lower you can place the bullet in/thru the ribs the more/better blood trail. When the bullet hits higher it takes longer for the blood to start getting out.

I learned that even from rifle bullet placement. I've used 240 HP and 200 HP in the 44 M and both will do well. Hit lower.

Jerry

Hard bullet through bones.....shoulders, or just make a very long hole lengthwise. No blood trail needed.

It is all about shot placement.

If you want some bullet advice though, try a Speer 270 grain Gold Dot/ Deep Curl. They are second to none on deer in a 44 mag or 444........

My family hunts with several ruger .44 mag carbines. What I have found is bullet matters. You are essentially shooting a handgun bullet. My son shot a small buck with a soft point head on in the neck. We found the bullet in the back leg, GREAT penetration, bullet didn't expand at all, it almost looked brand new.

We swapped over to 240 gr hollow points, they work much better. Same kid, same gun this past weekend. 50 yards broadside, he hit a bit back, but it blew a hole in the liver the size of a baseball and passed through. Later put a finishing shot into the back of the neck. While butchering it destroyed pretty much everything in the neck.

Major difference is damage.

Like jwall said, keep your shots low in the chest.

Holler points like Hornady XTPs are the way to go for deer.

Barnes would be my choice if I was serious. XTP right after that, lighter bullets driven faster will make some difference as long as you get enough penetration.

If not as said treat it like a big lead bullet, break some bones.

Or if not, 50 yards is CLOSE.. shoot em in the head. No question there.

Still the rounds won't give a trail like a rifle ever, but you just have to go look. No big deal for me, I hunt with a suppressed 300/221 subsonic... you don'g get much there either.

IT does make you pay more attention, and work a bit to find the deer sometimes, but thats the choices you have

I find that bowhunters rarely ever have a problem but folks that have not, that are used to bang flops and buckets of blood, then can have issues because they are not used to following the signs.

I use nothing but the Keith 250 gr SWC with 20 gr of 2400, CCI 300 for all my deer hunting with the 44 mag

Wondering how many here recommending 240 XTPs have used the 270 Deep Curls? The latter is a FAR better bullet. Expands great, penetrates deeper, and retains more weight. Of course, its a bonded core bullet, and the XTP is not.

That said, put an XTP in the right place and it will work well also......

I use Beartooth Bullets 300 grain WFN.

Stevie Wonder can follow the blood trail and there is always two holes, no matter the angle.

Have not, have had great luck with XTPs in quite a few rounds. But I saw the speer the other day online... and thought more than I want out of a pistol, but thanks for the press. I may order a box or two just to have.

Yes XTPs are good not only in handguns but I use them in Sabots for my 54 cal Knight MZL. I use 45 cal, 250 gr XTP in the Sabots.

In both I've not had any problems. If it ain't broke ...

Jerry

I hunt with several 44 handguns and rifles. I like either the 240 XTP over a healthy dose of H110 or a 270 gr HC if I want more penetration. Either of those blow through on broadside shots . The xtp obviously expands pretty well but if I'm looking for bear in like the 270 gr HC , shot a 300 lbs bear in front of the facing shoulder and found the bullet in the hide on the other side after it broke the rear leg.

Everybody brags about their"tack drivers" Then why in the hell don;t shoot stuff in the neck instead of just center body mass spray and pray?? No tracking, no lost game, all that was allowed when we went to Africa ,because they sell the meat don't want to loose it or have it blown to $hit.!!!!

May be, but every time I go shopping for bullets, the DCs are out of stock. Next ones I get will be the 265gr Interlocks, which seem to be in stock normally and have a great reputaion as well.

A-frames are probably at least as good, but I'm on a fixed income!

The 265s are designed for the 444 Marlin. I'd not use them in a 44 mag, personally. They work pretty well in the 444. Better than the Remington 444 loading by far. But still not as good as the 270 gr. Speer.

The Deep Curls are hard to find. It sucks. They are great bullets at very modest prices, considered they are bonded core. I can't believe they are as cheap as they are. They have a very loyal following also.

This one broke both shoulders of a black bear. Found on far side hide. Bang flop kill at 50 yards. It still retained 92% of its weight. Perfect mushroom.