Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading S&W Model 29 44 mag 8 3/8 inch barrel

Folks I am new to deer hunting with a handgun.
I have killed one deer with a Contender handgun in 45-70.
What load would do well is the Model 29 at under 50 yards?
I would practice at 50 yards and make sure I was efficient before actually hunting.

A friend of mine has killed several whitetails with spl. brass, 8 gr. Unique and a 210 gr. Sierra.. He is a Sierra employee>>

I am sure the cast bullet heavy bullet crowd will show up, but they are not needed for whitetails at short range...

I don't load heavy for my model 29..

I like XTPs and H110 and Oregon Trail LSWCs with 2400 for heavy loads in my SBH.. Both 240gr.. Ive not tried many other bullets in 44mag. I have loaded both bullets at moderate speed with no accuracy loss I could detect. I don't think its a picky cartridge to load for.

If I chose to hunt deer with my 29, I suppose I'd load up a nice moderate combination of HS-6 and a 200 grain Nosler.

Yet cast will work perfectly. What is your idea of heavy?
Cast can be made to expand or maintain its form for maximum penetration

Thanks for the reply's.
I didn't think I would need a heavy load to kill a whitetail at the closer range.
I can understand not loading heavy as to not beat up such a valuable gun as well.
I know many would keep it in the safe or only shoot at the range but firearms are made to use.

I wouldn't hesitate a bit to use that gun for deer hunting. They're iconic for good reason. Excellent revolvers. As well as durable.

The older ones have a habbit of the front screw on the rear sight leaf coming loose. I use a dab of blue lock tight or finger nail polish on the thread for insurance.

Yes, I believe in the "firearms are made to use" philosophy (except for the 1st generation Colt SAA .45 that my Great Great Uncle carried). I have two 7 1/2" Ruger SBH .44 magnums, one that I carried for many years and shot one black bear with it, and I have shot hundreds of just under full power .44 magnum loads through them. My favorite .44 mag now is a 4" stainless S&W model 629 that is a pleasure to shoot with .44 Spl brass, 6.0 grains of Universal, and a 240 grain cast bullet, unless I'm bear country when I fill it with the same magnum loads that I shoot in my Rugers which is 23.7 grains of WW 296 behind a 250 grain cast gas checked bullet.

I often practice with all of these pistols and loads at 50 yards, and wouldn't hesitate to shoot any deer at that range with any of these pistols or loads.

My do it all load for my 44 mags is 10gr of Unique under a 250gr SWC. It’s an easy shooting and effective load without all the blast and recoil of full house H110 loads. A 240gr softpoint or hollow point can be substituted if you don’t want to shoot a cast bullet.

I have a 29-2 with the 8 3/8" barrel "3 T's" as well. Good sight radius for hunting. I just sold my Freedom Arms 454 as it was just getting to be too much gun, so I'll be using the 29 now as a treestand gun for Whitetails.

This would be perfect. I’ve killed several deer with this load plus tons of smaller game.


Okie John

Good advice here. Some guns like Unique and some like HS-6 for medium velocity loads. For top end loads, H110 or 2400 always works. And I'd save the jacketed HP bullets for max loads. Slower loads seem to work well with cast SWCs.

Thank you guys.

4, 6 and 8 3/8" 629s.
Deer load was 180gr JHP on top of 31.5gr WW 296.
Its annoying.
It also kills deer dead, but i just popped em broadside.