I might not be asking in the correct category and apologize if that's the case...

I recently bought a 629 Classic 6.5" and since this is my first .44 and I'm still getting acquanted with it I wish to seek the input from the more experienced .44 shooters.

I am interested in hunting whitetail with this piece. I am using Hornady Lever Revolution 225gr rounds for hunting. I have been to the range to sight it in, but have only done so at 50' at this point, which is the max distance at my gun club's indoor pistol range. It is grouping pretty nice at about 1.5" to 2" at 50' rested. I did notice the patterns getting a little bit wider as the round count climbed higher. I suspect the weapon getting fouled and a bit of fatigue on my part to be the main causes of this...

What I am wondering is this: With more practice, what would be the maximum effective range of this weapon? By max effective, I mean to say a good, clean kill. Should I zero at say 25yds and work my way up to 50yds? Or is 50yds a bit much to ask? I'm really excited about taking my first deer with a handgun and I am looking to establish what my workable range will be. I realize my own shooting ablilty (or lack thereof) and practice, practice, practice has alot to do with it. I'm kind of looking to find out what is reasonable to expect of the weapon. Wondering what the more experienced 44 shooters have found since I have very limited experience with a .44. But holy cow, do I love getting more experience with it!!

One last bit, I am not using a scope, just the factory open sights.

Thank you.

well you're certainly in the "kill zone" of a white tail deer around these parts (Ohio, PA, NY ,WVA) where ever they will allow you to use a handgun....bottom line, the "average" distance for a deer kill,during gun season, for wooded areas , last we knew off was 75 yards, thick brush,cover, even less......archery around 20-25 yards ( old figures guys, have NO clue as to current data...)
just dont try and pull off one of ole Elmers K;s running antelope at 400-600 yards, whatever he said he did.....DUMB........lost my respect for that man when he told that story years ago.
We used to shoot at 9 inch steel plates at the range at 200 yards with our .44 mag., 29 6 1/2 inch ( and hit them consistantly) ,would that be "effective" on a white tail at that range?? HHHmmmmm and had NEVER gave it any thought or even try. Save that for the 'ballisticians'(sic)...............

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dan
NRA Benefactor,PMA

Zero at 50 yds, you will not be overly high at 25. Find a place to shoot that has some room and find what distance you can keep all hits on a paper plate while shooting offhand. Consider that distance to be the max and when you hunt try to get the best(closest) shot possible.

Good luck

Thank you gentlemen. Yes, here in CNY 95% of my hunting time is spent in the woods where most of my shots are 50yds or less. Sounds like with practice I should be able to work up to 50yds with my .44 without too much trouble then huh?

I'm thinking of going with a 25yd zero, then going to 50yds and finding out how much drop I'm looking at.

But, as I said, I'm looking for a little reassurance from more experienced folks to make sure i'm not barking up the wrong tree, or expecting too much from this particular weapon.....

An optic would help out, I have a 6x Burris on my Ruger Super Redhawk .44 Mag and have made hits on a B-27 Silhouette out to 200 yards with ease.

The trajectory of the .44 Mag and the .357 are roughly similiar, the .44 just keeps more energy.

dooman, You will get all kinds of advice here. I would suggest that
you start shooting outdoors in the real world. Take your time. Remember that you are going to get tired and fatigued. This will not be
easy to accomplish. But shoot and document what you and the gun
can do repeatedly at 25 , 50, 75 , and 100 , yes i said 100 yards. When you get out to 75 and 100 yards, you will have to learn how high
to hold above the target. This will not come quickly but you can do it.
Do you reload? This training will take lots of ammo--the training is for you, not the gun.Hope this helps.

No, I dont reload at this time. I would like to get into it someday though. Looks like a good way to while away a boring winters day....

I do however have a licensed ammunition manufacturer/re-manufactuer very close by who I have been having reload my 357s. He does a great job and taking my once fired brass to him for relolads saves me a descent amount of $$ compared to buying at the store.

I will heed the advice given thus far, and keep practicing and incrementally working my way farther out. Honestly, I will be very happy to get proficient at 50yds with this weapon as that is what my range is in the woods where I hunt most of the time. And from what i'm hearing, 50yds isn't too much to ask of my new Smith.

One thing for sure, it does buck quite a bit more that my 686, 6"!! But I love having the pair!

Jared: I know what you mean about tired and fatigued. I once held my Thompson Center Renegade (old school, octagon bbl) shouldered for about 8-10 minutes, standing as i was waiting for a deer to come out from behind a fallen tree to get the shot. I WAS DYING! LOL!

I would zero in @ 50 yards. A shot @ 50 is more probable than a shot @ 25 yards in your type of terrain. Once sighted in @ 50, check your POI @ 25 yards for reference on closer shots. The .44Mag will drop a deer @ that range with proper ammo and SHOT PLACEMENT......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I would suggest using 50 yards as the 'zero'.
Then check point-of-impact at 25, 75 and 100 yards.
Factory 240-gr JSP magnum ammo out of the 6.5" barrel should be pretty effective on whitetails.
Your ability to group shots at the distances listed will pretty much tell you what the range limitations are for you and your revolver.
Best of luck to you!

