I posted this last week and since shot an other roebuck deer with the 265g reload. It was running and had just the time to put the Docter red dot
on the shoulder and shoot before it disappeared in heavy brush.
The bullet made tremendous damage, hitting the left shoulder bone making an almost palm sized hole in the chest left side, a smaller one in the right side and breaking the right shoulder before existing. I did not recover the bullet.
Definitely I need something that expands less as I am pretty sure the same hit on a big wild boar may not drop it on its track.
I do not want to go for a higher bullet weight wich would be slower, for the reason explained below and will try Sierra match FPJ 250. True they are not designed for expansion out of a revolver but at 444 speed I am pretty sure they will, enough anyway and lead show up at the top of the bullet .
Really wish Hornday makes a stronger 265g.
This is my third year drive hunting wild boar and roebuck deer with a Win94 big bore (classic 20inch barrel) in 444M.
I have stopped using the Rem factory for reloads using a 265gr Hornady bullet on top of N130 powder (max load from Vithavuori tables)
I get the same speed with these reloads than the Rem factory (680m/s, 2300fps in the Win 94) so 10% more energy as the bullet is that much heavier.
Roebuck are rather small and light (20-30Kg, ~65lbs) so anything will drop them. Nevertheless, I noticed on the few I shot with the Rem, expansion was dramatic and starting immediately. The entry hole was almost as big as the exit.
Whitetail are a tad bigger and stronger but for sure the Rem factory will be fine.
Wild boars are an other story. They are very strong and I would not use either the Rem factory or any reloads with pistol bullets or even the 270 Speer. I tried the 270 Speer but the jacket is very thin and they expand too early and violently.
Sofar I dropped 3 small boars (50kg, 110lbs), two in the heart area, bullet went throug and in one case broke the shoulder and one this weekend in the neck, massive damage inside but a small bullet size exit hole with almost no blood while the entry hole was bleeding.
I came to the conclusion that even the Hornady bullet expands too early.
I could try heavier bullet but OAL in the Win is limited and I would not like a bullet that is too slow and therfore to have to give more lead.
I wonder what would happen with a very big boar hit in the shoulder area and really think a tougher bullet would be needed. I am even considering FMJ used for silhouette.
From a stand or stalking, I use a Sako in 300W and this summer had to finish one (110kg, 240lbs) that was still alive after having been hit in the shoulder that was smashed by a 180gr Nosler partition I recovered against the backbone it failed to break.
I you know stronger bullet than the Hornady, let me know. I wrote them asking if they plan to manufacture 44 bullets using their Interbond process but did not get an anwer yet.
I wish to share info with anyone hunting big wild boar too.
