I shot 3 deer with my 44mag 3 years ago.I used Winchester white box 240grain JHP ammo.This ammo resulted in 3 shot's....3 dead deer.
I shot up the remaining ammo at the range and have had a difficult time finding more of this at Wally World.
But recently I found some Magtech 240 grn Solid flat Nose that my 1894 shoots just as well.I will be using this ammo this year as I plan to use my 1894 on a few of my hunt's.

 

Keep the loads coming...hopefully.

CD

 

I use 2. Both reloads.......My hard cast lyman #429421 SWC pushed by 20 grs of #2400.......And a Remington 240 gr SJHP(scalloped) pushed by 22 grs. Of #2400. I use these in both rifle and pistol.

BTW....If you had used a hard cast bullet in your .444 you would not have had a meat damage problem. I used my cast 310 gr FP with GC pushed by 40 grs of H4198 in my 444p. Cronos at 1904 FPS average. This will shoot through a deer from any angle.

 

Hornady LeverEvolution 225gr (hollow point bullet design with a poly aero tip). Off the bench I get sub 2" groups at 100yrds out of my 1894 Marln rifle. They are more than sufficient for whitetail, with a better impact than the 240gr XTP sabots that I shoot from my inline muzzleloader backed with 120gr of pyrodex. And, they are relatively inexpensive when compared to other 44mag ammunitions.

 

In mine, the 1894 gets Lee 240 swc/hpgc in the 1892 it's 240 xtp both with 2400.

 

Winchester white box and Magtec, both 240 gr FP have worked well. Favorite hand load is 240 gr Hornady XTP on top of 24.0 gr of H-110. Have never recovered any of them in any Muley or Whitetail. DP

 

This is the same load we use for all our 44's has shot very accurately in all of them. Been used with 100% effective results on Texas pig and ram, Maine black bear, and pretty much everything you can legally shoot with them in Ohio.

 

I only use one load....Hornady 265gr jsp over a healthy dose of Lil' Gun with a heavy crimp...one shot one kill and very accurate.

 

Winchester white box 240 jsp, have always worked good, I have used winchester platinum tip's before and they worked good, just not good enough to spend the extra money on instead is the white box, it's pretty safe to say what ever ammo you buy you can add 400fps if comming out if a rifle, I have now started reloading and have only shot laser cast 240 swc with both titegroup (1400fps) and h110 (1800fps) and have had no leading and very good accuracy... I plan on loading up some 240 xtp, but wouldn't have any doubt with the hard cast swc, like they others on this site have brought to my attention, most hunters are very thrilled to know there .308,270,30-06 ect can open up to .44 diameter, and the 44 starts at that, lol

 

265gr Ranch Dogs with a healthy dose of either H-110 or H-108, at a average velocity of 1830fps out of a 20" barreled Marlin. If you use the right bullet, get the proper shot placement, you will have not have any major meat damage with a 444, it's too bad you sold yours, I've shot a lot of deer with the 44mag Marlin, and it's not near as efficient a killer as a 444.

 

I have used WWB 240 grain factory ammo and also hand loaded 240 grain Speer Deep Curl bullets over 19 grains of A2400. Both loads will be effective on deer out to 100 yards. My 444 Marlins will reach out further with much more authority. :biggrin:

 

240 XTP, 23gr H110, bang flop.

Got some 300gr Barnes, but they are slated for up close and personal. Real wrist twisters
Aint got no dinos to test drive them with, but they split a hog's skull real purdy
If ya like splat

 

Thanks everyone. I was surprised to hear so many Winchester white box nods. I like the simplicity. I do plan to hand load but everyone knows how that goes. The best way to get brass is the fun way.

I struggled to accept selling the .444. I just never had the time to find the components, buy a press and experiment. I got pretty intimidated by the hard cast stuff. Maybe I never understood it enough. But with trajectory and everything it was only going to be a 200 yard gun. I killed deer with the three major factory offerings, both of the Hornadys and the Remington. Even proper shot placement was knarly. The biggest issue I had was just about every deer I killed was super close range.

