Best handgun round

[Dogmann]

If you could only have one caliber to use  for whitetail deer  from upclose to 100yards, what round would you use if shooting a Contender pistol? 44 or 45/70? Which round has the least amount of drop from 25yard to 100yards? Now I am choosing either Buffalo or Corbon HARDCAST bullets out of a 14inch barrel.......

[Graybeard]

If you could only have one caliber to use  for whitetail deer  from upclose to 100yards, what round would you use if shooting a Contender pistol? 44 or 45/70? Which round has the least amount of drop from 25yard to 100yards? Now I am choosing either Buffalo or Corbon HARDCAST bullets out of a 14inch barrel.......

Given your use of the TC I'd personally chose the 7-30 waters if in a 14" barrel or the 7 TCU if in a 10" barrel. But of the two you list for sure I'd go with the .44 magnum, I'd want about a 12" barrel for it I think. I'm not fond of the 10" .44 magnum barrels and for me 14" is really longer than I like also. I'm thinking 12" would be about right.

But for use out to only 100 yards you can't beat a revolver in .44 magnum really.

[HappyHunter]

I want to give my 2 cents.

Consider the 41 mag.  Very similar footpounds of energy, slightly better trajectory with less recoil.

The use of a 41 mag will almost always require that you handload.  If you do not handload the 44 mag is a great round as many more choices are available in factory loadings.

I like the 41 mag with 255 gr hard cast lead bullets.  Similar loading in the 44 mag will use 300 gr hard cast lead bullets.

HTH,

Fred

[Dogmann]

I do not handload, is the 7-30 available in a factory load? How about the 30-30  in a contender?

[Gregory]

I do not handload, is the 7-30 available in a factory load? How about the 30-30  in a contender?

For a non handloader, a 44 Mag or 30/30 would work just fine.  My choice is a 10" 357 Maximum.  I've taken four deer with it, five if you count the one taken with a 357 Mag out of the same barrel.

[Dogmann]

Greg- You in Illinois also...I'm looking to next year  -to hunt deer with one of these calibers.

[jpsmith1]

My .30-30 barrel was possibly the most accurate pistol I've ever fired.  It was nothing to cloverleaf at 100 yards.  I could beat the average rifleman with a 10" barrelled pistol.  I'd be willing to bet that the .30-30 sould have less trajectory variation than the .44 or .45-70. 

Handloading can give more options to ANY cartridge, but there's an awful lot of .30-30 fodder on the market.  I used to handload 130gr spitzers for mine.  Even today when super magnums are available in every shape and size of gun, the .30-30 is still a good choice.

[Bullseye]

It just so happens I have both of those calibers along with a 30-30 and 375 Win that I use to deer hunt with depending on my mood.  Between the two you listed, I would go with a 44.  I like my 47-70 which is a 14" barrel without a brake and with open sights but if you want to target shoot with the gun the 45-70 has a kick to it.  I load mine to trapdoor levels and can shoot 20 -30 shots before having enough of it (only about 5 on a real cold day).  My 44  is a 10" barrel with a scope and I find the recoil not to bad but many will tell you that it is brutal.  Have been thinking about trading it for a 14" barrel because I have became better at shooting the longer barrels and I used to hate the 14" barrels.  Both the 44 and 45-70 will kill a deer equally well, so I would go with what I thought I would enjoy shooting better.

My favorite of the bunch is the 375 Win and am beginning to like the 30-30 better as I shoot it more.  The recoil of the 30-30 is the lightest of the bunch in my opinion.  They are all good calibers and if I had to sell 3 and keep one it would be a tought choice.

[Dogmann]

But how does the 30-30 do out of a 10-12 inch barrel? Does it do better in a 14inch? And what are the ballistics of a 30-30 out of a contender with these barrel lengths?

[Heavy C]

I would opt for the 44 mag.  To answer your question about 7-30 Waters factory ammo it is available from Federal.  It's about $21/box after the last price hike.  I collected my brass and sent it to Ron Reed at Reed's Ammunition Research.  He reloaded those with 120 gr. Nosler balistic tips and it improved the accuracy a lot.  Ron does great work.

[Gregory]

Greg- You in Illinois also...I'm looking to next year  -to hunt deer with one of these calibers.

Forget the 7-30 and 30-30 in Illinois, as a bottlenecked case must be no longer than 1.4" and the min caliber is 30.  Any length is ok on a straight walled case. 

[nomosendero]

But how does the 30-30 do out of a 10-12 inch barrel? Does it do better in a 14inch? And what are the ballistics of a 30-30 out of a contender with these barrel lengths?

10-12", not too good for most people. This is the reason that rounds like the 30Herret came into being back in the 70's, it would do better & with less blast & powder. But when the Super 14 came out, the 30-30, 30-30AI & 309JDJ became more useful & because of that, the Herret concept faded. I have a 30-30AI & it works, 2,350-2,400FPS with the 150Nos BT, & this bullet performs in this velocity. Get a factory chambered 30-30AI if you go that route. 

Of your two choices, the 44.

[poncaguy]

Of the 2 choices , I like my 16" 45-70 with the muzzle brake. My favorite is my Encore with the 15" 7mm-08 barrel.

[corbanzo]

For under 100 yards a 44 will handle anything you need.  The 45-70 will get you more speed per weight, and therefor less drop, but you get a rise in recoil, and a higher price on ammo.  If you want comfortable very affordable shooting that will get the job done, go with the .44.  I am also in agreement that looking into the 30-30 isnt a bad idea, but then you are going into the small fast bullet range, not quite the same deal as the .44 and the .45-70 range.