44 mag handi rifle effective range

[newguyjosh]

I recently purchased a 44 mag handi rifle and am pleased with it on the range. I got it sighted in at 25 yards initially with plans to adjust it to have it set for POA at 75 or 100 yards. What I found instead was off of the bipod I was able to go out to 150 yards and still be POA without adjusting the scope anymore. I haven't had the chance to try anything further yet but at 150 yards I put a 3 shot group within ~4 inches.

So the real question is not will it hit paper at that distance but will it kill a deer at that distance? What would you say the effective range of the rifle is?

 

[ryanbr]

I shot deer last year with my .44 Handi rifle from 25 yards to 100 yds. Didnt have to track anything. Everey one is different though. Using Hornady 225 grain FTX rounds.

 

[snorko]

I would not use a .44 mag beyond 100 yards. As you have found, it is plenty accurate enough but the foot/pounds drops off pretty quick. IIRC, a zero at 100 yards is +2" at 50 yards for a "typical" .44 mag

 

[ryanbr]

I would not use a .44 mag beyond 100 yards. As you have found, it is plenty accurate enough but the foot/pounds drops off pretty quick. IIRC, a zero at 100 yards is +2" at 50 yards for a "typical" .44 mag

I agree. I shot a deer at 100 yds but would not shoot any farther.

 

[jontheturboguy]

Same thing here. Bagged a nice 9 pointer last year @ 100 yds. Wouldn't go much further than that...

 

[jy951]

At 200 yds, the 44 mag shot out of a rifle will have quite a bit more energy than a .357 mag at the muzzle shot out of a pistol.

I think 150 is very reasonable if you have good accuracy.

 

[mwilson]

44 mag

shot 2 deer with 44mag 6" revolver. 60 yards and 80 yards. 240 grain xtp bullet. passed thru both sides.44 mag 240 grain xtp bullet in a muzzle loader about 1900 fps. 100 yards passed thru both sides. would not hesitate to shoot a deer at 150 yards if you can shoot well enough with it.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I haven't NEEDED to shoot further than 50 yards in at least 10 years or more. Instead of worrying how far you can shoot, start figuring how close you can get and you'll be on your way to becoming a hunter instead of just a shooter.

 

[teddy12b]

Last year I was checking in my deer that I took with my puma 44mag at 60 yards. The guy next to me in the parking lot had a huge 8pt buck in the back of his truck that he took with a marlin 44mag. He said he took it at 210 or 220 yards I don't remember exactly which one it was, but I questioned him on the distance and he said he knew exactly how far away it was. He was an older gentleman and the kind that I could tell wouldn't care enough to make up a BS story just to impress someone. He hunted a family farm that he'd been on his whole life. He said the buck dropped right there and looking at the buck the shot was picture perfect behind the shoulder. The old man could hunt & shoot. We discussed ammo and we were both using Hornady 240gr XTP-HP's. His were factory, mine were handloads. I don't think I could make the shot he did, but if you can reliably hit the target out to 150 yards, then I say go for it. A 44mag in a rifle is starting to get a lot of respect in these parts.

 

[bhp9mm]

i killed one at 75 yards with mine last year

 

[IndianasFinest]

I just bought one of these for my Wife for deer season this year. I was out yesterday sighting it in, and I have to say I am pretty impressed. 3 shots at 25 yards, and I was in the bullseye. Stepped back to 50 yards expecting to be shooting low, but it was still hitting where I was aiming. I moved the target, and stepped back to 100 yards, still shooting nice, and flat hitting on target. I dug one of the rounds I shot from 100 yards out of the packed dirt back stop. It made about a 5" deep hole before it stopped. Pretty respectable I think for a short range deer rifle. Sorry bout the crappy cell phone picture, but I'm at work, and thats all I have.

 

[cosermann]

In my opinion, the range of the .44 mag for deer is limited by trajectory more than anything else. The max point blank range of typical 240 gr 44 bullet at 1,180 fps is about 114 yards. Out past 125 yards it starts to drop fast enough that reliable hits require more than average skill from the shooter (again, with typical 44 bullets).

A new bullet design like the Leverevolution change this a little. With the Leverevolution bullet, the 44 mag can be a 125 hard gun pretty handily and it wouldn't be too difficult to push it to 150 (with only a 5.5" drop at that point (if zeroed at 100yds), and still 1,255 fps of velocity and 787 ft. lbs. of energy).

 

[IndianasFinest]

I guess I should have mentioned the ammo I used was infact Hornady Lever Revolution.

 

[target64]

I haven't NEEDED to shoot further than 50 yards in at least 10 years or more. Instead of worrying how far you can shoot, start figuring how close you can get and you'll be on your way to becoming a hunter instead of just a shooter.

What he said.
As a bow hunter.....my longest shot was 22 yards. I have taken deer each and every year that I hunted. IMHO...a 100 yard shot is not hunting, it is target practice. But that has always been a discussion point between the users of bows and long guns.

 

[jy951]

In my opinion, the range of the .44 mag for deer is limited by trajectory more than anything else. The max point blank range of typical 240 gr 44 bullet at 1,180 fps is about 114 yards. Out past 125 yards it starts to drop fast enough that reliable hits require more than average skill from the shooter (again, with typical 44 bullets).

A new bullet design like the Leverevolution change this a little. With the Leverevolution bullet, the 44 mag can be a 125 hard gun pretty handily and it wouldn't be too difficult to push it to 150 (with only a 5.5" drop at that point (if zeroed at 100yds), and still 1,255 fps of velocity and 787 ft. lbs. of energy).

Those look like handgun velocities. Out of a rifle, the 44 mag will be around 1800 fps with a 240 gr bullet.

 

[cosermann]

Those look like handgun velocities. Out of a rifle, the 44 mag will be around 1800 fps with a 240 gr bullet.

You know what, you're right! I goofed and put in handgun-ish velocity in the first sentence. Sorry about that. It doesn't change the picture much, however, due to the poor BC of old-style 44 mag bullets.

Interesting thread here:
357 or 44 for lever carbine-ballistic curves? - Shooters Forum


The Hornady Leverevolution velocity is a rifle velocity however.

Hornady