I have read various discussions on the amount of gun required to sucessfully take deer. Here's my situation: I hunt in a box blind with a feeder about 25 yds. away. I have a 130 yd. zone around the blind for rifle shots. Now, sometimes a deer will pass within 15' of the blind to get a bite of corn etc. Maybe I would prevent spooking the deer by a quick shot from a handgun at this range as opposed to fumbling around with a scoped rifle etc. (Real hunters know well the situation!) So now I'm considering close-in handgun shots out to about 30 yds. (Not to take the place of the rifle for farther away). I've been studying the forums for info on a suitable handgun. I've narrowed it down to (maybe) a .357 wheelgun with either a 6" or 8" barrel with the possible option of a reddot type scope mounted (another maybe on the scope). I need your help on the gun selection because whatever I decide to purchase, I need to do it pretty quick so I will have time for load development. Methinks the .44 may be too much for this application but will consider the .41 mag. I will appreciate the input from you hunters out there who have experience in this hunting application.
Thanks.

For 15' to 30 yrds I would stick with iron sights. I think scopes are cumbersome. Ruger makes good revolvers as does S&W, Tarus is good for the money. It kind of depends on how they feel to you. 6" barrel should give you enough sight radius to be accurate out to 30 yrds, longer then that may just bump on stuff when you move it around. I would look for a 44 mag myself, but with heavier bullets and the size of the deer down there you should be fine. 41 mag is right close to the 44 but a lot harder to find.

You did not say if you wanted double or single action.

While I certainly don't care for it in the hunting fields, there is no denying a properly-loaded .357 Magnum from a 6 or 8 inch revolver will take care of a whitetail out to the 30 yards you mention. And to that range, open sights will work well, though there's no denying a low-powered scope or red-dot sight can give you an edge should a challenging scenario present itself and also help you wring out the accuracy of your rig.

I personally prefer a .44 Magnum -- even for our smaller south central TX deer. It simply puts them down with more authority and leaves an excellent blood trail should tracking be necessary. My favored loads: a 250 grain Partition or a 320 grain hard-cast, LBT-style bullet from Cast Performance. Both exit the 9.5" Ruger SRH at app. 1400 fps.

quote:

You did not say if you wanted double or single action.

I'm glad you mentioned DA or SA. I does not matter to me because I always get better accuracy shooting a revolver when I manually cock the hammer and "slow fire" so to speak. However, a DA would probably be a better choice because with enough practice I may become semi-good shooting DA. A help to me if I have the chance to take a whitetail with a revolver is the added advantage to be able to steady the gun on a "window" opening on the box blind.
A couple of the reasons I'm considering the .357 is the wide choice of bullets and the ability to load down to .38 special just for recreational shooting practice. I would probably get enough practice with the magnum loads during the load development to be comfortable taking a shot close-in as previously described. (Any miss won't be a first for me).
Looking at some of the mfg.'s websites, I notice Taurus has some models availible with ported barrels. Anyone have any experience or know if this might be a plus?

Get the 41 Mag and don't look back less recoil than the 44 with more than enough punch for Whitetails.

I think the 357 will be an excellent choice for your application. I have shot a small mulie with a JP saur 357 single action. The shot was around 80yds and the deer piled up well within 40yds. 1 shot through the lungs. I used a 110gn JHP(it's what I had at the time). I would recomend a 158 or 180jn JSP or hard cast instead though.
I really like my 4" GP-100. I would also recomend stainless instead of blued. A 357 does not need the porting, it would just make it louder.
The 4" bbl will make it handier for packing. If it's too heavy or cumbersome, then you'll end up leaving it in the truck.
My other choice would be a Ruger Black hawk in 45 colt. I have a 4 5/8" stainless with Houge mono grip on it. Factory level loads will do wonders on a small white tail. Then if you want to load heavy for Hogs you can. Try a 350gn hard cast at 1150fps. It's probably all you would ever need for anything on this contenent.
My son's 4 5/8" 45 black hawk shoots Win silver tips insanely accurate. We can hit clay pidgeons at 100 yds with it fairly regularly. Just sitting leaned up against a post with your elbows on knees and open sights. It's a very good gun.

