Handgun loads for deer

[lymanl3]

Anyone have any suggestions for any 480 ruger loads? Curious what has been used to take whitetail? I took a doe from 30yds this weekend, with 410 grn CPBC coupled with 20grns of H110. I know its overkill, and the results were certainly that. She didnt even flinch...I actually thought I missed, she ran 30yds and fell over. The entrance (golfball size) wound was larger than the exit. She was quartering towards me, I hit her above/behind the shoulder and angled out the back ribs on the other side...hit both lungs. My concern is that the bullet just busted straight through her. The exit wound was the size of the bullet. I have used 325grn Jacketed Hornady rounds...they didnt exit, but expanded...anyrate, I need to find a happy medium!

Lyman

[Multidigits]

Pistols are not rifles, hence thay kill differently. You don't need an expanding bullet, because the bullet is already about twice the size of a rifle caliber. What you do need is penetration and two holes, so the rule is to use hard cast lead bullets that will travel through the animal, and leave a hole on each side. Federal makes a factory load for this purpose, but handloaders can duplicate. Any good gun store should have hard cast bullets, or you can make your own.

[lymanl3]

The bullet I am using is a heat treated cast bullet from CPBC. Its 410grn, wide nose for X>100yds. Excellant product that will maintain conformity and bust bone. I was just curious if anyone else had any luck with custom hollow points, not factory hornady load. Like I said, I know its overkill...guess I expected her to flinch a little...but at over 1250fps guess she didnt know what hit her...

Lyman

[schuyler olt]

Lyman,

I don't use quite the cannon you are carrying--I go with 45LC +Ps loaded with a 300 gr. jacketed soft point or a 335 gr. cast lead. I get good performance with either bullet.

Expansion is a product of softness and time in the target--you should expect that a soft bullet travelling more slowly will expand more than a hard bullet going faster--a FMJ is a good illustration of this concept.

You have plenty of speed--you might want to consider slowing the round down just a tad to give your bullet more time to expand.

In any event, I'd say it did the job. I've seen deer hit with a 30-06 go further after being hit in both lungs.

[Multidigits]

The bullet I am using is a heat treated cast bullet from CPBC. Its 410grn, wide nose for X>100yds. Excellant product that will maintain conformity and bust bone. I was just curious if anyone else had any luck with custom hollow points, not factory hornady load. Like I said, I know its overkill...guess I expected her to flinch a little...but at over 1250fps guess she didnt know what hit her...

Lyman

If you want a reaction to the bullet hitting, simply aim at a different spot, such as the point of the shoulder, instead of behind it. With a large caliber, and in an area where it's wise not to let something run off, it's better placed there anyway. You will destroy at least one of the shoulders, so that is a consideration if your meat hunting. But for big deer, and ones you would like to drop, aim for the point of the shoulder. Sometimes it will drive the shoulder into the deer enough to break the spine, other times it will just knock the wind out of it enough for the deer to collapse and die within seconds.

[rick243]

I use a pip squeak compared to what you guys are shooting :( . .41 magnum Blackhawk with 210 gr. Hornady XTP in front of 20.5 grs. ww 296. Works good for me but I've never shot any big deer with it. Rick

[Multidigits]

I shoot a .41 as well. I use it with hard cast bullets though and have it loaded to 44 mag specs. It's bad medicine for deer.