Best 44 mag ammo for deer?

[DeanMk]

This ought to do the trick.

BUFFALO BORE Heavy .44 Magnum Ammo
305 gr. L.B.T.-L.F.N. @ 1,325 fps/M.E. 1,189 ft lbs
20 Round Box

ITEM 4A

Big Game up to 1000 lbs.



Heavy .44 Magnum Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

Yep, pretty much my thoughts, too. Anything from Buffalo Bore or Grizzly Ammo should work....also, Federal used to make some real killer .44 mag ammo.
It was a 300 gr. Cast Core bullet (hard LSWC) that left the barrel of a revolver @ 1160 ft.sec.
I figure, out of a rifle, should churn up around 2000 ft.lbs. ME....unfortunately, they stopped making it this year, so scour those gun shop shelves....Federal .44 mag "P44E".

 

[turq]

My new Rossi 92 in 44mag 'loves' the Magtech 240gr SP
More accurate than I had imagined.Out at 50yrds four were into about 1 1/2" and one pulled low; two were fighting for the same hole. It was the first five after a white bead front sight change over. Speed was 1180fps stated probably from a revolver. ???what speed from a 20" barrel.
I have a thing for large bore soft points, ain't no stopping them...

Edit: measured 1" for four, fifth was 2" lower. Sorting out the ivory bead.
The 1180 FPS was from a 4" revolver.

 

[1371JarHead]

44 Mag was my very first hunting rifle the Ruger 44 deer slayer, my dad bought it for me in 1966/67 i think, i took about 2 deer every season for 5 years with it , it would know them over and knock them down most of the time under 80 yards, i was just using whatever ammo our local gun shoppe sold nothing glamorous im sure. Gawd i wish i had kept that rifle i would think with Buffalo bore ammo you could reach out to 200 yards and pretty much stop them dead in their tracks.

 

[Twodogs]

My 240 gr XTP hand loads chrono at 1760 FPS out of my 18" barreled encore rifle. with a aimpoint sight hits at 150 yrds are no problem.

 

[DeanMk]

1650 ft./lbs. ME.
Not bad, Twodogs.

 

[KKG]

Whatever ammunition you can put a full magazine of into an 8" circle at 100 yards while shooting Offhand!

 

[MrTwentyTwo]

I'm old school!

Good 'ol Elmer Keith 429421, 240 grain cast, in front of 24 grains of 2400. Outta a S&W Model 29 8 3/8 @ 50-75 yards, beating the sage brush while it sits in my old Safariland Shoulder Rig! Took 3 this way and nary a problem! Nothing like hunting with a handgun!

 

[DeanMk]

Actually, as the OP showed us, just about any .44 mag load is good for hunting deer.
Even the original loading that pushes a 240 jacketed bullet to 742 ft./lbs. ME (handgun) is enough to knock down a nice buck.
In comparison, a favourite deer hunting rifle in the later 19th and early 20th centuries was the '73 Winchester chambered for .44-40 and it only made 640 ft./lbs. ME.
...so don't think you need to go all mazzo on some "high powered hunting round".
.44 mag does pretty fair, all on its own. Handgun or rifle, regardless.

Dean