Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 44spl vs 44mag for deer hunting

I have a Ruger super Blackhawk that I’ll be using for deer hunting this year. I sighted it in this past week using 240 gr. 44spl. It shoots great! I then shot some 210gr. 44mag through it and noticed they shot around 3-4” lower. After the noticeable recoil and fire shooting side to side, why shoot 44mags? I personally don’t need to shock the deer into death . I just want to shoot the deer to death. lol
Your thoughts?

I have a big Ruger 10.5 inch barreled 44 mag loaded with 300gr A-frames at 1300 fps, a little 5.5 inch barreled FA '97 in 44 Special with 255gr Keith bullets at a very accurate 1030 fps, once the little 44 Special punches a hole completely through the deer, there's not anymore i can do, except shoot it again ; ] i think you'll be fine with the 44 Special.

There isn't a deer on the planet that can withstand a correctly placed 44 Special.

I have a recollection of Brian Pierce writing in a magazine article that he's taken a number of deer with a .44 Special revolver shooting a Keith-style SWC.

Extra power placed off target is extra power wasted.

The mag should stretch trajectory some. Personally, I would use 240’s or heavier.

An awful lot of stuff has been shot down with the .44 Special since it was invented back in 1907 and that was before anyone shot modern bullets. And just think about all the even bigger than deer stuff that the .44-40 shot down since 1873. The .44 Magnum didn't happen along until 1955. I did make a video once of shooting a water filled gallon milk jug with a .44 Special and then another one with a .44 Magnum out of my 629 and there was a rather significant difference. Just thinking out loud here, but a suppressed Ruger 77/44 shooting Specials could sure be an urban deer harvesting machine.

I've killed a decent number of them (6 or 8) with a .44 special flattop shooting 255gr WFNs at 1050. Very pleasant to shoot and works very well. Those bullets have always exited regardless of the angle.

A .44 Special with a proper 240-250 grain semi wadcutter going anywhere from 900 to 1100 is going to work just fine. Easy on the gun, easy to shoot well, and will punch right through the deer.

Agreed

Do any of you actually know what "44 special" is? It sure as shlt isn't a 250gr1100fps. What a bunch of old feucktards!

This.

Mild loads let you practice more before the flinch sets in. I've dropped several deer with a 240-grain SWC at 850-900 fps. Ranges were within 50 yards. For longer shots, I'd go with a 240-grain SWC at 1,200 fps but I'd scope the revolver.


Okie John

Well have you ever heard of reloading? And the 44 Special loaded to the same pressures as a 44 magnum in a 44 magnum pistol could easily give a 250 grain bullet 1100 fps.

I reload .44 mag, or should say used to, as I havent for some time.

180-255gr stuff as fast as I could push em.

With arthritis from a couple breaks, i suspect downloading is required now.

Do I back off the .44 mag or crank up the .44 special?

Reason I ask.....got 500 pcs of new Remington .44 special brass. Have plenty of .44 mag

Either would work. I like 10 grains of Unique and a 240-grain cast SWC in 44 Mag cases. I'd probably use 8 grains in 44 Special cases.


Okie John

I like a mild 44 Mag myself. My 44 Special would work well too.
My mild load for the 44 Mag is with 5744 and 245 grain Keith or Thompson it’s easily the most accurate load for any of my revolvers.

I shoot Hornady 200gr. XTP bullets which are designed to expand well across a wide range of velocities. I use these bullets in both .44 Special and .44 Magnum, in the magnum I load H 110/WW 296 max. loads. Never failed yet to drop a well hit whitetail.

deer deserves the best you have. I kill them with a Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum. 270 grain bullet at 1625 fps. A .44 Special isn't that kind of load.

Yep, Hook, i'd load for the heaviest of the two revolvers, should help with recoil.

Yep. I’ve never caught a bullet in a deer I’ve shot using basically the same load.

Although I prefer a 250 gr LBT WFN Hard cast bullet with 10 grains of Unique nowadays.
It seems to work a little better on big ole feral hogs at the Ranch.

No telling how much game Elmer Kieth killed with a .44 Special.

Didn't the magnum come about because Keith wanted his heavy .44 spl. loads made as factory loads.. But everyone was afraid of the old model 44 spls.. floating around the country... So the decision was made to make the mag... and a new revolver.. Even after the ,44 mag. hit the market and Keith had his, he continued to carry a 4 " spl.. till a 4 " was available from the factory.. He wanted a 1200 fps load and got a 1400 fps load.. To the idiot who thinks the spl. can't do the job maybe he should take up golf..

Seriously stupid. Look up 44 special before posting again.

If you want to load 44 vagina - go ahead - but don't call it "44 special" for the sake of a noob who might not understand what his old revolver can safely handle.

Ill take the .44 mag and they can keep the golf.

Ignore DLA,

He is over his head as usual.

