44spl for deer and bear

[Cabin4]

Anyone have any success with factory 44spl on deer or bear ?
thanks

[Redhawk1]

Anyone have any success with factory 44spl on deer or bear ?
thanks

Deer maybe, but bear  :eek:  you may want to consider a 44MAG and up. I would not use it personally.

[oso45-70]

Cabin4,
I have echo Redhawk1 on that one, If you were hunting behind hounds and had a bear treed maybe, other wise NO. If you had seen a pissed off black bear you would know what i'm talking about, I've seen them tear up enough country to plant a bean feild. I'd rather see some thing like the 44 mag. or even a 357 mag. When they are wounded they are not particular what they bite. Good luck and stay safe..........Joe............

[myronman3]

i seem to remember hearing of some guy that killed all kinds of stuff with a 44 special.  if i recall he had no problem using it on about anything.  elmer something or another.....
  just funning guys.  yeah, elmer used it on anything that crossed his path that he had a fancy to shoot, and found it quite effective.  this is in fact how the 44mag was developed,  as he liked to run them a little warm.   while i agree that the mag is better suited for bear,  the 44 special was doing it long before the magnum was a gleam in it's father's eye.   :wink:

[Blackhawk44]

While I've never had the chance at black bear, I have been in on the demise of a few deer and hogs, and there is no question in my mind that a good 250gr 44 special loaded to 900fps or better is vastly superior to a .357 anything.  After 35 years of 'field study' that observation pertains to everything from jackrabbits on up.

[shooter444002]

I know it is kinda off subject, but I got several ft of penatration on a horse that I had to shoot yesterday. Used 300gr loaded to about 1000 fps out of the 44 and was very impressed. Shot was head on and the bullet went through the forehead, down the neck and out the shoulder. Pleanty of punch for deer or hogs and wouldnt think twice on using it on a black bear.

[The deerslayer]

Check out www.buffalobore.com they have loads for the 44 special that they say will kill things up to 500 lb. So I think if I was you I would go for it.

[oso45-70]

Shooter444002,
That 44 you shot the horse with, Was it a 44 spl. or a 44 mag. the reason i asked is i have never been able to get that kind of velocity out of a 44 spl with a 300 gr. bullet. about 800 fpc is about all i felt was safe. I know with the Rugers you can get a little more........Joe..........

[Lloyd Smale]

a good keith level .44 special load will kill anything up to the size of an elk without trouble if you can put the bullet where it belongs. Just make sure your using hard cast bullets with a good metplat. Like myronman said if its good enough for elmer its definetly good enough for Lloyd! We get as much as 2 feet of penetration out of those loads shooting through bone and wet news print.

[Cabin4]

This has turned out to be a good discussion. I posted the original question not because I was concerned with the ability of the 44spl on deer and bear, only what are some good factory loads. Being around this stuff for quite some time and in the hunting business for a number of years, the 44spl will take out nearly anything in NA.

I seem to recall about 25 years ago looking into black bear hunting in Maine with a revolver. At that time, 44spl was one of the proven rounds for bear over bait and deer because of its history. The gun rags where just starting to get in on writing articles for revolver hunting and there was much success then with the 44spl then. I do believe of course the 44mag will do more, but I have a 15 year old son and I am trying to introduce him to revolver hunting. The mag is way to much for him to handle.

There is no dought in my mind at all, that a proper round from the 44spl will kill just about anything we have within its effective range.

[Rmouleart]

The 44SP is a great cart, surprisingly very accurate with the right load, I would not hesitate using a 44SP for close in hunting, I worked up a great load using Speers 200gr GDHP and 8gr of unique, CCIMag primers, Lee factory crimp, 900 fps. The GDHP's performed very well. they open up nice and stay together, using the high quality bullets of today, the 44SP is a very good hunting cart, I would also hunt blackbear in a baited situation, the bait is in close enough for the 44SP to do a good job,within forty yards.
Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

P.S. The GDHP was shot through a wet log at close range, exited through the log.

[oso45-70]

Gentleman,
There is a lot of difference in what can be used to kill an animal and what should be used. I made a pretty good living as a guide and have seen my share of mess ups. Why in the world would some one want or even attempt to hunt with a gun that may or may not be adequate for a humane
kill. Yoy don't always have the perfect situation. In that case if a person is afraid he or she may not get another shot, decide to go ahead and use what he brought. A 44 spl. May not be the right choice. I do not encourage people to go short handed, But take some thing that will get the job done right, I would not hesitate to use the 44spl my self with my hand loads, But i know that i will not shoot unless i'm sure that it will be a good clean kill. I'm sure this won't be the last post on this subject. Yall have a good day...........Joe................

[Cabin4]

Before all the magnum mania, these standard cartridges did the job well enough to kill the intended game. They did it with enough authority then to leave a bear dead at the bait site 30 years ago. If it worked then, it will work today.

