What do you reccommend in factory loaded 44 magnum with manageable recoil for whitetail and blackbear shooting out of a 6 inch colt anaconda. I do not really care for remington ammo just as an fyi.
Buffalo Bore 255gr hard cast Keith style semi-wadcutter. Buffalo bore advertises this as a low recoil load, but it hits like a full power load. I believe the velocity is 1250 fps or better.
In my model 29 Mountain Gun, this is the most accurate load I've tried.
I just looked it up and I was wrong. the velocity is 1350 fps. This is actually more powerful than the jacketed 240gr loadings from Federal, Winchester and Remington.
It's not punishing to shoot, but you definitely know something went off when you pull the trigger.
I picked up a box of CorBon 305 grain "flat point penetrator" hunting rounds (FPPN) on sale a while back. I recently shot a few through my Ruger Alaskan snubbie to test the recoil under controlled conditions, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was very manageable. Ballistically, they claim 1250 FPS and 1058 FTLBS. You can buy them online for about $45 a box direct from CorBon (yikes! I got mine for $25 or so...).
Posts: 140 | Location: Eagle, ID | Registered: 28 October 2006
Take a look at the Winchester Supreme with the 250 gr. Nosler Partition hollowpoint. It is accurate, managable, not too expensive, and a very reliable killer on game the size you mentioned.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Doing the right thing isn't always easy, however, it is always RIGHT!"
Haven't shot any game with them, but I like the Winchester Platinum Tips and the Magtech 240gr. JSP loads. I don't know why Magtech stuff gets looked down upon they way it does but everything of theirs I have tried has been super.
Posts: 665 | Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho | Registered: 20 April 2006
I shot some 240gr HP Magtech a month ago that really shot well & didn't seem to have too much recoil. I'd use soft point rather than HP for Bear though. If you handload though, the world is yours! Frank
I think for bear I would not be too concerned about the recoil. Practice and it will be managible. Federal Cast Core have been recommended by many. It is a big heavy, 300 grs., slug with a large flat meplat. They are very accurate in my Redhawk and are really not needed for whitetail however you included the "B" word. Chasing a wounded bear, any color, with a handgun is not very high on my list of things to do before I die, in my sleep God willing.
"That which does not destroy me, has made a huge tactical error"
Posts: 36 | Location: South Central Pa | Registered: 26 January 2008
When you ask for the best, you usually have to qualify what you're going to use the ammo for. The best hunting round probably isn't the best personal protection round probably isn't the best range ammo.
Since I primarily shoot paper, I like the Magtech 240gr. It is stout but I can shoot 50 to 100 and still have feeling in my hand.
Zippo: I have shot 8 deer with 4"629 at 33-35 yds all at same blind. I used fed hydroshock, imi 240 sp,rem jsp, win silvertip 210gr. I had to track the first 4 for 50-95 yds, with sparse blood trails and lack of blood at the sight even with luminol. To say the least I was not impressed, 3 of the shots hit the heart and lung, one was lung only, all were broadside shots. The next 4 were shot with hornady XTP. Massive blood at site,2 fell in there tracks,other 2 walked/stumbled 6-10 yds. Same shots, buck and doe, same distance of shot. I use the XTP's only now, including for bear. Good luck.
Don't know how well they work on bear but on deer, 240 Hornady XTP's are the bomb! Most of the time they don't go far at all. However, I did have one run ~70 yards after being hit but, the blood trail...well, it looked like someone poured out 5+ gallons of red paint (ie. tracking was NOT a problem). That bullet hit left rear rib, angled through chest (heart/lung...only a 2-3" diameter chuck of lung was NOT liquified), busted up right front shoulder, and stopped just under the hide in a perfect mushroom. Nice sized Kentucky 8pt. I like 'em...not sure the deer do! :-)
