question for you guys will the 45 colt and or 44 mag kill hogs and deer

[midland man]

I would like to hear ya'lls thoughts and experience on using 45 colt or 44 magnum carbines on deer and hogs? I have both, one the rossi circuit judge in 45 colt and the other in rossi m92 in 44 magnum so i'm sure the 44 would be great but was wondering about the 45 as well, so if you guys would tell me what you used and your experience and how effective these two rounds in carbine rifles were?

 

[BCRider]

A while back in the revolver forum I was describing my toned down .44Mag "plinking" ammo that I reloaded. A 240gn bullet moving at around 1050 to 1100 fps. One of the regulars replied with a smiley something along the lines "Hey BC, you DO know that your "plinking" load will pass end to end through a horse, right?". And that was from a handgun.

Shot from a rifle and out to a reasonable distance there's no doubt that they'll do the job. If you chose to go with the .45Colt you'll want to make sure you avoid the weak and soft "cowboy" loads and go with proper SAMMI spec loads. But either will do the job. The bullets make up for any disadvantage in speed with their weight.

 

[Reloadron]

A Man's Got to Know His Limitations
and the limitations of his cartridges.

question for you guys will the 45 colt and or 44 mag kill hogs and deer

The deer I have taken in West Virginia using a Ruger 44 Carbine, S&W Model 29 and in 45 Colt a Ruger Redhawk all did just fine at killing whitetail deer. The only limitation is knowing your range and getting the shot placed where it needs to be. With my carbine I was comfortable out to 100 yards, open sights. With the handguns around 50 yards and not that the bullets wouldn't kill a hog or deer beyond that, simply that the handgun doesn't give me the sight radius the rifle does.

Absolutely agree with BCRider in that the 44 Magnum and 45 Colt will do just fine when used within a proper range.

Ron

 

[zerobarrier]

I hunt deer in PA with 44mag carbine and revolver. Have used anything from 200gr nolser HP to 240xtp, all 1 shot kills.This works really well if you don't reload: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900410534/winchester-supreme-ammunition-44-remington-magnum-250-grain-platinum-tip-hollow-point. Its 250gr platinum tip HP. Typically they are all within 150yd shots

 

[cowpoke]

My experience with the platinum tips,Shot in a rifle is they come apart violently. little penetration in big game.

 

[rcmodel]

Of course they will!

You put a 1/2" hole through an animals boiler room with either one and it's going to fall down and die very shortly.

The .45 Colt was designed by the U.S. army in 1879 to kill or stop charging horses during battle.
The .44 Mag has killed every big game animal on the planet since then.

And the .45 Colt probably has too.
Just not as well publicized in advertising.

rc

 

[WYOMan]

YES!! I can push a 250 grain cast bullet out of my 24" 1892 at 1560 fps. I'm guessing the Hornady 250 XTP's are probably close to the same. Do you think that a hog or deer will walk away from that? I don't.

 

[zerobarrier]

My experience with the platinum tips,Shot in a rifle is they come apart violently. little penetration in big game.

Last December I used the Winchester platinum tips for deer season. I shout a doe broad side, bullet went thru ribs, about a 1" hole thru the lungs, then out the other side. I would say that is good penetration. Shot out of my Ruger 77/44 18" barrel. It was a big doe too.

 

[Hk Dan]

I hunt during our shotgun season with a Smith .44. Thus far I have never had one make another footstep, they all have died in their tracks. I have taken my 30th deer last year with that gun.

 

[MCgunner]

I can give you a first hand qualified YES on the .45 Colt. That means the .44 will, also. Hell, I know it will because I've shot a few with a .357 revolver! Put it where it counts and use a heavy for caliber flat point cast bullet at good velocity. That's all it takes.

 

[Jlr2267]

Yes. The right load will punch a large hole clean through either.

 

[critter]

I have taken several deer and hogs with the .44 Mag from either a Ruger Redhawk or a Ruger Blackhawk hunter model. Ranges have been from 'up close' to about 65 yards. Bullets were always 240 JHP over healthy loads of H110. Recovery of bullets is unlikely as you get in and out holes (broadside shots for the most part). Very happy with the results.

I've taken only one deer with the .45 Colt. Used a S&W model 25 with an 8 3/8" barrel. Bullet was a hard cast SWC at around 900 fps, iron sights at 50 yards. Of course, I got little to no expansion evidently but got complete penetration through and through at a pretty good angle. SWC's are known for that-punching holes. Happy with that too.