I have a Taurus 627 in the 4" stainless steel. It holds 7 shots and is very mild to shoot. The women in my life really do well with this gun. They start with 38's but soon are shooting factory 357 mag 158 grains box after box. The gun is pretty light but the porting takes just about all the sting out of it. The noise is no worse then other 357's in my opinion except under a roof. If your hands are really big or with gloves on it may be too small. The trigger on mine is excellent. If I had bought it for hunting I would rather have the 6" barrel for the better sight radius. Even so I still think I could put one in a deers vitals from a rest at 30 yrds. I handgun hunt with larger calibers on deer.

This gun seems durable enough with factory loads but I don't think I would try too many beefed up handloads in it. I think the manual says not to exceed 158 grain bullets. It seems lightly made.

Go with a .357, you have a very good selection of ammo for it. The .41 is somewhat limited in the bullet selection. A well placed shot from either one will kill a deer quickly, a poor shot plaacement, and you'll be tracking a wounded deer. Mike

I use a magnaported (4 ports) ruger super blackhawk 44 mag with a 4 5/8 " barrel i find this barrel lenght the best carry length and i also use the pachmeyer gripper decellerator grips. I use iron sights for carry comfort . If you shoulder carry it a red dot works just fine.

If I were buying a handgun to hunt with I would opt for the Ruger Blackhawk Hunter because they come with integral scope mounts and rings or you can use the target sights that come with it also. This pistol can be purchaced in either 41 magnum or 44 magnum. I would opt for the 7 1/2" barrel for either caliber. If you buy the gun set up this way you'll never have to be frustrated if you dicide to use it for other applications cause all you have to add is the scope of your choice and also you can't make a short barreled revolver into a longer one. I bought a Ruger Blackhawk 41Mag several years ago and had trouble with the iron sights on it because of my bi-focals so I got a set of B-square mounts and put a red dot scope on it. The scope was fine except for the fact that it wouldn't hold its zero because of the aluminum mounts and rings. I couldn't get the standard Blackhawk in a barrel longer than 6 1/2" and now wish I had spent the extra money and bought the Hunter version. Hind sight seems to be 20/20 as usual.

My choice WOULD be the .44. Either in a Ruger Blackhawk or a S&W 29 (yes dirty harry's gun.) If you cannot reason with getting a .44 then I would question which is more important, finding ammo easily or getting more knock down. The .41s reputation is making a comeback and while ammo may be a little more difficult to find than .357, you still have places like cheapthandirt.com

+1 for the .41

two choices, 44 mag if shooting factory loads, 45 colt if shooting hand loads. my ex father in law uses a scoped 357 colt king cobra and has taken a couple of does with it but i feel the 357 is a little light. in my 45 colt i have had good luck with both speer 260g hollow points and 325g hard cast.

If you like the feel of a Ruger Blackhawk it is probably the most inexpensive way to go. I have one in .41 Magnum with the 6.5" barrel that has one of those expcetional out of the box triggers. It has a Weaver base system that didn't require drilling and tapping and has never moved. In the rings is a 4 power Leupold scope. It would be just as easy to mount a red dot sight on the base.

As to caliber, having had .357s, .41s, .44s, .45 Colt and a .454 all I have left in hunting revolvers are .41 Magnums. There are now more than enough factory loads from 170 to 250 grains in both jacketed and hard cast bullets. If you reload there are bullets from 170 to 350 grains in weight that can be loaded. It far outshines the .357 and the recoil for me and many others it seems is not near as stout as a .44 Magnum.

Good used Blackhawks can be had under $300 and that Bisley and Blackhawk .41 Hunter models can be ordered from Davidson's from any dealer that has an account with them.

Bob

Lee, for those East Texas whitetail the .357 will work with the right bullet. I've broken the necks of many in Wharton County, Tx and the only one that I shot behind the shoulder with the .357 went 40 yards before piling up.

That said, while the .357 will do, the heavier bullets available in the .44 will do better as you have the advantage of the heavy caliber bullets and the power behind them. I've experimented plenty with loads and such and I've found that the Speer #4457 240 grain JSP works great with 19 grains of 2400 behind it. That load is fired from an 8 and 3/8" Model 29 and it hasn't failed me on any Texas animal that I've taken.

In the end, if you already own a .357 and are good with it and don't want to pay for a different revolver, then go with the .357. Just be aware of your own limitations, practice and shoot when you know that you can take the deer clean.

