Anyone kill a deer with a 44 Mag rifle?

[Bowhunter57]

I own a Henry in 44 Mag and have been shopping for a 1895 Marlin CB in 45/70, for deer hunting. However, I've been reading several articles of guy killing their share of deer with the 44 Mag. So, I'm wondering if I should even bother getting the Marlin 45/70.

Having said that, I understand that the 45/70 is going to kill the deer with more authority, but my shots are going to be inside 130 yards...most likely inside 80 yards. I don't think I'm going to have a problem killing a deer with my Henry. Shot placement is everything.

I'd like to hear from those of you, that have killed a deer (or more) with a 44 Mag rifle.
Thank you, Bowhunter57

 

[PapaG]

One. Marlin 94, handload with Lyman 429421 hollow point, 1-16, 20 grains 2400. Double lung shot. Ten yards of deer travel. 70 or so yards shot distance. Full penetration but a pretty good exit hole so I think it expanded.
A do over would find me using 240 grain Hornady XTP (I think...the Leverolution bullets).

 

[MCgunner]

Killed deer with a .357 magnum rifle and hog with a 6.5" Blackhawk in the caliber. Don't you reckon a .44 has a wee bit more punch?

The .45/70 will get you 150-200 yards perhaps. The .44 will get you 100 yards, maybe 125. Personally, I'd want an optic at 200 yards. When I was younger, I had better eyes and could stretch 200 with irons. 100 is a good range for iron sights. You make your choice, but that's about the size of it as I see it.

I took one smallish doe at 80 yards with the .357 Rossi 92 carbine, 165 grain SWC leaving the bore at over 1800 fps. It did the job just fine.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

My brother's Alabama whitetail taken with a .44 mag.

This is my brother Don in the late '70s or early '80s with the small Alabama 8 point he took with my 1894 marlin in .44 rem. mag. He used 240 grain jacketed soft points. Deer only ran a short distance before piling up. Within it's range, a .44 magnum from a rifle/carbine is more than enough medicine for whitetail deer.

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

My Dad took a 198 lb. 9 point with a speer 200 gr. handload of H110 I loaded for the .44 Mag.

One shot and it went about 80 yards. No blood trail.

I have that Ruger semi-auto now. Great memories as Dad was my hunting partner for 30 or so years.

 

[WestKentucky]

2, out of a 16" contender in pistol configuration. One around 30 yards, the other around 60. Both were complete pass through in the chest. Both times the deer hunkered up and stumbled a few feet then fell over. I have no idea where my velocity is since i dont have a chrono, but I'm loading pretty light to avoid recoil. Both kills were made with 200 gr jhp intended for 44spl. On water jugs they expand really well. I would expect a 240 gr to be very similar in factory ammo if you don't reload.

And that load stays in 6 inches vertical string from 10 to 100 yards, so I aim for heart. On long shots I'm still hitting lungs.

 

[HOWARD J]

One year I killed a deer with a Ruger Redhawk handgun in 44 mag with a
4 power scope ( full of little black dots)--50/60 yards-did not run far.
240 gr lead bullet ( if I remember right)
It was a pain lugging that cannon around

 

[Captcurt]

A Long Time Ago.

Shot a few deer back in the 70's with a Ruger 44 Carbine. A 240gr CorLokt will make them wilt. Put it where it needs to be and it is a trip to the butcher.

 

[shootniron]

I have....I use 44 special loads.

 

[Magnuumpwr]

3 using a Marlin 1894. Ammo was loaded by a friend, 300 gr SJFP and a little on the hot side. First was 60+ yds, stationary, slight angle front of chest shot, dropped where shot. Second was running less than 10 yds, side chest shot, rolled up. Third was just under 40 yds running, chest shot, rolled up.

 

[Hookeye]

Ruger .44 auto, 236 gr Norma JHP.........65 yards. Hit neck (deer angling down slope, toward me)...blew out offside shoulder.

Deer backflipped and lay dead.

Shotgun or lower V rifle, I aim to take out at least 1 shoulder. Works well.

 

[Hookeye]

Killed a few with Smith 629's and Ruger Superblackhawks (and one with a Super Redhawk).
17ft to 150 yards.
Most with 200 and 180 gr JHP maxed out on WW296.
Behind the shoulder they usually exit.
Deer usually don't go far.
But some have.
The 44 works but is not magic.
Had one 255gr cast veer quite a bit after contacting bone. That deer went 50 yards.
Hitting a shoulder, they go down sooner, some right where they stood.
But those are hot loads, the deer usually under 50 yards.
Cranked the old scallop jacketed Remington 240 gr from old Knights with 100gr FFg. Whistled through, appeared to never open up.
One double lunged 130# doe went over 100 yards. In the rain. Didn't have to grid the CRP, she made it across and down the fenceline.
Looked like an extra boulder down where it went into next field. No BT and 150 yards to drop......nervy.
That back before I started drilling shoulders.

 

[redbone]

Many. What you describe are ideal conditions for a .44. Try the Hornady leverevolution. I use it in a 77/.44 with great success. Have also used WWB SJSP with good results.

 

[critter]

Ruger super blackhawk hunter .44 Mag with my handloads. Bullet was a Remington 240 JHP over a moderately good dose of H110. Whitetail buck (6 pt Eastern) at 65 yds. Double lung shot-you can predict the outcome.

Your .44 mag rifle is as good as it gets for the range/conditions you describe. On the other hand, if you just WANT a 45-70, go for it. Believe me, it WILL do great work on deer and hogs. Bullet type is almost irrelevant here!) Mine is a Ruger #1. You will get an in/out hole and copious blood trails (one on each side!) unless perhaps you try to shoot one endways. Never did that myself.

 

[Captcurt]

Critter, The 45-70 loaded for a #1 will leave a double bloodtrail anywhere you want to shoot them. I know for a fact that it will shoot end to end.

 

[BudgetBucks1]

I think almost everyone in my family has killed a deer with my grandfather's old Ruger 44 Carbine. No one has lost a deer with that rifle. I think the ammo used was a 240 grain soft point but I don't remember for sure. I shot an 8 pointer straight through the chest with that gun from about 20 yards off the ground and the bullet destroyed his vitals and was lodged in a back leg. It must have travelled 30 inches through that deer. I wouldn't personally bother with the 45/70 if you have the .44, unless of course, you want a new toy to play with.

 

[T.R.]

The mighty 44MAG hits a whole lot harder than mere paper charts would suggest. I've had very good luck with 200 grain Hornady hollow tip bullets. They expand to about 75 caliber and tear apart the chest organs with ghastly results. This bullet is suitable for broadside shots because the chest wall is fairly thin and easy to penetrate with this lighter bullet.

I load the 270 grain Speer bullet with a sabot in my CVA Optima muzzle loader because its very accurate and always punches through the other side. In contrast, the 200 grain bullet mentioned earlier does not leave an exit wound.

Most hunters tend to favor the 240 grain bullet for big game hunting but my experiences with this bullet are minimal.

TR

 

[jrdolall]

I shot a few deer with a Ruger 44 mag back in the early 80's. Awesome gun that belonged to a relative. I quit using it because I was doing most of my hunting over peanut and corn fields back then and needed more range so I went 30-06.

 

[TimSr]

I've taken enough with a revolver to know that a carbine with the added velocity will really drop the hammer on them at the ranges asked about!

 

[natman]

I've used a Ruger 44 carbine and a Marlin 1894 for deer. The 44 Mag works great for deer as long as the ranges are kept near 100 yards. The bullets are about as aerodynamic as tuna cans and the trajectories get pretty curved past that distance, even at rifle velocities.