I have a S&W 629 Classic that I've had for about 4 years now. I am getting ready to put a 2x Leupold scope on it and I would like some help in selecting a good hunting round. I don't reload, so it needs to be factory ammunition. Since I've had the pistol, I've only used the CCI Blazer 240 gr. JHP's and they were fairly accurate with open sights for me, and I used them to shoot one whitetail doe and a small hog. However, now I'd like to step things up a little.

I will mainly use it to hunt deer and hogs with, but I will likely encounter some large boars (250+ lbs) and I would also like a bullet that is capable of taking an elk-sized animal. I may have an opportunity to take an Oryx with my pistol in the near future.

So what do you guys recommend? I am relatively naive when it comes to handgun hunting. I haven't done much research, but I know Cor-Bon makes some pretty potent loads and I've thought about trying the 260 gr. Cor-Bon Hunter BCHP: http://www.dakotaammo.net/CORB...60BHP-20/300/Product

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

After you get yhour scope mounted try some different loads.

Since you mentioned hogs, and elk I would take a look at 300gr Federal Cast Core, heavy cast bullet loads from Buffalo Bore, and Cor Bon.

ES

Did you ever get that Kimber straightened out?

N E 450 No2,

Yes, I believe I've gotten most of the kinks out now. I still haven't shot it quite as much as I'd like to, but I haven't had any malfunctions in about 200 rounds. I've got a total of about 500 rounds thru the gun and carry it pretty much every day. The Militec oil and grease that Rusty sent me is some good stuff.....it works great!!

Is it going to look something like this?:



Sorry I can't help you with factory ammo as I only shoot reloads! The scope definitely enhances the accuracy of the gun.

Peter.

quote:

Since you mentioned hogs, and elk I would take a look at 300gr Federal Cast Core, heavy cast bullet loads from Buffalo Bore, and Cor Bon.

Not in a S&W!

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:

quote:

Since you mentioned hogs, and elk I would take a look at 300gr Federal Cast Core, heavy cast bullet loads from Buffalo Bore, and Cor Bon.

Not in a S&W!

With al due respect, but S&W's need love too

My 629 powerport with 2x7 Burris.

You can't go wrong using the heavier CorBon ammo as they don't make any pantywaist loads. I would also look for factory ammo using the 300gr Hornady XTP. Bigger, heavier game needs heavier bullets than the usual 240gr.

I'm having trouble understanding the different abbreviations that Cor-Bon uses for their different types of bullets. Obviously "SP" is soft point, "HP" hollow point, and so on....but can anyone tell me what the following abbreviations are:

1. FPPN
2. BCHP
3. BCSP

I'd appreciate it. Also, does anyone know how well the Cor-Bon 300 gr. Hunter JSP holds up to shooting heavy game? I want something that will take down an elk, but I'd like for recoil to not be uncontrollable if at all possible. Thanks for the help guys.

ES

First try the Federal 300gr Cast Core, and the Hornady 300gr XTP, or the Black Hills 300gr HP [I think it is loaded with the Hornady XTP bullet]. Also the Speer 270 Gold Dot Soft Point.

These loads have less recoil than the Cor Bon, and Buffalo Bore loads and will be easier on your S&W as well.

I carry the 300gr Fed Cast Core in my 4" Mountain Gun quite a bit when bear or pig hunting.

The 300gr and 270gr loads I have listed above have less recoil than the full power 240gr loads from Federal, Remington, Winchester, and Hornady.

Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel, killed a BUNCH of Australian buffalo with the factory Hornady 300gr XTP.

Is the 300 gr. Hornady XTP tough enough to hold together on a shoulder/chest shot on elk-sized game and big hogs?

Yes they are

+1 on the 300XTP,they almost act like HCs if not pushed hard enough.

Well my thoughts are this...

If a jacketed bullet does not expand, why use it???

Why not [assuming your handgun shoots them with equal accuracy] just use a heavy cast???

They are much easier on your barrel, and can be usually driven to higher velocity at the same pressure, or to the same velocity at lower pressure, than jacketed bullets.

The exception might be, use a monolithic solid, instead of a cast when shooting an elephant in the head...

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Well my thoughts are this...

If a jacketed bullet does not expand, why use it???

Why not [assuming your handgun shoots them with equal accuracy] just use a heavy cast???

They are much easier on your barrel, and can be usually driven to higher velocity at the same pressure, or to the same velocity at lower pressure, than jacketed bullets.

The exception might be, use a monolithic solid, instead of a cast when shooting an elephant in the head...

So are the Hornady 300 gr XTP's not a good choice?

ES

No they are a good choice. But I would try the Federal, the Hornady, and the Black Hills 300gr loads, and pick the one that shoots best in YOUR revolver.

