I am a big fan of a 44 Mag rifle, they are just so handy and kill all out of perportition to their paper ballistics. I have owned 3 over the years a Ruger Dearstalker [first issue] a Marlin and currently a Winchester Trapper.

However this is about my brother in law's 44 Mag Marlin with a Leupold 3x9 compact.

We were walking down "Pig Alley" on our deer lease last weekend looking for a wild pig, on his birthday, when we jumped a coyote at around 20 yards or so.

The coyote made 2 bounds away from us.
He raised the 44 and fired one shot.

He hit the coyote in the back of the head, the bullet passing out the mouth and bottom of the nose.

Needless to say the coyote went right down.

There was very little damage to the hide.

Them 44 Mag rifles are nice.

Inside 125 yards they kill deer as good as an "elephant gun".

Well, hitting a runnin (away) target at 20+ yards with a scoped rifle...that's damned good too!

I mean, hitting something moving up close with a scoped rifle is not easy. Yee hah

Hitting a moving target is one area where 44 mags and the like come up short. Lead em a bunch and let fly!

quote:

Originally posted by Mikelravy:
Hitting a moving target is one area where 44 mags and the like come up short. Lead em a bunch and let fly!

how do you figure?

He is refering to the fact that the 44, with its lower velocity, having a longer time of flight, requires more lead to hit a running target.
Baised on pure physics, he is correct.
However at the distances usually shot at game with a 44, I have not found it to be an issue.

i'm sorry but its this slower arc that makes hits seem more possible to me. but then again i have never tried shooting clays w/ a 22-250.

If you are practised at hitting moving game with a 270 you will see a difference when you switch to a 44. If you only practice with a 44 it shouldn't be an issue.

Actually if your bullet was the speed of light, hits at running game would be easier as no lead would be required.

But as I stated above, at normal 44 Mag hunting distances I have not found it to be a factor.

My first "deer" rifle was a Ruger 44 Mag Deerstalker. I shot several running deer with it.

I was suprised at how effective it was at dropping deer.

My longest kill was at @125 yards.

The 44 with 240 gr bullets killed those deer as good as any rifle I have ever used, including the 243, 257 Weatherby Mag, 30-30, 308, 300 Weatherby and Win Mag, 350 Rem Mag, 375 H&H, 9,3x74R, and my 2 "elephant guns".

Inside 125 yards the 44 is bad to the bone.

i killed a nice 9 point last year w/ a 308 carbine.
1st shot was 100-115 yards standing broadside and hit was 4th rib in 3 rib out.
deer turned and ran away at 45 degree angle and caught another 165 between the 5-6 ribs in and through the shoulder out.
that was at about 135 yards. last shot was in the neck at 150 or so which casue him to go head first and cartwheel into a huge oak tree.
i have never found running shots to be that difficult at less than 200 yards.
time in flight is only 0.177 of a second at 150 yards w/ my 308 load. not much lead needed.