Has anyone hunted deer with their 45acp ? I was thinking of trying to take a doe with my Kimber. Keeping the shot to 20 yards or under it should work fine. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

It can do it. But, I don't use mine for that. When I take it hunting it's usually for personal defense and the rifle is the primary weapon. I also have others that were intended for hunting that get the call first when the handgun is the primary.

Whether it's a good idea in your case I think would depend on some things. For instance, is it the only handgun you have available for the job? Will a high-power rifle be the back-up? And, can you hit a 6" moving target three times straight with it at 20 from standing off-hand? Where are you going to place the bullet? You understand the odds of an instant clean knock down will be less than a magnum hunting handgun? Are you prepared to follow a blood trail? There're probably other questions or considerations...

I've killed Deer with a 45 ACP. Place a good bullet throuh the lungs and it creates massive damage. Choose shot angles carefuly and the old war horse will work well

chances are that it will be a pet deer that are tolerant of people and need to be thinned down near a golf course. getting a good angle won't be a problem and it is quite easy to get a very close shot. I have other guns I could use but I have the itch to take one of these deer with my 45. I don't feel that the 45acp is a hunting round but in this situation I will have plenty of time and the deer will be very close and I will defiantly refuse the shot if I have any doubt.
Will a 230grn 45acp pass through a fair size doe? Any suggestions on witch type of bullet would be best or will a standard 230 round nose work?

i've taken 2 deer with the 45 acp i don't call it a hunting round by no means but your situation as long as you do your job on shot placement you will be fine

A couple of decades ago we had a flock of sheep and a feral dog problem and I solved it with a 45 ACP over the course of a summer. I ended up with a 200gr SWC over Accurate #5 coming out at 950 fps. (I think the book said it was supposed to be 1000 fps but it never did in my gun.)

If you handload, that is what I'd suggest. Also, if I was at close range with 230 hardball I'd go for a neck shot over the lungs. I'm certain the heart/lung shot would be fatal with hardball but there may be a bit of running involved first.

Nothing works better than the front bumper of an F150!

I think the 45 ACP will have enough oomph if you watch your range and shot placement.

John

quote:

Originally posted by wetdog2084:
chances are that it will be a pet deer that are tolerant of people and need to be thinned down near a golf course. getting a good angle won't be a problem and it is quite easy to get a very close shot. I have other guns I could use but I have the itch to take one of these deer with my 45. I don't feel that the 45acp is a hunting round but in this situation I will have plenty of time and the deer will be very close and I will defiantly refuse the shot if I have any doubt.
Will a 230grn 45acp pass through a fair size doe? Any suggestions on witch type of bullet would be best or will a standard 230 round nose work?

A 230 grain round nose will exit on broadside shots. If less penetration is the dsired outcome use 230 grain Gold Dots

Just a word about the ammo..hunting regs of many/most states prohibit the round nose, if by that you mean what we also call full metal jacket, full metal case or military 45 acp. The reason is obvious. Also, it sounds a little like your shooting is more problem animal control than typical hunting and like it may be even in a somewhat built up area. The point being that the FMC ammo will zip right on thru and maybe travel in unwanted directions.

Of course, you may mean round nose lead. Anyway, jacketed hollow points come to mind for this, although I know in factory acp they don't always expand as advertised.

If you can really get within a few feet and aren't presented with a moving target, a head shot sounds reasonable.

Btw, if you're near Flathead Lake, I was there once and it's beautiful country..I found it impossible to take bad pictures there or anywhere in Montana...

I was referring to military ball. the deer that I will be targeting live around houses and a golf course they are quite tame and I try to take a few every year. The deer eat the home owners gardens and shrubs and cause quite a bit of damage. Pass through is a concern I have been using a 223 with hollow points for head shots (no pass through) but I can position the shot with a safe backstop. As far as I know there is not a law on fmj bullets but I will check to make sure. I have some Hornady factory hollow points that should work well. General season ended today so I have plenty of time to prepare for this challenging hunt . I just happen to spend a good amount of time on Flathead lake it is just 7 miles away.
Thanks for the reply.

Seyfried or some other writer mentioned using a 250-grain flat point hard cast in a properly throated 1911 with a beefed-up recoil spring. Think I read this 20 years ago. Seems he used the load an African wart hogs or some such. Ought to be a good load for deer within 50 yards or so.

I shot my first black bear (spot and stalk) with my .45 acp and a 220 gr cast swc bullet.

Your "tame" deer shouldn't be a problem with your .45 acp.

I've never seen a regulation prohibiting round nose bullets, but I've never hunted in the East. Montana doesn't have any caliber restrictions, and only restricts muzzle loader bullets in the "special weapons restrictions" areas.