my neighbor down the street said now that hunting deer with handguns is legal in iowa he was going to try and get one with his .45 auto...... i don't really know too much about it but it sounds like too crude a gun to shoot a deer with....... what'd ya think??



LIFE IS SHORT...............

It's been done but there are more suitable cartridges such as hot 45 colt or 44 mag.I like the round to go completely through the deer even with expansion which the 45 may not do. In any case accurate bullet placement is the key.

It well work but as with any weapon one just as to stay with in its limits.

I'm just curious, but did he check to make sure that a .45acp is legal? I knew a guy a few years a go who wanted to do the same thing and never thought to check if the caliber was legal to hunt deer with. Up until a few years ago Washington required a handgun to produce 500ft/lb at 100yds for deer, and 750 for elk. But that was thrown out and now anyting 24 caliber and up with a 4" barrel is legal for all big game.

This is kind of off topic, but because of the new handgun hunting regs here in WA, there are areas where a .25 auto is legal to hunt elk and a Contender in any caliber is not. Just because it's legal or posible doesn't make it a good choice.

I had intended to some day try the 45 ACP on whitetail but waited too long and the rules changed. Last fall, intent on taking a deer with a cartridge of like power from a pistol with a similar sight radius, I used a .429 240 grain SWC @ 875 fps from a four inch Mtn Gun to harvest a doe. A quartering shot entered just in front of the last ribs on the right and exited just behind the left shoulder. The doe staggered away for a few seconds and collapsed. So at the ranges where your buddy can put all his shots on a dessert plate I expect the 45 ACP 230 grain will suffice. As other have noted however your pal had better make certain the 45 ACP is on the list of approved cartridges. Good hunting!

i'm wondering if he's checked the rules on caliber and power for that little excursion......

A 45 acp will work fine. I would recommend the 230 starfire for ammo.
If he handloads, he could turn things up abit and put in a heavier recoil spring and recoil buffers. I believe that Brownells sells a whole kit with full length guide rod, recoil buffers and heavier springs.

yep you're right p dog..... as dirty harry said A MANS GOT TO KNOW HIS LIMITATIONS........

If legal ,IMO a very poor choice .
But if you insist , keep your shots close !
LIKE bow range ,out to 30 or so yards using a good expanding 230 gr HP .

Johnch

The 45 acp will most certainly take Deer.The round is constantly recomended for life and death encounters with two legged advisaries that often out weigh a deer.A flat point hard cast or jacketed will give the dessired penetration as well as leave an adequate wound channel. Most if not all of the jacketed hollow points open too much and do not pentrate deeply enough.

About 4 years ago I shot a spike buck at 25 steps using a Marlin Camp Carbine in .45ACP. One shot to the chest with Winchester LEO Ranger SXT 230 gr +P. The bullet went throught the heart and lodged right behind the opposite side rib. The bullet mushroomed perfectly with the sharp petals exposed. The deer wobbled for two steps and went down.

I've taken several bucks, quite a few hogs, and slews of other criters with the 45ACP. Just put it in the right spot and like most rounds it will do the trick. Make sure you pick a bullet tough enough to penetrate. I used to use the Speer 200gr. JHP with great effect until they made the bullet too frangible. The 200s can be thrown fast enough to expand well and offer a decent trajectory out to 100 yds. Now I am switching to the Speer Gold Dot and will be testing those soon. I have found the JHPs are better than the SWCs for my purposes on deer. They produce excellent expansion and quick kills. On pigs, a lead SWC or FP works best. The key advantages of the 45ACP are low blast, low recoil, and pinpoint accuracy. Proper placement is the key.

I see no reason why the ACP would not be good for deer as long as the proper bullet was used and the distance kept short. The shape, weight and performance of the bullet is more important then how fast it is. I would keep all shots 50 yd's or under.

.357 mag works well on deer

quote:

Originally posted by hikerbum:
.357 mag works well on deer

Yes but I don't believe it will fit in a 45acp

The 45 colt was designed so that cavalrymen could shoot down the horses of combatant indians; It was only a 850fps, 250gr.lead, blackpowder load. +P ammo for insurance and a tough bullet at close range with good shot placement will work very well.

It is a legal round in Iowa.
See here page 5 http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/pdfs/04deerturk.pdf

I'll agree, a .45 should work fine, but like other said, it's all about bullet placement. I've watched deer taken down with a .45 colt, and a .357 mag, and I have taken a buck with a 9mm. All three deer were no more than 30-40 yards from the shooter. Anything more than 50 yards is a long way for a pistol IMHO.

A 230 grain +P Gold Dot load sounds about the right medicine, and of course a liberal amount of practice.

edit: In CA, any centerfire, soft-nose, expanding, or hollow point round may be used to hunt big game. Where is my Lorcin .25 with Gold Dots?!

quote:

Originally posted by Swede44mag:

quote:

Originally posted by hikerbum:
.357 mag works well on deer

Yes but I don't believe it will fit in a 45acp

It will fit, however you have to handplace each cartridge and also place a small washer just ahead of the rim on the .357 to keep the cartridge from falling into the .45 chamber.

You also have to hold the gun WAY away from your face when you fire, or better yet, hand it to your buddy to fire. Usually saying something like, "quick--shoot him!" works...

Oh, and it's not very accurate either.

I KILLED A LOT OF BROCKET DEER WITH MY GLOCK 40 SW ,A LOT OF BOARS TOO WHEN I WAS YOUNG I USED TO CARRY A 1911 45ACP AND KILLED MANY ,MANY HOGS ,IF YOU ARE A GOOD SHOOTER AND THE DISTANCE IS SHORT YOU CAN KILL ANYTHING WITH IT.JUAN

Boy, this is a dead horse. It's been discussed extensively on other forums, and I am sure, here. Yes it can be done. Yes it has been done. Is it the most optimal gun/caliber? Well I guess that depends on the circumstances. As for myself, I would have no problem with it.

Catmandu

Here ya go...

http://forums.handloads.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4953&PN=5

Catmandu