I'm gonna try handgun hunting for deer next year with a scoped Redhawk. I'd be interested to hear everyone opinions on bullet selection, and how these bullets have performed for you guys. I reload, so any pet loads will be appreciated.
Thanks
Elmo

Just an opinion, but find a bullet and load that you can shoot accuately 10 yards farther that you plan on shooting a deer and then practice with it til season.
LouisB

Then when the deer shows up all you have to be concerned with is how sharp is your knife!

Elmo,

There will be those that say that one should use jacketed hollow points at high velocity for deer hunting and others that will tell you to use only heavy hard cast bullets for deer hunting.

In all honesty, if you are using a Redhawk in either 41 Mag, 44 Mag or 45 Colt, all you need is a bullet of at least standard weight for caliber that shoots accurately out of your handgun. What I mean by standard weight for caliber is 210gr in 41 Mag, 240gr in 44 Mag and 255gr in 45 Colt.

Out of the Redhawk, all of these rounds can drive these bullet to well over 1400 fps which is more then enough for taking even the largest whitetail or mule deer out to 100 yards.

I do not advocate using light weight, high velocity bullets in deer hunting loads, not even in the big bore calibers. On a square broadside shot they CAN work fine but can also fail to penetrate.

heavier bullets of either jacketed or cast design work as well or better then the standard weight bullets but there really is no need on deer size game for the extra power. If you want it then by all means go for it if you can handle the increased recoil from heavy bullets at hunting velocities.

I assume you have a 44 Mag in the Redhawk as it is the most common caliber for that revolver. For my 44 mag deer hunting load in my SRH, I use the 270 gr Speer Gold Dot loaded to 1550 fps using H-110.

The newer 240 gr Gold Dot also looks very good for a deer hunting bullet but as my SRH drives the heavier Gold Dots into 1.5" groups at 50 yards, I see no reason to look for a better load.

Again, find a bullet of at least standard weight that is accurate in your handgun and as said before, practice, practice, practice.

One thing about handgun hunting which I really love is that it is never easy. You will feel like you did when you lined up your rifle on your first deer, perhaps even a bit more nervous because you know that what you are doing is several times more difficult then using a rifle.

Get very good with your handgun, don;t stretch your ranges to far and you'll have a great handgun hunt.

Good Hunting!!!

50

Elmo,

I to use a Redhawk (no scope) on deer. If you are using a 240 or greater at a fairly good clip a lot of things will take care of themselves.

I use a 240g LRNFP from Laser Cast loaded to about 1100 fps. With a load like this you can practice all year and not get beat up at the range. When it counts you will have hundreds of rounds downrange to give confidence. Don't be told by "experts" that you need 1400+ fps to be effective on deer. I and many others here can assure you that 1000fps with a heavy will penetrate completely on deer. When I first started using hardcast bullets, I had a hard time with believing they would work as welll as an XTP-Partition-GameKing-Ballistic-GoldDot. After seeing the results first hand, I can't believe it took me so long.

RB

Thanks for the replies guys.
Yes , it's a 44 mag and I was leaning toward 240grn XTP's. But I wonder about Texas Heart Shots with that load. I've always been partial to Partitions but the price makes shooting alot a little painfull. I don't need a practice load as I've got a well worn 686 .357 to stay sharp with, and 44 practice will be with my hunting load. I really don't know squat about cast bullets except for the conficting stuff that you read in the gun rags.

RB
How does the cast bullet out perform the jacketed?
My Hornady manual shows max velocity of 1550 fps with 240's. Does that 1100 fps you recommend, only apply to cast bullets?

elmo, the XTP is a great deer bullet. Deer are not that tough at any size. I shoot 210 XTPs in my 41 mags and they do a great job, just as the 240 and 300s do in my muzzleloader. That being said, I would not take a texas heart shot from a handgun, at all unless it was a second shot at a wounded animal. If you think you must, find the hardest cast bullet you can and load it up, or better yet, use the Federal cast loads.

Just my opinion.

