Sierra .44 cal 250 gr. TournamentMaster bullets for hunting?

[wombat13]

The LGS didn't have the 240 gr. XTPs I usually load for my Marlin 1894. They only had one box of Sierra 250 gr. jacketed flat point TournamentMaster bullets, so I bought them.

Will these bullets be good for hunting deer with a slim chance at a black bear? I'm hunting in NY, so a big deer is 200 lbs and a big bear is 500 lbs.

 

[Art Eatman]

Handgun hunters like Ross Seyfried have always called for flat-nosed bullets with a large meplat. Through-and-through penetration on large animals.

 

[wombat13]

Thanks for your response, Art. I have two specific concerns about this bullet. The first is that it appears to be intended for target/recreational shooting. Is the jacket tough enough for use on game?

The second is that the jacket extends all the way up to the flat point. In fact, the jacket actually wraps around the edge of the flat point. The jacket on jacketed soft point bullets I've seen ends before reaching the meplat. Is the wrap-around jacket going to prevent expansion of this bullet?

I realize that these two concerns are somewhat contradictory, but it boils down to this bullet seems to be marketed for target shooting. Has anyone used it on game and if so, what were the results?

 

[Art Eatman]

SFAIK, handgun bullets don't expand very much, but deer die. The deal is the near-half-inch hole for bleed-out.

Odds are that if you're a bit more precise than usual, the bullets will be adequate, even if not the best.

 

[wombat13]

Thanks, Art.

 

[buck460XVR]

Sierra claims they work well on bear and big boar because of deep penetration. With the increased velocity of shooting them outta a carbine, they should work for deer also.

 

[dprice3844444]

you have a large diameter projectile entering and exiting a living object.if you did your job with proper bullet placement,even with minimal bullet expansion,you should have positive results.