Guys have been shooting 240s and 250s faster than 1100 FPS safely through .44 Specials since before the Troll was born.


Here is a prime example, borrowed from the cast bullet forum.

A Ruger Flattop (which is a medium frame) shooting a 260 grain Keith at over 1200 FPS.





That is cast bullet Forum member 35 whelen. I cannot recall if he is a member here, but it is his pic, so I will give credit where it is due.

You're still scared of vaginas I see. Typical queer.

LOL

I LOVE the .44 Special.

And golf.

Every year I take a doe or three with my TAURUS 441 in .44 SPL with a 240 hard cast running at about 1000 FPS. Deer run about 40 yards and pile up. Killing deer ain't that hard and it sure ain't rocket science.

Killed with a 44-40, 240gr Hornady SWC-HP

A little over 1,200fps and impacted @ 65 yards. Bullet entered high shoulder, turned 90 deg and traveled the length of the back along the spine and stopped in the hind quarter.

Too much for a deer.
[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4...0UAzWxNEVrDCLwNyrslLPoKrdSLyhXm-CQ=w1280[/img]

[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/O...WLGGLJf71HgXG-EBYbE1LIdIcokzauD4bm=w1280[/img]


2017 44-40 Hunt

Rimrock bullets has some hollow point, gas checked bullets (as they call them, “deer gernades”) that should do really well at 44 Special +P velocities. I think Brian Pierce has said even the Hornady swaged 240 hp’s will expand at those velocities.

If you want your Super to shoot closer with Mags whilst loaded with Specials, shoot 240 grain magnums. There's nothing wrong with the Special for deer at any level past moribund old factory levels (think 700 fps). However the reason the Magnum was developed was to get about 200 fps more out of a 240-250 grain bullet and it does this. So all things being equal, the Magnum will always be more powerful than the Special. Both are fine for deer and the magnum loaded down to old, decrepit Special levels will be just as underpowered as the Special.

Speaking of stupid, your post qualifies.

Anyone with a lick of 44 Special history knows that a 44SPL revolver in good condition with quality cases will safely handle much more than a 240SWC at 900-1100fps. The "noob" will be completely safe. Elmer Keith and Skeeter Shelton proved it.

At 44 mag pressures it will do more than 1100

Written like a Troll. Elmer blew his up.

Not in 44 Spcl in S&W Handejector at 1100 FPS he didn't nor at 1200

Don't you know you can't question DLA's knowledge? He's self published on the web about the 40SW and the S&W 329PD. His opinion is irrefutable. But in this case he is stupid and can't admit it. He shares that personality trait with Joe Biden. He likely voted for SloJoe.

Anywho, getting back the to OP's question...


I have owned and shot both 44 special (Ruger flat top Bisley, 5.5"... sold it)) and a 44 mag (S&W 629-3, 4". Still have it). Never took a deer with either of them.

I reload to modest 44 mag velocities. NOE 44-265 cast to about 1000-1100 fps in both chamberings. Easy to shoot, accurate, and a presumption they would take a deer at reasonable hunting distances for me in my Maine woods ( 25 - 75+ yards).

Staying sub-sonic in MV extends the distance for effectiveness, as you don't have to have the bullet pass into, or back from, super sonic flight (avoiding the trans-sonic zone). It's good for accuracy too.

I really liked my blued Ruger Bisley Flat top 44 special, but it was an extra gun that didn't do anything that my S&W 629-3 (with 4" barrel) revolver couldn't do, so I sold it.

I'd rather have a modest 44 mag load (~ 1100 fps with 240-260 grain bullet), or a similarly loaded 44 Special, than a heavy, hot-loaded 357 magnum. I agree with the OP. Nothing wrong with your heavy 44 special load, and a lot of things very smart with it. Go hunt with confidence with your set up.

Some good 44 Special reading: Enjoy

Handloader magazine 44 Special Pet Loads. (Brian Pearce)
http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/Brian%20Pearce%20on%20the%2044%20Special.pdf

Heavy bullets in 44 Special ( Ross Seyfried)
https://www.docdroid.net/ulji/ross-...p-44-special-bisley-revolvers-pdf#page=2

Along similar lines I think as many of the posts here. The 44mag cartridge is very versatile. It can be easily tuned to the exact velocity/power level one wants. I have an old well used 4" 29-3 S&W that I put grips on that aren't heavy load freindly. I'm not a handloader of vast experience, and have had no problem down loading the big case to spit 240gr slugs from 900 to 1200 fps with as good accuracy as my mediocre skill can use.

Faster burning powders like Unique, Power Pistol, and even Trail Boss have given me great results.

I'm not familiar with the modern rendition. But the old Blazer aluminum cased 240gr jhp 44mag was a great mild load that shot well. I'm sure there's modern equivalents, and nowdays makers are great about publishing velocity.

Nothing against the 44spl. There are many guns so chambered I'm envious of.