Standard weight .44 WFN?

[Scott T]

Veral,

I am shooting a .44 Special single action.  It kills just fine with the Keith bullet (RCBS version) but they are not as easy to cast as some of your molds.

I shot this buck on Friday evening with a load of 7.5 gr of Unique.





Hard to argue with success, but I wonder if a WFN would not be better?  No need for a heavy bullet, just something easier to cast well.  Would I have to push a 250gr WFN harder to do the same thing?

[Veral]

I'm sorry about not getting my answer posted sooner. I answered quite promptly but somehow the answer didn't get hung up properly.

  Yes, a WFN will do the same thing and do it with a bit less velocity, though I would reduce the load you are using as it is already a light load.  It looks like your shot broke the neck, which is an instant kill as long as the bullet has enough power to sever the spinal cord.  The WFN won't require  more power to break the same bone, but will definately wound larger through the fleshy parts, which will improve killing potential with most hits, and you'll find accuracy superior with the WFN over a Keith bullet..

[Scott T]

Veral,

Maybe I am not reading this right, you are recommending that I reduce the load?  Hate to do that, this is my every day carry load and I have been using it for the .44spl since I started carrying a .44 spl.  My sights are cut to it.

[Veral]

  NO, NO, you read me wrong. 

  A WFN will wound larger at the same velocity, and strike at the same point relitive to your sights.  Get a WFN and keep the velocity where it is.

   What I was trying to get across is that if this is your only large animal with this gun, what I perceive to be a spine shot may have perhaps convinced you of more killing power than you actually have.  If you didn't hit the spine, or if you've killed several deer with various hits using this combo, I'm guessing wrong, but in my experiance, a Kieth 44 bullet will not kill quick which chest shots if velocity at impact is below about 1200 fps, and doesn't develope the impression of lightening till about 1550 fps.

[Scott T]

Heck, I shoot everything right about there.



The spine was not hit, but he went right down.  Everything seems to go down when I hit them right there.  Hogs of course are shot much further forward.

[Veral]

   You are a better shot than some handgunners.   Keep putting your shots there.  The shok to the spine is what's dropping then instantly, and they bleed out before they recover from the 'knockout"

  The 44 WFN moving at 1400 fps or so will knock grouse out if the bullet passes close to their neck.  I don't know how close it has to come, but have seen birds with all feathers intact which never moved again.  Some wake up in a few minutes if the shot passes too far away from the neck.  It sure makes nice clean meat, even if the neck is severed.  Point is, the target is broader than the neck itself on such tiny targets.  On larger game where meat is pierced close to the spine, the displaced tissue does the same as air does to birds.