richp
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 61
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Post by richp on Oct 26, 2022 18:29:40 GMT -5
I need some help deciding which bullet would be best in a Marlin .44 Magnum for whitetail deer. Thanks in advance. These would be west Texas deer.
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Post by x101airborne on Oct 26, 2022 19:45:48 GMT -5
The XTP-Mag HP from Hornady.
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Post by leftysixgun on Oct 26, 2022 20:01:21 GMT -5
I need some help deciding which bullet would be best in a Marlin .44 Magnum for whitetail deer. Thanks in advance. These would be west Texas deer. Do you want to shoot cat bullets or jacketed? It doesnt take much to harvest a whitetail. A lot of it will be personal preference. Do you handload/reload already?
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Post by x101airborne on Oct 27, 2022 7:25:35 GMT -5
I suggested a jacketed bullet based on my experience with two Marlin 44 Magnums.
All I wanted to shoot was cast. I took some of my revolver rounds, 300 grain flat point at full throttle meant for my Super Redhawk, and fired them in one of the rifles. These were sized at .431. Then I cleaned the leading out of the barrel for two days. I wound up buying a custom mold (125.00 or so) another sizing die and having to keep the rounds completely separated. Even then I was only getting around a two inch group at 50 yards. The groups seemed to open up quickly at 100 yards. After reading about the twist rate Marlin uses (I dont remember what it is) I decided to order another custom mold (another 125.00) of a lighter weight semi-wadcutter and another sizing die, this time in .434 diameter. Two problems arose here: 1. I did not specify the lead alloy I would be using so the mold came in under sized at the bands and 2: I did not pay attention to the nose length of the mold I ordered. Now my cast bullets are still under sized and they wont feed. I did a little gunsmithing and also seated my bullets deeper to solve the problem.
This is where I learned to powder coat. Powder coating increased my bullet size by almost .001 inches per side making my bullets .4345 inches or so measured with my non scientific Amazon special calipers, so the bullets barely rubbed the inside of the sizing die when I applied the checks. At the range I was barely under two inches at 50 yards for 10 shots but at 100 yards the groups seemed to stabilize.
A couple days later I had some range time on the ranch so I took my rifle out only to discover I had grabbed a box of Hornady 240 grain XTP-Mag HP loaded over H-110 for my Super Blackhawk. 10 rounds at 50 yards made a one inch hole outside to outside. Moving to 100 yards including shooter error I had a two inch group outside to outside. Perfect!
In short I was about 300 dollars into being able to make ammo for a weapon that really wasn't all that great with it, plus frustration that I stock the XTP's anyway in bulk for my other 44 magnums. For me, had I known from the beginning how it would turn out, I would have started with a jacketed load and then later at my leisure found a plinking cast bullet load but having the ability to immediately drop back to the jacketed load for hunting or any other serious work.
BTW... If you can find an old all steel 44 magnum sizing die, hone it out to resize your rifle brass as little as is necessary to chamber in your rifle. Sizing brass down from your rifle chamber size to a size that will fit in every weapon on the planet causes cases to crack in about 5 loadings in my experience, plus you have to keep the rifle brass separate. Pain in the tail.
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jgt
.327 Meteor
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Posts: 782
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Post by jgt on Oct 27, 2022 9:36:36 GMT -5
Winchester white box 240grn work for deer.
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Post by bradshaw on Oct 27, 2022 9:53:39 GMT -5
"It doesnt take much to harvest a whitetail.” ----leftysixgun
*****
This kind of nonchalance can ruin a hunt. I’ve heard the same lingo applied to black bear and moose, again with a wounded, often lost, animal. Reckon I’m not a good enough shot to celebrate a kill before it’s on the meat pole. David Bradshaw
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Post by bigbrowndog on Oct 27, 2022 10:18:28 GMT -5
I agree with leftysixgun, and will add it doesn’t take much to lose one either. Reading Karamojo Bell stories one could decide it doesn’t take much to kill an elephant either, just precision and a proper bullet.
That said, I use and have used Speer 270gr SP, Hornady 240gr HP old style and XTP, Nosler240gr HP, and Sierra 220gr FP jacketed, all gave excellent to good accuracy and performance. My preference for deer in Texas from a handgun would be a 240gr HP, but given the extra velocity provided by the rifle I’d vote for something that would provide an exit for lots of blood loss, in order to allow an easier tracking job if required. So a 270-265gr bullet or the Sierra 250-220gr FPJ which behaves like a cast bullet and expands some and penetrates well. Coyotes out there are plentiful and a delayed finding of your deer can feed them.
Trapr
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Post by reflex264 on Oct 27, 2022 11:11:40 GMT -5
240XTP. They just work. Never recovered one. Clean pass through with 1.5" exits.
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Post by reflex264 on Oct 27, 2022 11:23:28 GMT -5
The XTP-Mag HP from Hornady. I hate to sound ignorant but when did Hornady start making an XTP-Mag in .429"? The only XTP Mag bullets I am aware of that they make are .452" and .500".
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Post by bula on Oct 27, 2022 11:52:38 GMT -5
Was gonna comment on that, but yes, think in 44 flavor, no "mag" designation, heavier jacket option. Bought a Leupold 2.5x from BBD that has , under clear tape, trajectory data. Asked him for what ? Said 240XTP/H110 loading.. The SBHH that scope went on, and a 1894 Marlin like it, and with less powder, the 265gr SP Hornady. I've not gotten game with them yet, won't comment further.
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richp
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 61
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Post by richp on Oct 27, 2022 20:40:27 GMT -5
Lots of good information here. I was actually asking for a friend, all thou I do have a few .44,s long and short. He has cast in the past but for.357 mag. We have no experience with the 44,s on deer. I think he likely will load jacketed bullets. Their place is near the Big Bend just east of the Pecos, I have hunted there do not recall any coyotes but they have been picking up feral hogs on their cameras, so they may have to cull some of them. Thanks again. I will pass this on to him.
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Post by x101airborne on Oct 28, 2022 6:12:11 GMT -5
I stand corrected. The 44 calibers are not specifically designated "Mag".
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Post by reflex264 on Oct 28, 2022 8:15:30 GMT -5
I stand corrected. The 44 calibers are not specifically designated "Mag". No problem. I thought they may have slipped one over on me. I will say one thing for them: they kill deer just fine. I know of around 10 .44 Magnums that all shoot them great and kill deer.
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wpeel
.30 Stingray
Posts: 194
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Post by wpeel on Oct 28, 2022 8:22:09 GMT -5
The appropriate bullet in .44 dress by either Hornady, Nosler or Sierra will get the job done...if you do your part.
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dmize
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 2,825
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Post by dmize on Nov 16, 2022 8:58:46 GMT -5
The real pain with the 94's are the chambers.Your going to spend a lot of time and money to shoot a cast bullet accurately out of them in any caliber when you can just use a quality jacketed bullet and be good to go.
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