load recommendation for 4" Mountain Gun

[QuailKiller]

So I have a Smith and Wesson mountain gun in 44 magnum that I am considering deer hunting with this fall.  I know it isn't the ideal hunting handgun, but it is the best I have right now.  It is very accurate and I can hit clay pigeons consistently at 25 yards offhand.  I have been using 10.0 grains of unique with a 240 grain swc that should produce around 1000 fps.  I don't have a crony to verify velocity, but the load hits pretty hard.  I have found it to be a somewhat powerful, but still fun load to shoot out of the 40oz Mountain gun. 

The other day I loaded up some 240 XTPs with 10 grains of Unique and shot one into water jugs lined up to see what kind of expansion I might be looking at.  I was surprised to find out that the bullet did not open up at all, but only tumbled through the water.  I was shooting at a distance of 10 yards.

I guess my velocity isn't high enough to open the bullet up.  I know that deer are more solid than water jugs, but I'm not sure I want to use this load on deer.  I know it still would have killed a deer but I am looking for something that will expand to dispatch the animal as quickly as possible. 

I could always load some XTPs up with 296, but I my accuracy goes down when velocity goes up. Does anybody have a recommendation for a bullet that would be effective around 1000fps?  I have no doubt that a 240 traveling at 1000 is adequate for deer provided that I use a good bullet.

Thanks in advance.

[kynardsj]

The SWC load that you like is one that we used to shoot all the time. Very fun load but it does kick butt on the receiving end. A guest at our hunting club used this load in a 10 inch Contender to take a buck while hunting with us. The buck was facing him at about 40 yards, the SWC entered the chest and exited thru a hindquarter. It's not the best bullet for hunting but if your comfortable with it and accurate with it, it'll put meat in the freezer.

[Mikey]

IMO you would be best to stick with your cast swc load.  That load will shoot though a whitetail out to 50 yds or better.  The swc slug does not need to expand as it retains it shape and punches a square hole straight on through the critter; it does not deflect off heavier bone structures as some soft nose or hollow pointed slugs sometime do. 
I'll betcha that if you can consistently hit a clay pidgeon offhand at 25 yds you might be surprised to see what it will do for you at 50.  I have a Mountain Gun and sight mine for 50 yds and it shoots better than I do.

[QuailKiller]

Thanks for the replies.  Maybe I will just stick to my pet load with the cast swc.  I have no doubt it will put an animal down.  I might look in to getting a cast bullet with a larger meplat though for hunting with.  Also, I do need to try it at 50 yards, although I know I still have a lot of practicing to do, which happens to be quite fun...

[bubbinator]

I have taken several AL whitetails with a 44 mag, A S&W 29 6" and Ruger Super Blackhawk 7.5". My favorite loads used Sierra JHC 180gr. bullets (Jacketed Hollow Cavity) loaded over loads of 630-P/H-110/296 from the Sierra Manual. Accuracy was good and expansion was too. Same load was used in my Ruger Semi-auto rifle and Winchester M94 rifle. Wife killed a 6pt buck a few yrs ago with the Ruger carbine at +/- 100 yds that scored 100+ B&C at BuckMasters. Good Luck.

[Lloyd Smale]

your cast load is exactly the same load my 4 inch n frames get. Its accurate, pleasant to shoot and has accounted for a number of deer bear and pigs and ive yet to shoot one and thought later i needed more gun.

[Charlie-SA]

I'm a little surprised that you saw no expansion at 10 yards with an estimated muzzle velocity of 1000 fps.  However using Hornady's listed velocity of 1350 fps for a 7.5" barrel and a ballistics calculator one could expect 1000 fps somewhere between 180 and 200 yards so it very well could be that at 1000 fps the 240 XTP is not going to expand.
Charlie

[phoneman7]

I shoot 240 cast at about 1100 or so out of my contender.  Only killed one animal with it which was a 300lb hog at about 30 foot.  It went slam through him and he kicked about 10 seconds and it was over.  You can shoot heavier loads but when the light ones kill that well, there really is no need unless chasing a bear!

[phoneman7]

also, if you want it to expand, i've heard the FTX bullets from hornady expand really well.  The little red tip is supposed to kinda initiate the openening of the bullet.  Never shot one though, just what i've read

[t-reg]

The difference between your gun and what others consider "ideal" is arguable and certainly negligible.


You got an awesome pistole and load there, go for it!