HI,

I have shot serveral deer with my 44 SRH and one hog, which are tough game.I think weight of the bullet is more inportant than anything else, I perfere heavier weight bullets in anything I shoot. I have used 270 Speer Gold Dote SP and thing they are great for 44 mag.I also like HC and would use a 300 or heavier in my 44, I really like to get penetration.Thanks,Kev

I use both cast and XTPs in .45

I've hit deer with 300 grain XTPs, and it opens a hole you can put your hand in to on the exit side. Massive trauma. I aim for the lung shot, because they open up so big.

Out of my .45 Blackhawk, I'm presently using 255 grain Keith SWCutters over 18.5 grains 2400. This is a load you can shoot all day. I aim these for shoulder or "elbow" with leg-break- you know they'll penetrate.

For more power, I up the bullet weight. I keep the range under 60 yards, sometimes a lot under- like 30 feet. If ya sit real still, sometimes they just walk right up to you. Then if you had a Super Redhawk, you could just drop it on 'em from a tree stand. Obliteratation!

Pete

Elmo,

Let me first say that I do not believe that a bullet needs to be fired at 1400 fps to be effective on deer size game, I was only stating that the three rounds I listed were fully capable of this velocity.

If 1400 fps with a standard weight bullet is uncomfortable for you to shoot alot for practice, then perhaps one should find another way to harvest big game.

A 300 gr hard cast at +1000 fps feel very similiar to a 240 gr 1400 fps load. In reality, both loads would be a pussy cat in your big redhawk.

About the XTP, they are very accurate bullets and usually very effective on deer size game but I have found they will shed their jackets on occasion. This is not a big deal but I personally do not like it when it happens.

If you are going for performance similiar to the Partition but don't want to drop $30 for 50 bullets, I would strongly suggest the Speer Uni-Core line of bullet. These include the 240 gr Gold Dot HP, the 270 gr Gold Dot SP and the 300 gr Uni-Core SP.

All of these bullets have true bonded-core design which allows them to retain very high bullet weight after impact along with very good controlled expansion. Also they cost about 1/3 what the partitions cost and will perform nearly as well.

If these bullets do not shoot well in your revolver then there are a host of good hard cast designs that will work very well on deer.

As far as loads go, get one that provides at least 1000 fps and if you can handle more then go up from there. I like between 1300-1500 fps because these velocities provide positive expansion out to 100 yards with jacketed bullets, yet if using cast bullets, is not to fast to have to worry about bullet fracturing on impact.

But as said, any heavy hard cast bullet at over probably even 800 fps will fully penetrate any deer that walks.

Whatever your revolver likes is best and whatever you can handle in recoil, you have to be the judge.

Good Shooting!!!

50

Elmo,

I can't say that hardcast outperform jacketed. I load 240g cast to 1100fps because I can shoot 100s at the range and not have any fatigue or flinch. I have heard other talk about 1500fps with a 240g but have never seen anyone shooting 50 to 100 at the range tuning up have a googd time.

The reason I'm asking about velocities has a lot more to do with the bullet's terminal performance than recoil. I'm a big guy 6'4" 280lbs and not very recoil sensitive. That said, RB's point about shooting a lot of rounds and not developing a flinch is well taken. I don't have a problem with shooting full house loads, but would'nt have any problem with shooting lower velocity loads if I thought they would be as effective.The area I'm planning to hunt is choked with brush, has short sight distances, and the bucks don't stick around and offer classic heart/lung shots very often. I definitly need a bullet that can break bone. If xtp's shed jackets, then they're out of the picture. With both Hornady and Nosler introducing new bonded rifle bullets lately, new bonded handgun bullets are probably coming soon too.

So many choices!!
Half the fun of loading is doing the research.

Elmo

Elmo, I've shot 300 XTPs in to piles of steel-belted radial tires. Yup, you can shed the core. The remaining portion is a formidable chunk of lead that most folks would say on it's own was more than enough- it appears about 220 grains are in the remaining base! I would not worry about the core!

