45acp on deer

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Fireman179

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Has anybody taken a deer with a 45acp? I have been thinking of taking my 1911 instead od my model 29. Thoughts and opinions?
 
I love the good old .45 ACP round. As a defensive/offensive handgun cartridge, I believe that it is the ideal balance of speed, recoil control and power.

That being said, it is woefully underpowered on a deer. For handgun hunting, I'd stick--at a minimum--with a .357, loaded with at least a 158 grain bullet. The .41 and .44 Magnums are ideal with good sights.

One of the finest handguns to hunt with, IMHO, is the .460 Smith and Wesson. Hey--consider that the .454 Casull is a SUBCALIBER round for this revolver!
 
My novice opinion is that a 44Mag is minimum and the 45 ACP is a ballpark 1/2of that. Well certainly there must be people that have taken deer with it. I'm sure there are those that have taken deer with a 22 Magnum. A 45 ACP would not be among my choices for deer hunting. We have some good size bucks in my area. Would I carry a 45ACP for personal protection? Yes. Would I carry it for deer hunting? No. But that's just me. I know a case where a guy was sitting in a blind and a deer came walking up close, and he did take it with a 45ACP. Maybe if up really close, but who can assure that? I'd want a 44 Mag minimum out to 50 yards and even a bit more.
 
I would carry the 1911 as a side arm. To actually hunt with it, no..

And what happens when you shoot a deer with a .45ACP?
Same as anything... It makes a bloody big hole... :D
 
I hunt from a stand, I would not consider taking a long shot with the 1911. Took a deer last year with the 44mag, it was around 30yards. 44mag drops em like a sack of potatoes. I just thought it would be fun to use a 1911.
 
Well, seeing as you can get a good shot placement from that distance, I'd say go for it...

But that's just me...;)
 
Where do you live that is legal to use automatic pistol Cartridges for deer?


If it was, there's not a chance I'd even think about it. Unless of course we're talking a complete grid failure / survival situation, your starving and its all you have to use.
 
Perfectly legal in Missouri, I have carried my 1911 to the stand before, never even pointed it at a deer, granted I wasn't very serious about shooting one those times, it would have to be within easy bow range, say 25 yards for me to even consider it
 
Ah.. Gottcha...you can CC a pistol while hunting if your licensed here in Indiana, but only caliber of/larger than .243 with a minimum case length of 1.16 can be hunted with. Just goes to show how much the Hoosier state loves is't over regulation :rolleyes:

Not saying it cant be done, I just wouldn't try it personally. But if someone was going to, I'd go with +P and a carefully selected bullet.
 
Ammo is important! Flat point solid bullets only, no HP's or ball ammo.

Put it in the boiler room inside of 50 yards and you'll be eating backstraps. Venison always tastes better when shot with a pistol.

BTW, taking a deer with a .45 ACP is very close to the holy grail of handgunning for deer, doing it with a .44 Special. :D
 
I have taken 3 deer with 45acp - must be very confident wit it and limit shot to 25-30 yards. I use sig C3- 4.25" barrel and shoot +p federal HST. Never been a deer that didn't die humanely.
 
FWIW: The way I see it. You would have to be very close. Within a 40 yards or less. And a very good pistol shot to boot. Bullet placement is without a doubt the utmost factor in this situation.
IMO: Attempting a 45 acp shot is slim to marginal at best on an adult size deer with a 4-5" barrel. Especially where I reside because the deer here often times weigh more than their hunter does.
 
@shur shot - you are right in what you say, but the 45acp will easily take a white-tailed deer. They are really thin scanned and if shot placement is in heart/lung cavity, billet twill fully penetrate. Contrary to a previous posters comment, good hollow points have performed well (federal HST hollow point - 230 grain +p)
 
Thought about it , myself !

Buffalo Bore has a .45 acp +P 255gr hard cast flat nose load that I thought of trying out for deer hunting........have few boxes on hand but haven't used yet ! I'm thinking I'd rather go with a 10mm if I went with a semi auto pistol ! Good luck , if you try it ! :)
 
kayakersteve:
Up in this neck of the woods. Deer up in the Northern parts of this State do have pretty heavy coats this time of year. Keep in mind they have to survive in well below -Zero climates near 4 months. Having to browse in those below zero temps for a few weeks in a row every winter. Does require our deer herd to gain as much weight as they possibly can during our short summer months. What natural media inhibits a bullets penetration? Usually just a chunky thick layer of tallow and the animals hide is all that's needed. Rib bones are the animals secondary line of defense.
That doe I posted a week or so ago was about 3 years old. Can you imagine what a 5 or 6 year old doe weights up here or how big in size she would be. I seen some old does & bucks too. Where I couldn't see over their backs they were that tall to me. {Kind'a like full grown Shetland pony's on stilts and steroids.} As far as a 45-ACP harvesting an adult deer humanely up this way. Nope!! not in Paul Bunyan Territory. Probably over there on the East coast it would be more feasible._:)
 
Not a fan of the concept

But, if you know your handgun and its limitations you are certainly welcome to try. Biggest issue will probably be getting optimal penetration.
 
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