Actual performance on game 44 mag JSP bullets ?

[boatbum101]

Well got myself a 44 mag rifle 20" 1 in 20 twist . In revolver around here I shoot cast as I don't deer hunt here . Primary game is hogs & lately we've had an explosion in the black bear population . Don't particularily want to shoot no bear as I enjoy watching their antics & don't consider them to be a real threat yet . 240gr is std for caliber weight & the deer hunters like the JHP's & the Wallyworld WWB 240 seems to get its share . I'd like something that will penetrate , break shoulders & offer some expansion . I don't need a 300gr for anything living around here . I do however have an LBT 330gr that'll shoot thru a buffalo at rather sedate handgun speed . From what I'm seeing not a whole bunch of difference between them . Speer 270 GD have been told expansion is iffy @ 44 mag speed , Horn 265 is too hard ( 444 bullet ) . For the 240 JSP's it seems the Rem , Win & Fed offerings perform as well as pretty much anything . Too bad Nosler discontinued the 250 Part . Curious to hear what others have to say . Also has anyone ever used the Montana Gold or the Zero 240 JSP on game ? They happen to be cheaper than others but so did the OEM bullets from the big 3 in the past .

 

[muddocktor]

Nosler makes a 240 JSP bullet that might fit the bill for you. I've shot them in the past but not hunting, so I can't say how they perform on an animal. But my experience with the Nosler Sporting Handgun SP bullets tells me that you should get some expansion as Nosler uses a soft lead core on their bullets. I also shoot the Zero 240 JSP, but as above I don't hunt so I can't say how well they will stay together on an animal.

 

[kreuzlover]

Why don't you just shoot your revolver cast bullet load in your rifle? I had a Winchester 94 in .44 magnum, and my Ruger Super Blackhawk load of 20 grains of 2400 and cast 250 grain gas checked bullet would shoot clover leaf groups at 50 yards out of the 94. And of course the longer barrel of the rifle gave much higher hitting power. Might give it a try.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I assume your Marlin 44 Mag is an 1894 with the Micro-Groove rifling. If so be sure your cast bullets are .4315 to .4320 diameter. I had a 336 (only made 1 year) and a 1894 (first year production) both in 44 mag. They stabilize and don't lead up as long as you have a little extra meat to the bullet. I've used Lyman 240 SWC and the 330 LBT bullets (both in wheel weight alloy) and they behave fine.

Ivan

 

[boatbum101]

Thanks but rifle is not a Marlin or any other levergun . I do mainly shoot cast as for my purpose they work & do everything I want a hog bullet to do . I do not have faith in the current herd of 240 - 300 JHP's being able to give me the performance I want . That leaves jacketed soft points which I'm hoping would split the difference between JHP & cast performance . If I can not get expansion & penetration I desire , then I'll stick with cast because I know they'll perform . I currently shoot plain base cast in my revolvers . They work just fine as velocities rarely exceed 1300fps which allows me to use an alloy that will shatter bone & expand somewhat . For a rifle with added velocity from longer barrel a harder alloy & gaschecks make life easier . Not a lot of choices got theNosler 240 JSP , Speer Unicore 240 , GD/Deep Curl 240 , 270 GD , Hornady does not make a JSP & the 265gr Interlok is for 444 Marlin , Rem 240 JSP , Win 240 JSP & Sierra 300 JSP . Cheaper Montana Gold & Zero 240 JSP's . Surely one or more will give better penetration than a 240 JHP & also expand somewhat . Was hoping some of the western or northern folks would have some experience with these as their game runs bigger & tougher per se . If unable to find one I'll just go with a cast wide meplat soft nose .

 

[Nemo288]

Many moons ago I was quite active with both a 7.5" Redhawk and various .44 Mag carbines.
One day right after a heavy rain we were shooting into a berm that consisted of soil, sand, and horse manure (barn sweepings).
The load was my standard full magnum load of 24 grains of W296 under a 240 Jacketed.
These are the only 44 mag bullets I ever recovered after shooting them.
All the deer I harvested (they can be pretty small around here) had holes all the way though.
This may give you an approximation of the relative performance of the Hornady 240 XTP as shot out of a revolver and a carbine.

IMHO only the larger, tougher animals like elk, large bears, moose, bison, etc. demand the use of the big cast WFN bullets, of which I am a big fan.
Many 444 Marlin hunters have gone to these 300+ grain WFN .432" bullets just under Mach 2 and report great success.
The truth is, any of these bullets will kill a deer (or a hog) if you do your part.
I would carry the most accurate load you trust and don't worry too much about the terminal ballistics.
Then practice a bunch.

Addendum: My current favorite load in the Redhawk is the Cast Performance 260 WFNGC over 18-19 grains of 2400 depending on the brand of brass.
Sorry I do not have any heavy, Western, hunting experience although I grew up out there.
I am now stuck in the northern midwest.

 

[38SPL HV]

Any factory loaded 44 Mag 240 gr JSP is good for any big game which you may encounter east of the Mississippi.

 

[boatbum101]

Nemo288 like you I too am a fan of cast wide meplat bullets . The BTB 290 & 330 will both shoot lengthwise thru a buffalo @ 1200fps & would probably do it @ 1000fps . Now for hogs I don't need all that I believe a 260 - 280 WFNGC will do everything I want . All that said it is easier to get repeatable performance from jacketed vs cast . My thoughts were a JSP 240 or heavier one load that'll work reasonably well for the 3 main animals I encounter . There's many proven bullets but we all have our own ideas about what works . Bottom line put a good bullet where it needs to go & you got meat .