If it was me, and the situation called for less than ideal shot placement-- I personally favor the XTP. I'm working on some loads right now.

In the meanwhile, I'm using the 255 cast-- not a weak sister.

Pete

fifty driver

How much H-110 are you using to get 1550 fps out of a 270 GD bullet.

Is that a Redhawk, or Super Redhawk?

Loaded length?

LouisB

Nosey people wanta know!

Elmo
Texas Heart shot should be used only if the deer is wounded already -Not as a first shot!!!! Never!!!! Especailly with a pistol!!! If you can't wait until a better shot is presented come back another day!! Have you ever cleaned a gut shot deer? It's not fun and you ruin alot of meat-unless you like your meat real Gamey? Wait for a better shot! Are you stand or still hunting these deer?

Gunnut
This is a topic about terminal performance of various types of bullets.

SO SHUT YER DAMN PIEHOLE
IF I WANT TO HEAR A LECTURE
I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU

I'd never take T/H shot as a first shot, but damn sure want good bullet performance for any follow up shots!

When you're on your high horse
and you jump to conclusions,
you might break your leg.

Elmo

After a lot of searching I settled with 240gr. XTP's and H110. Got great results on two deer. One shot stops at under 50 yds. I am getting about 1500fps out of my Super Redhawk.

Thinking of trying Laser Cast next for accuracy tuning in my gun. I can't shoot free handed beyond 50yds with good accuracy yet. My hats off to you guys that can hold on target at 100yds. If I can't hit a paper plate 70% of the time. I will not take a shot at that distance.

I have taken 2 large Does with a 8" Dan Wesson 44mag using Hornady 240gr XTP bullets at 1250fps, and both were broad side one-shot kills with complete penetration at less than 50 yards.

Yes I hunt Does they taste better and I haven't found a recipe for antler stew yet.

Not sure if it's common knowledge, but Hornady makes two varieties of XTP bullets: XTP and XTP Mag. The XTP Mags have a distinctly different look to them: thicker jacket, smaller hollow point cavity, and longer bullet length than the standard XTPs. They are the bullets used in Hornady's 454 Casull ammo... They are built a bit tougher and might be worth looking at for those that want to push the velocity.

I use the 300 gr XTP mags in my 45 Colt loaded up with Lil'gun to about 1200 fps or so. Very clean load, and easy to shoot, at least in my stainless Bisley. Never had a problem with them yet. For general practice, I do shoot a variety of cast bullets, just because they are cheaper. I do prefer the XTPs for hunting, though. They've never let me down. maxman

Elmo - I have dropped 9 deer so far with a Marlin 357 rifle. Six of the 9 were actually shot with 38 loads! All rounds were using 170 gr CAST bullet. All deer were shot thru the boiler room. NONE of the loads were maximum charge. Eight of the nine deer dropped instantly, the nine was a big 8pt buck and he managed to run 25 feet before he piled in.

I hope this gives you some perspective on what you need worry about with your 44. Any well placed shot from your 44 and the deer is going home with you. I prefer cast bullets as you get much better penetration and minimum meat damage.

I've also shot a lot of jacketed bullets in .41 and 44 mags although all on varmits. What these bullets have shown me is they do a lot of damage. If I wanted to ruin 1/4th of a deer, this would be the bullet of my choice. If you want a good clean kill, just go with a good cast semi-wad cutter. 215 grs - 240 will perform perfectly. I don't think you need to shoot anything heavier at all for a deer. If I can do it with ease from a .357 with 170 grs, you aren't going to have a problem with a 44 and say a 240 gr cast. It will go thru a deer like he isn't there.

IMHO, Pick a bullet that you can afford to shoot a lot of. Find a load that shoots well in YOUR gun and have at it!

I did just exactly what i mention above numerous years ago with Remingtons 210JSP in the 41mag. That one bullet over a max charge (in my gun) of H110 is what EVERY animal dropped to and every target was perforated by. BTW, dont expect much expansion with the JSP's from Remington.