Hopeful New Revolver Hunter

[xae289]

So to clarify, it's not a RNFP cast bullet like I mistakenly said. It's a RFN-GC and seems very similar in profile to the LBT LFN.
www.mattsbullets.com/280-Grain-Round-Flat-Nose-Gas-Check-430_p_188.html

Edit: I also have loaded this bullet hotter. I worked up to a charge that pushes this bullet just under 1300 fps. I have another handful of these to shoot on my next range session. These bullets pencil-test at 10 BHN.


The 300 gr XTP, I've read lots of anecdotes online and the XTP line seems to be well-regarded. For a more standardized test, Lucky Gunner tested it on gel with both a levergun and a revolver.

300 gr XTP Rifle at 1308 impact velocity:
Penetration - 24.1" | Expanded to 0.74"

300 gr XTP Revolver at 1060 impact velocity:
Penetration - 24.9" | Expanded to 0.58"

240 gr XTP Revolver at 1260 impact velocity:
Penetration - 20.5" | Expanded to 0.64"

My 300 gr load does 1200 fps at the muzzle, staying within a max of 50 yards, I would see an impact velocity of >1115 fps. Yea, maybe it's a little heavy for deer, but like I said, I want something that could perform well on bear as well if need be.

I also have a 240 gr XTP load that does 1440 fps at the muzzle and would hit with >1300 fps within 50 yards.

[bigbrowndog]

If you’re looking for a one load/bullet for medium game and bear, the 300xtp would be my choice from your given bullets. At proper hardness and velocity that 280gr. bullet would be a good choice as well.

Trapr

[blackmamba]

My do-all 44 mag hunting load is a 265 SWC GC over 12 gr. of HS-6 for about 1165 fps out of my 6½" 629 Classic. Bullets run 16 BHN, and I've never recovered one. They all go down within about 25 yards.

[bigbore5]

For best performance, learn to cast your own bullets. It's not hard and is pretty relaxing once you get the hang of it.

You can control your bullet expansion by varying the hardness of the alloy. Just match the hardness to the velocity and pressure. Everything you need to know to get started is available on this site, castboolits, and lasc. Between the info on those three sites there's not much that isn't covered.

For deer-sized game I like a softer alloy and large hp pins in a heavy bullet. About 14-15bhn.

For larger game, I just switch to the small hp pins.

For large, dangerous game, it's the flat nose at 17-18bhn

For the bovines and African dangerous game, it's the flat nose at 22bhn.

My recommendation for the all around mold for your 44 is the MP 430-640. I also MP's version of the Keith bullets.

[xae289]

Aug 2, 2023 16:05:21 GMT -5 bigbore5 said:

For best performance, learn to cast your own bullets. It's not hard and is pretty relaxing once you get the hang of it.

You can control your bullet expansion by varying the hardness of the alloy. Just match the hardness to the velocity and pressure. Everything you need to know to get started is available on this site, castboolits, and lasc. Between the info on those three sites there's not much that isn't covered.

For deer-sized game I like a softer alloy and large hp pins in a heavy bullet. About 14-15bhn.

For larger game, I just switch to the small hp pins.

For large, dangerous game, it's the flat nose at 17-18bhn

For the bovines and African dangerous game, it's the flat nose at 22bhn.

My recommendation for the all around mold for your 44 is the MP 430-640. I also MP's version of the Keith bullets.

As much as the itch to start casting constantly scratches at me, it's not in the cards, at least not for a long time. I don't want another potential source of lead contamination around my family, including young kids. Honestly, I don't trust myself enough to not eventually end up with high lead levels from casting. I know I'm lousy at wearing PPE. As it is, I'm happy to have a source that casts boolits I like and is willing to tweak them for me to meet my needs.

[barbarosa]

Don’t forget to post updates about your hunt this fall and add photos as well. Best of luck hunting!

[xae289]

Here to report back. Opening weekend in NY, I took my first deer with a handgun. I went with my Ruger SBH wearing a Burris 2x scope. I didn't feel up to it with iron sights. I also kept developing handloads and settled on a Nosler 240 gr JSP pushed by IMR 4227 to 1280 fps, which I found to be a very accurate load with much less felt recoil, blast, or flash than any loads I worked up with H110.

