I have an S&W Model 69 with the 4.25" bbl in 44 Mag. Can someone recommend a factory round that would perform well on wild pigs or white tail deer out to 30 or 40 yards?
I’ve killed several deer at those ranges with a 44 handloaded to 45 ACP ballistics. Factory loads are hotter so any of them in any weight should be fine for deer—bullet designs and velocity tend to be ideal for that. Hogs are a bit tougher, so I’d prefer 240-grain bullets for them, ideally something stouter like the XTP. I see no need for hotter loads or heavier bullets on either species, especially in a revolver as light as a Model 69.
From there, it depends on your tolerance for recoil and muzzle blast. Most jacketed 240-grain factory loads run from 1,200 fps to 1,400 fps. Adding velocity flattens trajectory, but that only matters once you get past about 50 yards plus it increases recoil and muzzle blast quickly. The American Eagle 240-grain JHP chronographs 1,257 fps in my 4” Model 29 and is very accurate out to 100 yards, but recoil is snappy in my revolver, which weighs 42 ounces. Your revolver is 4 ounces lighter than mine and that can make a big difference. Fiocchi’s 44D load also shoots well in my revolver. It’s advertised at 1,330 fps but I haven’t chronographed it. Recoil seems about the same as the American Eagle load.
My first choice for the 44 is a 240-grain true Keith at 1,100 fps. HSM’s 240-grain cowboy load (
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018135629?pid=552914) is close to that. It chronographs 1,143 fps in my 4” Model 29 and shoots as well as the American Eagle with what seems like significantly less recoil. The HSM 200-grain cowboy load (
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101813524?pid=460152) runs 861 fps in my 4” Model 29 but doesn’t group well at 50 yards. I recently had that revolver Taylor throated and I’ll reshoot those tests in a few days. If I can get it to shoot well, that could be a very useful tool to have in the toolbox.
The 44 Magnum is a lot like the 30-06 are a lot alike in that it’s hard to go wrong using factory ammo for deer. Find one that’s accurate in your revolver and you’ll be fine.
Okie John