# 44 Special for Hunting



## 7dawg9 (Aug 24, 2011)

I got my wife a Contender in 7-30 Waters for this deer season. She's shot it all summer and loves it.  My buddy's wife wants to try handgun hunting now, so instead of buying her a new gun, he says she'll shoot his 44 Magnum with 44 Special ammo. It might be legal, but I'm thinking it's a recipe for a wounded deer and a long track. What do y'all think?


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## yaines (Aug 25, 2011)

The grandfather of handgun hunting and developer of the .44 mag.  Elmer Keith , shot a deer w/ a .44 special ...handload  , @ 600 yds ...killed it on the second or third try with the magnificent and legendary .44 special . If you read any of his writings ( " Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ---- ,I was there " or " Sixguns " or also any of Skeeter Skeltons or John Taffins writings you will join a loose knit group of handgunners that admire the great .44 special .


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## CUTT'EM 76 (Aug 25, 2011)

yaines said:


> The grandfather of handgun hunting and developer of the .44 mag.  Elmer Keith , shot a deer w/ a .44 special ...handload  , @ 600 yds ...killed it on the second or third try with the magnificent and legendary .44 special . If you read any of his writings ( " Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ---- ,I was there " or " Sixguns " or also any of Skeeter Skeltons or John Taffins writings you will join a loose knit group of handgunners that admire the great .44 special .



I love the .44 special too,but I'm sure the loads used by Kieth to take those deer were HOT and probably rivaled the .44 mag in ballistics(which is how the magnum version came to be) and may be hard to handle for his wife.


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## GunnSmokeer (Aug 25, 2011)

*.45 acp WORKS*

My cousin hunted deer with an M1911 pistol in .45 acp caliber using a standard-pressure 200-grain hollowpoint bullet.

He would shoot from a tree stand down at deer that were no more than about 30 to 60 feet from his muzzle. He said that he'd limit his shots to 25 yards, but he never had one at that distance; they were either well out of pistol range or they'd be more like 50 feet.

He said his .45 worked as well as any other gun he's seen.  When he hit them in the vitals, they either died on the spot or ran a short distance and collapsed within 100 yards.  No exit wounds. Bullets went in several inches to more than a foot, expanded, and caused a lot of internal bleeding.

So since a .45 acp and a .44 special both throw fat heavy bullets at moderate velocity, I'd say you should have the same experience. IF you can limit your shots to within 25 yards or less, and if you can aim that pistol steady enough to insure a good hit. My cousin competed in both action pistol and slow-fire bullseye matches with that gun, so he was good with it.


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## Richard P (Aug 26, 2011)

Within proper range---both for the cartridge and a new shooter, the 44spl should do fine. As mentioned, commercial ammunition  does use a large bullet at moderate velocity. Used in a 44mag with loads duplicating the 45Colt----250gr bullet at 900fps, I think it comes down to opportunity and shooter proficiency.


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## 7dawg9 (Aug 26, 2011)

*44*

Doesn't ( or didn't) Georgia require 1000 fps at one time?


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## BigJohnE (Aug 26, 2011)

redurham, I had thought that same thing but the regs only say "Centerfire Only, .22-cal. or larger with expanding bullets." from what I can find.  I know that where I hunt in VA, you have to have at least 350 footpounds muzzle energy rating for handguns.  I could find no energy mentioned in the GA regs.


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## Michael F. Gray (Aug 26, 2011)

I've used my .44 magnum with fairly hot .44 special loads several times. To be honest the shots I've made with mine are from a tree stand shooting downward at very close range. I've yet to have to track one.


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## HandgunHTR (Aug 26, 2011)

I don't see any reason why the .44 special with the right loads wouldn't be effective at killing deer.

Unless she is an avid long range pistol shooter, most of the shots will probably be in the less than 50 yards range, which is more than doable with the .44 Special as long as she isn't shooting cowboy loads.

Heck, I have killed them with a blackpowder revolver.  Both were quick kills.


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## GAR (Aug 26, 2011)

GA regs used to stipulate what was acceptable but changed a couple of years ago.

Tom


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