200 gr xtp for deer

[erickrschaefer]

I have a SBHH in 44mag with a 7.5" barrel and just worked up a load using the 200gr xtp that really shoots well. Do you guys think it would be a good deer round out to 50-60yds or so. I don't know what the velocity is but it is 27.5gr of H110 in front of a CCI 350, and I just got back from the range and was able to shoot ragged one hole groups at 30yds. I haven't tried the 240's yet but was wondering if the extra 40 gr's of bullet will make a difference.

[Gregory]

Most on this board will tell you that you need at least a 240 gr bullet out of a 44 Mag and a 300 gr hardcast is even better.  I'm not one of those people.  I've only taken two deer with a 44 Mag pistol.  One was a small spike at 50 yds with a 180 gr Sierra JHP and the other a 182 lb 8 pt (my avatar) with a Nosler 200 gr JHP at 66 yds.  Both were out of a 10" Contender.  Both one shot kills and complete pass throughs.  I think the 200 gr JHP is ideal for broadside lung shots on deer from a 44 Mag. revolver or 10" TC.

[Jim Stacy]

Everytime I post a post about fast loads being my choice I get similar treatment . But I have killed several deer with fast contender loads and they were quite dead. I do think you should not take raking , hind quarter shots or shoulder shots with a HV expanding bullet . You should shoot them through the heart lung area through the ribs . That said I also shoot a deer inthe head when I get a steady 50 yard or less shot because it kills them on the spot and makes cleaning a lot easier than a body cavity full of stuff. I am very happy with a 357 contender and a 146 speef 3/4 jacket for the above task it starts off @1700 and is VERY destructive and the base go through on chest shots. That bullet works a little like a partition bullet.  Enough said . Any of you guys that like the big bullet technique I'm not saying my way is better it's just what works for me so do be offended just my experiences. In the 44 I like the speer 225 3/4 JHP both accurate and very deadly when pushed by 23.0/2400/ mag primer.

[MS Hitman]

I am one of those people who will advise against going lighter than 240 grains in a .44 Mag.  I have taken 27 whitetail deer with my "maggies" and because I use a heavier bullet,  do not have to limit myself to only broadside shots.  I have shot deer front to back, back to front, gone through the shoulder headed for the opposite hindquarter, broke both shoulders, and even put a 240 grain hard cast bullet through a 3" sapling the deer was standing immediately behind.  Don't expect I'll get that kind of performance out of a 200 grain bullet.

[Mikey]

erickschaefer:  you are shooting from a revolver, which will generate less velocity than the close chamber of a Contender.  In that regard the lighter bullets from a contender may be sufficient for broadside shots within the range limitations you provided.  However, I will agree with MS Hitman, and Greybeard and the others who advise the use of at least a 240 gn bullet.  I would think that your SB double H can group the heavier loads at least as accuratly as the xtps and would advise trying the heavier bullet so as not to have to limit yourself to broadside only shots.  

This is only my two cents worth but I've polished up those pennies just fer ya.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Larry Gibson]

erickrschaefer

"I have a SBHH in 44mag with a 7.5" barrel and just worked up a load using the 200gr xtp that really shoots well. Do you guys think it would be a good deer round out to 50-60yds or so."
 
Ah yes, the eternal debate on this board....

I have found the lighter weight HPs and SP bullets (for caliber) to be the more efficient (quicker with heart/lung shots) killers of deer when used with the shorter barreled revolvers.  In the case of your BH with the 7 1/2" barrel it would be a toss up between the 200 gr XTP and the 240 gr XTP.  With the load you are using under that 200 gr XTP you will get excellent performance on deer.  Likewise with a compareable top end load with the 240 gr XTP you will be over 1400 fps and it will perform just as well within the 50-60 yards you mention.  

There is always the supposition that the lighter, fast driven HPs and SPs will not give sufficient penetration on deer.  That supposition is one of the main arguements for using heavier bullets, particularly heavy hard cast bullets.  Deer do not have that much mass in the front half of them.  I have not found this "lack of penetration" to be the case with the lighter bullets with any broadside or raking shots from the side or head on through the brisket.  I do not do "Texas heart shots" with the handguns I hunt with regardless of the circumstances (personal chice, not a flame).  

In your case you have a revolver that will do well with both.  Since you already have an accurate load with the 200 gr XTP, that you have confidence in, use it.  Let us know your results on deer.  You might also try the 240 XTPs and also let us know your observations of the difference.  Both will, in the end with properly placed shots, kill deer just fine out of your revolver.

Larry Gibson

[Zachary]

A 200 grain bullet in your 44 will certainly work at the ranges you mentioned.  However, I prefer 240 grain bullets on deer.

Some people have mentioned 300 grain hard cast bullets.  I like those bullets on hogs, but I think that they are a bit over kill for deer.  Plus, they don't expand like the jacketed bullets.

Zachary

[erickrschaefer]

I want to thank every one for their input. I don't disagree with the heavier bullet argument as when I bowhunt I shoot a heavy slower moving arrow for the same reasons mentioned. I have shot many deer with the '06 using 150gr and 180gr bullets. They both kill equally as well but the 180 does out penetrate the 150, but I don't think the deer cares. I have a large supply of the 200 gr xtp's and was wondering if the extra 40gr's of weight in the 240 is worth me not using the 200's. I don't take steep angle shots with any weapon but do like to shoot them high in the shoulder to put them down where they stand. I don't have any game experience with either bullet so feel free to keep making comments on which way to go.