 

[Nemo288]

Most of my .44's are from the 80's to around Y2K.
Most of the revolvers have large chamber exit throats (up to .433") and most of the carbines and rifles have
larger than "spec" bores or are micro-groove or both.
Consequently I have found it easier to get accurate loads from the cast, larger diameter, bullets than the jacketed numbers.
That's how I ended up with that 260 WFN recipe I stated after years of shooting jacketed thru the Redhawk.
The only guns I get really good accuracy with standard jacketed bullets are my custom .445 Pac-Nor/Bullberry Encore barrels.
And those shoot the cast bullets well too, so I usually just stick with those.
Guess I just like cast bullets and consider them more versatile than jacketed.

 

[Joe S.]

I am playing with the Zero bullets. I just loaded some up and am going to do some dirt and water jug expansion testing. My first shot was yesterday before the rain. From about 5’ into some damp Mississippi dirt. Fairly impressive. I wonder if shooting through a 2x4 would replicate bone good enough to tell what the bullet will do?

This bullet penetrated the dirt about 6.5”. Load was 20 grains of Accurate No. 9.







Lost about 4 grains.


Expanded nicely in dirt.

 

[Joe S.]

Hopefully I’ll have some game results this fall.

 

[Nemo288]

I am playing with the Zero bullets.
This bullet penetrated the dirt about 6.5”. Load was 20 grains of Accurate No. 9.
Expanded nicely in dirt.

Nice test and pictures.
What was the gun used?

I have also gotten a couple of boxes of those Zero numbers.
(Pardon the poor pun)
The main reason I got them was to see if they improved accuracy in the larger chamber throats and bores
as they are the only jacketed bullets I have measured at .431"
Here they are loaded in the 444.
There is a crimp (RCBS roll). It just doesn't show up well in the flash lighting.
Shot about half of them.
Velocities were
31/IMR4227:1958 35/IMR4227:2164 22" 444S
44/IMR4198:2313 45/IMR4198:2375 22" 444S
44/IMR4198:2377 45/IMR4198:2432 24" Rizzini BR550E
I'll have to dig out the targets to see how they actually did.
I suspect this is really too fast for the construction of these bullets and they would do better in a 44 mag carbine clone:
(444 brass) 24gr. 2400, 13.5gr. Grex filler: 1735 fps.

 

[Joe S.]

Those 44s were shot out of a 10.5” Super Blackhawk.

Today I loaded a couple up in a 444 Marlin case and performed the same “test” with my Marlin 444P. I don’t know that I’ll use this as a 444 bullet. Penetration of 3.5” and 5” as opposed to about 6.5” with a 265 Interlock that is made for the 444. Expansion was pretty good though. Lol





Weight retention, not so much.




Compared to the 265 Interlock.




The two Zeros on the left and the Hornady Interlock on the right.

 

[Nemo288]

<Sherlock Holmes> "It is as I suspected" </Sherlock Holmes>
Those Zeroes squashed pretty good!
Thanks for the test!
I envy you the 20 twist Ballard barrel.
If you can find any, try the Woodleigh weldcore 280 444 bullet.
I got them through Huntingtons.
This is the finest constructed 444 jacketed bullet I know of.
Made of the same materials and with the same technique as their famous double rifle bullets and loaded by Kynoch.
Not cheap but the obvious choice for my 444 double rifle if I can get them to regulate.
That gun is regulated for the LeveRevolution round which gives me a little leeway to goose the load if needed for the extra 15 grains of bullet.
This is the current plan for such a load but I have not been able to get out lately what with the shutdowns.
It mimics the LeveRev velocities with acceptable pressure.
I think the Woodleigh may have less friction than the Hornady bullet as it is not truly cylindrical.

PM me with your email and I will send you a copy of the 444 Master Reloading table of which I am the curator.
I recently updated it but have not posted yet to the Marlin Owners forum.
This goes for anyone else interested in the mighty 444.

 

[Joe S.]

Thanks for the tip. That double rifle is gorgeous!

 

[weatherby]

Not sure if you can still find them but put a 270 grain speer gold dot Sp clean through a very nice large black bear.

My 02 cents.
BTW it was with a ruger SBH hunter revolver.

 

[Nemo288]

They are still out there.
Speer 270 Gold Dot Deep Curl
I got some when it looked like they were going to be discontinued.
Never have loaded any as have stuck with the Hornady 265 so far (in the 444).
Now rumor has it those have been discontinued so the 270s may still be used.
Thanks for the testimonial. Always good to know.

 

[Rogeronimo]

Swift has 3 weights in 44 calibre. Their reloading guide has rife data for the 44 Rem. Magnum.

 

[22shtur]

I have taken a few black bears with the 240 gr Hornady XTP 240 bullets, using H110 with Remington brass and WLP primers. Using both a 629 and 16" bbl Win 94.

 

[Nemo288]

The Swift A-Frames are also good in the 444.
Beware the loading data at Hodgdon for the Swift/444.
Their C.O.A.L. is wrong. Crimp in the groove as normal.
The A-Frames also have very high friction as the middle section is, in effect, a solid.

Gotta thank y'all for stimulating me to correspond.
Easy to get depressed and lackadaisical these days.