-Jim

I'd sight it in at 25 yards simply because that's so common for handgun ranges. As for the drop at 50 yards, with a 44 Magnum it'll only amount to about 1/2 inch.

As for your Effective Range, I would suggest you find the range at which you can consistently hold to a 4 inch grouping. Yeah, it's a lot tighter than needed to take a Deer but shooting a tight group in a range setting is a lot different than doing it on uneven terrain, in the rain or snow, when your cold and trying to not spook your quarry.

Like others have said, sight in at 50 yards, and then check where you are hitting at 25, 75, and even 100 yards. Let me suggest you strongly consider two items, a rest and a red dot. There are lots of good rests on the market from shooting sticks (you can even make your own) to mono pods, to walking sticks. Check them out and practice with them, they will help your accuracy at longer ranges. A back pack makes a good rest when hunting as does a tree branch or fallen tree. Check out this web site, they have a good article on field shooting positions. Handgun Hunter Magazine - Your Handgun Hunting Headquarters Another item that really helps, especially in hunting situations, is a good red dot. You could also consider a scope, but I prefer a red dot for hunting. Instead of trying to focus on 3 distances, target, front, and rear sight, you only focus on the dot and the target. Much easier, especially on a moving target. Your 629 may already be drilled and tapped, which makes mounting a red dot quite easy.

Thank you all very much for the good input and advice. I knew I could count on you!

As to the optics suggestions, my brother bought a 29 Classic with a Leopold 2x at the same time I bought my 629 Classic. I'm not sure I like the scope, but then again I didnt really give it a fair shake. I only fired one cylinder out of his. But, a red dot on the other hand.....My father has one on his Remington 742 and I really did like that when I tried it recently. It really seems a natural match for a handgun. Quick sight picture and target acquisition. Might look into that when I get a new kitchen pass from the old lady for more guns/gun goodies! LOL!

PS: Thanks for the link Wantmoresmiths, very good read.

My 2 Cents.
Zero at 50 yards.
I would plan to install a 30mm UltraDot on it sooner or later. Check out UltraDot West. Also get a Scope Coat from them while you are at it. NOTE: The UltraDot also comes in 1". Get the 30mm much better field of view. I do have both. I put the 1" on my AR15 M4 22 Rimfire upper.

Targets for a RedDot. Use White desert paper plates or cut out circles from card stock using a can for a template, and attach them with spray adheasive to card board. Center the Red Dot on the White Plate, or Circle. I normally cut out about 3" circles myself. Others like the paper plates.

I would check Weigland Combat for the mount.

Open Sights. You might think about a Green Fiber Optic front sight. You can see it very well in the woods. Works great early and late when the light is not real great. I have put one of them on all of my Ruger Super RedHawks.

A shooting stick was mentioned. I use the telescoping one with a V on top from Walmart. I rework it with a Rubber cane tip on the bottom held on with Epoxy Putty. I hunt from a tree stand quite a bit. The rubber cane tip keeps the metal to metal noise down. It will also work standing or setting.

Carry methods. Lots of options using open sights. They slim down when you add optics. I use a Boyt Harness rectangular pistol case from Midway. Add some quality 1" D Rings using 1" webbing. Put one on all 4 points just above where the handles are sewn to the case on the inside. Get far enough up the handles straps from the case body that each pair of D's can be hooked with a clip type sling end. Carry over the shoulder like a possibles bag. You can leave it unzipped on one end for access while stalking around. About like a quiet, handy shoulder holster.
This also pads the gun well while pulling it up in a tree stand.

I wear an electronic head set. I like the Impact Sport by Howard LeHigh best so far. Great battery life. They come right back on without much delay at all. No indicator light on the side to give your position up. Note: They have an automatic shut off after 4 hours. If they go quiet, just turn them off, and back on to reset them. The amplification is great while on stand.

Ear plugs tied to the back of your ball cap and hung around your neck is ok. I try not to shoot without hearing protection if I can help it.

Maximum Range? Most over on the Handgun Hunting Forum would probably say 100 yards for a revolver in 44 magnum from a good rest. My advice would be to try and keep the shots from 30 to 50 yards if possible. Less things go wrong the closer you are (to a point). Last year opening day I had 2 groups of deer within 30 feet of my stand opening morning. This is too close as I was spotted, and they quit coming by. This year I have a much better location on a point overlooking the same valley. I should not have any deer closer than 35 yards to my stand this year ( I Hope). Maximum range is about 80 yards from this stand.
My second stand location is wide open to deer traffic. Shallow valley in the woods about 100 yards from a hay field with 2 ponds on my end of the field. The game camera has them coming through from all directions. Which included my side trail into the stand. Shots here could be from 20 feet to about 125 yards.

Sage Advice, If you do not think you can make the shot, Do Not Shoot.

I am hunting with a 480 Ruger Super RedHawk with 30mm UltraDot. I had a 44 Magnum Super RedHawk with 30mm UltraDot before that.

5 days till opening day and counting.

Bob

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