TH

quote:

The .41 is somewhat limited in the bullet selection

What do you need besides either a 210-grain lead swc, or a 210-grain jsp? Either one is deadly on whitetails, even out to 100 yards.
And Federal a year or so back offered a 250-grain hard cast load. That is plenty of medicine for just about anything, moose included...

My fellow Americans. I come to you not as your leader, not as your king, but as a barefoot boy from Texas! Who said that?

.357 Mag will work. .41 Magnum will extend your range. There is no whitetail condition where a .44 will do any better than a .41, you just need to handload the .41 Magnum. If you don't, go with the .44 for the same reason. If you want to buy a single revolver for a number of uses and know that your whitetail range will be 50 yards or less, go with a Smith 686 with a barrel of 6". Shorter barrels may balance better, but they won't allow magnum powders to burn completely to maximize velocity, thus energy, so your back to handloading and the .41 Magnum anyway.

One thing I have learned since I became interested in handgun hunting over 25 years ago: If you really develop the capability to shoot an open sighted revolver accurately, it will carry over to every shooting situation. Rifle or handgun, scope or no scope. When I hunt, I usually use both. I live in Brown County and it is not uncommon to rattle a buck in very close, so why not get the satisfaction of using a big bore revolver to get the job done when shots are under 75 yards most of the time. When the rut is over and the distance is extended beyond 100 yards the rifle is the tool, but should you need to execute a coupe de gracie (Texas French), or it is warm enough that a rattler goes walkabout from hybernation, well that's just my philosophy!

My opinion is to not get anything smaller then the .41. I would get the .44 or .45 because you can get or make a better selection of boolits. Just because the deer are close doesn't mean a smaller gun. I can't see you passing up a shot at a big buck with a .300 mag because it is too close!
After killing some deer with the handgun, you will leave the rifle standing in the corner of the blind.

For the average whitetail I've found the 357 magnum (180 gr), 44 magnum (180, 240, & 320 gr), and 45 Colt (300 & 325 gr) all work fine. A couple stray thoughts though:

1) At bowhunting distances some deer are as sensitive to the sound of a hammer being cocked as they are to movement. Theoretically a DA shot from a revolver or turning off the safety on a 10mm selfloading pistol carried in Condition One might be quieter if your deer are poking around just outside your blind. In practice a fella can usually find the time to cock a hammer - or present a rifle for that matter - as your venison enters the area.

2) Where lawful consider using something less than a full power magnum cartridge when shooting from inside a box blind. If you don't wear hearing protection while hunting and don't get the muzzle outside the box you are going to difficult to communicate with for a couple days. Fer instance a double lung hit with a .429 240 SWC @ 875-900 kills does like a bowshot; they stagger for a couple steps and lie down.

3) If you have to shoot one handed or the blind is cramped a short iron sighted barrel is better than long scoped one. Unless you can set your pistol on a shelf withing arms reach about the only holster that is going to comfortable and quick while sitting is a cross draw rig. Such a holster can take some of the inconvenience out a longer barrel. I've given up on trying to wear a scoped pistol and keep it in the gun rug in my daypack until I get to the blind.

Good hunting!

I tried to pass this one up... BUT, I can not. The best damn deer revolver is a Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt. Low pressure standard cowboy loads will kill any deer deader than a doornail with alot less muzzleblast than a damned .357 mag. You can also beef up the 45 Colt with handloads or factory loads that far outpace the 44 mag. So, you've got low powered, low recoil loads, all the way up to knock you socks of boomers capable of taking bison in one convenient package. The .357 is just too obnoxious for what little it does. Go with the 45 Colt and you'll be a happy handgun hunter for anything!! Like someone else said, "Big guns can be loaded down, but little guns are always little guns.

I want a Desert Eagle 44mag and for these reasons. It is big, the handle is like holding a 2x4, and the trigger pull is excessively heavy. But the main reason I want one is Robocop shot one in what appeared to be selective fire (3 round or more bursts) and I think they are cool.

This would be the Deer gun I would recommend.

And if you didn’t figure it out I was being sarcastic, but I still want a Desert Eagle.

quote:

Originally posted by Swede44mag:
I want a Desert Eagle 44mag and for these reasons. It is big, the handle is like holding a 2x4, and the trigger pull is excessively heavy. But the main reason I want one is Robocop shot one in what appeared to be selective fire (3 round or more bursts) and I think they are cool.

This would be the Deer gun I would recommend.