Ohio seems to be moving towards proper rifles. My 336 xlr will be the only gun I use then. And the 44 can be used by my children, who will be hunting age in 5-7 years. Definitely a factor.

I took a deer with Superformance on Friday. Shot was behind the shoulder. The entry side was fine, but even though the exit was behind the shoulder, it was baseball sized and caused blood shock to the opposite side to the point that I lost the other shoulder. It was a 30 yard shot.

I got tired of having to think about it. Oh, and with the 444 madness here in Ohio, I turned a nice profit.

 

200gr hornady XTPHP with a full charge of ww296

 

I'm considering switching my load from a 240gr SWC at 1700fps, for a 310gr RF at 1050 since it cuts my wind drift in half.

 

Everything is 3 Marlin's, 1 Ruger, 1 Taurus, and 1 Virginian Dragoon

 

I recently fired this 3 shot group at 100 yards with my RUGER 96. Scope is a lightweight Bushnell 1.5 - 4.5X. Twist rate is 1:20. I'm astonished at this level of accuracy; some varmint rifles can do no better! Hornady Leverevolution ammo is a keeper!

TR

 

That'll do! Cool gun! Don't see many of those around anymore! Didn't see too many even when they were popular. I like the Hornady loads but the 240 gr. American Eagle loads aren't bad either.

Gr8rtst

 

I, too, have had good luck with the WWB 240 gr. JSPs.

I've also have had good luck with Hornady 240 gr. XTPs loaded over 23.6 grs. of H-110, and 23.1 grs. of IMR-4227. Looking as 100 yd. groups from both loads, they have to be carefully measured to find a difference. They do not shoot to the same POA. My Super Blackhawk doesn't like either load, and prefers Sierra 240 gr. JHCs over 2400. These XTP loads and the WWBs all shoot pretty much the same sized groups out of my 1894SS. If I didn't reload, I'd use the WWB stuff exclusively. Its generally good ammo for the .44 mag in a rifle.

Anything I own in .45 Colt, absolutely loves 250 gr. XTPs, with just about any powder. I've really had good luck with those XTPs, and would recommend them to anybody.

 

I hand load all my ammo. My deer load for both my Marlin 1894 and S&W 629 Classic is a Nosler 240 gr JHP 23.5 grs H110.

JD338

 

try hornady 240 gr xtp factory loads but my favorite load is 240 gr xtp hornady over23.7 grains of 296 . i have taken several deer and never found one complete pass through every time all shots where under 100 yards. good luck.

 

I load for all my toys but will answer anyway. The most accurate loads have been a toss up between 240gr xtp s and Speer 240gr jsp. Both have been more accurate than most people will believe a lever action rifle can be. Both have proved deadly but I have shot more with the XTP. My old loads were with Hercules 2400 but I now use Winchester 296. Either of those bullets will take deer handily without much meat destruction. They have always given ample penetration in the ten to twelve deer I shot since I never recovered a bullet. BTW, the Winchester white box is all a friend of mine will shoot in an older Ruger semi-Auto 44 carbine. It's hard to go wrong with the 44 levers unless you can find a '94 Marlin in 41 Magnum. See if that will stir the pot and get more answers for your post!


Goat


Goat

 

Take a 41 magnum every day of the week!

 

Can anyone give a general velocity of the hornady xtp from a carbine? Same for the Winchester white box round?

 

I have dialed in my pet load of a Montana Gold 240 grain JSP over a max load of W296 at 24 grains with CCI magnum primers. I'm printing nice 1" groups at 50 yards consistently.

 

Interested in how those Montana Gold bullets perform on deer. Thought about trying them myself. :hmmmm:

 

xtp 200gr is around 2100fps
xtp 240gr is around 1800fps
xtp 300gr is around 1450fps
and white box is about 1750fps

 

I hunt using Ga. Arms "Deer Stoppers" 240 gr JHP in my Marlin 1894 and my Taurus Revolver! I have some 200 gr "Deer Stoppers" and some Hornady LE's FTX 225 gr too but I haven't tried neither while hunting yet!

 

Picked up a box of 240 grain xtp ammo by hornady tonight. I'll save the brass and get some dies. Now to set the chronograph up and get some readings.