So it looks like Ohio will allow pistol caliber rifles this coming deer season.  I'm thinking I'll get an H&R single-shot in either 44 magnum or 45-70 (included on the proposed list, yes I know its technically a rifle round).  Since I'm thinking of going single-shot break action, I really don't have to worry about slam fires in a tube magazine.  I was wondering if there is any data on pointy bullet loads for either of these, aside from the Hornady LEVERevolution rounds.  

I understand 44 mag is considered a decent 100 yd, maybe 125 yard cartridge before it starts to drop significantly, but what type of range could be expected from a more aerodynamic bullet and this cartridge?

Thanks!

Based on the typical 240 grain hunting bullets you can certainly go farther than 125 yards.

The Silhouette pistol game was out to 200 no problem. Plates had to be knocked off their stands, which meant you had to carry energy out there to topple those big plates.

The little 8" bbl I was using was enough to do the trick, so I am sure your rifle length bbl will only hit harder. Some of the sabot rounds for the black powder folks have an interesting shape, but I don't know if the data is published off the top of my head.

Those are lethal way past 200 yards. Some of the JDJ designs are very effective for pistol hunting so they might make an interesting project gun in a break bbl.

Maybe something like a Hornady FTX?
ETA: you may need to get a special seater die for a bullet like this, as most normal 44 seated dies are geared for flat or round nose bullets. I don't think my seater plug in my RCBS dies would work with this type of profile.

good point on the seater die, that may nix the deal as that may not be worth the price to push the limits of the soon to be rule change

You might consider looking @ other bullet weights/styles/designs. Most 44mag users/shooters have no probles using a fn or swc profile with anywhere from the light 240gr bullet to the popular 270gr bullets to the massive 310gr bullet.

Seeing how you're planning on using a handy rifle, you'll have more than enough velocity with whatever you use.

I've used/shot a 200gr 44 sp bullet for decades, the lyman 429303.



They also sold a 357 version of this mold, the lyman 358093. They weren't for sale very long. Don't know if it's true or not but they say the gov stepped in & told lyman to pull those molds. These bullets will easily do 1800fps+ out of a 4" bll with full house loads of 2400/bluedot. People were casting these bullets out of pure linotype & using them to penetrate the light body armor (late 70's/early 80's) of the day. Gee, who woulda thunk?

Well anyway, I've shot 1000's of these things along with allot of other 44 bullet bullet profiles (jacketed, cast, swaged) in anything from snubnosed revolvers to lever actions to the ruger automags. There's allot better choices out there for hunting deer with a 44mag & the kind of hp that handi-rifle can generate with any heavy bullet.

If your hearts set on using the pointed bullets then simply take an extra swc nose seating stem & drill it out with a 3/8" center drill. The center drill has a 60* angle on it & will make a perfect hole/fit for any sp bullet.

Good luck

forrest r

If it was me I would get a H&R in 500 S&W Magnum.