# 1st buck with .44mag



## TRHOD12 (Nov 15, 2008)

Here is my 1st buck taken with my handgun during the extra weekend of Ohio gun season. I have several pic of him on trail cam(hard horned and in velvet), and have pic of him last year when he was a 100-110" 2.5yo. I also found his left side shead this past spring. Kind of fun to watch them grow. He REALLY ran hard for the rut, I would say he lost 1/3-1/2 his body wieght from pic I had of him during late summer.

He really wasn't on the hitlist, but I couldn't pass trying to take him with my .44mag. He grossed out at 130".

I was carrying my .44mag, cuz I gave up my shotgun to my youngest son so he could have a chance to shoot a deer during the gun season.


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

Very nice buck with your 44...That 44 Mag. sure punches a big hole in them..Congrats on your first handgun kill....JIM....CL....:!


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## 5Cent (Jun 4, 2004)

Awesome! Congrats on a great buck. Handgun is next on the list for me, congrats!


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## mpd5094 (Jun 20, 2005)

Sweet! Would be fun to kill one with a handgun!


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## pj4wd (Dec 9, 2009)

Nice buck! Good shot with the 44mag. I've used a handgun (T/C Contender) for deer gun season three years now and wish I'd switched earlier. Sure don't miss luggin that shotgun around.


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## Nitro_boy (Apr 1, 2005)

Awesome man. What red dot is that? I have a s&w model 29 I want to hunt with next year.


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## TRHOD12 (Nov 15, 2008)

Nitro_boy said:


> Awesome man. What red dot is that? I have a s&w model 29 I want to hunt with next year.



It's a bushnell holosight. Don't get a red dot with a tube. I had one before. Had a tough time being able to pick up the deer in the tube on the hand gun.

The holosight is the way to go on a handgun, IMHO.

Thanks for all the comments.

Blessings,


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

thats a nice buck. i took my 44 out opening day had a wounded doe within 70 yards and almost took the shot. but she went a different direction. i have a scope on mine, im not really happy with it, its very hard to take long off hand shots. you say the holosight is the way to go? i know alot of competive shooters use them. how are they at longer ranges? what round are you shooting, im shooting winchester supreme partition gold 250 grain.


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## TRHOD12 (Nov 15, 2008)

ezbite said:


> thats a nice buck. i took my 44 out opening day had a wounded doe within 70 yards and almost took the shot. but she went a different direction. i have a scope on mine, im not really happy with it, its very hard to take long off hand shots. you say the holosight is the way to go? i know alot of competive shooters use them. how are they at longer ranges? what round are you shooting, im shooting winchester supreme partition gold 250 grain.



I agree w/ you on the scope w/ offhand shots. Same thing w/ the red dot w/ the tube. They are great when shooting straight on, but in my experience, I don't usually have a straight on shot when using the .44. 

I like the holosite, I like the flat screen and I like the circle around the dot. The circle helps me to acquire the dot faster. And the screen is much more forgiving. You don't have to be sighted straight down the tube to pick up the dot w/ your eye.

There are a couple of similar sites on the market. Trijicon makes one similar to the holosite, I like the design, but it was a little pricey. I got my holosite when they were doing away w/ the 1st generation holosite, and going to the holosite 2. I picked mine up for about $80. 

As far as longer range shooting. On this buck, my final shots were at 80yrds. I had already hit him 3 times, and he was standing in front of me at 80yrds, not looking very good. My experience w/ bigger deer, they can take a lote of punishment, and if they are standing, I stay on the trigger. I shot multiple times at the deer at 80yrds, but was hitting branches and saplings that were between me and him. After adjusting my position off the right, I hit him solid on the next shot. He dropped, and was flailing on the ground, and I hit him w/ 3 more shots on the ground. The shot you can see in the picture is an exit wound from my 80 yard shooting barage. Long story short, the holosite is very good at longer ranges. I have shot my .44 up to 100yrds putting shots w/i 12" plate.

I would never take an initial shot at 100yrds, but if they are standing, like this deer was, I would feel confident that I could hit a deer at 80-100yrds if needed.

As far as shot. I use 200gr Nosler bullets with 27gr of H110. This load has worked out very well as far as grouping on the range, and as far as knockdown power on deer.

I have shot several other deer w/ my .44, and this load usually will anchor them, or they do not go very far. The other deer I have shot have been smaller deer than this buck. He seemed to want a little more lead poisoning before dying. I actually hit him 7 times.

Hope this helps.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

TRHOD12 said:


> As far as shot. I use 200gr Nosler bullets with 27gr of H110. This load has worked as far as knockdown power on deer.
> 
> I have shot several other deer w/ my .44, and this load usually will anchor them, or they do not go very far. The other deer I have shot have been smaller deer than this buck. He seemed to want a little more lead poisoning before dying. I actually hit him 7 times.
> .


Congratulations, nice buck!

Is this typical of handgun hunting for a larger buck? You hit it 7 times before he was done. Sounds like the 44 Mag at any extended range may not be up to the job.


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## medium mouth (Dec 5, 2006)

thats a great deer but he didnt deserve the tortue...as far as bullets i would upgrade to a 240 grain hornady for more knockdown power..thats not typical for a handgun when people like me can shoot a deer 1 time with a broad head and they dont last long at all..


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## TRHOD12 (Nov 15, 2008)

medium mouth said:


> thats a great deer but he didnt deserve the tortue...as far as bullets i would upgrade to a 240 grain hornady for more knockdown power..thats not typical for a handgun when people like me can shoot a deer 1 time with a broad head and they dont last long at all..