All the lecture on an ethical kill is okay. But in my book, its only for those who can't put the bullet from a capable cartridge where it counts on the animal. In this respect, the 44spl deserves its rightful place as a capable med size game cartridge at revolver distances.

[Rmouleart]

I agree with Cabin4 100%...I tell you those 44SP 200gr GDHP's are a good choice for hunting blackie at a bait site or even deer in close quarters.when i say close quarters I mean not over fifty yards. I have known many people who have successfully killed deer/black bears for years with the 44SP. Anything traveling close to 900fps will kill any black bear if the shot placement is right. I knew a old salt said he shot over ten bears in his life using a 44SP, He shot one one the baited bear hunt I was on, he head shoots them dead.
Many of the hunters were making fun of him at first;) then when he produced a huge black bear with a good hole in his head, they stopped talking after they took a look at the hole in the bears head.
Dame I'm doing a baited bear hunt this year up in Ftkent Maine using a 50cal dragon air rifle using 250gr pellets traveling around 900fps, under 3,000 psi of air pressure, I have done extensive testing before I would think about hunting anything first, accuracy as good as any rifle at fifty yards, I will be hunting the bait site at thirty yards at most, I will also be filming this hunt as well. Hope all goes well. LOL. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

[Lloyd Smale]

got to agree with some of what was said here. Personaly id hunt game the size of bear or elk with a .44 special. BUT never with a jacketed bullet. To kill an animal you need penetration period! A .44 special with a good hard cast 250 will do just that PENETRATE. Ive seen miserable failures on pigs and bears with jacketed handgun bullets even out of the .41 and .44 mag. If you hit heavy bone with a light weight jacketed bullet your in trouble. A 250 keith out of a .44 special will punch through alot more then any jacketed bullet even in a .44 mag. weve proved it time and again in penetration tests using jacketed bullets as heavy as the 300 xtp. If someone was to ask me the .44 special question using factory or jacketed bullets id say to keep it to small deer. Yes shot placement is what its all about but who here under the pressure of a game shot hasnt misplaced a bullet by a couple inches. A good cast bullet will punch through at most resonable angles and hit the vitals.

Gentleman,
There is a lot of difference in what can be used to kill an animal and what should be used. I made a pretty good living as a guide and have seen my share of mess ups. Why in the world would some one want or even attempt to hunt with a gun that may or may not be adequate for a humane
kill. Yoy don't always have the perfect situation. In that case if a person is afraid he or she may not get another shot, decide to go ahead and use what he brought. A 44 spl. May not be the right choice. I do not encourage people to go short handed, But take some thing that will get the job done right, I would not hesitate to use the 44spl my self with my hand loads, But i know that i will not shoot unless i'm sure that it will be a good clean kill. I'm sure this won't be the last post on this subject. Yall have a good day...........Joe................

[oso45-70]

Anyone have any success with factory 44spl on deer or bear ?                
thanks

 I think we got off topic a little, If i read the post right it was about store bought ammo. And i still don't think it would be a good idea to go after a bear with that kind of ammo. I think i know what it takes to kill a bear at lest i hope so. If i told you guys i had shot a running deer at 600 yds with a 44spl would you belive me.( I hope not ) Guess who said he had done that. I think you know where i'm coming from. Have a great day gentleman...............Joe......................

[myronman3]

elmer did alot of things that people thought were bunk.   thing is he proved them wrong time and time again.   word is he was a legendary shot.   there is a world of difference in believing the average joe could do that and believing that elmer keith did that.   he is a legend for a reason.  if elmer said he did it,  that is good enough for me.

[Cabin4]

Anyone have any success with factory 44spl on deer or bear ?                
thanks

 I think we got off topic a little, If i read the post right it was about store bought ammo. And i still don't think it would be a good idea to go after a bear with that kind of ammo.


Should I interpret this to mean that thier is not any factory ammo available for the 44spl that is good enough for bear and deer ? Some one earlier mentioned Buffalo Bore factory loads 44spl for hunting med size game up to 500lbs. I think this would cover any deer and most if not any black bear Maine can offer.

[Lloyd Smale]

I am friends with people and have met many others who personally knew Elmer and one thing they will all tell you is there was no BS in him whatsover if he said he did it he did! and if you doubt that hits can be made with a sixgun at those ranges id like to invite you out to one of the linebaugh seminars where you can witness sixguns hits at distances substaintaily longer then 600 yards! and youll meet guys that can do it with alarming consistacy. I know i wouldnt want any part of being 800 yards out from my buddy al with a good sixgun as you dammed well better be running. Hell i wouldnt even want to be 600 yards out from myself :-D

Anyone have any success with factory 44spl on deer or bear ?                
thanks

 I think we got off topic a little, If i read the post right it was about store bought ammo. And i still don't think it would be a good idea to go after a bear with that kind of ammo. I think i know what it takes to kill a bear at lest i hope so. If i told you guys i had shot a running deer at 600 yds with a 44spl would you belive me.( I hope not ) Guess who said he had done that. I think you know where i'm coming from. Have a great day gentleman...............Joe......................