And if you didn’t figure it out I was being sarcastic, but I still want a Desert Eagle.

Actually, he didnt. He used a Beretta 93 with some movie add ons.

quote:

Originally posted by ManCannon:
... You can also beef up the 45 Colt with handloads or factory loads that far outpace the 44 mag...

All of your post is a really nice bait pile, but this part is exceptionally sweet. If it was the political forum it would be no big deal, but LeeOtis may actually repeat this in public or worse, use it in his decision.

In general the best damn anything for you may really suck for alot of others. There is nothing obnoxious about the 357, magic about the 480 or just right about the 41. The hands and budget of the shooter are likely to determine the best gun for that individual. I really like the 454 but I know many who think it sucks. It's definately not required for Texas (or Michigan) deer.

Gentelmen:
Thanks to all who have replied to my post and the information provided. Based on the input, I have narrowed my handgun choice to two calibers; .44 mag and the .45 Colt. I've studied several reloading manuals for the comparisons of bullets for hunting applications. Finally, I compiled the data on certain bullets @ fps with the Sierra Infinity Ballistics software. What I configured is caliber, bullet weight (grains), fps., energy @ 50 yds. (Ft/lbs), energy @ 100 yds., and the bullet path @ 100 yds. (drop in inches) for each load with the zero at 50 yds. The data provided by Sierra is the "Hunting Load" as per the Sierra Manual. Looks like the .44 240 gr. load @ 1400 fps. has the most energy. It appears that the 300 gr. bullet/fps. loads in the .44 and .45 are almost identical.

Caliber - Bullet weight - fps. - Energy @ 50 yds.- Energy @ 100 yds. - Bullet Path

.357 158 1250 449 385 - 6.28
.357 180 1050 397 363 - 8.24

.41 170 1450 578 445 - 5.19
.41 210 1200 572 510 - 6.52

.44 180 1500 662 503 - 4.77
.44 240 1400 842 690 - 5.0
.44 300 1100 728 667 - 7.45

.45 Colt 240 1250 666 567 - 6.43
.45 Colt 300 1100 725 662 - 7.48

Lee, the one single aspect that sold me on the 45 Colt was it's ability to match and exceed the 44mag with about 10,000CUP less pressure. What does that mean? It's about a 25% reduction in muzzleblast when comparing it to a 44mag.

Apparently this is too much to comprehend for some posters on this thread

From what I have read and been told that the older and some of the import 45LC pistols will not stand up under the modern load pressures for a Ruger 45LC.

If I am incorrect someone please say so.

Be careful with your reloads the eyes, hands, and life you save may be your own.

Swede44mag - You are certainly correct. All factory 45 colt "magnum" loads come with gun make and model requirements. For those that handload, the books are slathered with warnings on which gun can use the elevated loads. Buy a Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt, and never look back!!

LO: The .45 LC is a good choice as is the .44 Magnum, but the data shown for .357 and especially the .41 Magnum is, well anemic. 200 FPS velocity gains are easily achievable with the 170 and 210 gr. weights. Try http://www.accuratepowder.com where you can get current and higher pressure data for all of the Magnums listed. Those Sierra loads appear to be 35,000 PSI loads and there has been yet another revision by SAAMI that puts the .41 and .44 Magnum at 40,000 CUP and closer to their original pressures of 43,500 CUP. Accurate also lists 30,000 CUP data for Ruger BH and RH, FA revolvers, Contenders and DA revolvers chambered for the .454 Casull.

Will the Iinfinity program allow you to input data from other sources?

quote:

Originally posted by ManCannon:
Lee, the one single aspect that sold me on the 45 Colt was it's ability to match and exceed the 44mag with about 10,000CUP less pressure. What does that mean? It's about a 25% reduction in muzzleblast when comparing it to a 44mag.

Apparently this is too much to comprehend for some posters on this thread

With roughly 10% more cross sectional area and less bearing surface for equivalent weights the 45 LC does have some advantage on the 44 mag at equal pressures. Nothing most people would call extreme and it is not as much as you state above. Your original claim was

quote:

You can also beef up the 45 Colt with handloads or factory loads that far outpace the 44 mag.

which due to brass pressure limitations is clearly false. The 44 mag can be safely loaded to higher pressures that eclipse the geometric advantage and make the 44 the more powerful gun. Maybe you could back up your boast with data published by a component manufacturer that doesn’t involve special brass?

