I'm just kinda curious if anyone out there has killed a deer with the 40 S&W. I know it's not an ideal deer round but after I get the freezer full this fall, I'm considering trying for a doe with my Glock. It should put some challenge back into shooting does if nothing else. I can shoot a six inch group at 25 yards all day long so I don't think accuracy will be an issue at close range.

i also have a glock modle 22 40 s&w but the largest thing to date that i have shot with it would be a porcipine.

i woundt use it on deer not unless your shooting small does and yearling bucks at 20 yards and under with 180 grain bullets. and even there with extreamly carful shot placement.


personaly i would stick to a 357 mag or bigger.

A 10mm would be a better choice because of it's better penetration.I wouldn't do it unless I could get better than 6" groups,less than 3" in fact.

Go ahead and use your 40 S&W if you want. I carry a 40 Beretta every day I go to work. I don't think it is the best round in the world for anything, but because it is the gun that I have on me ALL the time I have sucesfully used it to kill several deer, coyote, and even a few roadside smashed up moose.

Depending on what bullet you use penetration should not be a problem as long as you are not at some insane long range. I shot a mule deer with mine at just over 50 yards in CA, the bullet went through the left shoulder and exited the neck. Since you have a 40S&W I say use it, however if I was going to buy a pistol to hunt with it would not be my first choice.

A number of years ago I built a single stack 1911 in 40 S&W when IPSC was considering making the floor for major to be 40 caliber. Had all of the bells and whistles ... and an excellent 2 pound trigger. Is very accurate.

Gun has a 4 1/2" ramped bbl and a compensator. Gun is build like a bank vault ... very strong. The ammo I load for it is on 40 S&W cases but loaded long to just short of 10mm length. Kind of a 10mm with a short case.

With the right charge of WSF I've gotten 135 gr Noslers to 1580 fps. Way more than needed for major. Finally adopted a load that runs 1450 fps because it works the comp so well.

After I retired, I looked around for the scope mount for my M57 41 MAG S&W late the first hunting season when bored with rifle hunting. Was not able to locate it. In fact the only pistol I could find in the safe that would be legal and sort of sensible for deer was this 40 S&W race gun which is fitted with a Weigand mount and a Bushnell Holoscope. So I grabbed the IPSC ammo and the pistol and took it deer hunting.

Lined up on a doe at about 60 yards. Just as I pulled the trigger she turned toward me. The bullet hit her in the front of the chest. The track should have transected the body from the left side of the chest to an exit well behind the diaphragm on the right side.

On impact the doe did a front summersault and died with a couple of twitches where she lay.

Upon inspection I could not find an exit wound. So I started to field dress her expecting a terrible mess in the gut.

The bullet had entered the chest and detonated. The diaphragm had not be penetrated and the front of the chest was just mush. Never saw anything like it.

Later found the scope and mount for the 41Mag and have not used the 40 race gun for that purpose again.

40 S&W is enough to kill deer. I would recommend a sturdier bullet than the 135 Nosler HP.

loaded with 180 cast with a flat metplat at max velocity it will do fine.

The .40 will work, but just make sure you're good and accurate. I've heard fools say shooting a deer in the head with a .40 wont kill it....bologna.

135gr's aren't very tough bullets, but they will kill a deer in factory form. 12.0 grs. of Hodgdon Longshot will net you close to 1500fps from a 4" barrel.

8.8grs. of Longshot underneath a 165gr GOLD DOT will give you right at 1250fps. Ramshot's Enforcer can get it close to 1350fps.

180gr bullets can be shot out at 1200fps, but using a 180gr cast bullet will work at slower speeds.

A feller took a black bear with factory Hornady 10mm 200gr ammo (XTP @ 1050fps 5" barrel). DoubleTap ammo loads the same 200gr XTP bullet at 1050fps from a 4" .40 S&W. So if your shots on target, the .40 could take black bear as well as deer. You can reload and get those numbers too, close to 1100fps (200gr)