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So I got super lucky and managed to set myself up for a hog hunt at Langley Ranch on Wednesday....

This will be my first time ever hunting and I am beyond excited! I will be using my Ruger Deerstalker which is a semi-auto carbine in 44mag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_Model_44

Soooo...what to load it with?

Choices are...because I have some already

Hornady 240gr XTP
Winchester Semi jacket flat point
hand loaded 240gr XTP (21.9gr 2400 @ 1726fps)

I haven't shot the Hornady factory rounds before but the Winchester and hand loads have been run. I wasn't terribly impressed with the Winchester groups and they didn't seem hot enough for the Rugers action. My hand loads group pretty well at 50yds and that recipe is based purely on accuracy. They just also happen to be right up to the limit and moving absurdly fast for 44mag but that is what I've read the Deerstalker likes and the range tests backed that up.

I would appreciate it if anyone with more experience in the dispatching of hogs could point me in the right direction or confirm I'm barking up the right tree.

I'm inclined to use my hand loads since I'm already sighted in for those but is that load too much? Is there such a thing in this case?

I've never been hog hunting before, but have been tempted a few times at the possibility. I even have a couple things in .44mag that I would consider taking. A Henry rifle that I'm pretty good with and a Ruger revolver for those close up back up shots if needed. I would carry it in a holster, but would have to get one first. I've been told that either of those would be sufficient. I bought some hot .44mag factory loads one time for something and they turned out to be just a smidge too long to cycle through the Henry. I still haven't fired them, even through the revolver. I do wonder, though, is a specially loaded .44mag needed for hogs? Wouldn't just about any .44mag be sufficient?

I would recommend carrying what you shoot best from your "choices" to make sure you can hit the boiler. I lot my hog hunting heaven spot a year or so before I got hooked on the .44 mag, so I can't give you any personal "experienced advise" on what would be the best. I do have a buddy that hunts West Texas 2-3 times per year that swears by the 240 gr XTP for hogs inside 75 yards. Another buddy (my late reloading mentor) swore by the heavier RNFP cast bullets for hogs. In hopes that I will someday get back into close range hog hunting, I started loading both 240 gr XTP's and LeadHead 265 gr RNFP cast gas checked with both A2400 and AA#9. The XTP 240's with 19.5 gr of AA#9 seemed to be the "accuracy load" in my 20" Rossi, whereas the 265 gr Lead Head with 17.9 gr AA#9 was the accuracy performer with that bullet. I really believe that the cast bullet, or semi-jacketed FP would have more bone crushing ability than the XTP, but either will do the job.

just my rambling


jd

mr surveyor wrote:I would recommend carrying what you shoot best from your "choices" to make sure you can hit the boiler. I lot my hog hunting heaven spot a year or so before I got hooked on the .44 mag, so I can't give you any personal "experienced advise" on what would be the best. I do have a buddy that hunts West Texas 2-3 times per year that swears by the 240 gr XTP for hogs inside 75 yards. Another buddy (my late reloading mentor) swore by the heavier RNFP cast bullets for hogs. In hopes that I will someday get back into close range hog hunting, I started loading both 240 gr XTP's and LeadHead 265 gr RNFP cast gas checked with both A2400 and AA#9. The XTP 240's with 19.5 gr of AA#9 seemed to be the "accuracy load" in my 20" Rossi, whereas the 265 gr Lead Head with 17.9 gr AA#9 was the accuracy performer with that bullet. I really believe that the cast bullet, or semi-jacketed FP would have more bone crushing ability than the XTP, but either will do the job.

just my rambling


jd

Since the Deerstalker is a gas operated semi auto I can only download so much. The factory Winchesters just sort of dribble out of the ejection port as did anything I loaded below 21grs of A2400. I'm thinking that while the semi-jacket flat points will be more bone crushing I can't help but think the 240 XTP moving at 1700fps would also be fairly devastating. I will check the factory Hornady loads on the chrono tomorrow and see what they do.

Either way it seems that any 44mag round I stick in there will get the job done according to you and C-dub

I'm heading back to the range tomorrow and I will put a few of each through and see what the accuracy is like.

Well my buddy drops them with a blackhawk with cheap magtech 240 soft points. 200 pound porkers are not a problem with my 40 s&w with cheap 180fmj and my 10mm drops them easily as well.

Can't tell if they where shot with my 10mm or his 44.
Now if you are hunting those huge 300pound plus hogs you might want to step it up to a heavier and harder bullet but for 90% of them the 240 sp cheapo Winchester or magtech etc is the way to go.

olafpfj wrote: Since the Deerstalker is a gas operated semi auto I can only download so much. The factory Winchesters just sort of dribble out of the ejection port as did anything I loaded below 21grs of A2400. I'm thinking that while the semi-jacket flat points will be more bone crushing I can't help but think the 240 XTP moving at 1700fps would also be fairly devastating. I will check the factory Hornady loads on the chrono tomorrow and see what they do.