Will the Iinfinity program allow you to input data from other sources? [/QUOTE]

KLN357:
The data I displayed in the post is what I configured in the Sierra Infinity software program using Sierra bullets. Reason I used Sierra bullets was to simplify the data because in the Sierra reloading manual, each caliber/bullet weight has a "Recommended Hunting Load" in addition to the "Accuracy Load" shown with the fps. Looking at the Sierra manual, the "Recommended Loads" are using Sierra bullets and various powders, primers, etc. There are quite a few more bullet types and weights I could have displayed but I wanted to try to keep it simple.

The Infinity Ballistics program lets the user "load" each bullet type (from various mfgs.), velocity, zero distance, and so on and then displays the different catagories according to what you want displayed. So you could input the distance from the bore to the crosshairs, target zero distance, trajectory at various distances as well as the energy levels at any and all distances that you provide. It helps to have a Chrony for your favorite loads because you can start out with the fps. and go from there. I have the ballistics sheets in my "favorite loads" 3-ring binder and know where to dial my scope turrets depending on the range I shoot.

Short story long: I'm not sure if I answered your question about importing the data. But, Sierra Infinity has a lot of the other mfs. bullets listed as to caliber, weight, and type that can be used for the same calculations of data since we all use bullets from several different mfgs.

I never see any difference in the deer's reactions or how long it takes them to die until I use the .475. The .41, .44 and .45 all seem the same in the field. Forget all of those printed figures.
The .475 knocks them right down like a sledge.
Just pick what you like and go hunting. And use a good bullet or boolit.

That I won't argue with! What bullet you using? What do you think of the 480 Ruger?

I like the Lee 400 gr and I made some molds like the LBT's. The .480 is great. I shot a lot of them through the .475 and like them. I find the BFR is more accurate with the longer case though. I load some down to .480 velocities for fun shooting.

Mr. Stainless - While I don't have the time to bring you up to the 21st century on 45 colt ballistics, I do have a brief moment to provide basic education. The 45 colt "weak brass" myth, is just that. A myth. Read up on the 45 colt. John Taffin's work along with Paco Kelly and John Linebaugh, throw in Jeff Quinn too. Do a search, read up. There's volumes on the subject, of which I've read, AND put into practice. The 45 colt simply outperforms the 44 magnum, and does it safely in the appropriate firearms, at 10,000CUP less pressure. Sounds like a bargain to me
Here's a place to start reading: http://www.gunsandmoreguns.com/html/45coltmyth.html

quote:

The 44 mag can be safely loaded to higher pressures that eclipse the geometric advantage and make the 44 the more powerful gun.

quote:

The 45 colt simply outperforms the 44 magnum

Gentlemen, this sounds a lot like the perennial "Which is better, the 270 Winchester or 280 Remington?" debate. I favor the 45 Colt myself but I've yet to meet the whitetail that will shrug off a 44 magnum yet fall to a 45 Colt. Good hunting!

LO: Your signature line says it all. Your choice of caliber should be just that: Your choice.

I almost bought the Sierra Infinity program several years ago, but that little voice in my head told me that loads would always look better when I inputted Sierra bullets. Unfortuneatly there are two sources of handgun data that I pretty much ignore these days. Hodgdon because it's eratic and overated, and Sierra's because they don't tell the whole story. I have only bought one reloading manual that didn't contain pressure data and that was the SPEER #11 in the mid 80s that predates SAAMI changes to lower pressures that they have juggled a couple of times, since. I like the Quik Load software because it will provide a complete pressure analysis without regard to any brand, along with analysis for about everything else!

Now there is data that is more realistic and closer to original specifications. Accurate powders are not always my favorites, but their ballistician is first rate and data is pretty straight. I use #9 in the .41 magnum and I can safely achieve 1500 FPS of muzzle velocity from a 7.5" barrel using a Sierra 220 gr. Tournament Master. That's right at 1100 Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy, but sources for this kind of data are fairly limited. Things aren't much better for the .45 LC, but Accurate does a great job there as well. Ramshot powders will benefit because Western Powder Co. got the ballistician when they bought Accurate. I have talked to most of them and the only one that I thought was FOS was the head ballistician at Sierra. Very Condescending kind of guy. I guess his engineering degree fitted him nicely into that category of someone educated beyond their own intelligence. Now I have learned that Sierra has discontinued the bullet. Their loss!

