Fo Fo will put 'em down... 300 XTP/44 mag, smallish doe

[efw]

I hunted Michigan's early antlerless season on a client's farm this weekend. Brought the Redhawk loaded w/ 300 gr XTPs pushed by a near-max load of H-110.

Early yesterday morning I shot a little doe at about 20 yds. I hit her a little higher than I intended (I like a shoulder shot) but her lungs were pulvarized and I found her about 75 yds away.

The 300s were left over from a feral pig hunt in Texas and are a little tougher than I would choose for this purpose, but even so I was surprised by the lack of expansion. This is a pic of the exit:

Has anyone run the 225 LeverEvolution bullet through a deer, or even milk jugs for that matter? Nosler/Speer/Hornady 240 HPs perhaps? I was kinda thinking about scoping this revolver and running the former as fast as possible to get the expansion I like on deer.

Thoughts?

 

[SJB358]

Great shooting Eric. I am running the 240gr Nosler JHP's. Can't really say how they expand yet, as I haven't put any into deer or jugs, but they seem like they would open up pretty quickly with a good dose of H110. Nice deer. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Eric,

It looks as if that load put the hurt on that doe. Great shooting, indeed.

 

[Guy Miner]

Congratulations! Looks like a good shot and some mighty fine venison right there...

The doggone .44 cal 300 grain bullets tend to not open up much. Seems they're intended for bigger, tougher critters. I'm not real surprised that it didn't open up fast on the doe.

A 240 gr JHP, driven hard, tends to open up more, but I've even shot them right through a mule deer doe. Here's a link to a test I did on some 240 gr JHP ammo shot into gallon jugs:

viewtopic.php?f=61&t=16516

Guy

 

[efw]

Thanks guys. That bullet/cartridge combination certainly did the job, and part of the reason for my disappointment was due to the imprecision of the iron sights on that revolver and my inability to judge distance, which combined to make a shoulder shot difficult. If I'd have punched those shoulders w/ that fat chunk of lead sheda dumped DRT.

A scope and smaller, more frangible bullet will combine to give me flatter trajectories and more ease in aiming. My old eyes just ain't what they used to be!

Thanks for pointing out the results of your bullet test there Guy. That was most helpful.

 

[Guy Miner]

Have been thinking that I could really use a scope, or at least a red-dot sight, on my hunting handguns... Eyes...

 

[SCRUBS]

Congrats efw! Impeccable shot placement, they don`t go far when you him them there.

 

[JD338]

Eric,

Nice doe, congratulations.
Give the 240 gr bullets a try, they open up on deer.

JD338