best straight-walled cartridge for deer?

[Lone Hunter]

Just what powder and how much of it are you using to get 1750fps from your .44 mag pistol? I've never owned a T/C or a pistol with a barrel this long, but your getting about 400fps more with it than I've been able to get from my wheel guns in the last 25 years. Are your velocities published or clocked? You evidently have wider experience with exotic calibers (.358jdj) than I do. If your pistol is sighted at 100 yards where does that put it for the first line of sight crossing or for 25 yards and under that whitetails are usually encountered?

I am getting 1641 fps[cronyed] out of my 10" Contender using 240 XTP and max load of H-110.
  The Contender has a clossed breach so it does not loose gas the way a  wheel gun does.  The result is higher velosity

Jeff

[444encore]

Hubcap, nothing to ashamed about buying factory ammo. My first .444Marlin ammo was factory and shot great. Also it's not loaded with fast burning powders. I've always been one to try my damndest to see just how fast I could push a bullet, with the only consiquence being high pressure signs. But ofcourse, I know what is good for hunting and what is not.

[BRL]

Like several of the earlier posts, I prefer the .44 mag. I like to shoot the .44 out of my Ruger Redhawk, Marlin lever and an Encore. Occationally, I will carry my scoped Marlin and my unscoped Ruger in the woods. On one hunt I was glad I did as a good sized buck trotted out of the woods 15 yards in front of me, I drew the Ruger and put him down. I might not have been able to do that with the scoped Marlin. Sorry to ramble. Anyway, The .44 is a great, versitile cartridge. I can load several different loads and use them in either of my guns at the range or in the field. Factory ammo is readily availible in many loads and is fairly inexpensive.

[S.B.]

Lone Hunter, very impressive velocities. I guess I'm too old fashion, I'm still stuck on revolvers. With 1350 fps, I've never felt under gunned for anything I've hunted with my Smith.

[Jim Stacy]

My vote would be for the 357 Max with a 180 SSP bullet with a max load of AA1680 . Probably any of the rounds mentioned will work very well. Excuse my soap box for a second but the most important part of bullet performance is placement , in my humble opinion. So practice and then practice some more and deer will come to your freezer. If you want to use a cast bullet there are some good .358 bullets with a flat nose and gas check which will run 2200 and still work well. lyman makes a 205 rnfn configuration and gas checked that shot very well out of my 10" maxi. Good luck experimenting is half the fun. You wil also need to consider what type of scope and mount you will use because the real heavy recoiling rounds are tough on scopes and mounts , may consider having someone making your barrel a 6 screw set up. Jim

[Mauser]

As usual I'm late to get in on the conversation.  My vote is for the 44 Mag.  Its mid-range loads are plenty for deer (out to 100 yards or so) and it can be loaded up both in powder and bullet for bigger stuff.  Its recoil, while stout, can be gotten used to especially if you're a reloader.  Its inherently accurate.  Its a common cartridge (for a handgun cartridge).  

Bigger rounds like the 454 make me hurt just watching them get fired.  The 357, IMHO, can not be counted on to reliably kill deer cleanly unless you're really good.  The 41 is just not different enough from the 44, but also not very common, to be a better choice than the 44, IMO.

[bowfishn]

In Ohio where i will be hunting this winter, they have about the same rule on handguns .357 or larger and it must be a straight wall cartridge.
I chose the 454 Casull in the Ruger SRH 9.5" barrel, i will be scoping it with a Burris 2-7X LER silver.
I chose it for it's point of aim range, as well as it's down range energy.
The 454 dosen't kick nearly as bad as many people say as even my 18 year old daughter shot 12 rounds through it and didn't think it was too bad. The loads were a half grain under max for the speer 300 gr gold dot bullet. (It was the first handgun she had shot so she really had nothing to compare it to) I shoot it one handed for grins and giggles as well as rapid double action with two hand hold. It seems to be quite accurate off hand as well.

[themaker]

  dan wesson 357 supermag  case closed[

[The deerslayer]

41 mag or bigger.