[oso45-70]

Well gent's I guess its my time in the barrel, Hope you all got some good out of this, I know i did. There is parts of the Elmer Keith story that you don't know and in time i might share them with you. I feel like you are to young to have met him, But his legend lives on in all our minds. Have a good day..........Joe....................

[Lloyd Smale]

like oso45-70 said this has gotten pretty much off topic and i appologize for that and if i ruffled some feathers. I guess im a little old school when it comes to sixguns and have alot of respect for the old timmers that started this sport. I know from stories that i have been told by people that knew him that he was no angel. But after years of pounding rocks with handguns at long range i have no doubt that a hit at 600 yards is doable. It should be never done at standing game. But if i had a wounded animal out far it would be a different story. Again im sorry if i cause any trouble.

[Redhawk1]

like oso45-70 said this has gotten pretty much off topic and i appologize for that and if i ruffled some feathers. I guess im a little old school when it comes to sixguns and have alot of respect for the old timmers that started this sport. I know from stories that i have been told by people that knew him that he was no angel. But after years of pounding rocks with handguns at long range i have no doubt that a hit at 600 yards is doable. It should be never done at standing game. But if i had a wounded animal out far it would be a different story. Again im sorry if i cause any trouble.

Lloyd Smale, I do not think you have to apologize for any thing. You added a lot of input to the topic. That is why we all come here.  

[shooter444002]

OSO 45/70,

It was out of a mag, but just wanted to illustrate what a heavy cast bullet at moderate velocity will do, when I want a hard hitting load I use the same leadhead GC bullet loaded to 1350fps out of the 7.5" barrel.

[Gregory]

These factory loads would work for deer:
http://mysite.elixirlabs.com/catalog/index.php?file=catalog&action=catalog_productinfo&uid=12665&pi_id=49334&clist=0,49199,49333

http://www.cnccartridge.com/44.htm

I personnally load my S&W 624 with Kieth 250 gr SWC at 1050 fps.

[trappenjoe]

Excuse my input I'm no expert to hand gun hunting . BUT think about the
velosity of a factory loaded 44sp, then think about the fall , There is no way a 44sp factory would even start to penetrate a deer at 600 yrds .
This started off as factory loaded subject . From the little expereince
I have with the 44sp my factory loads did very poorly after about 30 yards
with conciderable drop and accuracey(I CAN'T SPELL) Yes a well placed bullet will kill anything,BUT the people that say they would hunt a bear with
with a 44sp obviosly has never been face to face with a pissed off bear,..
I personaly have seen a big black shot twice with a 44 mag come unglued
and kill three dogs before I shot it with an 06 . Yes I can see were you all that hunt from a stand could kill just about anything with a factory load .
In that case wy not just use a 22lr with the same velosity. HAHA
Sorry but anyone that has hunted for a living like me would not let one of my cleints shot a FACTORY catridge on any of my hunts.
Best wishes Joe

[Rmouleart]

Not for nothing, but sometimes when reading these articles, you would think that these bears have a bullet proof jackets LOL. A good loaded well constructed 44Sp will pass through a blackbear like butter with in its range, yes with in its effective range, I would consider around fifty yards. Good for a baiting situation. Proper shot placement is always no#1. You can use a canon, but if you can't hit anything what good is it The 44SP is one of the most accurate cart for revolvers ever made, moderate recoiling revolver,easy to control, with plenty of power to down a blackie at 900fps. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

P.S. the 44 has been around for a long time, many differnent types over the years, some have come and gone, like they were never there.,but Im sure many animals have been taking using the 44 cart.

[trappenjoe]

I agree that the 44sp is a very good cartridge, and as you said it a well loaded round will work on a black,,,, But not a factory load ,,, I've never shot a bear from a stand or bait as you put it,, thats like talking french to me.. Best luck Joe

[Blackhawk44]

In factory loads?  Only a CorBon, Buffalo Bore or Federal Sledgehammers are worth beans.  The rest are only good for the brass.  Who can afford enough factory loads to become any good anyway.  I thought is was a given that if you truly want to learn to shoot a handgun, that you own a loading press also.

[S.S.]

Key words here should be "Within it's effective range".
But there are not many folks in these forums that would
pass up a shot at a nice, fat, 12 point whitetail if it presented its self
at say about 75 or 80 yards.
Can most of us honestly say that we would? I can't !
If I saw a 12 pointer at 75 yards, and had a .22 pistol,
I would have a hard time resisting the temptation!
Therefore I carry enough gun to do the job at most ranges
that I feel I will have in my hunting area.

[Cabin4]

Key words here should be "Within it's effective range".


This rule applies to every cartridge. Every cartridge has its "effective range".