TonyW

Not sure where this goes so please feel free to move if necessary.

Anyone hunt with a handgun? I have a 14" barrel for my T/C Contender in .44 Mag and am considering using it to hunt for whitetail deer this fall. I'm looking for suggestions on commercial, factory loaded ammo to use. I would assume the 240 grain weight bullet would be best?

Thanks.

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Bud White

winchester platnium i think was their hunting line and would be the best i handload all my own stuff.

240 would be fine for whitetail

TonyW

Thanks Bud. I used to handload ammo for the .44 and .357/.38 but haven't for years. Would like to get back into it but won't be able to for a while yet.

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RSSZ

I hunt quite a bit with a handgun. At one time I had several T/C's and assorted bbls. One of these was a 14" bull in .44 mag. I eventually had it rechambered to .444 Marlin by JDJ. I killed bear, the larger deer, and moose, with that weapon.

There are excellent factory rounds for the .44 nowadays.

If you have the possibility to put the sights on one of the larger Ohio whitetails(300 pounds on the hoof) I'd suggest that you try out the Hornady 300gr. XTP's. Any XTP has the rep for deep, streight, penetration. I've seen the 300 grainer used on 300+ pound hogs,and it always does the job.

I hand load the 240 and the 300's for my SuperBlackhawk and my 16" Marlin 1894. The 240's are way too much for the small deer we have down here but they work great for the <180 pound hogs that frequent the river swamps.--------

P95Carry

Agreed re XTP - whether 240 or 300 - those bullets really get it done.

I have a 44 mag barrel for my TC but tend now to take out the SRH .454 with either the hot Hornady 300 XTP loadings - or same bullets in a comparable homeload.

The 45-70 BFR will also I think make an excellent hunting revo.

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rocky

I am carrying my .44 vaquero for the first time this year, not sure if I will get to try it, as some shots are close, others farther away up here.

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TonyW

Thanks for the info RSSZ. So you think that the 240 Hornady XTP would be a good choice for deer? The deer that I see aren't normally huge, even though they are well fed on crops. Bigger than the deer in FL of course. I was considering also going the lighter/faster route with a 180 grain?

I'd like to get another barrel for my T/C but couldn't use any of the rifle calibers to hunt with anyway. I'd like to get a 30/30 just because or a 45/70. Actually I'd really like to get a 7-30 Waters, but that would really make me get back into handloading.

__________________
There can be no proper relationship between one who is armed and one who is not; nor is it reasonable to expect that one who is armed will voluntarily obey one who is not, or that the latter will feel secure among servants who are armed. The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli

Ben Hennessy

Here is a Russian wild boar I took two years ago with my Taurus PT945 using Cor Bon DPX +P at about 25 yards.

Attached Images

gunther.jpg (290.6 KB, 13 views)

RSSZ

10-4 on the 240 XTP for your deer. I had mentioned the 300's simply because I always want a blood trail. Animals leak better with an exit wound. The 240 will kill 'em dead enough.

Would suggest no 180's. They will be going too fast,especially coming outta a 14" bbl.

As said, the Waters would be a handload only thing. The .45-70 hits real hard and is great out to 150 or so. The turdie-turdie is good out beyond that(especially for the handloader). Have expieramented with loading some of the bigger bullets in my wifes T/C and the 190's really shine(with the right powder).

While your in the "pondering it" mode......If your gonna reload,take a close look at the .30-30 Ackley Improved. That is my wifes deer and hog weapon of choice in a 21" T/C. Easy to make,easy to load for,and will give you another 200fps over the .30-30. Even more with the use of .375 Win. brass.

Encore's are a great weapon,but the T/C will do what you want in all but the largest of game at the longer ranges. I wish that I'd have kept a couple of the ones that I have sold. -------

HotGuns

I've got a Contender with several barrels. I've got the 7X30 Waters and it is an exellent and accurate round. When I bought the Contender from a friend at work, I got 500 rounds of Hornady with it. It can still be found. The Waters will do just about anything you want it to do.

I've also got the .44 Mag. Hunter barrel. For some reason that thing seems to kick like a mule. The 240 XTP's are one of my favorite rounds for it and it too is accurate. Recovered bullets always look pretty wicked, they expand really well.

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