The deer was a decent-sized spike. I originally thought he was a doe because it happened very quickly hunting in a thick patch of woods. I saw him come around some dense brush at a trot. He seemed like a good sized doe, so I cocked my revolver and brought it up, ready for when he crossed a 5 yard window where I could get a clear 40-45 yard shot. I got the crosshairs on him, led him, and right as he was about to get to the last tree that would block my shot, I fired.

He jumped at the shot and ran off. I wanted to wait at least an hour before tracking, but unfortunately, one of my less experienced and more excitable hunting buddies wasn't so patient. He was in a stand about 80 yards away, saw the deer I shot and despite telling him not to, he got down from his stand to look for it about 20 min after I shot it. I'm pretty sure he kicked it up because he found the start of the blood trail – a puddle of blood and gore between our two spots where it looked like the deer had laid down for a while.

After he texted me that he found blood, I got up to go to the spot. Around the same time, another buddy texts the group that a wounded spike staggered right up to his stand and laid down, dead. Still pretty sure that my deer was a doe, I continued to follow the trail, not taking for granted that the one by my buddy's stand was my deer. After about 40 minutes of crouched walking, low-crawling, and getting stabbed and jabbed by thorns and branches in extremely thick brush, I exited the brambles by an ATV trail. The red dotted line led me straight to my buddy's stand and the downed deer – around 180 yards away from where I first shot it.

It turns out that my shot was a little lower and back from where I intended. I guess that I didn't follow through leading him. The bullet nonetheless caught the lower rear corner of both lungs and left a caliber-sized hole through them and out the other side.

Lessons learned:

Firstly, I shouldn't take shots at deer on the move with a handgun. I got very lucky this time, but 3 inches farther back or down and I wouldn't have hit lungs.

Secondly, I probably want more expansion than I got from the JSP. A jacketed or cast hollow-point would have made a bigger hole.

[hunter01]

Way to stay after it! 40yds on a moving deer is a hell of a good shot, especially with a scoped revolver.

[messybear]

It’s how we learn! We all have stories about how we wished we had done this or that. But in the end, you followed up and found the deer! That’s the main thing.
Congrats on that first deer!

[seminolewind]

Good job getting your first handgun buck. Hitting a moving deer in thick cover at 45 yards isn’t easy, but you got it done. I try to stop or slow a buck down by using a loud mouth bleat. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’d have to have a word with an over anxious hunting partner if he got on the trail of my deer before I did. Tracking is part of the hunting experience for me and I don’t want anyone making mistakes for me. I can make my own.

[xae289]

Dec 10, 2023 13:19:04 GMT -5 seminolewind said:

Good job getting your first handgun buck. Hitting a moving deer in thick cover at 45 yards isn’t easy, but you got it done. I try to stop or slow a buck down by using a loud mouth bleat. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’d have to have a word with an over anxious hunting partner if he got on the trail of my deer before I did. Tracking is part of the hunting experience for me and I don’t want anyone making mistakes for me. I can make my own.

Thanks! I considered grunting at him, but I was sure he heard me cock the revolver, and was worried I'd blow it with any more noise. I practiced cocking slowly and quietly a lot at home, but with game-time nerves I yanked that hammer back like my thumb was on fire.

As far as my hunting buddy, we had a word. He's newer to it, is a great shot, and hunts with a .450 Bushmaster, so up to then he'd taken 2 or 3 deer and a large bear, none of which went anywhere.

Anyway, he learned the hard way the next weekend. Long story short, his bad habit cost him a full day of tracking with a pro and dog to no recovery. As much as I hate hearing about deer lost, I doubt he was going to learn to stay put and wait until it happened to him.

[reflex264]

Huge congrats on the deer and the follow up. Its a learning process for sure.

[pete]

Congratulations on your deer, welcome to the club! It's a good feeling, isn't it?

[45MAN]

CONGRATS ON YOUR 1st HANDGUN DEER!