Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Help me decide on a single shot: 44 mag or 38-55 for deer

Louisiana has a "primitive" weapon week at the beginning and end of each regular rifle season. The last primitive week will be mid-January where I hunt, and my daughter wants to join me. She killed her first buck this year, a 225#, 9 point that now hangs from the wall....her favorite Xmas present thanks to a friendly taxidermist willing to do a rush job for a kid's first buck (15 day turnaround. She took it at 75 yards with a single, well-placed shot from her Ruger Hawkeye in 6.8 SPC, 115 grain core-lok.

So, here is my dilemna: we can use 45-70, 444, 45 Long Colt, 44 Mag or a 38-55---must be a single shot of .38 or above. I know she cannot handle the recoil of the larger calibers. I think the 45 Colt is a little weak. She plugged one well last year at 100 yards using the Hornady Leverevolution but the blood played out after 50 yards. I was watching the shot in the binoculars and it looked good.

Our shots will be 75-125 yards. So, I have narrowed the choices down to 44 Mag or the 38-55.

Anyone have any experience or a recommendation? Thanks for your time.

Is a 38-55 legal since it ain't .38?

45 Colt ain't too weak, you just need the right loads for it.

wildlife and fisheries does not get into the techicalites. If it is stamped 38-55 its legal. If I stick with the 45 LC, what load are you thinking of for use out to 125 for the non-reloader? Thanks

Can't help you on the factory ammo stuff. In that case run a 44 mag.

The 45 long colt not bad but the 44 in new england would be a well put package as the 38-55 with black powder also I know a old gent that uses both guns he says the 44 is best for shots to 125 yards But 38-55 comes in close #2 in these 3 calibre

44MAG works good. I use 24" tube and platinum 250s

Which rifle are you planning for her? A New England?

The Hornady Leverevolution .45 Colt ammo only goes 1000 fps out of a rifle barrel. Try the Cor-Bon +P load:

http://www.shopcorbon.com/CORandreg...N-Hunter-BCHP/HT45C265BHP-20/300/Product

It goes 1200 fps out of a 7.5" pistol barrel, so it should be significantly faster out of a rifle barrel. Not quite as pointy as the FTX bullet, but out to 125 yards I'd take the higher velocity.

Buffalo Bore has a variety of +P loads for both .45 Colt and .44 mag:

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=1

and if you click over to their rifle ammo, they have "heavy" .38-55 loads as well.

Do they specifically allow only those calibers? There may be a couple of other options for you.

101guns, opinions are like....well you know, everybody has one. Of the choice between the 2, I'd go with the 44 mag. Factory ammo is much easier to find, and the same with reloading components. A H&R handi rifle would be good, but CVA makes a rifle called the scout[just got one for next yr., but haven't shot it yet]. The barrel twist on the scout is 1-20" as opposed to the 1-38" on the handi rifle. Recoil is very moderate, and it will serve her well, either model.


maddog

If you are shooting factory ammo I believe you would be better served with the .44 mag as ammo is much easier to come by and with more options, If you reload the .45 colt can be every bit as good as the .44. Most factory ammo in the 38-55 comes with a .375 dia bullet while most guns come with larger bores. ie. .377-.378 -some even larger. Cast bullets sized for the bore are generally more accurate. Reloading is the way to go. I have a handirifle in both chamberings. My .44 mag is actually a bit over size as well and it also does better with properly sized cast bullets with its 1-38 twist. I also have an Encore set up in 38-55, both as a handgun and as a carbine. Both barrels are .375 bores and are extremly accurate and fun to shoot. Factory Winchester ammo with 255 grain bullets will ring the 200 yard gong with supirsing authority. Yet the recoil is mild. Handloads in the Encore can be beefed up a bit and with 220 grain .375 bullets is a real hammer on 4 legged fur. If the Encore is an allowed launch platform for the primitive season there I would certainly look at that option. I have heard good things about the new CVA guns as well. The Handirifles are most likley the least expensive option and not a bad one at that.

I was looking at the Cor-Bon DPX 265 ammo. Says its comiing out of the tube at about 1200 fps. It is +p ammo. Think it would be safe in a H&R single shot?

ask H&R to be sure, but the same rifle is sold in .500 S&W, and also rifle calibers, all of which are much higher pressure rounds than even a +P .45 Colt. I be surprised if they would not approve the Cor-Bon ammo.

If I could legally hunt here on state lands with a Marlin in .44 mag, I'd quickly sell my slug gun...

I can not imagine considering a handgun cartridge in a rifle, if a 45-70, 444, or 38-55 is available.

That being said, the sweet little 20" H&R Buffalo rifle comes in .45LC. For $30 one can rent a hand chamber reamer and ream to .454 Catsul and still shoot the .45LC. Now that is serious stuff. Good luck.

Obviously, since a 223 snaps you.

+P my ass. I get 1,250 fps with a 300 gr hard cast out of my 6" M629 wheelgun.

I think you're GTG.

The use of factory loads tips the scales hard in favor of the 44 Mag. With options ranging from "powder puff" 44 spl. loads to "holy heck" 44 Mag. loads, you shouldn't have a problem finding one she likes.

The 44 mag will do the job just fine. Black Powder and Pyrodex have claimed many critters with the same 44 slugs in sabots for many years. 44 RM loads are right there with BP sabot loads ballistic wise, so I see no problem with it at all. Lots of folks swear by the 44 for handgun hunting.

I've killed my share of animals with a whimpy 357 mag and have a friend that lets his daughter deer hunt here in La with a handi in 357 as well. No worries with the 44.

Good Luck

loder

i'm using the H&R .44 mag for the MS primitive season. I would pick that over the .38-55 just because of ammo availability. recoil is mild, it's a fun gun to shoot and hunt with. Have not yet taken a deer with it. I have used it at the range out to 120 yds, and I'd say that is about the limit of its range.

check out the new CVA as well, as someone mentioned. i'm curious about that one myself.

Didnt Browning make a limited run of singleshot trappers
in 30-40 Krag and 38-55 a year or so ago?

yes, they were pretty funky things, too, from what I saw of them. There was also a .405 Winchester version, but that's probably more recoil than the OP wants.

There was also a "short traditional hunter" version with 22" barrels.