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Well my thoughts are this...

If a jacketed bullet does not expand, why use it???

Why not [assuming your handgun shoots them with equal accuracy] just use a heavy cast???

They are much easier on your barrel, and can be usually driven to higher velocity at the same pressure, or to the same velocity at lower pressure, than jacketed bullets.

The exception might be, use a monolithic solid, instead of a cast when shooting an elephant in the head...

So are the Hornady 300 gr XTP's not a good choice?

The 300 grain XTP will work like a hard cast bullet and give you good performance. Why not just use a proper hard cast? A wide meplat hard cast sets the standard when it comes to on game performance.

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:
I'm having trouble understanding the different abbreviations that Cor-Bon uses for their different types of bullets. Obviously "SP" is soft point, "HP" hollow point, and so on....but can anyone tell me what the following abbreviations are:

1. FPPN
2. BCHP
3. BCSP

I'd appreciate it. Also, does anyone know how well the Cor-Bon 300 gr. Hunter JSP holds up to shooting heavy game? I want something that will take down an elk, but I'd like for recoil to not be uncontrollable if at all possible. Thanks for the help guys.

From CorBon's FAQ page:

quote:

COR®BON Hunter:
HT: COR®BON Hunter
BCSP: Bonded Core Soft Point
RNPN: Round Nose Penetrator
JSP: Jacketed Soft Point
HC: Hard Cast
JHP: Jacketed Hollow Point
BCHP: Bonded Core Hollow Point
FPPN: Flat Point Penetrator
BC: Bonded Core
FMJ: Full Metal Jacket
SP: Soft Point

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Well my thoughts are this...

If a jacketed bullet does not expand, why use it???

Why not [assuming your handgun shoots them with equal accuracy] just use a heavy cast???

They are much easier on your barrel, and can be usually driven to higher velocity at the same pressure, or to the same velocity at lower pressure, than jacketed bullets.

The exception might be, use a monolithic solid, instead of a cast when shooting an elephant in the head...

So are the Hornady 300 gr XTP's not a good choice?

They are a good choice and a tough bullet. Lynn Thompson used them and had much success on big game like water buffalo because they expanded little to now, and acted like a solid (hardcast). The Hornady loads kick very little and I have found that they are very accurate. I used that load on a large sow about two months ago.

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Well my thoughts are this...

If a jacketed bullet does not expand, why use it???

Why not [assuming your handgun shoots them with equal accuracy] just use a heavy cast???

They are much easier on your barrel, and can be usually driven to higher velocity at the same pressure, or to the same velocity at lower pressure, than jacketed bullets.

The exception might be, use a monolithic solid, instead of a cast when shooting an elephant in the head...

So are the Hornady 300 gr XTP's not a good choice?

The 300 grain XTP will work like a hard cast bullet and give you good performance. Why not just use a proper hard cast? A wide meplat hard cast sets the standard when it comes to on game performance.

Well it's not the determining factor for me.....but the Hornady XTP's are half the price of any of the hard-cast rounds I've found.

Yup, hard to compete with Hornady's pricing.

Hornady does load great ammo, at a great price, handgun to Nitro Express.

It's been recommended above more than once but if I did not handload I would use the Federal 300 gr CastCore and get on with whacking something, period. I just used a 275 gr WFN at a leasurely 1200 fps and zipped two through a pretty good size hog.

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
It's been recommended above more than once but if I did not handload I would use the Federal 300 gr CastCore and get on with whacking something, period. I just used a 275 gr WFN at a leasurely 1200 fps and zipped two through a pretty good size hog.

Good advice, and really good ammo.

Loaded kind of light is OK but it is the added recoil, not the pressure that is hard on a S&W. I admit to not knowing what the enhanced S&W's will take. Seems to me they beefed them up but I have no experience with new ones.

Eland, I have the 629 Classic too and also am limited to factory loads. The difference in our situations is that my shots don't include the larger, tougher game you mentioned. I'm limited to deer and to paper targets. In any event I have several of the much older N frame smiths and my understanding of it is based mostly on word of mouth about the newer ones being beefed up. I've heard enough on it however that I believe that to be the case.

The most specific thing I've heard was from S&W themselves. I was told that my gun was built in 1991 and it's OK for hot loads and they go by whether it was built after 1980 for that. Fwiw they also said they do magna-porting if I wanted to send it in, and that'd cut recoil by 20%. Mine is a round butt model and came with factory installed Hogue rubber grips.

I go easy on the old ones but have had no problems feeding the 629 a diet of just about all the harder kicking factory 240s out there. It's been way more than a thousand rounds but I don't know how many. I'm pretty confident about it being able to take it.