Either way it seems that any 44mag round I stick in there will get the job done according to you and C-dub

I'm heading back to the range tomorrow and I will put a few of each through and see what the accuracy is like.

Don't take my word for it. I was asking. I've been told it should be okay, but I don't know it for myself.

CC Italian wrote:Well my buddy drops them with a blackhawk with cheap magtech 240 soft points. 200 pound porkers are not a problem with my 40 s&w with cheap 180fmj and my 10mm drops them easily as well.

Can't tell if they where shot with my 10mm or his 44.
Now if you are hunting those huge 300pound plus hogs you might want to step it up to a heavier and harder bullet but for 90% of them the 240 sp cheapo Winchester or magtech etc is the way to go.

just curious .... how does the 40 do on a shoulder shot?


jd

Never shot a hog myself. A guy I used to work with hunted them with a Winchester 44 Mag lever gun. He liked the Hornady lever-revolution ammo. He said it penetrated real well. Not sure how that would work in the Ruger. My experience with the 45/70 lever revolution ammo agrees with him.

Inside of 150ish, I don't have any issue with a 240 xtp over H110 in my 1894 :) Any further than that and I want my 6.8 instead. Though I've pushed it a time or two out to 175ish and been fine on smaller/average hogs. 150 is just an arbitrary number for me. According to my chrony data & software, that's where the velocity of XTP out of the 1894 /should/ match the MV of my hand loads out of my S&W 629. Empirical data says I can hit with it at that range and the hog goes down which is good enough.

Back from the range....

Handload 240gr XTP over 21.9 2400 = 1751fps and ~3"@50
Hornady 240XTP = 1762fps and ~2"@50
Winchester 240JSP = 1759fps and ~2"@50

Now the Ruger Deerstalker is only a 3-4 moa rifle from the get go so I'm seeing consistent results with the internet lore of the rifle. Looks like my handloads are right in line with factory rounds. The factory rounds shot slightly better groups.

Something is up with my handloads in that they were considerably less consistent (SD=19 vs SD=9Hdy and SD=6 Win) than the factory rounds. POA was identical so I don't need to completely resight the scope if I switch them up.

I think I'm going to use the Winchester JSP's for my trip on Wednesday. I have no doubt they will get the job done.

I'm totally overthinking and obsessing on this whole project as it's my first time ever hunting and I don't want to embarrass myself

Thanks for all the input

I'll be carrying my M&P 45c with +P Rangers as a sidearm as well. Couldn't possibly hit a hog with it except if it were inside 5 yards and my rifle was jammed but hey...be prepared

AndyC wrote:I think many of us are excited for you - and envious - and wish you well on your hunt; just take some pics!

I'm super anxious...got my license and dope on my rifle. Not much else to do but get up, buy ice and head south

I'm planning on taking the meat to cinammon creek processing http://www.ccrwildgameprocessing.com/

I'm thinking sausage, taco meat and maybe a ham. I've been googling as many wild hog recipes as I can find and my back fence neighbor has a smoker that I'm going to approach with a trade (meat for smoker time).

Your load will work fine.

I have taken one deer and three hogs (150-250 pounds) with a similar load (240 XTP, 23.0 H110, Winchester Brass, Winchester Large Pistol Primer), all of them were DRT with the longest shot being about 75 yards, and all of them exited. If a 7.5 inch Ruger Redhawk shooting a 240 XTP at 1450 fps works like that, a 240 XTP at 1750 from your .44 Ruger Carbine should be Da Bomb.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Only shot 2 with the glock 27 with 180umc remington. One was a head shot and the the other was a double tap while the hog was on the run. Both shots struck the hog quartering away. Both rounds clearly exited and were never recovered. Hog dropped after 5 feet. I can tell you that the 10mm will go through any pig head to hind with just cheapo 200 grain blazer aluminum tmjs from a 6inch barrel.

I really never hunt hogs, usually when i did deer hunt on my friends land they would be everywhere and he would just won't them dropped. They are a nuisance on his land. Needles to say he has more pork then venison in his freezer.
Must have taken over a dozen pigs within a single hunt. Often came back with no deer but never did we not drop a hog.Taken far more pigs then deer in my day just as pest control.

Thanks for the info, CCI. No doubt that the 10 in a long barrel can take most any critter in the lower 48. If my short, chunky ....I mean digitally challenged fingers could handle the grip on a 10, I would certainly be interested.

Looking forward to an after the hunt report from olafpfj and his .44 mag results.



jd