44 cal bullet recommendation?

[MagnumManiac]

G'day folks,
I have a Stainless Rossi '92 44 Mag 16" barrel that loves the Speer 240gr SP Gold Dot bullet. Prints 5 shots into an inch off a rest with the XS Ghost ring sights I installed.
Now I cannot find those bullets, have gone through 500 of these almost and have 50 or so left. It is my primary hog killing machine.
Have looked at others, but none seem to be as hard as these.
Not interested in HP bullets, expansion is too much and penetration is inadequate.
What SP substitutes are out there?
Why can't I get the above bullet, are they discontinued? I know they started calling them Deep Curl, can't find them either.

Cheers.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

How about the Hornady FTX? I'm ready to load some 225gn for a CVA single shot 44mag.
BTW, they have 44mag brass at Cabelas if you're in need.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

HORNADY XTP Mag - available in .429 250gr

eXtreme Terminal Performance — Magnum

Designed for personal defense and medium-game hunting, XTP® Mag™ bullets provide the same controlled expansion, accuracy and dependability that have made XTP® bullets a favorite among target shooters and hunters alike. But XTP® Mag™ bullets are designed to take things a step further — withstanding the higher velocities and impacts of ultra-powerful, magnum handguns while delivering even deeper penetration than standard XTP® bullets.

 

[MagnumManiac]

XTP opens too fast. So maybe this new Mag bullet is the go.
A buddy of mine has used the XTP 240gr and they fail to penetrate the shoulder/chest plates on large bores.
I'm really disappointed that I cannot find these bullets anywhere, they really are a top performer for penetration.
Thanks for the info.

Cheers.

 

[wv270wsm]

Get ya a bullet mold and some gas checks and pour your own . You'll need a bullet sizer too . But I promise this opens up a whole new world for the 44 or at least it did for me .

 

[Varmint Hunter]

When all else fails use a Swift A-Frame bullet. I used them in my 454 Casull and every single bullet exited. Even large hogs failed to catch this bullet when fired through their thick shields.

 

[steel2]

Get ya a bullet mold and some gas checks and pour your own . You'll need a bullet sizer too . But I promise this opens up a whole new world for the 44 or at least it did for me .

For the penetration that you want this is the best that I have found..seeing it made a believer out of me after I bought the tools for gas checking it made it fun at higher velocities with minimal fouling and it's very lethal on pigs or anything else you need penetration and it's fun and cheap IMO it's the best of both worlds for the 44 mag rifle and pistol

 

[wv270wsm]

For the penetration that you want this is the best that I have found..seeing it made a believer out of me after I bought the tools for gas checking it made it fun at higher velocities with minimal fouling and it's very lethal on pigs or anything else you need penetration and it's fun and cheap IMO it's the best of both worlds for the 44 mag rifle and pistol

I'm getting absolutely crazy penetration with the cast bullets I'm loading . They will blow through a 55 gal drum of sand it's really neat . I back up shot 4 different bears last year and never found a single bullet that I fired . I made sure to help with the skinning and processing of those four . All complete pass thru

 

[MagnumManiac]

Have moved on from casting my own bullets. I used to do that for my IPSC days and my 44-40.
When lead hit the same price as loaded ammo cost, I sold all my gear.
I am after a cup&core bullet, I understand the penetration side of things, I have a mould here for a 170gr bullet for my 30-30, it is gas checked and is good for 2100fps, don't use it though due to high cost of lead.
Anyway, the only bullet available locally is a Hornady XTP, which I will not use.
My adventure continues...

Cheers.

 

[mcnanysa]

I note that you're not a fan of the hollow-points, but my son took a deer this year at about 80 yards with his Ruger 77/44. He used handloads of 23.5 grs H110, CCI350 primers, in Winchester brass pushing a Nosler .429 240 gr HP (#44842). He hit his buck just behind the right shoulder, and the bullet came to rest under the skin on the left side.



The deer took one step forward and collapsed. Sliced a hole through the heart, and destroyed one lung. That's the fifth deer we've taken with that load combination, and the first from that rifle (2 with a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 7-1/2" barrel, 2 with a Marlin 1894 44 Mag, and the Ruger 77/44). Hope that helps.

 

[del2les]

You can try any of the FMJ types or other SP's, but right now, you may find supplies are very limited. Personally and like others have stated, I use a lot of 255gr cast bullets in my 44's, hand guns and rifle, and while I understand lead costs have climbed, there are sources available with a little effort. Old wheel weights, car and truck batteries, etc are often underutilized. The local tire shops may, or may not, sell you their used wheel weights, salvage yards, etc. Old car batteries can be found often for free or a few dollars, and the larger truck batteries have a lot of lead in them. Just drain and rinse the acid out, and while I often take an ax and break these into smaller pieces for lead removal, I have just placed smaller car and motorcycle/lawn mower batteries into a large cast iron pot/boiler sitting over a hardwood fire pit. It burns the plastics and other materials and lets the lead sink into the boiler. Then skim and cast into your choice of sizes. Usually, I perform another melting and fluxing before adding to my electric casting furnaces.

Locally, the pistol and rifle ranges have backstops loaded with lead that washes down from rains and snow melts, and with a little work of shoveling, washing and melting, a fair supply can be had. If there is a local indoor range, check to see if they will let you salvage their lead from the backstops. Once, I acquired several hundred pounds from a 4H/FFA/NRA 22LR and air rifle indoor range. It saved them the clean out costs.

As an old bullet swager, I may have to resume using my old CH/4D and Herters swage dies in 44 cal. I stopped swaging those many years ago, but still have a fair supply of jackets, lead wire and core molds. I knew someday those would have a value again.

Good luck on your bullet search.

Also, there are a few online lead bullet suppliers who show some weights and styles in stock. Usually, these are cheaper than cup n core and maybe sufficient for your desires. YMMV

 

[bluejay75]

Hard to second guess the Hornady XTP. It is a killer for sure. ANY of the JFP bullets outperform it though in a rifle. XTPs are made to expand at pistol velocities but are hard enough to survive a close up rifle shot. Almost all other JHPs blow up close in. Penetration will be hampered because of this but I have not had a single animal move from the place that I shot it. BUT...it nearly filleted a racoon at 60 yards. Nearly deboned it. Thus my preference for JFPs. Lots of penetration and enough expansion. I use cast mainly but when I am using jacketed its a JFP. Here is what the 240 XTP is doing downrange. This is a 23.5 grain Charge H110, 240 XTP, CCI350.

 

[bluejay75]

ALL of the 240 JFPs perform well. From the cheapest to the most expensive. Pick any of them and you're good to go. 240XTP 25 yard expansion, 240 JSP 25 yard expansion and my favorite cast Bullet with the only HP that tries to hold together from a rifle.

 

[COmtnman1]

If you want good hard cast & don't want to do your own, look at; https://missouribullet.com but they're on big back order. Another one is; https://oregontrailbullets.com/ & look at their True Shot line of bullets.