I have a MGM 20" barrel on my Contender. I have been using Winchester 240 gr Jacketed soft point bullets. This combination is amazing at shooting paper they shoot a ragged hole at 100 yards. Not as effective on deer. All the deer that I have shot have ran 150 to 250 yards with little to No blood trail. Any suggestions ???

I use XTP's, but I'm curious what your MV is on the JSP's.

I've killed deer with 200gr XTPs. No drama with a 6" M629 S&W, or when I had a 444 Marlin w/24" barrel.

I use Beartooth Bullets 300 grain WFN in my 77/44. Running about 1570 fps and kills deer dead.

Been using a 250 gr. Keith bullet for years. See no reason to change. Old school I guess, but they have never failed if I didn't.

IIRC, all of the deer that I've shot with a 44 Magnum have died, but not as promptly/dramatically as when shot with high velocity bullets. My 44 Magnum is an old Ruger 44 International that gets fed whatever brand of 240 grain JSP/JHP factory ammo is available, FED/REM/WIN seem to work equally well. If you aim to break the shoulder(s) they might not run so far after impact.

Jeff

Ive used a 300 grain LEE or LYMAN cast bullet over 21 grains of h110 for decades and I can,t remember a single deer making it more than about 70 yards after bullet impact, and darn few made it 30 yards, many fell on bullet impact.
most bullets exit and there's usually a noticeable blood trail
if your having deer run 150-250 yards your hitting them in the wrong place, try this

I have a 16.5" barreled Talo Trapper 44 mag. I got two deer this year with the XTP 240 grain bullet over a stout charge of W296.

One ran about 50 yards, but was so ridiculously easy to track it was amazing. The other was BANG-Flop.

Both shot behind the shoulder through vitals, about where the back of the green dot is in the post above.

Both were shot at 15-20 yards or so. No issues with the bullet not performing due to speed.

If it ain't broke, there's no need to fix it.

Yet my wife still took my dog to the vet....

I bet she told him he was going to be tutored...

And for your dog's listening pleasure.

I've had some rough tracking jobs when I have shot bucks with a JHP.

Have you used the XTP's? I shot one with a SuperBlackhawk last year using an XTP, and two this year with the H&R Handi, so not a huge sample, but there was more than enough blood to very easily track the two that ran a little bit.

I had been considering trying my JSP "practice" bullets (240 grain, same charge of W296 powder, just a lot cheaper bullet than the XTP) on a deer, but this thread has me thinking I won't.

No. It's been years since I shot a buck in the piney woods with the little Ruger carbine, Goalie.

My Buddy has been using the 240gr(?) Hornady lever revolution, to good results, for the last three seasons.

Paul.

OK, thanks for the reply. I really like how short and handy the H&R is, and I don't mind dragging it up into a tree on a rope. I also don't want to start having issues with deer not going down rather quickly with a good shot through the boiler room.

I guess I'll just shoot some more with the XTP until I run into problems. The area I hunt, a "long" shot would be about 100 yards, so I shouldn't run into too many problems...... (famous last words)

Never shot any deer with them but I loaded 300 grain Sierra's.

Out of a handgun I prefer a hard-cast Keith style bullet of 250-260 grains. At 1200-1300 fps it kills well and penetrates from any angle.

In a rifle (Ruger Carbine) I prefer a bullet of at least 240 grains (265 is even better). Since lead bullets and the gas ports in a Ruger don't get along well, these are jacketed soft-points. I have used jacketed hollowpoints, but at the added velocity from a rifle, these sometimes have tended to over-expand and limit penetration. Not often, but enough to make me prefer the softpoints.

I've never had a chance to test them, but have often thought the 270 grain Gold Dot SP would be a dandy out of a 44 Carbine.

240 JSP Winchester worked just fine for me last week. Took a button buck @ 60 yds. with a high shoulder shot, never knew what hit him.

I usually like to tell them what I shot them with as they are taking their last breath.

Everyone should know what hit them.

"Did ya feel that, hoss? That, my friend, was a 280 grain single action army, 45 colt, probably going at 1000 fps by the time it pole-axed ya. Thought you should know...."

I like those 250 grain Nosler partitionGold loads from Winchester.

Shoot those thru my ruger deerfield

White box Winchester 240grn softpoints. I haven't had a deer go more than 50 yards yet.

It is. One 300lb hog, 2 rack bucks, 1 doe, 1 coyote. None survived or were difficult to find.

Myself, my Dad, and my brother all shoot either XTP or Nosler 200 gr JHP's over H110. We all use the same load. Guns are Ruger Redhawk 5.5", Ruger Redhawk 7.5", S&W629 6", Marlin Carbine, Marlin Trapper, and a Ruger 96. Have had many "Bang-Flops" with this load. I can't recall actual powder charge, but my dad is a very conservative reloader so I am sure they ain't hot. I also shoot 315 grain casts out of a 4" S&W Mountain Gun. Only shot one deer with it so far and hit it right on the shoulder and it actually knocked it over, but range was less than 20 yards so I don't call that science......

The XTP's and Noslers shoot identical, although I like the performance of the XTP's personally.

Only 44 bullet I used was with a muzzleloader @ 13-1400 fps. Rem. 240 gr. soft point. A buck @ 25 yds. through the heart. Blood trail was very easy in 2" snow. It went about 70 yds.

I really like 240gr XTP's at handgun speeds, 1380ish.

I've loaded a few for my 444 and they tend to be a bit explosive, 2350ish.

Wondering what kind of velocity you are getting out of your 20" tube?

They're going to be rolling at about 1650-1700 if loaded max and they are upsetting enough to preclude two holes at that speed. Throttle them back a bit or use a heavier flat point bullet. Best play in the world with a .44 Mag rifle is bullets such as Vic referenced (Beartooth Bullets 300 grain WFN), cast or paper patched of similar design and weight. They will still be faster than a handgun but the form and terminal performance will do the job.

I use xtp 240 in my muzzleloaders at about 1500,and they drop fast and I always get a pass through.
I tried some other bullets last year and went back to the xtp's.
they may cost a little more,but Ill pay it gladly.