Thanks,
Erick

[Gregory]

I am one of those people who will advise against going lighter than 240 grains in a .44 Mag.  I have taken 27 whitetail deer with my "maggies" and because I use a heavier bullet,  do not have to limit myself to only broadside shots.  I have shot deer front to back, back to front, gone through the shoulder headed for the opposite hindquarter, broke both shoulders, and even put a 240 grain hard cast bullet through a 3" sapling the deer was standing immediately behind.  Don't expect I'll get that kind of performance out of a 200 grain bullet.

MS Hitman
You obviously have quite a few deer under your belt and I respect your experience.  Out of curiosity have you ever experimented with 200 gr bullets and found them lacking?  I know Greybeard had one bad experience with a 180 gr bullet.  I took a small 7 pt with a 200 gr Nosler JHP out of a muzzleloader and it made mush out of the lungs, did get a complete pass through, but I think that was the upper limit of MV for that bullet.
You sound like you have multiple opportunities at deer during the season, would you be willing to experiment with a 200gr bullet for a side by side comparison to your 240's?

[Jim Stacy]

MS I agree entirely if I were going to shoot a tree first I would definitely use a heavy bulletand not a JHP!   . I bet youre new wildcat on the 240 case would not even slow down much through a 3" sapling.

[MS Hitman]

Well Jim, like my grandfather always said; there are two kinds of hunters.  Those that talk about it and those who bring back the meat.  I hunt hard during the season and use it as an opportunity to fill the freezer as much as possible.  

I have done a good bit of penetration testing with various media and found heavier bullets penetrate better than lighter ones do, even at lower velocities.  This should come as no surprise; however I continue to run across people who are amazed at this.  I will shoot a deer at over 100 yards with a .44 Mag if the I have the opportunity.  Heavier bullets seem to arrive with more authority at these distances.  Another plus in my book is that heavier, slower bullets do not create as much bloodshot meat as the higher velocity loads do.

With a .44, I do not worry or care about expansion.  The bullet is starting at nearly a half inch; why should I fret over whether or not it's going to open up.  The main thing I am looking for is an exit wound, or as much penetration as possible.  

Last October, I shot a cow elk at 70 yards with 400 grain Speer GD from my .475 Linebaugh.  The bullet broke the left rear and front right legs and was recovered under the hide in the shoulder.  Like I said, I like lots of penetration.

[Jim Stacy]

I use a lot of different things to hunt with and I agree about the heavy bullet penetrating but I do use some other loads for lighter animals. For stuff like and elk or large hog I use a 300 TC in my 454 and have never redcovered one yet. Would be interesting to see if that lino type bullet expands at 1600 . I couldn't help ribbing you about your tree shooting  
can't say I've ever know of any one shooting a tree and then a deer. Reverse yes tree first no.

[Mikey]

Jim Stacy:  I doubt a linotype bullet will expand at any speed.  I used Linotype for a number of years while developing and experimenting with my 40 caliber wildcat, and I kin gay-run-tee ya that stuff just doesn't expand.  I once ran a side by side comparison with a 160 gn linotype bullet (dropped from a 170 gn Keith Style SWC) mold in that 40 caliber and a hardcast 240 gn SWC in the 44 mag, and they both penetrated the same depth in stacked 2 bys.  I figured the 40 cal was moving better than 1400'/sec and so was the 44 mag.  The linotype bullet looked like it could be reloaded again (almost) except for some minor nose damage.  In every game animal I have taken with that 40 cal I have never recovered a bullet.  Mikey.

[mec]

Last time I shot a deer with a 200 gr .44 it was one of those old generation speer jhps before they started stressing the jackets for expansion.  The show was 60 yards,the deer was little bitty and he fell over dead.  Actually, he kind of folded in the middle first as the bullet had removed a couple of vertebrae.
That probably does not help

[Old Griz]

My firearms training instructor killed three deer with his .357 using a bullet lighter than 200 grains. If your 200-gr. bullet goes where it's supposed to out of your gun and you feel confident with its accuracy, then by all means use it. Shot placement is always the first priority, and your load is adequate. Happy hunting!
:cb2:

[J.Solo]

I have used my Freedom Arms .454 and Ruger .44 with heavy bullets to take many deer over the years. This coming season I plan on using my Ruger .357 with 158 gr. Hornady XTP-JHPs and 17+ grains of W-296 along with my .44 Special with a 240 gr. Lead SWC and/or some type of 200 gr. Jacketed Hollow Point. I know Speer makes a 200 gr. JHP Gold Dot that expands at 800+ FPS but I don't know if is for defense only or can be used for hunting.

Practice a lot all year on shot placement from as many different positions as you can and you will not have any problems. A heart/lung shot with a 200 br. bullet is better than a butt shot with a Rigby.

J.Solo

[MarkJ_Thompson]

I don't know what kind of deer everyone else are shooting, but the deer here in Washington State die very well when hit with a 200 GR XTP under moderate load (1750FPS) out of  6" barrel.

You can have a great hunting experience with this load for rifles too. My Father has resorted to using a Marlin lever action 44 with a Tasco Pro-Point to do his deer harvesting. (And he never has one get back up.)

Best thing to do in my opinion is shoot paper to get your effective range and only take shots at deer you know you can make. Then the deer will make it too your freezer.

[Riflemanz]

I also would advise 240gr min bullet.