The data is there to allow you to make any magnum handgun suitable for game up to East Texas Whitetails. Even in .357 Magnum, Accurate provides data with #9 that will allow you to get above 850 Ft/lbs of energy with a 180 gr. XTP and near 900 with a 158 gr. JHP/JSP. Those that tell you that the .357 Magnum is inadequate, might not be aware of how to adequately load it. Factory ammo won't get it, handloads will.

The only thing you get with the .44 magnum over the .41 Magnum is recoil. As I pointed out on another thread, you can load both to the same level of kinetic muzzle energy and the .41 will recoil less because typically you will be using a bullet that is around 20 grains less in weight. Simple Physics. Sure, at maximum pressure, the performance of the .44 will exceed that of the .41, but you're going to need a heavy enough dose of it to overcome issues like the flatter trajectory of the .41 Magnum. Truth is, most .41 Magnum detractors followed the recommendation of Joe Blow Gunrag Ho, without ever having tried the .41 Mag. Heavy projectiles are available, but nothing over the jacketed 220 gr. weight is necessary to begin with for Deer. Because of liability issues JBGH also won't tell you that any game that is realistic for handgun use can be taken with the .41 as easy as it can be from any in this topic, if you sperate the wheat from the chaff when handloading it. That is not to say that the .44 Magnum is not an excellent round. It is, and there are more bullets readily available. To me the .41 is just more efficient, using less powder to achieve similar power and I have never fired one that wasn't exceedingly accurate. Smith or Ruger.

Bypassing the .41 Mag. actually gets me to thinking about the .45 LC. If someone has to have a bullet over 300 grains to drop an animal that is roughy equal physiologically to the average human male, I say go for it! Max. Loads for the .44 Mag. are @ 40,000 CUP currently and the warmer loads for the .45 LC usually stop around 30,000 CUP. All of the reasons for choosing a .44 over the .41 (that I consider mostly invalid) usually take me right to the .45 LC, because it will equal .44 mag. performance at 10,000 Copper Units of Pressure less and typically in the same handguns like the Ruger SBHunter/Bisley. Heavy bullet users can get even heavier ones for the .45 LC.

We no longer use ballon head cartridge cases, so if you enquire to Starline, I think you'll find that their cases are designed to hold up fairly well to 30,000 CUP loads.

Get the caliber YOU like. My goal is to make sure you have the straight dope.

quote:

Originally posted by ManCannon:
Mr. Stainless - While I don't have the time to bring you up to the 21st century on 45 colt ballistics, I do have a brief moment to provide basic education. The 45 colt "weak brass" myth, is just that. A myth. Read up on the 45 colt. John Taffin's work along with Paco Kelly and John Linebaugh, throw in Jeff Quinn too. Do a search, read up. There's volumes on the subject, of which I've read, AND put into practice. The 45 colt simply outperforms the 44 magnum, and does it safely in the appropriate firearms, at 10,000CUP less pressure. Sounds like a bargain to me
Here's a place to start reading: http://www.gunsandmoreguns.com/html/45coltmyth.html

I see nothing wrong with the logic in the link you provided. The larger bullet diameter should give a 45 the advantage if it can be loaded to similar pressures. However, my Nosler and Hornady loading manuals (21st century editions) both have special sections for the 45 colt when chambered in Rugers or Contenders. The loads are in the same ballpark but by no means exceed those for the 44. Perhaps they (and I) are just slow to acknowledge the true potential. Thank you for the information.

While all the suggestions are all good, for your particular circumstance, at 15' from a stand, a good 357/180 gr load will do. My preference is the 45 Colt and it can be loaded a bit warmer than the manuals depending on your particular gun. Mine are S&W Mtn Gun and Ruger Bisley/5.5" barrel.

I would use my 15" 357 Max Contender with open sights at that range.......

Gentelmen:

After careful consideration as to the caliber of a suitable revolver in which to use for close-in whitetail hunting, I have decided to go with the Ruger New Model Blackhawk with the 5 1/2" barrel in .45 Colt.

Thanks to all who replied to my inquiry. Perhaps in the future I will be able to contribute to this forum the real life experience of having taken a deer with the .45 Colt.

Lee, I can't wait! Good selection for the gun. Keep us posted.