9mm +P+ againts dogs - Not a good idea

No offence but 9mm not being enough for dogs is a bunch of bunk. You missed the vitals, plain and simple. Just like with any critter you have to hit the what counts. I've seen 12 ga. gut shot deer run for miles.

As I said, The main mistake was the accuracy of either you, the gun or both. There's a big reason very few hunters use a handgun. Almost none use a semi (except .22LR's). You have to be dang good and so does the gun. Next time, use a shotgun with 4 buck.

It's also a myth that critters die on the spot. A heart or lung shot deer can and will run many times (not all). It may run 10 yards, it may run 200. This includes deer shot with shotguns and rifles such as 7mm Mag.

LK
 
I killed a stray dog chasing my horses in a pasture a number of years ago with a 30-30.Easier to hit the head with a rifle than 45-50 yards with a pistol.
 
The problem was the FMJ's. Honestly, in your situation I wouldn't have used the hollowpoints either. Really one of the best can be a .22 lr from a rifle to the head. Shotgun will get em but increase the mess. You did fine for not knowing ahead of time. Next time you can always ask us first.

Evan
 
+p or +p+ makes little difference with FMJ's. They just shoot through the animal, and the rounded point doesn't make much of a permanant wound channel. I've shot rabbits with 9mm FMJ's and had them run quite a ways, and some took a few shots before they quit.

Hollow points are another story. I understand not using them when they're so expensive, but don't expect too much killing ability from FMJ's unless it's a CNS hit.

Hollow points are pretty easy to get here, and aren't that expensive, so that's what I'd use. Given the restrictions on availability and price, I'd use a rifle or shotgun.

Daryl
 
Birdshot?

Try birdshot out of a 12 gauge. After all, if it can drop a mountain lion almost instantly, a dog wouldn't stand a chance.
 
Neck and shoulder are generally ineffective shots. Chest shots are only immediately effective if you hit something that causes very rapid blood loss. Ammo is a factor too, especially penetration. Critical organs are not all that superficial for good reason. Shot placement is still key. Look up an anatomy drawing of a dog, find the heart or liver, aim for that next time, and see what happens. With a good shot here, they might stagger around for a bit, but shock will set in soon enough that their ability to put up much of a fight should become pretty ineffective. Honestly, an animal's physiology (including humans) is capable of more rebound than most people realize. We're used to seeing people get shot on tv and fall over dead immediately. There's a reason that someone can be pulled from a mangled car accident and make it to the ER alive - animals are pretty resilient. That's just the difference between reality and tv.
 
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The problem was the FMJ's. Honestly, in your situation I wouldn't have used the hollowpoints either. Really one of the best can be a .22 lr from a rifle to the head.
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+1. On that topic, .22Mag would be even better. .17HMR would be better still if the ranges are under ~125m; it shoots flat as a laser beam at that range, but the little bitty bullets lose lots of energy at long range, so I don't know if I'd want to use one on a large stray dog farther than that.

The main problem with .17HMR is that I'd want a rifle capable of lightning-quick follow-up shots, but the round is no longer recommended for use in semi-automatics (see recent TFL thread), and I'm not sure if lever-actions like the Henry Varmint Express are readily available outside of North America. OTOH I'm not sure if .22Mag and/or .17HMR ammo is available either, so this may all be moot. :(
 
44 Mag or Rifle

If you're placing ok at 50 yards, running, you're a fine shot. As mentioned many times, the bullet is the key. I'd use a High Velocity 22LR with HP on the dogs. I'd pack my 44 Mag on the Big 4 Hunt.
 
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