I love hunting with handguns with big ole holes in the end of the barrels.

 

[Sav .250]

A Man's Got to Know His Limitations
and the limitations of his cartridges.

question for you guys will the 45 colt and or 44 mag kill hogs and deer

The deer I have taken in West Virginia using a Ruger 44 Carbine, S&W Model 29 and in 45 Colt a Ruger Redhawk all did just fine at killing whitetail deer. The only limitation is knowing your range and getting the shot placed where it needs to be. With my carbine I was comfortable out to 100 yards, open sights. With the handguns around 50 yards and not that the bullets wouldn't kill a hog or deer beyond that, simply that the handgun doesn't give me the sight radius the rifle does.

Absolutely agree with BCRider in that the 44 Magnum and 45 Colt will do just fine when used within a proper range.

Ron

Very sound advice........................

 

[rondog]

I've only shot one deer, but used my .44 mag Winchester. Punched a big hole clear through without even slowing down, and she was down and dead before I even realized I'd made a hit.

 

[tahunua001]

I can't speak for hogs but both will most definitely kill a deer. I've killed deer with a 9mm carbine and your choices are much better suited.

 

[Patocazador]

Yes!

Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt 45 yards from a tree stand.

 

[short barrel]

I don't have hogs here to shoot at, but I sold my .44M hunting gun in favor of the 45Colt. I did not realize the potential of the 45 until after I started reloading the 45. I can make a better hunting load now. Currently using a hard cast flat nose of 300 grains over 2400 powder. Quarter size groups at 25 yards of a rest and I'm shooting at higher velocity that the same weight .44 with less pressure.

I take nothing away from the .44M. It'll do for whatever you go after. The .45 is just a tad better. I mean it stands to reason; a bigger case means you can put more stuff in it.

 

[DammitBoy]

Used to hunt hawgs all the time with a Ruger Blackhawk 45colt back when I hunted the Butler, AL area. Took several 250-325 boar and sow with Hornady hollow points.

 

[MCgunner]

Used to hunt hawgs all the time with a Ruger Blackhawk 45colt back when I hunted the Butler, AL area. Took several 250-325 boar and sow with Hornady hollow points.

I load the 300 grain XTP in mine, very accurate. 4 5/8" barrel shoots it 1120 fps. Plenty for hogs.

From my ex-son-in-law's .45 Colt Rossi, I clocked that same load near 1500 fps. I reckon that's enough, don't you?

 

[chas08]

Seven of the ten hogs I killed this past fall were taken with a Rossi 92 in .44 Mag. Distances ranged from 35 - 100 yards. Winchester White-Box ammo in 240 gr. flatpoint worked really well.

 

[buck460XVR]

I taken several deer with my 77/44 as well as with my Rossi M92 .357. I have also taken deer with revolvers in those same calibers. Deer ain't that hard to kill if you hit 'em right, but tend to get real tough when hit wrong.

 

[hardluk1]

The right bullet and load in a 45 colt with full time 45 only revolver is fine but is any 410/45 accurate enough to use could be the real issue. The ones I have seen are not very accrurate at close range. I don't see them is a hunting firearm .

 

[buck460XVR]

The right bullet and load in a 45 colt with full time 45 only revolver is fine but is any 410/45 accurate enough to use could be the real issue. The ones I have seen are not very accrurate at close range. I don't see them is a hunting firearm .

While this may be true for the "Judge", the "Circuit Judge" is a carbine version and very well could be accurate enough in .45Colt to hunt deer with. The .44mag only version of the "Circuit Judge" has always intrigued me.

 

[CraigC]

With comparable loads, it's a wash. Either one will do the job.

Comparing standard pressure .44Mag to Ruger only .45Colt the rule of thumb is: For a given bullet weight, the .44Mag will usually yield 100fps higher velocity. For a given sectional density, the .44 will deliver 200fps higher velocity. The .45 is slightly larger in diameter but the important dimension, when speaking of cast bullets, is the diameter of the meplat.

 

[illinoisburt]

The rossi more than likely is better choice for power and accuracy. Not much difference if you handload, but factory 44 mag will be substantially more powerful than the majority of factory 45. I would be more concerned with accuracy. I have not heard good things about any of the judge guns at 50-100 yards with 45 colt ammo, though yours might be an exception. 3 to 4 inches should be minimum acceptable accuracy at whatever max range you plan to shoot. Make sure it is clean hole, no keyholing.