Thread: 44 mag bush rifle

I had mixed experience on the few animals I shot, notably one deer shot at 15m , unspooked ( so no stress or adrenaline ) , 2 first rounds in the boiler room did not put It down, i had to stalk it again to finish it with two more rounds. It was shot with 240 gr factory xtp from a ruger 77/44.
As to the writings of Elmer keith regarding the 44 mags and its performances at long range, deer were not always dropping at the first shot and i suspect quite a few were escaping with non mortal wounds. When you see the banana trajectory of a 44 mag bullet at 250 yrds, he was still a great shot with a handgun nevertheless .

You need some of my 280 FP 240 is too light

When 240 gr goes all the way through an animal, I fail to imagine what 280 gr would do better ( except perhaps that your 280's are lead cast instead of jacketed pills)

Originally Posted by Friwi

I had mixed experience on the few animals I shot, notably one deer shot at 15m , unspooked ( so no stress or adrenaline ) , 2 first rounds in the boiler room did not put It down, i had to stalk it again to finish it with two more rounds. It was shot with 240 gr factory xtp from a ruger 77/44.
As to the writings of Elmer keith regarding the 44 mags and its performances at long range, deer were not always dropping at the first shot and i suspect quite a few were escaping with non mortal wounds. When you see the banana trajectory of a 44 mag bullet at 250 yrds, he was still a great shot with a handgun nevertheless .

i would be surprised with those results, not what you would expect after untold stories of the power of the .44 some poor animal running off with 2 bullet holes in it . . . i would open up the animal to see what those 240s did on the way thru, it it was fck all i would be choosing a better bullet . . . maybe shooternz has a better design with his 280grn.

Originally Posted by Friwi

I had mixed experience on the few animals I shot, notably one deer shot at 15m , unspooked ( so no stress or adrenaline ) , 2 first rounds in the boiler room did not put It down, i had to stalk it again to finish it with two more rounds. It was shot with 240 gr factory xtp from a ruger 77/44.
As to the writings of Elmer keith regarding the 44 mags and its performances at long range, deer were not always dropping at the first shot and i suspect quite a few were escaping with non mortal wounds. When you see the banana trajectory of a 44 mag bullet at 250 yrds, he was still a great shot with a handgun nevertheless .

Fair call. at least you've tried. Big slowish bullets make a big hole but not that massive trauma that a new fast jobby would do. Bit like the old FMJ 303's. neat hole in and out. Did you find the projectiles at all and if so did they mushroom much?

No , projectiles went through and were not recovered. He was a young uruweras 8 pointers so not massive by all means but not too small either.