Got my first deer with a handgun!

[Bigeclipse]

I got my first deer with a hand gun. This was with my 5in 44 mag S&W629. I was a little shocked at the lack of a complete pass through since the deer was broadside at 20 yards but it could be because I was using a lighter bullet, factory loaded 200gr Hornady XTPs. The bullet grazed a rib on entrance, hit the heart and stopped just under the skin on the other side after hitting a rib again. I figured at 20 yards I should get a complete passthrough. Maybe I will go to the 240gr XTP. Either way the deer did not go far, so the bullet did it's job!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

A 250gr hardcast bullet should remedy the problem.

 

[HARPERC]

I won't say it will, won't say it won't pass through, but the XTP's really expand. If pass through is what you want, there are those more likely to,
Congrats on the deer!

 

[ATH]

A dead deer is a dead deer. Good job.

Yes, the 200s are too light. I would not use them in a 44Mag. The 240s will do well for you in a pistol and likely pass through unless you double shoulder shoot it. Since they open well they do good damage and put them down.

I've shot a metric ton (quite literally) of deer with them, out a muzzloaders and a Ruger carbine. With the carbine, getting higher velocities than a pistol, the most common result is that the jacket catches in the far side skin and the lead exits. I have a dozen recovered jackets like that. At lower velocity out of a pistol the bullet probably exits in one piece.