I will be using hard cast lead bullets for deer in the new S&W 69 but should I go with a 255 gr Keith bullet or a 305 gr LBT-LFN? I was thinking either one at about 1000 FPS will work. I don't know if the heavier bullet is really needed. I have just always been a fan of the LBT style bullets.

Unless S&W has changed the sights delivered with the M69, the 300gr will shoot way high even with the rear sight bottomed out.
The 250 at 1,000 fps might also shoot high -- you just have to give it a try.

Here's a Point of Impact test I did with my M69. Two shots with each load shot from a rest at 25 yards with the rear sight bottomed out. Big center diamond was Point of Aim for all groups.


The top two loads were 310 at 325gr bullets 1,140 and 1,180 fps respectively.


FWIW,

Paul

Mine really loves the LBT 260gr WNFP at 1100 fps. Also the LBT 280 LFN at the same velocity.
I haven't shot my 300 gr WLN LBT Bullet through my Model 69, yet, but I'm betting it will shoot 2 or 3 inches higher than my 260 LBT bullet does.

Sighted in with the 260 LBT at 1100 fps, mine is still 1.5" high at 25 yards with the rear sight screwed all the way down.

For deer sized game, any of those bullets you mentioned will be all you need. I've killed some BIG feral Hogs with the 260gr WFN LBT bullets here at the Ranch. Kills them like Thor's hammer!

By the way, my new Model 69 has been very accurate with nearly every load I've tried in it. I'm am very pleased with that pistol. It's become my new favorite carry gun at the ranch.

Thanks. I am thing this will be the perfect all around gun. I am trying to decide what holster to carry it in also. I am down to the Simply Rugged pancake or the Tucker HF1. Has anyone shot it wit wood grips on it?

I went with an El Paso Saddlery Pancake holster for mine.
I like the way the Factory rubber grips feel, but I hate the way they look.
Planning on replacing mine with some nice looking Rosewood or Walnut.
Any suggestions or does anyone know who makes S&W's factory wood grips ?

Factory style Targets...Nill, Herretts, Eagle and Ahrends... They can be had in a rounded butt or round to square conversion...

Look on ebay..lots of times I have found new or used grips very cheap. Like 1/3 to 1/4 the price to order them from the factory.

Bob

I like the look and feel of Ahrends finger groove grips. I like these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-W-Grips-K..._DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f3da3a8df

I have bought several Ahrends grips from here

John Culina

I didn't realize it but VZ Grips has some cool looking laminate grips. I will have to run by their shop and eck them out.

I also prefer a true LBT bullet for hunting.

Evidently Smith doesn't ever square butt any frames anymore. I took the grips off figuring that MAYBE they were square butts, since that is how the grips appeared, but alas, it's a round butted gun. I had a decent pair of factory oversized targets, probably off of a 686, and they fit fine. They leave part of the backstrap exposed at the bottom though. I'm going to have to do something else if I want wood grips. The sad thing is I was just at a gunshow yesterday and bought some 1911 grips and the vendor had a bunch of Smith and Wesson grips.

Those look pretty good on there! I Wish S&W would have shipped they with there Performance Center wood grips from the Factory on the new Model 69.

Cool old Pedal car in your picture.

The new S&W classics with the blued finish such as the model 29 or 586 still come with square butts.

I may go buy a box of these or the 1,000 FPS .44 Special version to put in my 1978 29-2 nickel 8-3/8th. Haven't shot a deer with it since '89 and I think these would crush a TN or FL whitetail. And be fairly placid in a Model 69 as well.
Buffalo Bore Wadcutters

Are you sure the frames are square? My 69 has square butted grips but when you take them off, the frame is round-butted. I'm sure some of the makers mentioned above are making square butt wooden grips to fit the round butt L frame like mine, but I don't know. The grips that are on it fit tight but don't fit right because they're off a regular square butt L frame, pre-lock. I'm not contradicting you, just asking.

Thanks. The car is my kid car from way back with the sticker I got from Six Flags when Six Flags was pretty new. The tires are rotted off about. The car and the tractor barely visible in front of it are just sad, nostalgic displays on the front porch of my house.

Since the average adult male's chest is only 12-14" deep in anteroposterior dimension, this ammo is an open invitation to collateral damage.

The description cites NYPD Stakeout Squad veteran Jim Cirillo's use of 38 Special wadcutters in his guns, apparently somehow equating these 44 caliber loads with Cirillo's loads, which is utter nonsense. Cirillo used standard soft lead wadcutters in his Stakeout Squad loads, fired at 38 Special velocity (700 fps or so).

Regardless of the advertising, these might be decent cartridges for hunting deer at close ranges. But WC's don't stabilize well much past 50-75 yards, so they're somewhat limited. And you don't need 24" of penetration to kill deer.

I've played with a bunch of big bore bullet weights and types over the years, and have killed a fair number of deer with them. I've pretty much come full circle, back to standard weight & velocity SWC or SWCHP lead bullets of moderate hardness. In the 44's I'd choose a 200-240 gr bullet at about 1000-1100 fps. That will kill just about anything I'd care to hunt in the lower 48, and the recoil & blast will be very manageable in the Model 69.

FWIW, one of my loads in both 44 Special and 44 Magnum revolvers is the old Remington scalloped 240 gr SJHP bullet in a 44 Spl case over 9.5 gr of U-Clays. Very accurate, very deadly load on both deer and bowling pins, yet light enough (and cheap enough!) to be an enjoyable plinking round.

No for heavy in a S&W. Stay at 265 gr or below. Too heavy can add inertia and failures. Don't worry about velocity or pressures, just boolit weight.

how is the recoil on these 69s. I have a 620 in .357 but I'm wondering how the same weight gun will be with the much larger .44. I also like the 5 inch model 629's.

I couldn't tell a lot of difference between the 69 and my 629 Mountain Gun, recoil-wise. I didn't shoot balls-to-the-wall loads in it though. I expect the heaviest load I shot in mine was a 240 grain factory level loading.

Definitely square butt frame on the 24, the 27, and 29 Classics.