1st shot hit in the front shoulder double lung(he was dead at this point, but didn't know it), 2nd shot hit the antler on left side (my mistake he was running), 3rd shot hit in the neck(coming head on at me, running at 10yrds). He ran out to 80yrds and was standing there NOT LOOKING GOOD, that means dead on his feet, 4th shot took him off his feet and is the large hole you can see in the picture(a little far back, but still was enough to take him off his feet after the first deadly shot), 3 more shots hit him while he was flailing around on the ground. A full recap of the 7 shots that hit him.

Now when I saw him standing at 80yrds after the first 3 shots not looking good, I could have layed off the trigger and let him stand there and hope that my first 3 shots were good. But knowing there is always a risk that my first couple of shots might not have been good (maybe a gut shot or worse), I decided to do my best to make sure he would have a quick ending.

It all happend rather quickly. And like I said, If he is still on his feet, I am on the trigger. If I knew that the 1st shot was as deadly as it was, I would have been less likely to follow up w/ further shots. Not always do the deer that I shoot do the tailormade mule kick, run off 30yrds, and flop over. I've seen deer take shots that obliterate both lungs and take the top of the heart off, and still be able to run significant distances(dead on their feet, but don't know it). I know from bow hunting, you can double lung a big buck and he can run off like nothing happend. If you have the oppertunity to get a 2nd arrow into him, it tends to slow them down, or make them drop right in the spot where you hit them w/ the 2nd arrow. Even if it is less than vital area that you hit w/ the 2nd shot.

I don't profess to be a professional killing machine(how did you say it, "when people like me"). I'm just a guy out to enjoy the out of doors. I do my best to be an ethical hunter who tries his best to make clean kills. This isn't my first time at the dance, when it comes to deer hunting. And I realize there is always someone out there who does things bigger and better than I do. But I take great offence when someone gives indication that I "tortured" a deer and giving the indication that I am less that ethical.

Thanks for the condiscending, judgemental post. Sorry I am not able to match up to your abilties and skills. Thanks for letting me know that you can sit behind your computer screen and let me know that I am a less than ethical hunter and that I am in no way, remotely close, to the class of hunter that you are.

Good hunting and God Bless you all.

Trhod12 out


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

Congratulations on a fine Buck!


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

My question was sincere. I have thought about getting a handgun for deer hunting for a few years now

I don't know much about handgun hunting, loads, speeds etc, but retained energy is relative to any gun.

Isn't a 200 gr. pistol bullet,1400-1600 FPS, out of a 44 mag, really on the outside edge of it's performance at 100 yds on deer sized game?

I know when developing loads for a Muzzleloader there is a delicate balance between bullet weight, velocities, trajectories and retained energy and only a balance of all of them provide for the best load. I'm guessing it is the same when putting together a handgun hunting load?

Thanks,
Kim


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

Lundy said:


> My question was sincere. I have thought about getting a handgun for deer hunting for a few years now
> 
> I don't know much about handgun hunting, loads, speeds etc, but retained energy is relative to any gun.
> 
> ...


He had the option of hitting it with the first shot - and waiting for it to die (saving himself 6 bullets). He "chose" to fire and hit the Deer until it actually died. He could not see how every bullet hit the Deer until he got up to it and saw the results of every bullet. He used the Theory of "Shoot until it is dead". Ethical, Ethical, Ethical. I would Deer Hunt with the Original Poster any day!


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

You can question this guys methods and ethics till we are all dead or look at the results.

A dead deer down with a 44.

Let him who has never missed cast the first stone


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## TRHOD12 (Nov 15, 2008)

Lundy said:


> My question was sincere. I have thought about getting a handgun for deer hunting for a few years now
> 
> I don't know much about handgun hunting, loads, speeds etc, but retained energy is relative to any gun.
> 
> ...


Lundy....PM sent.

My rant was not directed toward you


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## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

I killed a doe this year that took four solid 12 gauge slug hits before dying. The first was a lung shot, she kicked and just trotted 15 yards then stood there so I shot her again. She then ran 60 yards down a hill, wasn't doing too well but was still standing broadside to me so I shot again and she fell over. I got up to her and she perked her head up and was still too lively for me to get close so I shot her in the head whereupon she kicked for nearly a minute. In all 3 shots were through the chest and one more in the head.

My point being - how can you call it torture to use a handgun because it took several shots when you can get the exact same result from the most powerful weapon (knockdown wise anyway) you can use in Ohio?


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

TRHOD,
I have read all the posts and agree with you. If it isn't down after the first shot and you are pretty sure you hit it, "stay on the trigger" as you said. Once you think you have hit a deer you OWE it to that animal to make its death as quick and painless as possible. The trick (and I am sure you did it this way from your story) is to only take the first shot when you have a VERY high probability of a clean kill. We are all humans behind these guns and we miss sometimes. The idea is to minimize the chances of a miss through practice and ethical shooting.

BRAVO sir.


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## catalac (Jan 13, 2010)

congrats on the handgun kill. i've been looking into gettin rid of one of my shotguns and picking up a .44 for some time now. i just can't seem to find the right deal! hopefully soon i will have a picture on here of a hunt similar to yours.


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## SongDogBuster (Jan 17, 2010)

Congrats on the Buck - thought I'd share my 1'st witha 44 - 80 yds witha rest_240grnXPT , 23grn H110 , CCI 350 _ they dont go far when ya neck'em maybe 15feet _ 1 shot,1kill


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## pj4wd (Dec 9, 2009)

Nice lookin pistol SDB, nice shot on the deer..


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

I use 25 gr H110 with my 12" encore... I also use a 15" 375 win barrel as well


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