First Handload Deer

[Randy M]

Just wanted to share a pic of my first handload deer.  This doe was shot at 46 yards with Ruger SRH in .454 Casull.  The load was a 300 grain Hornady XTP pushd by 19 grains of 2400.  It's a light load that is both accurate and sufficient for Texas Whitetails.  Handguns and handloads make hunting does fun again.

thanks,
Randy

[jhalcott]

  congratulations! don't stop NOW!

[.357 shooter]

Outstanding. Congrats. Nice doe.



Bryan

[GradyL41]

who ah -good to go

[ccoker]

obviously you got your deer, congrats!

how was the bullet performance?
shot placement? pass through?
thanks

I have a 44 and had a 240g XTP not make it through a doe at 70 yards, twice!

I just bought a 444 Winchester Timber Carbine and will be doing some load development for it as well...

[Hairtrigger]

Nice!

[Randy M]

obviously you got your deer, congrats!

how was the bullet performance?
shot placement? pass through?
thanks

I have a 44 and had a 240g XTP not make it through a doe at 70 yards, twice!

I just bought a 444 Winchester Timber Carbine and will be doing some load development for it as well...

The bullet performed fine and passed completely through.  The doe never knew what hit her - shoulder shot and she dropped instantly.  I am, however, switching to a hard cast 300 grain flat nose bullet.  I've just read too many good things about them and I want a set-up that will work for anything in Texas and on Elk in the future.  The feedback I got on here did not recommend the XTP for Elk.

Thanks,
Randy

[ccoker]

cool
thanks
I live in Austin and checked your profile, my parents live there...

where are you hunting ?

[Randy M]

cool
thanks
I live in Austin and checked your profile, my parents live there...

where are you hunting ?

Good to see another Hill Country shooter on here.  My lease is just past Juncion off IH10 and Cleo Rd.  Nothing big, but lots of them.  GREAT campfires!

best,
Randy

[ccoker]

the place I go is south of Junction, just down the road from the YO ranch, right next to the old Thunder Ranch place
it's a buddies place, I am trying to get on it, or anywhere in the general area

I am going next week to another friend's place up near Goldwaith

here's some pix  I took from the first trip
I can shoot does or spikes for free, anything else will cost me as a guest
I was watching a huge Axis buck a few weeks ago, he would have been so easy to nail, but an expensive finger movement !

http://www.hammerheadbikes.com/hunt05/

[Randy M]

Very nice pics.  We have a camp house too, but not nearly as nice as that one.

[ccoker]

yeah, they have a very nice setup there
"roughing it", yeah right!

I grew up hunting in South Texas, we had an old school bus my dad converted, man, that thing was cold!

I have some beartoothbullets coming, great resource site

[Mikey]

Randy - that is a nice looking doe you have there - she should taste great.  That load you developed worked well for you and goes to demonstrate that heavy slower moving slugs contain all the energy they need for complete pass throughs. 

ccoker: XTPs are not always the best choice of bullet for whitetail but if you bagged you game then the bullets did what they were supposed to.  Many of us here recommend hardcast slugs in the 44 and lots of us like the heavyweights.  A good parallel for you here is the load development you are involved with for your 444 Timber Carbine.  Mine loves 300-335 gn hardcast slugs over what some would consider stiff charges - that is, Beartooth load data.  And I would suggest (and strongly recommend) you follow Marshall Stanton's advice when you develop your 444 loads.  I used my 444 for Elk and Russian Boar and lemme tellya, they work like a charm. 

The 44 calibers (actually, 43 bore) become incredibly effective hunting rounds beyond expect-able proportion with just heavier bullets - they don't need increased velocity to do the job.  Randy M's doe is a good example - he used a light load but with a heavy bullet - and it works.  JMTCW.  Mikey.