44 Mag 180 gr loads

[teddy12b]

I've been loading my 44 mag loads with 180 gr HP's sitting on 31 grs of H110.  My thinking was that the 180's would be flatter and 180grs is plenty to take a deer.  I was wondering if anyone out there had an opinion on this or has a reason why I should switch bullet weights.

[CyberSniper]

Are these being used in a rifle or a pistol ?
Fired from a rifle, I figure they are moving pretty fast.
If so, it might depend on how big the deer are, and what angle the bullet hits
from as to how well they penetrate. Also, how far do you think you'll
be shooting ? Max range 100 yards, or what ?
I could be wrong, but most people probably use 200 or 240 grain bullets
for deer in .44 Mag rifles. I used 240 grain bullets with good results at 75 yards
in a Marlin 1894 myself. I'm also thinking close range shots with that 180 grain
bullet might make a little more mess than you might like.

[Ranger J]

I am presently working on a 180G XTP load for my Handi Rifle.  This is not my Deer gun, for that I use a Ruger Deerfield and shoot 240G SP bullets in it.  The 180G would not be my first choice for deer but as my Handi does not like heavier bullets I am going with the lightest I can find.  I am loading 29G H110 and 18G Blue Dot at present.  These are beginning loads and I may go slightly higher as the gun seems to like loads with higher velocity in this weight bullet.  This is strange, as this is just the opposite in heavier bullets.  I don’t have my loading manual handyi but both these loads should be at or slightly over 200fps in the Handi.  The XTP can handle this speed but as I hope to eventually go to hard cast (cheaper) I don’t want to go much hotter than this.  I might worry that using a light bullet like the 180G  XTP at a speed of over 2000fps which might result in the bullet blowing up when striking the deer or at least destroying a lot of meat.  Don’t know, as I have never shot a deer with an XTP.  All I know now is that they are one of the few bullets that give an acceptable group in this gun.
RJ

[Dusty Miller]

From my 4" 629 a load of 29 grains under that bullet is a lot more stout than I need for SD.  It really rocks that gun. 

[mg66]

I use 240 grain Magtech SJSP with 24 grains of Win 296 for deer hunting with my Taurus 44 6", open sight.

[fishdog52]

My brother & I have both been using that load for a couple of decades+, sometimes we use 296, performance being pretty much identical with 110.  Our guns have 5", 6", & 6 1/2" barrels, and this loading has been extremely accurate is all guns.  Mostly use Sierra bullets as they produce the very best accuracy, but sometime have used the Remington bullet, cheaper, but only a little less accurate.  It is a very good whitetail load, the 180 has proven to be plenty of bullet.  Again, accuracy has been outstanding!
Yes, they do recoil!

[Questor]

This question comes up from time to time and I've never seen a definitive answer on it. A lot depends on the size of the deer. Personally, I use 240 grainers. One thing about 180 grain loads I've seen is fantastic muzzle flash. I would not want that in a deer load because it will interfere with my low-light vision.

[CyberSniper]

Most of the guys in this thread are using 180 grainers in handguns.
The guy that started the post is using a rifle however.
I still think the much higher muzzle velocity might alter the performance
of the lighter weight 180 grain bullet, compared to the handguns.

[Larry Gibson]

Most of the guys in this thread are using 180 grainers in handguns.
The guy that started the post is using a rifle however.
I still think the much higher muzzle velocity might alter the performance
of the lighter weight 180 grain bullet, compared to the handguns.

I agree. My experience with the .44 Magnum in both handgun and rifle on deer is that the 180s are fine for use in revolvers. I just recently chronographed PMCs 180 HPs at 1659 fps out of the 6 1/2" Ruger 50th anniversary FT. Simular loads with Hornady and Sierra 180s prove effective on deer with revolvers. However, with 10"+ barreled Contenders and rifles the velocity excedes the performance range for those bullets. Out of 16"+ barrels they become more like varmint bullets at the closer ranges. I was easily able to excede 2000 fps with a M94 with 16" barrel. A 20" Marlin exceded 2200 fps with the same loads.  Unless those 180s are throttled back to under 1700 fps at the muzzle I would not use them on deer. Two loads that I did use with very good success with the 16" M94 were the 240 XTP with 24 gr H110 at 1690 fps and a 429421 with 23 gr H4227 at 1527 fps.

Using top end 180 gr .44 magnum loads in revolvers compared to rifles is an apples/oranges situation.

Larry Gibson

[jd45]

Just my 2 cents, but max loads using 180's in rifles, would, I'd think, ruin a LOT of Venison, JD45

[Gregory]

I used a 200 gr Nosler out of a muzzleloader to take a small buck several years ago, the bullet made mush of the lungs, but it appeared to come apart in the deer and I had to track him a good distance.  I'd use a heavier bullet out of a rifle.  I took one small spike with a 180 gr Sierra bullet from a 10" Contender and it worked fine but I feel better using a 200 gr, which worked fine out of the same gun on a large 8 pt which dropped within 50 yds.

[ihuntbucks]

I use 240 gr. jhp (Nosler) over 24 gr. of H 110 in my NM SBH w/7-1/2 bar.......Rick