Has anyone used the Nosler Sporting Handgun bullets? I am specifically looking for the 44 Mag 240gr JHP but I guess any info would be appreciated.

I’ve been told they are “soft” and hard to load.

The 300 was the only bullet I could get any accuracy out of in my old 444 Marlin. I used one on a small 2yr old bull buffalo. Shot behind the shoulders it wrecked the lungs and he went down ASAP. No signs of it blowing up and the exit was roughly 2” diameter.

My only experience with them but I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for deer or pigs.

I've been using the 200 JHPs #44846. Only shooting targets & metal critters at the range. So far they work well in 44 Spl. & midrange Magnum loads. Hard to load? In what way?

I’ve been told the exposed lead is really soft and easily deformed while seating?

Nosler used to say in their advertising, and may still, that the Sporting JHP line had pure lead cores to ensure positive expansion. They may deform a little when seating if it’s a compressed load or something but I doubt it would be enough to affect accuracy to any real degree and they’re going to deform on impact just as easily.

It's my goto non-cast bullet in the 44 mag. I've have zero problems seating them, and expansion's as expected.

👍

As long as you use the right seater plug they will not deform at all. I use the 357 hp and both 44 hp and sp regularly. It's a Nosler, I wouldn't worry about it being built right.

I've shot a few deer with the Nosler 240 JHP out of a 44 Marlin with a MV of about 1700. They certainly expand widely, wider than the same weight and style of XTP. They have exited for me on broadside-ish shots, breaking bones. Found one about 5" into the frozen dirt after going through about 15" of deer (it hit a rib going in). It was about 75 caliber and weighed exactly 180 grains. Put one through the far shoulder of another deer and broke it out of a piece of old burned up deadfall. It had opened a bit more, about 80 caliber, and weighed 168 grains.

I like them better than XTP for deer, but I wouldn't shoot them faster than 1700. I'm sure they work great out of a handgun, but I've never shot an animal with them out of a handgun.

I've not killed any big game with them...yet...but, they load easily in my .45 Colt and are accurate enough.

Here's a target shot with iron sights at 50 feet. My eyes aren't what they used to be, so I was actually aiming at the 6 o'clock of the black circle (the contrast made a nice aiming point):