Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Lightest 44 mag load for Deer

Anyone have a good reduced power load? Looking for something to launch of my Marlin 1894 for my 8 year old. Should carry lethal energy out to 100 yards. Have most weights of the Hornady XTP on hand.

I killed my biggest pig with a 245 SWC on top of 9 grains of Unique. It’s a pretty darn mild load and I have no doubt it would shoot through a deer, I bet if you wanted you could even back it off a little with a 240xtp in place of the SWC. I found the plain old JHP Hornady 240 to expand better than the XTP when loaded down btw. Of course with the carbine you’ll be gaining some speed over a handgun so you’ll likely be fine either way.

Ole Elmer Keith killed a truck load of big game with the lowly .44 special. I like a 260 gr WFN LBT Cast bullet over 8 grains of Unique. I've taken numerous feral hogs with it at the Ranch. Low recoil and very accurate too. For my 44 mag loads, I step it up to 10 grains of Unique. It's still very pleasant to shoot in my WW 94 Trapper.

Reduce MV and you will get redused recoil. A 44 special load or equivalent velocity from a 44 mag would work fine.

You might try a good 200 grain bullet and see what kind of accuracy the carbine will give you.

When I was younger I killed a few big western Mule Deer with both 45 colt and 45 autos and they worked ok. About like a good broad head from a hunting bow. Not dramatic, but still effective. They were 230 grain bullets at 850 FPS from the 45 ACP and 260 grain bullets at 950 from the 45 Colt.

A 200 grain 44 cal at 1800-1900 FPS (or at 100 yards at 1350-1450 FPS) is going to be more effective then what I used, so I would not hesitate to use such a load. If she shoot it well I am 100% sure she'll make venison.

Those 94's stocked the way they are, deliver as much recoil that a lot of bigger calibers. Definitely go to the 44 special and the lightest bullet you can find.

Sounds like good reason to go buy a youth .243 or such

I've used 10 grains of Unique under a 240-grain SWC in handguns for years. It clocks 1,000-1,100 fps in 4-6" revolvers. Add 200 fps for a rifle.

If recoil is an issue, then I'd cut bullet weight to about 200 grains. I'd also keep a very close eye on trajectory--a 75-yard zero is probably about right. If you use a jacketed bullet, be sure to use one meant for a rifle. Most 44 bullets are meant for revolver speeds, and adding 200 fps can really change how they perform.


Okie John

Cant use centerfire rilfes here unless they are straight walled.

Thanks for the replies, not sure why I didnt think of going the 44 special route. Pretty sure I dont have any 200gr bullets but I'll see what I have in the stash. I suppose I could always buy some. Got 2 more that will use the same rifle/ammo after he outgrows it.

The 44 special out of a carbine sounds like a 22 mag and recoils about the same

I usually run a 240gn cast SWC over 7gn of Trailboss for a nice mild 700-900fps depending on the host. No recoil, and with a can, no noise. They still go through the biggest bucks "the long way".

Special brass functions OK ?

Some Marlins are fussy........

For a low recoil plinking load in my Marlin 1894 microgroove, I use 9.0 grains of Win 231 with a Hornady 240XTP in 44 Mag brass. Velocity is right at 1200 fps and it is very accurate. My 1894 will not stabilize a 240 lead Keith bullet. They key hole. Twist is too slow. My Ruger Super Blackhawk shoots them just fine but I believe it has a faster twist rate and is standard rifling.

I used to use this rifle in Cowboy Action matches with 44 Special brass and a 205 grain lead bullet. Was plenty accurate out to 50 yards or so. That load was 5.8 of 231, velocity about 890.

If you shoot enough 44 Specials in your gun you will eventually build up a deposit in the chamber that will stop a 44 Mag case from chambering. It can be cleaned out but is a PITA. That's why I use 44 Mag brass now. Used 44 Special brass in the Cowboy matches because one of my pistols was chambered for it and I used the same ammo in rifle and pistols.

Have only killed one deer with Hornady 240 XTP and it was from a muzzleloader. Hit wasn't exacly where I wanted and the deer went quite a ways before going down. Bullet only got one lung, looked like. Second shot needed. I have seen many favorable reports on this bullet though so I would try it again.

As others have stated here, you don't need much. I've never really reduced .44 magnum loads so can't offer a specific load. In the way of encouragement, however, I can tell you that I provided a '92 SRC in .44-40 with handloads consisting of cast, 200 grain RNFP's over a very mild load of Unique to a friend for his daughter to use for her first deer at around the age of 10 or 12. She shot the rifle quite a bit, then when the time came popped a deer with it. I wasn't there, he told me the deer picked up its head at the shot, took a couple of steps, started to shake all over, and dropped dead.

We have always used 200 grain XTP or Nosler bullets in our .44 carbines. I don't have the load on me, but I know it's a mild load out of Nosler's data.

I am in Iowa with the same requirements, and also for the Marlin '94. Plain 'ol Win white box 240-grainers, a modestly powered 44 load were very accurate (2-2.25", 3-shot groups at a 100) and recoiled negligible to my mind out of my '94 and clocked in the 1700 fps range out of the 20" tube (box shows 1250 fps presumably for a 4" barrel). Maybe still to strong for an 8 y/o though.

This '77 vintage rifle was new to me this summer and at the recent sight-in, I was feeding them into the chamber one-at-a-time only to find they would not fee reliably from the mag due to bullet ogive contour apparently. I would assume this is peculiar to my rifle and not every '94.

The next load tried, Buff Bore's Deer Grenade, 240's, fed well from the mag and were equally precise but also a little more lively at 1950 fps.

Wondering how much confidence you have in your kid's ability to hit something at 100 yards when seasoned with a sprinkle of excitement.